Internal Memorandum from the Navy chief of staff.

[RAM]

Memo Number: 19142501F
SCAF-125904-04
to: Ministry of the Navy
from: Doctor Diego de Poza
subject: Current state of the navy, New fleet standards

DISCLOSURE
This writing contains privileged information. Any unauthorized disclosure of
this writing will be prosecuted as treason.



Section A- Reasons why the NUS navy exists:

1- Self Protecton.

As an integral part of the Armed Forces, the Navy is intended to protect and defend the NUS territorial waters and assets. This means that our navy should be of the adequate size and have the adequate readiness to confront, and succeed while doing so, any external threats. Power projection, however, is not seen as an issue, the NUS being a regional power at best.


2- Alliance protection.

Being a part of Alianza de la Cruz del Sur as a founding member, the NUS is expected to, and willing to, work in co-operation with the members of the Alianza to defend our mutual interests. As such, the Navy is expected to be of the proper size and having the proper readiness to form an important part of the Alianza's defence.


3- Peacekeeping/ Law protection.

Even while piracy is not a big problem in our area of the world, the Navy is tasked with dealing with any acts of piracy conducted within, or near, our nation's territorial waters. The Navy is also tasked with protecting the law acting against acts of contraband, etc.




Section B: Current state of the navy.

1- Navy composition.

Our navy as it stands, consists on the following:
Four (4) Acorazados (BB). Two of them are predreadnoughts, two of them are semi-dreadnoughts. Only one of them has fire control. A further 25000 ton semi-dreadnought is currently being built.

Five (5) Cruceros Acorazados (AC). Only two of them are useful nowadays, the other three are outdated, small, slow and useful only for coastal defence operations.

Ten (10) Cruceros ligeros/Protegidos (CL/PC). Two of them are obsolete, and the eight modern ones are able to sail at 27 knots, have mixed 4'' and 6'' weapons and don't fare well compared with other nation's modern designs.

thirty three (33) Destroyers. The last 2 Salado class are due to immediate scrapping. The rest, while able ships, are on the slow side for destroyers.

Ten (10) other vessels. Four patrol boats, two minesweepers and four river patrol boats. All of them are useful for the navy.


2.- Navy equipment and readiness.

All the ships are well supplied and in good phisical conditions. Budget is enough to cover for their current peacetime needs.

Equipment is lacking for proper future expansion, notably in the department of heavy weapons and mounts for future capital ships. The navy current technology is limited to 12 inch guns in twin mounts when most other fleets are working in the 13.5-14 inch range, with a wide presence of triple mounts all around the world navies.

For smaller ships, the equipment is on the same level with foreign navies, but development of new weapons would be required for future projects.

General readiness of the navy is adequate for peacetime standards. It is worth noting, however, that those standards might require improvement. Live firing training is lacking, and it's been a long time since the navy has conducted proper sea maneouvers.


3- Doctrine.

Navy doctrine hasn't changed for the last 10 years, nor has been subjected to a revision on how could be improved. This is most notable in the case of battleships, their lack of standarization and general obsolescence means that capital ship tactics still resemble those of two decades ago. The presence of central fire control in just one of our capital ships is key in this doctrinal problem. Proper line of battle tactics/doctrine can't be established because 3/4 of said battleline can't fight according to modern standards.

4-Infrastructures.
Current infrastructures are enough to cover for the needs of the navy in it's current state. However they are not of the adequate size and extension for future needs.



C- Perceived fields of improvement:

1- Material:
It is considered that the current size of the navy is barely adequate to cover for the basic self-defence needs our nation has. It is so desirable to do an expansion on the navy to get it to the standards needed for self-protection of the NUS and the Alianza members. Such an expansion should be ready for 1921, moment when the navy should be revised again and new plans for the future should be worked on.
As a part of this perceived field of improvement, it's mandatory that we build only ships of the correct size and quality to justify the cost. So, the battleship currently being built at Bahia Blanco is to be cancelled, it's already built parts scrapped, and a whole new building plan calling for proper dreadnought-type ships started.
It is worth noting, aswell, the noticeable lack of a proper submarine arm in our navy. Steps should be taken to rectify this problem in the future.

