WesWorld

Noticias Argentinas

Having inspected the fleet the new Defence Minister Vice Adm (ret). Juan Perez Benedicto Hood described the Argentine Fleet to the new Chief of Staff of the Navy Adm. Antonio Moreno Smith as a “rusting pile of antiquated junk that foreign powers sunk as gunnery targets years ago (thumps table), no wonder we lost a war ten years ago (thumps table again), now go away and build me a proper fleet”.
The Defence Minister then announced the new Five Year Naval Construction Programme and the purchase of two Italian licences to manufacture 100mm and 130mm guns in the new Naval Arsenal at Comodoro Rividavia.

The Ten Year Naval Plan is broken into two Five Year Naval Construction Programmes.
As of early 1931 the first programme will see the construction of 48 torpedo boats and escorts a similar number of river vessels and MTBs, twelve destroyers and two new light cruisers and a fast heavy cruiser. By 1941 it is hoped to have in service two battleships, three/four battlecruisers, two aircraft carrying vessels, 36 destroyers and around 12 cruisers in addition to twenty-four torpedo boats, some 30 escorts and a force of six/twelve submarines.

Twelve Corrientes Class are to be built. Laying down in all Type 0 slips and one Type 1 slip at Comodoro Rividavia will commence during May with launching during July. The next batch will be laid down during June and launch in August on the same slips. Completion and beginning of shake down cruises will begin during July and October respectively. The three remaining Type 1 slips will begin construction of three Mendoza Class destroyers in March with launch during August with completion in late Jan/ early Feb 1932 and the start of shake down cruising. Two Ruggiero Class flotilla leaders have been ordered from Italy and officals have gone to Germany to discuss the purchase of a P Class submarine. Each month two small craft will also be built. These vessels will form the basis of the light fleet. The General San Martin will lay down on the Type 2 slip at Puerto Belgrano in March and launch in June, completion will be in late Jan 1932. The navy may also begin some modernisation of older units during the year. On completion of the first six Corrientes Class all 19 coastal torpedo boats will be discarded. When the next six complete the British built 350tons class will be removed from service. As each Mendoza Class ship completes one old 950ton destroyer will be removed form service or laid up for conversion to other tasks.

Business is picking up!

Yes, it is. Submitting the original Type P for the Polish submarine competition is proving profitable, even if it lost the original competition.

--raises eyebrow-- really? well that will make these design plans have much more meaning then before.

Even without a war, an arms race is curtain.

An arms curtain?

OH, THE HORROR!! Make it an arms shutter, at least!

Well logically information on the arms race can be blocked by a curtain for certain.

But you can see beyond with the right coat.

..or cloak....

"By 1941 it is hoped to have in service two battleships, three/four battlecruisers, two aircraft carrying vessels, 36 destroyers"

Wow . that´s a lot for a relatively small navy that needs to be build up from the scratch.

Already has 2 battlecruisers.

3-4 destroyers per year.

Relatively small battleships and carriers.

Its possible with minimum investment in infrastructure.

I'll need to work on more smaller ships in the future, but I think Chile's plan was to have 5 operational dreadnoughts by the end of 1941. A sixth would begin construction soon afterwards and shortly after it finishes the two oldest dreadnoughts would retire (somewhere around 1945). The 2 pre-dreadnoughts will likely retire sometime in the 1930s while plans to built two more light carriers is in the works. Battlecruiser plans have been dropped in favor of the Heavy Armored Cruisers at this time.

Infrastructure isn't nessassarily the problem, it comes down to materials to build/pay for them.

Let me just clarify a few points.
First, RA has hit the nail on the head, many of these vessels are already in service. Building three destroyers a year will achieve the bulk of my target and foreign ships and older ships will also count. By the end of 1931 I'll have five new DD.
Second, who mentioned carriers? I said aircraft carrying vessels, they could be seaplane tenders or hybrid crusier/carriers.
My planned BC (one so far) is something different, no details yet so when I reveal it it will be a fresh design. The BB are already in service and won't be replaced just rebuilt.
It is only a plan, things may change, that why I have split it into two five year plans. Along with all this there has to be an industrial expansion. Manpower may be a problem but conscription should help.
My fleet follows my own views. Here are the hints of the future. I dislike huge super-BB and heavy ships, I dislike battlecruisers (mine are not like Renown). I believe in using more effective weapons to destroy ships. The torpedo and speed is what I want allied to numbers. Using loads of cheap, expendable ships will be better than building a few large and expensive units I can't afford to lose.