WesWorld

Status of the Navy Report

Today the Defence Minister Vice Adm (ret). Juan Perez Benedicto Hood has published his first Naval Status Report detailing the condition of the ships in the fleet and their future plans. After visiting each ship checking technical details, observing sea patrols and talking with crew the following assessments have been made. At this time talks are underway to move the Infantería de Marina under Naval command and to station platoons aboard warships on anti-pirate, anti-arms trade patrols.

LIBERTAD Class battleships: LIBERTAD and CAPITAN GASCÓN (completed 1923-24) Both in materially good condition but in need of refit and modernisation. If funds can be found both will have a major refit in the late 1930s. For now light AA will be added.
Patagonia Class battlecruisers PATAGONIA and PAMPAS (complete July 1931) Will begin shake-down cruises and training from late July in both Italian and home waters.
SANTÍSIMA TRINIDAD In good condition and her new Italian machinery has proved successful in service. Now rated as Battlecruiser.
PRESIDENTE SARMIENTO In poor condition and needs refit. No new machinery will be fitted. May be scrapped from 1936.
PUEYRREDON Planned refit will go ahead. New secondary armament and major changes to belt armour. Will serve as cruiser squadron flagship and in peacetime will be the gunnery training ship.
VEINTICINCO DE MAYO, ALMIRANTE BROWN both in very good condition and morale is good. In recent exercises her gunners have outscored all other Argentine vessels. AA armament will be beefed up from 1932.
NUEVE DE JULIO May undergo major refit to keep her active until 1940s. Currently undermanned and poorly led. Capitan Smith has been dismissed from his command and replaced by Capitan Dominguez.
INDEPENDENCIA Of no real fighting value and poorly maintained. Classified as a battleship for prestige reasons but really only fit for coastal defence duties. Will be replaced by 1937.
Light scout cruisers COMODORE PY, HIPOLITO BOUCHARD, ESPORA all are being used hard and will need major repairs and refits before long. Py is only making around 17kts in service.
6 1914-programme destroyers (cazatorpederos) CERVANTES, YUCUMAN, JUAN DE GARRAY, SAN JUAN, SAN LUIS, SANTA CRUZ and 4 1916-programme destroyers SALTO, SAN JUAN, BATHURST, KING some need repairs and maintenance schedules are slipping. Habitation is poor and this needs addressing on longer patrols. Better rangefinders needed.
2 French-built 950ton destroyers MENDOZA, RIOJA to be converted into subsidiary role ships.
3 German-built 950ton destroyers with ram bow CORDOBA, LA PLATA, MURATURE all to be partially rebuilt into Escort Destroyers with mixed 130mm and 100mm gun armament carrying sonar, A/S weapons and torpedoes.
4 German-built 950ton destroyers with straight bow CATAMARCA, JUJUY, JORGE, THORNE all are undergoing refits to operate as escorts and multi-role ships.
3 - British-built 350ton torpedoboats CORRIENTES, ENTRE RIOS, MISIONES all to be scrapped
9 - large coastal torpedoboats all to be scrapped
10 - large coastal torpedoboats all to be scrapped
4 gunboats two Parana Class are still very useful and are in good condition, Patria will also be kept but the Los Andes Class are obsolete and will soon be rebuilt into largely new and powerful gunboats.
Fulton minelayer, soon to be decommissioned
Presidente Sarmiento sail training vessel in very good condition and currently is on an extended Latin American tour.
16 dispatch vessels
3 river police craft
7 transports condition of all is very poor, morale of crews poor, outdated handling gear is unreliable and unsafe.
1 oil tanker fair condition, some re-painting needed.
1 survey ship good condition and up to date equipment, better heating needed.
3 tugs all good condition and serving well.
1 crane ship utility good, will be improved by new crane.

Naval Aviation Commando de Aviacion Naval
Only two squadrons equipped with Avro 504 copies, 9 landplanes and four fitted with floats. One biplane transport is unserviceable as are the two WW1 vintage Curtiss flying boats. New reforms and orders posted earlier will help to combat this poor performance. A new training regime has begun and the former air force CinC General Zuloaga has become the head of the Commando de Aviacion Naval and has already begun a new intensive training regime.

Organization
Commanding office of formation listed, first named ship is flagship of formation. Flagship of the fleet is LIBERTAD.
1st Battleship Squadron LIBERTAD and CAPITAN GASCÓN (Almirante Bendicto)
2nd Battleship Squadron PATAGONIA and PAMPAS (Almirante Peablo)
1st Battlecruiser Squadron SANTÍSIMA TRINIDAD (Vice Almirante Dominguez)
1st Cruiser Squadron PUEYRREDON, VEINTICINCO DE MAYO and ALMIRANTE BROWN (Vice Almirante Bouchad)
2nd Cruiser Squadron NUEVE DE JULIO, COMODORE PY, HIPOLITO BOUCHARD, ESPORA (will become 3rd Cruiser Squadron when new scout cruisers enter service) (Contra Almirante Murphy)
Fighting Reserve Squadron PRESIDENTE SARMIENTO and INDEPENDENCIA (Contra Almirante Cejoa)
1st Destroyer Squadron Six Mendoza (Contra Almirante Gomez)
2nd Destroyer Squadron Six 1914-16 Class Destroyers (Capitan de Navio Ricardo)
3rd Destroyer Squadron Four 1914-16 Class Destroyers (Capitan de Navio Martinez Muhon)
4th Destroyer Squadron Six rebuilt 950ton Escort Destroyers (Capitan de Navio Garibaldi)
1st Independent Destroyer Squadron HEROINA, SARANDI (Ruggerio) and GENERAL SAN MARTIN (in wartime the two leader ships will command 1st and 2nd Destroyer Squadrons and the two displaced ships will join the third Destroyer Squadron and San Martin will act on her own or lead one of the Torpedo Destroyer Squadrons) (Contra Almirante Higgins)
1st and 2nd Torpedo Destroyer Squadrons each five Corrientes Class (1st Capitan de Navio Bahia, 2nd Capitan de Navio Honchez)
1st Submarine Squadron Six P Class (Capitan de Navio Mendez)
Minelayer Squadron two Chaco Class (undecided, currently Fulton only under command of Capitan de Fragata Esperanto)
Gunboat Support Squadron two Parana Class, Patria and two Los Andes Class (Capitan de Navio Smith-Sabatini)
Training Squadron (peacetime only) PRESIDENTE SARMIENTO (sail ship), PUEYRREDON and GENERAL SAN MARTIN (Almirante Peron)
1st MTB Flotilla Six MTB (Capitan de Corbeta Sarimento)
Three River Fire Support Squadrons each six River Gunboats (Capitan de Corbeta D’Silva, Hoho and Parker)
Auxiliary Squadron Seven transports, one tanker and survey ship (no overall commander, Capitan de Corbeta Smith, demoted Capitan of Nueve de Julio handles the organisation and paperwork)
Three Base Support Flotillas (Bahia Blanca, Puerto Belgrano and Comodoro Rividavia) each 1 tug and four dispatch vessels, crane ship at Bahia Blanca (each commanded by a Capitan de Corbeta)
Customs and Police (manned by Customs and Police and maintained by Navy) 3 river craft, 4 dispatch vessels and two Corrientes Class (under nominal head of Capitan de Navio judge Advocate Marlboro Sanchez)