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This is an idea I had a while ago. It sprung off my Eagle of the Andes TL, which is still being rewritten, when I realized that in 82-83 there was a real possibility for there to be a ‘last gun battle’ around Cape Horn. The General Belgrano against her sister ship the Prat, or the Prat and Almirante Latorre, for a cruiser battle for warship nerds to debate endlessly. Given that I started with this idea, I’m less certain about the mechanics of getting there. This rough sketch is my attempt to get plausibility feed back, and alternate ideas for how to get to the gun battle.



So with that in mind, feel free to poke holes in this, or say why this element or explanation doesn’t work. As I said this is rough, and putting it up here is meant as a plausibility check more then anything.



May 1st, 1982, ARA 25 de Mayo manages to launch all 12 of her A4Q Skyhawk’s at task force 317.8. Following this launch as she turns away the HMS Splendid puts three torpedoes into the carrier breaking her back. With no carrier to return to the attack plains press their attack beyond any reasonable expectation heavily damaging both the Hermes and Invincible. Without air cover operation Corporate is called off and task force 317.1 turns back to Great Britain.



May 2nd, The conservative government falls. Margret Thatcher is in the fight of her political life, aided by Labors complete miss read of the public’s mood. (Not sure if Thatcher would survive or not, but the end result is that a conservative government is returned, based on a campaign promise of rearmament and restoring Britain to its place in the world. Elements of the SAS, SBS, and RAF are dispatched to Chile in secret, as her majesties government has no intention of allowing this travesty to stand. War is officially debated in the house of commons, and declared.)



May 15th No. 51 Squadron is moved from RAF Wyton to Chamiza Base Peurto Montt in preparation for the operations coming up next year. The squadron promptly begins to survey the Chile/Argentine border as well as launching missions to recon the Falklands.



At some point during this time British influence is brought to bear on Europe to allow the Chilean government to buys arms. It is understood that this is a quid pro que for the lack of Chilean protest over the British decision to keep the Norfolk and use it. As a result of this pressure France consents to selling the Chileans modern Exocet SSM’s and fulfilling the Chilean armies order of 50 AMX-30 tanks, and a large number of Milan ATGM. Italy allowed the Chileans to buy more Oto Melara Model 56 howitzers and a substantial amount of ammunition. Along with these purchases a substantial amount of spare parts are purchased bringing the serviceability of Chile’s military to their highest state of serviceability and readiness in years, at least since before the 70 election. The Pinochet regime attempts to make major purchases but nothing is available before the projected start of the Chilean/Argentine war. Still Mirage F1’s and Jaguar GR1A’s were ordered, along with destroyers and submarines, the jets were projected to begin delivery in 83 or during the fighting, while the ships would be delivered by 85 to 90 or after the war was expected to be over.



June 20th, one of 51 Squadrons Nimrod R1’s goes down on the Argentine side of the Andes border. The Chilean army succeeds in rescuing the surviving crew before the argentine army gets ahold of them, but it makes the fact that the Chileans have embraced the British obvious for all to see. The Galtieri Junta swiftly responds by engaging in a war of words with the Chileans and attempting to isolate them from any South American support in hopes of convincing the Chileans to back down. This has the opposite effect, causing Pinochet to cling to all the closer to Britain as well as pealing the Ecuadorian and Brazilians away from their position of Argentine leaning neutrality. Especially as Peru has begun to press for support in their territorial disputes with Chile and Ecuador.



By September the war of words has escalated to the point where both Chile and Argentina are preparing their fleets for a confrontation around the beagle channel or the horn. In August Argentina returned to a war footing, similar to the one they had in 78 before operation Sombero was called off. With the popes attempts at diplomacy falling on deaf ears Chile follows in September. By October both fleets have moved the bulk of their vessels south. Chile retains the O’Higgins and her support vessels at Iquique in order to intimidate Peru. Despite her dilapidated material condition she is still capable of serving one last time as a Potemkin ship, a maraskrova to convince the Peruvians that if they try anything the Chileans have at least the naval forces to counter them. The two fleets maneuver against each other but shots are not fired despite the tension.



By November the Chilean navy felt its position was good enough to begin operations. They felt that there was a need to short circuit the assault that they knew was coming. With the Army on high alert, the fleet sallied forth. On the 3rd the battle began, lasting until the 6th.
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