2- Technologic.
It is also desirable to emphasize on technological improvements to extract the most out of our navy. Given the limited industrial assets of our nation it's a given that the Navy will never be of the size of other regional naval powers, but at least our technology should keep, at least, pace with them.

3-Doctrinal.
While part of our lack in an adequate doctrine to use the navy in the best way possible is linked with some of our deficits in material (notably in the case of capital ships), this is also because there has been no real intellectual work done on the area. This should be rectified in the future.

4-Infrastructural.
A proper expansion of our current infrastructures is mandatory, given the fact that the Navy in the future should be increased in size. This expansion should be done over existing infrastructures rather than creating brand new ones.


D: Proposed builds.

1-Fleet composition.
It is in our opinion that the fleet should consist on capital ships, armored and light cruisers , destroyers, submarines, minor vessels ,other vessels, and auxiliaries, in the following proportions:
BB:1
AC:1
CL:3
DD:7
SS/Minor/Aux/Others: No particular proportion.
This means that, in our opinion, for each battleship in service the navy should field one AC, three CLs and 7 Destroyers, the rest of the types being independent of this proportions and of the number/size as needed

2a- Fleet expansion:
It is our opinion that a building plan should be placed, plan to be completed by 1921. By then the fleet should consist of:
4 BB
2 PD/CDS
4 AC
12 CL
28 DD

2b-Proposed scraps:
- Two Salado class TBs are ready for the scrappers.
- Reccomended scrapping of San Luis and Argentina CLs.
- Reccomended scrapping of the Three ACs of  Paraguay class

2c-Proposed builds/refits for 1921:
-Cancelation and scrapping of the battleship currently being built.
-Two new battleships of no more than 28000 tons light. True dreadnought type. 13.5 inch main artillery. 22.5 knots top speed. Armor up to standard levels (able to stand her own artillery).
-Demotion of the two independencia class PDs to CDS.
-Overhaul of Veinticinco de Mayo to, among other things, receive oil fired boilers and proper FC.
-Rebuild of AC Garibaldi (currently on loan to Greece) as a target ship.
-Building two new ACs. Unspecified stats at the moment.
-building four new CLs, no more than 6000 tons light, dual 6'' mounts, speed over 28 knots.
-Building at least 6 new DDs, no more than 1500 tons light, speed over 31 knots.
-building smaller vessels/patrol boats as seen needed.
-Proposed a slow, but steady, submarine building program.


3- Infrastructures:
To accomodate for the avobe proposed builds the following expansion program is proposed:
-increase Bahia Blanco Slips #1 and #2 to type 3.
-increase Bahia Blanco docks #1 and #2 to type 3
-increase all Rosario slips to type 2.


4- Technology:
it is advised to take the best advantage out of the technologic opportunities our membership of the Alianza de la Cruz del Sur gives us. This means the full tech budget should be used each half year to get us on the same technologic level as the rest of the members.
It is also advised to work on new capital ship mounts, or trade for licenses in the international market.

5- Readiness/training:
A set of naval war games, live firing training, etc, should be conducted in the following years to bring our navy training and readiness standards up to top notch level. To that effect, the obsolete AC Garibaldi (currently loaned to Greece) should be returned to the NUS and rebuilt as a target ship to give the ships a true maneouvering target to fire at.


E: Conclussions.

It is expected that this ambitious program might be completed by 1921, moment at which a new plan will be proposed. It is also expected that with the proposals noted in this memorandum, our fleet reaches the size and degree of readiness that we judge indispensable for it to fullfit the tasks the Navy has to accomplish.


Yours sincerely:
Doctor Diego de Poza. Chief of Staff NUS Navy, Chief of Naval design bureau NUS navy.

[Sachmle]

All Salado(S-Class) TBs were already scrapped. The last 2 went in the last HY I was NUS. Good doctrine/plan in general though. You may want to check w/ Miketr on Garibaldi, I think he had some plans for her.

[RAM]

well, according to the sheets you sent me , the last 2 were listed in reserve while 2 more where being scrapped.

unless you had them still listed in reserve the same HY you scrapped them. Dunno, I assumed there were 2 more to scrap. If it's not that way, good to know, I'll adjust my plans accordingly.

regarding Garibaldi, I already contacted with Miketr, he told me there was no problem in me getting the ship back to the NUS :).