Time Warp!
July 20
Capitan de Navio Torrez-Bucholz could hardly believe the words as the came out of the mouth of his superior officer, Almirante Peablo (the disgraced former Chief of Staff) and had to ask him to repeat it. Peablo gave him a searching quizzical look before he spoke, "I said we have orders to set sail for the Chilean coast, recall all men, prepare ammunition stocks, full bunkers for aviation gasoline and get out the war operating procedures."
No sooner had he said these words the Captain of the cruiser Almirante Storni arrived on the deck and saluted. "Sir my ship has been assigned to your command. Have you any orders Sir?"
In response to the Chilean losses at the Battle of Ilo, the Argentine Ministry of Defence offered a fast battlegroup to patrol the Eastern Pacific. The Navy created a new group, Force D. It comprised the carrier Independencia, the light cruiser Almirante Storni, the scout cruisers Nueve de Julio and Comodore Py and the destroyers Contra Almirante Barbera, Simon Bolivar and Capitan Tejada under the command of Almirante Peablo. He had wanted the battlecruiser Patagonia but the Naval Staff refused his request. Peablo was given strict rules of engagement and had to radio Bahia Blanca before any action to get offical approval.
The entire Independencia Carrier Wing under the command of Capitan de Navio Santana comprised;
Independencia Squadron 1, 12 Mitsubishi NF-1 (A6M)
Independencia Squadron 2, 12 Tucan T-18 NB-1
Independencia Squadron 3, 12 Spartan NT-1 (TBN-7)
Only a third of the aircraft were embarked, on the 22nd the remainder of the aircraft were flown aboard after several touch-and-go practises. In fact some pilots had never landed on a carrier at sea before and all but the senior officers had less than ideal amounts of deck-time.
It was a feat but on the 23rd Force D set sail from Bahia Blanca en route to Chile (where they would refuel).