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Noticias Argentinas

April 5
At AFNE at Bahia Blanca the new 115mm armed destroyer Contra-Almirante Barbera was laid down today in the presence of the President and Defence Minister.

April 9
Astillero Nav. at Puerto Belgrano this morning laid down the Simon Bolivar, the second in a class of five destroyers. Tomorrow the Tandanor yard at Comodoro Rividavia will lay down the seventh Mendoza Class destroyer Hercules.

April 16
The government has launched a major investigation into the Intrepida case and the whereabouts of Antonio D'Silva, still at large and a wanted man by the Argentine authorities.

April 20
The latest Argentine built cruiser Comodore Py has been commissioned into the Navy at Puerto Belgrano. She has satisfactorily completed builder's trials and next month will begin her work-up programme. Meanwhile in Atlantis the head of the Argentine Naval Commission in Europe Admiral Galindez has accepted the cruiser Nueve de Julio, sister to Comodoro Py, and her crew have arrived by passenger liner to begin trials and training.

Noticias Argentinas

May 6
The old cruiser Nueve de Julio after many years of long and faithful service has decommissioned today at Bahia Blanca. Many former crew and Captains were present to mark the occasion along with the Chief of Staff of the Navy Adm. Antonio Moreno Smith. Contra Almirante Murphy has now transferred his flag to the Espora until the new Comodore Py finishes her work-up. She will now become the RTS-107 until disposal.

May 10
ELECTION DAY
The results were as follows
United Social Workers Party 35% Democratic Union 28% Conservative Party 22% Progressive Party 8% Others 7%. Turnout was 76%.
Having failed to reach a majority the Democratic Union agreed to power-share with the United Social Workers Party after the latter party failed to reach an agreement with the Conservative Party. This gives the USWP and Democratic Union coalition an overall majority of 63%. The USWP leader Eduardo Garcia will become the Vice President and Leader of the Chamber of Deputies. The two parties will combine their plans for economic reform and the DU has agreed to some of the socialist economic reforms and higher taxes for the higher earners.

The Cabinet now looks like this;
President: Gonzalez
Vice President: Eduardo Garcia
Finance Minister: Enrique Pastelle
Foreign Affairs Minister: Alfredo Castagone
Defence Minister: Vice Adm (ret). Juan Perez Benedicto Hood
Internal Affairs Minister: Juan Homero Pablo Marcos
Security Minister: "Chico"
Transport Minister: Alfredo D'Assi
Social Affairs Minister: Luis Montague
Education and Culture Minister: Simon Eduardo Smith

May 14
The elderly cruiser Comodore Py has been decommissioned and re-commissioned today. This morning a brief ceremony remembered her glorious past and this afternoon her crew disembarked for the last time at Comodoro Rividavia. She has re-commissioned as the Rawson and will be used as a sea-going stoker and engineers training ship until her disposal.

May 17
The Foreign Affairs Minister Alfredo Castagone has left for a two month tour of South America. He has left for Colombia where he will stay for at least a week discussing relations with Atlantis and possible economic co-operation.
Meanwhile the ambassador in Peru has strenuously denied claims that Argentina is helping the supply of arms to Bolivia. Such shipments are illegal and are being stopped. Privately though in the Internal Security Ministry doubts are being raised to the tightness of the border controls and the current refugee crisis has stretched military manpower.

May 23
This afternoon at AFNE at Bahia Blanca both of the latest Guardia Class Sloops were launched. Numerous VIPs attended the launches.

Noticias Argentinas

June 10
The residents of Maquichao have noticed heavy traffic and large numbers of trucks heading into the mountains in recent days to what many believe is a research station. However, the Fuerza Aerea Argentina has officially denied that the Maquichao Research Station exists. They claim it is a Public Works Programme building a new chemical plant. Many Fuerza Aerea Argentina personnel have moved into a purpose built living area nearby outside the town and some 5,000 builders are still at work on the site.

