October 5, 1925
Cruiser O'Higgins and the Destroyer Capitan Herlock set out today from Singapore to patrol shipping routes in the South China Sea. It is expected that they will patrol an area of sea between Singapore and Hong Kong, but the Chileans might have a different idea of where they should be patrolling.
October 6, 1925
Transport Rancagua set out yesterday for Talcahuano to meet with the Transport Maipo which will then set out for the Pitcairn Islands to resupply the Cruiser Negro and Destroyer Avatar.
October 9, 1925
Cruiser Esmeralda's crew suffers an outbreak of influenza and moves off of its regular patrol to the nearest friendly port that might be able to assist with isolation. They head for the Falkland Islands.
October 16, 1925
Transport Rancagua arrived early today in Talcahuano. Transport Maipo will leave on Saturday the 17th. More coal and food stuffs is said to be much of the cargo.
October 28, 1925
Transport Maipo arrived to a sight of relieved crews from the Destroyer Avatar on the afternoon of the 27th. The Destroyer's crew seems to have been nervous after having encountered a mysterious cruiser late in September.
October 30, 1925
Cruiser Blanco and Destroyer Almirante Riveros receive a weak distress signal in the Straits of Magellan in the early morning hours. After notifying the Cruiser Esmeralda the two set out two investigate. The Straits can be rough at night, but as day broke the pair found a sinking Chilean Freighter, and a pair of Argentinean Torpedo Boats. (Thornycroft Type: Comodoro Py and Murature). While the Blanco was only able to fire a few long ranged shots at the boats, the Riveros sped to run them down. The torpedo boats raced as best they could towards Argentinean waters, but the Riveros was faster. Having used most of their torpedoes, the two boats took a single run each at the destroyer in an attempt to cripple it, as they could not outrun it. They failed, but managed to get a few hits in with their 3 pounders.
Riveros was having difficulty hitting the small fast moving targets with the 4.7 inch guns and the 4 inch guns. The pair split up to keep the Riveros fire from scoring, and continued towards Argentina throughout the day.
Near the mouth of the Strait, the Cruiser Esmeralda had been returning from the Falkland Islands. At the mouth there was someone waiting for the Riveros, the Protected Cruiser Nueve de Julio. Not expecting the Chilean Armoured Cruiser, the Argentinean ship attempted to flee, however the Chilean ship was between it an its closest safe harbor. Cruiser Esmeralda was not able to keep up the chase for more than six hours in the failing light, but the two exchanged shells for two hours at long range.
Cruiser Esmeralda managed to land two Eight inch shells near the Nueve de Julio's stern mast. However the Nueve de Julio managed to land a single Six inch shell just in front of the bridge, killing or wounding the forward eight inch gun crew. Cruiser Esmeralda broke off the chase near dusk.
The two Argentinean Torpedo Boats, seeing their support run off attempted one final pass of the Riveros. Both ships were hit by several 4 and 4.7 inch guns on their approach and surrendered.
Both boats were scuttled by the Chilean Navy after the Cruiser Blanco arrived to take on prisoners.
Meanwhile in Chile:
The German Cruiser Karlsruhe arrived in Valparaiso today. The ship was meet by the Dreadnought Almirante Cochane, Battleship Prat, and the Light Cruiser Presidente Errazuriz. The German warship is expected to remain in harbor until Sunday.
November 1, 1925
The German Cruiser Karlsruhe left Valparaiso today with an honor escort of the Battleship Prat. The Prat fired a farewell salute to honor the Germans this day.
November 3, 1925
Cruiser O'Higgins and Destroyer Capitan Herlock encountered some pirates operating off French Indochina. They suspect the pirates of basing either near Ca Mau (southern tip of present day Vietnam), or between Qui Nhon and Da Nang. As the pirates were using a junk, the firepower of an Armoured Cruiser seemed to be overkill, but since they were 60 miles away from Indochina, the Chileans felt they should act instead of ignore the situation. The local fisherman seems pleased that someone took care of the pirates, though none on board the cruiser spoke Vietnamese, and only limited French. The Junk was attempting to take the valuable off another junk 60 miles off the coast near Phan Rang. The Chileans happened to be nearby (reports are they were night fishing). How the pirates managed to miss the large Chilean warships sitting 7 miles away is unknown....
