WesWorld

February 2, 1925

The Chilean Navy celebrates the laying down of the keel of their first warship, the destroyer Capitan Simpson at Talcahuano. This will mark the first day of a renewal of the Navy and, if government sources are accurate, a new push to industrialize and provide work for the national economy.

February 23, 1925

With the laying down of two light destroyers and two cruisers in the last two weeks the Merchant Marine has increased trade with the United Kingdom and Nordmark. Some ventures have been attempted on the other side of the Pacific with various results.

February 28, 1925

Armored Cruiser O'Higgins and the destroyer Capitan Herlock have been dispatched to investigate reports of unusual shipping activity around Tierra del Fuego. In the aftermath of the Nordmark War, tensions between Chile and Argentina have remained high over this piece of real-estate. "With our ships in the area," reports Teniente Hernado Menzola of the destroyer Capitan Herlock "The Argentineans won't try anything foolish. Not after what Nordmark did to them." The two ships are expected to be on patrol for four months.

April 15, 1925

The Chilean Government has been working out an agreement with the British Government for use of British Southern Pacific Islands for coaling. The British have been generous about it, reports the economic ministry. To compensate the British Government, the Chilean Navy will provide additional security to the Pitcairn Islands to Port Moresby and Singapore as ships permit. At this time the Predreadnought Battleships Coronel Bolognesi and General Baquedano (Swiftsure and Triumph ) and the destroyer Capitan Avatar have been sent to the Pitcairn Islands. They will take along the Collier Angamos to keep them supplied.

May 11, 1925

Chilean Naval Architect Tochiro Oyama, descendent of a Japanese pirate that assisted the Chilean Government in the Great Pacific War, has said to have announced through the Naval Ministry a new project. "The Navy needs to be renewed to maintain a usable force to protect our trade. To accomplish this, the Navy has issued a directive to replace the entire fleet in 20 years time. The process has already begun," said the engineer at a reception in Talcahuano two days ago. There is a rumor that Mr. Oyama will be in charge of a project to construct a superior armored cruiser to anything in the current fleet. The project name that has been passed around is Tylor ...oddly enough the name of one of the navies most irresponsible, yet decorated, destroyer captains.

June 29, 1925

The Port of Talcahuano welcomed home the Cruiser O'Higgins and its escorting destroyer Capitan Herlock yesterday evening. The navy reports that the ships have found nothing about the strange disappearance of freighters in the area around Tierra del Fuego since the Nordmark War. Sources close to the Navy suggest that there will be another patrol mission to that region to be sent out within a week. It is suspected they will send the cruisers Esmeralda and Blanco with the destroyer Almirante Riveros , since there crews seem to be getting the ships ready in port.

Good start.

I'm afraid I had a little trouble understanding what the Pre-Dreads are doing at Pitcairn - patrols, convoys, etc. Could you clarify that for me?

I have to say I wouldn't have sent the pre-dreads on that job. Cruisers or destroyers would suffice to deal with pirates, and wouldn't eat up the collier's supplies as quickly. But Chile no doubt has its reasons...

The hundred or so people on Pitcairn should have an interesting time adjusting.

Well the way I see it. These two Pre-dreads were in British service at one time (I think even in this reality). So using them as the first part of a protection agreement sounded reasonable since they may have served there once already.

Second the two larger ships are there partly to train crews for longer postings away from home. If the new cruisers and destoyers are going to be used in missions and be a continual presence in the Pacific, they might as well start learning without drawing away the "more useful assests" of the Chilean Navy from home waters....at least those that can leave Chilean waters. The two larger ships with likely spend much of there time on station rather than on patrol to save fuel. The destroyer will do most of the busy work at first. Also both ships were sent to establish paired patrols when possible, and because they may start to chart a route for future deployments and selection of the best acceptible ports for coaling in the eyes of the Chilean Navy and the Royal Navy.

Also if one breaks down there should be enough parts between the two ships to keep them operational until there deployment ends in six to eight months (is that reasonable, or too long?)

My guess is that a forward deployment of six to eight months is excessive; bear in mind that Pitcairn has no support facilities whatsoever. You'll have to bring everything with you, and keep everything aboard.

Using the PDs as training vessels is not a bad idea, I suppose, but the crews won't learn much more on station than they will steaming up and down the Chilean Coast.

Have you considered running one PD and a destroyer out, then replacing them after a couple months with the other PD and another destroyer, etc?

From what I've seen, the Chilean Navy is somewhat lacking in a fleet train - just one collier, and some ubiquitous transports. One consequence of this mission could be that the Navy comes to appreciate the need to add a few colliers, tenders, etc to the fleet so that it can undertake power projection missions outside Chilean waters.