In Colombia Alfredo Castagone has reached an agreement and the offers of an economic co-operation plan have been accepted. Trade tariffs will be reduced and co-operation in the oil industry will begin during 1934. Other talks were held with senior officials but the agenda has not been disclosed to the public.

June 12
Many Guardia Civil units have been deployed along the southern coast and many customs and naval vessels including destroyers have been making regular patrols and inspections of small fishing villages and coves. No official announcement has been made but the public are being told to be aware of strange activity along the coast and any unknown strangers in the locality.
The Customs Department has confirmed an order for 12 FMA I.Ae 1 Guarani aircraft for transport and patrol with three/four crew and enlarged windows.

June 13
Today Foreign Affairs Minister Alfredo Castagone arrived in Venezuela to begin talks. He will stay for three weeks during which time he will take a two week holiday at a rented villa where he will meet in addition to his meetings with the government. Meanwhile several naval officers have inspected one of the newly purchased cruisers in the Caribbean while on post-refit trials. The officers were delighted with the ship and they believe they will become effective units in the Argentine Navy. The General San Martin carried out manoeuvres with the refitted ship.

June 26
An unidentified aircraft some nine miles north of Puerto Santa Cruz in the Department Santa Cruz was spotted by a Fokker T.IVa seaplane some three miles off shore. It turned away before the pilot could intercept and disappeared into cloud. A gunner identified it as a WW1 British type seaplane. This is the second such sighting.

June 28
The Aerea Regimenta No 2 under the command of Maj. P. M. Stallone currently equipped with Accrisius FN-7 Archer fighters has been deployed in three aircraft groups along the southern coast at the request of the Navy. Destroyers and gunboats are still making regular patrols along the entire coast.

June 30
An FN-7 flown by Lieutenant de Aero T. Cannoni on regular patrol spotted a small biplane some 1,500ft below to starboard. He dived onto the target and circled to pull alongside it. He identified it as a British F.E.2b of 1914/15 vintage. Two occupants were well padded from the cold and as he overtook one swung the Lewis gun round and gave him a burst. It missed but he pushed the throttle forwards and yanked back on the stick. He shadowed from a safe distance and received the authorisation to open fire from base. He began a shallow dive and opened fire at close range. The engine caught fire and detached from the airplane and in the dive the wings crumpled and the seaplane dived into the sea. He circled the area until a Fokker arrived and set down to pick up the wreckage and two bodies. One was identified this afternoon as the body of Captain Murdoch of the Intrepida.

Six more to go.

"Which two ships?" Exclaimed Defence Minister Vice Adm. (ret) Hood as hit thumped the table. The Chief of Naval Intelligence Captain de Navio Jones-Carrera stumbled out the two names. "So those Afrikaners are propping up the Iberian puppets of Peru are they!" The table thudded again. Captain Carrera shifted as he stood in front of the desk, "We believe the SAE might be helping the Peruvian Navy to grow stronger to reduce the need for Iberian vessels." The Defence Minister shook his head and got up and walked over the book case. "You have not grasped the new political climate, these ships are a direct threat to Chile and Chile is the number one friend to court. The land swap is on and no-one can stop it now. We must begin work on Project 105." At this point the Chief of Staff of the Navy Adm. Antonio Moreno Smith spoke up. "The government feels battleships are not the way forwards, we need more heavy cruisers&" The Defence Minister held up his hand to interrupt, "I always supported these ships but the penny-pinchers did not but soon the Treaty will end and the whole world will embark on construction programmes and we must have at least two ships which can match the best Brazil and the Africans have." He got a folder off the shelf and opened it, inside was the details of Project 105, "this is what we both want and now all we have to do is convince the Senate to pass the funds."

He turned to his trusty Jane's, "The La Luna is less powerful than we thought and we have already discarded such a design as a waste of money. Even the Libertad could easily sink her." Adm. Smith smiled and replied, "yes Sir, two turrets against four, and the 105 would be much superior to her with nine 15 inch guns." All three men then decided the battleship was the next future project. "I tell the Naval Constuctors Board to begin work on Project 106 from tomorrow Minister."