Convoy IW039’s journey heading for Patagonia was full of disturbances. Passing through the Mid Atlantic successfully evading the French ships that were shuttling back and forth in a predictable manner between Brazil and Africa, the convoy arrived in the South Atlantic only to be greeted by the news that the Argentine Navy has sortied out to wait for them around Patagonian waters.

Knowing this, the Chilean Navy also sortied to escort the Convoy, now to the secondary location, Santiago. The events that transpired will have immense political ramifications, and forever change the balance of power in the South Atlantic.

0200: darkness across the horizon, sightings from Malvinas based fishermen showed signs of Convoy IW039 about 200 km northeast, bearing southwest

0230: Task Force M of the Argentinian Navy led by veteran Admiral Julián Irízar approaches the sea around Las Malvinas, full steam west as reports of the convoy maintains consistency

0235: Seaplanes launched from Las Malvinas ordered to survey the area convoy IW039 is suspected to be at

0245: Positions of IW039 confirmed, TF M steaming directly to intercept

0250: The Chilean Fleet under Carlos Jouanne steams directly north, in parallel to the convoy, before turning the line south to escort the convoy back to Chile, as news of an Argentinian blockade reaches the commander

0300: The Chilean commander receives transmissions of the cruiser Chacabuco falling out of line, having hit a strange object....the Argentinian destroyer Córdoba. Somehow in the night both ships failed to identify each other and collided

0305: The front of the Córdoba falls off, the ship is taking water quickly, the Chilean commander thinks that it is only an outskirt patrol and continue with the same bearing

0310: The horizon lit up, 2 12 inch shell landed near misses on the Chilean armoured cruiser O'Higgins

The Battle of Las Malvinas have begun

0315: The Chilean reply with their rangefinding shot from the Almirante Latorre, both squadrons are basically at point blank range from each other, 4,000m.

0316: The Argentinians find their range, full salvo open on the Chacabuco, which penetrates the old cruiser and denotates its magazine. The ship explodes in spectacular fashion, the fire lit up the battlefield

0320: Chilean destroyers peered off for a torpedo run, dispersing the Argentine forces to evasive maneuvers

0330: the torpedo salvo manages to hit the Argentine destroyer La Plata, sinking it in seconds. Argentine maneuver buys time for the convoy to escape as the Chileans continue to open fire on the Argentinian forces

0345: A direct hit from the Rivadavia causes a fire on the Almirante Latorre, the Chilean battleship turns to bring its full ten 14 inch salvo to bear on the Argentinians. The O'Higgins stay back with the convoys

0350: The full salvo of the Almirante Latorre finds its mark on the Veinticinco de Mayo, penetrating the belt and jamming its rudder, speed limited to 14 knots

0400: The Chilean destroyer Hyatt launches 2 torpedoes at the limping Veinticinco de Mayo, one detonating inside the machinery and one striking the bow. The Argentine cruiser is immobile and on fire

0410: The Almirante Latorre suffers from a single torpedo hit, which luckily was a dud. At the same time the 2 battleships trade fire

0420: As the battle goes south, the Argentine forces intend on disengaging, head north to try to lose the Chileans in the dark, its destroyers releasing smoke screens

0430: O'Higgins reenter the battle, start firing on the Argentinian screen

0450: The sun is rising as the Rivadavia gains a better firing solution on the O'Higgins. The remaining 3 Argentine destroyer launches a torpedo attack on the Almirante Latorre to buy time

0500: A single hit reduces the Almirante Latorre's speed down to 15 knots, the Rivadavia, still suffering from hits from excellent Chilean marksmanship, starting to pull away

0510: Despite the Argentine destroyers succeeding in slowing down the Chilean giant, they lost the Catarmarca for that effort.

0520: The Rivadavia starts engaging with the O'Higgins, no shots hits

0525: O'Higgins' 8inch fire knocks out 3 of the Rivadavia's secondaries

0528: Rivadavia scores 4 hits on the O'Higgins, a fire starts

0530: Another torpedo strikes the Almirante Latorre, the ship starts listing portside, 5 degrees

0540: The list worsens on the Latorre, Admiral Carlos Jouanne orders abandon ship

0545: O'Higgins remains locked in a duel with the Rivadavia, its low speed making it unable to disengage

Chilean destroyers having expended their torpedo stockpile headed for a fake torpedo charge at the Argentine battleship

0550: Rivadavia breaks off temporarily, but quickly regains its range, Chilean destroyers Aldea and Orella are lost

0600: Taking on water, the O'Higgins continues to fight, scoring a hit on the Rivadavia, no penetration

0610: Out of 840 men, the Chileans lost 400, the rest are picked up by the Chilean destroyers now out of the battle

0620: The German task force now only 60 nautical miles away from the battle. Rivadavia continues to pelt the O'Higgins. The cruiser now is reduced to 5 knots

0630: The O'Higgins is now immobile, the Rivadavia, losing contact of the convoy, returns to port for heavy repairs.....except Argentina doesn't have a dock that can repair it. Ooops

Total Losses:

Argentina:

1 Battleship heavily damaged, require at least a year in drydock for repairs abroad

1 Cruiser lost

2 Destroyers lost

Chile:

1 Battleship lost

1 Armoured Cruiser and 1 Protected Cruiser lost

2 Destroyers lost

The convoy however, did managed to snuck away, however stormy weather in the Cape of Magellan caused 7 ships to be heavily damaged and abandoned. While no lives were lost, 2 Hawker Furys and 17 Potez Po .540 were left behind in the stricken ships.

In response to this incident, the fact that whoever shot first became lost in the jumbled mess of recounts from survivors from both sides. Regardless, with a full out naval battle commencing, the situation on the Chilean Argentine borders have never been this tense. War is on the horizon.