November 8, 1925
Cruiser Negro encounters but could not intercept an unknown warship sighted south of the Iles Marquises. This ship matches the description of the cruiser rumored to the haunting the Pacific of late. However this ship did not match the one reported by the Destroyer Capitan Avatar in September. The ship, based on its dark paint job and large skull and crossbones on the hull, has been named "Deathshadow" by the Negro's crew, as it reminds them of a ship from their grandparent's generation that helped the Chilean Navy in the War of the Pacific.
November 11, 1925
The Cruisers Blanco and Esmeralda along with the destroyer Almirante Riveros returned today after a rough four months around Tierra del Fuego. Esmeralda will need to be repaired after some damaged sustained in combat with the Argentinean cruiser Nueve de Julio on the 30 of October. The destroyer Riveros managed to conduct repairs on the way home. Services for the four dead crewmen will be held Sunday the 15th.
November 16, 1925
Chilean Cruiser O'Higgins and company setout from Singapore today on their long journey home. First stop will be Port Moresby.
Meanwhile in Chile:
Formal protest of the Argentinean attacks on shipping around Tierra del Fuego have been issued by the Chilean government. Argentina denies having sank the freighter the Chileans witnessed sinking. They say the torpedo boats were also responding to a distress call. When the Chilean government asked why the Nuevo de Julio was at the mouth of the Straits, the Argentinean's asked why not, it is open water. The yelling back and forth over Tierra del Fuego still brings problems now and again. Chile still claims all of the island, while Argentina maintained a presence there. The recent Nordmark War had all the Argentinean presence removed, but the Chilean government was warned harshly by the South Africans to not get involved in Nordmark's affairs, so Chile has yet to move into the emptied land. What will come of this?
November 17, 1925
Chilean Dreadnought Almirante Latorre and the Light Cruisers Ministro Zenteno and Blanco Encalada set out today from Talcahuano to patrol around Tierra del Fuego. With the recent incident with the Argentinean, the Chilean Navy wants to be clear that they see the Straits as a Chilean Passage and will keep it open for all trade. This show of force against the Argentineans is a new approach, one that Chile would not have done five years ago, before the Nordmark War.
November 25, 1925
Cruiser O'Higgins and company arrive in Port Moresby. and are expected to leave in two days.
November 29, 1925
Cruiser O'Higgins encounters a vessel that looks like the Freighter Queen Emeraldas near the Santa Cruz Islands. When hailed, the Emeraldas responded. The ship's captain was not available but the ship's owner, a Seline Yukino, told the O'Higgins' captain that she had not idea of what he was talking about when he mentioned that her ship had been seen leaving Puerto Montt in September. She said she'd been out near Wake Island in September. The O'Higgins' captain apologies to the lady and let her continue on her course for New Zealand.
December 5, 1925
Rumors of a pirate ship matching the "Deathshadow's" description is reported to be in the Solomon Islands area. No reports of it attacking anyone though.
December 7, 1925
Today the Chilean Navy launched and commissioned the new Destroyer Capitan Simpson into the fleet. This is the first new ship built in Chile in quite sometime. The ships new crew will begin working her up on Tuesday. It has been decided that she will work up at the Pitcairn Islands due to a lack of long range destroyers in the fleet.
December 8, 1925
Brand new Destroyer Capitan Simpson and the Cruiser Blanco will head out to the Pitcairn Islands with the Transport Rancagua to relieve the Cruisers Negro and O'Higgins.
December 10, 1925
At Mejillones, two new light destroyers for the Chilean Navy were launched yesterday. Teniente Riquelme and Teniente Videla were launched in a double ceremony after the construction had been delayed by a week due to bad winter weather in August. These two ships will work in tandem as often as possible, according to navy sources.
December 14, 1925
Chilean Armoured Cruiser O'Higgins arrived with the Destroyer Capitan Herlock and the Collier Angamos at the Pitcairn Islands today. They will spend a day or two to resupply before heading finally to Chile with the Cruiser Negro, Destroyer Capitan Avatar and the Transport Maipo.
December 17, 1925
Cruiser Blanco and company arrive at the Pitcairn Islands early today. Within six hours of their arrival the Cruisers O'Higgins and Negro set forth to Chile with their escorting destroyers and supply ships.
December 28, 1925
Cruisers O'Higgins and Negro arrive safely back in Valparaiso today after a tour of the South Pacific. Based on this experience the Chilean Navy laid down a new hull today for a new support ship. This ship has been called the Araucano.