[Credit to /u/Bevans-12 who wrote like 99% of this post]

The Falkland Islands (Or ‘Las Malvinas’, as they had been known for the past decade), had long been a territory of the British Empire; isolated in the South Atlantic, it never-the-less remained that the archipelago contained a dominantly British population. In the last decade, they came under the occupation of the Argentine Republic following the 1925 British Revolution; as Argentina asserted the rights to the territory it had claimed for years. However, with Argentina thrown into chaos following the resumption of its civil war, the Royal Navy dispatched a task force, on orders from the Canadian Government, to reclaim the Islands for the British Empire, and to protect its distinctly British inhabitants.

The Canadian task force contained the HMCS Royal Sovereign, an Ark-Royal class Carrier, along with an escort of six destroyers, and the light cruiser HMCS Ontario. They were dispatched to accompany the Royal Marine Division that was sent on to successfully reclaim the islands.

However, the Union of Britain soon caught wind of the Canadian operation, and instructed the Republican Navy to dispatch a task force to contest the control of the Las Malvinas, seeking to keep them out of ‘Imperialist’ hands, and return them to an eventually socialist Argentine republic. ‘Task Force 23’ was the detachment of the Navy sent, containing two carriers; RNS Republic and RNS Liberty, along with a flotilla of destroyers as their escort. Recent British innovations on the storage of planes meant that they could travel at essentially double the speed of the Canadian fleet, and thus they arrived at the Las Malvinas islands almost a full day before the Royal Navy. The 2,000 Republican Marines sent with Task Force 23 landed on the Falklands archipelago; the insignificant Argentine garrison surrendering almost immediately. The British population on the island were welcoming to the Syndicalist forces - glad to finally see British troops return to British soil, as they saw it.

At 11pm, the Republican task force ceased scouting operations due to lack of visibility, and remained stationary near Port Stanley.

00:00 - 08:59 AM; The First Encounters

Meanwhile, the Royal Navy’s task force continued steadily on course for the Islands, with Vice Admiral Alan Cunningham determined to reach the Islands before the syndicalists - unaware that they had already taken the Islands.

At 4am, almost 100km away from the Malvinas, a Canadian destroyer reported sightings of an unidentified aircraft flying above. The Syndicalists had located the Canadians - and immediately, RNS Republic and RNS Liberty were sortied from Port Stanley, accompanied by their assigned destroyer flotilla.

At 7am, radio signals were identified by the British - with Canadian origin. In response, Vice Admiral Pugsley, leader of Task Force 23, dispatched three British destroyers to patrol the waters where the signals originated, essentially west of the Republican fleet.

This endeavour proved fruitful, with the British patrol group locating a Canadian destroyer on its radars. It sent a clear message to the Royal Navy vessel - ‘Turn back now, or face destruction for your imperialistic endeavours’.

The Canadians response was simple, yet striking; ‘We are reclaiming the rightful territory of the Crown, we will continue with our mission. Regardless of syndicalist threats.’. Scout planes were sent by both British and Canadian ships in reaction; Gloster Gladiators were scrambled for reconnaissance from Republican carriers, with the distinctly older Fairey IIIs launched from HMCS Royal Sovereign.

09:00 - 09:29 AM; The Battle Begins

It was 9am, on June 29th, when the Second Battle of Las Malvinas would officially begin, with the Royal Navy spotting RNS Excellent and RNS Formidable; two Republican Destroyers. French submarines, recieving the information from the Canadian command, ordered their submarines to release a barrage of torpedoes - with a successful hit on RNS Excellent. Miraculously, with a combination of deft manoeuvres, along with poor accuracy from the Entente force’s torpedoes, the RNS Formidable successfully evaded the barrage.

However, the RNS Excellent quickly began to take on water following the successful torpedo hit from French submarines. Soon, an order was issued to abandon ship. The RNS Formidable’s Captain took a moment to consider his choices - to avoid potential death, or save as many lives as possible from the sinking Excellent.

As the Captain looked over the bow of the Formidable to see the beginnings of the RNS Excellent’s slow descent into the depths of the South Atlantic, he took decisive action, swerving Formidable to sail directly for the doomed destroyer. His mission was simple; save his comrades from a watery grave. It would not be easy, with hostile submarines on his tail. In anticipation of this, Formidable released depth charges upon arrival at RNS Excellent.

Despite its best efforts, the valiant mission to save drowning sailors was not to be; the destroyer was ravaged by a torpedo, piercing its bow. Soon, it began taking on water. RNS Formidable was to sink, and its crew was to go down with it. Yet, their deaths were not entirely in vain - the depth charges destroyed three French submarines, leaving them to their fate at the bottom of the Atlantic. It was a grim scene - with hundreds of sailors dying in a cold, unknown place. But they died as comrades, and that, for them, is what mattered.

09:30 - 10:44 AM; The Royal Navy Strikes

Meanwhile, with the time now 9:30am, scout planes on reconnaissance missions had returned reports, with the Canadian planes successfully identifying the bulk of the Republican task force. The British planes on the other hand successfully identified the Canadian invasion convoys - a distinct threat to the Republican Falklands Garrison. Both Vice Admirals - Cunningham and Pugsley - ordered for strike planes to be activated; with 24 Fairey Baffins being dispatched from British ships, escorted by 12 Gloster Gladiators. 36 Blackburn Darts departed from HMCS Royal Sovereign, protected by 12 Fairey IIIs.

At 10:15am, the planes from the Royal Sovereign were launched, half an hour ahead of its Republican counterparts - soon meeting the CAP of the British carriers. In this encounter, the British easily bested their Canadians foes through means of technological supremacy alone - the modern Gladiators tore through the venerable Blackburn Darts, and the slower Fairey IIIs could ill catch up to the speed and firepower of the Gloster models.

However, some Darts did survive - and made several bombing runs. Two planes release their load above the carrier, but to the relief of Pugsley, narrowly missed - impacting the water to the side of RNS Republic. Two more torpedoes missed their mark, and one dud fell ineffectually into the South Atlantic . This was not the end of peril for the Republican carriers - another run was imminent.

Two splashes were observed around the bow of the RNS Liberty. Another bomb failed to make an impact on the Republic; falling into the water on its left flank. This was a merciless assault, and eventually torpedoes made successful contact with British carriers - two ripped through the bow of RNS Republic. Luckily for the British, these caused no explosions. Indeed, it appeared for a moment that the Republican Navy had endured the encounter. However, Pugsley remained tense, sensing he was not yet in the clear. He was right to remain alert, as a final torpedo was released, and crashed into the keel of the Republic.

A harsh, dull sound suddenly reverberated throughout the ship - Pugsley braced. The entire carrier trembled, its tonnage shaking from the sheer impact of the bomb. The Vice Admiral steadied himself - and assessed the damage. He scanned the deck of the ship from his position on the bridge - the best assessment he could make was that, despite the devastating hit, the RNS Republic was still floating. The Republican Navy would later find out that the whole carrier would have essentially split in two, if not for the added hull strength granted by its armoured hull.

Whilst another bombing run looked likely against the RNS Republic, the Royal Navy instead sent orders for her planes to the target the RNS Liberty; believing that its attack on the Republic would be enough to seal its fate. Six torpedoes were released, however only one made contact - striking through the Liberty’s rudder. After this final run, the Canadian planes returned to HMCS Royal Sovereign, reporting a heavy casualty rate of 31 planes. The Royal Navy’s destroyer flotilla, French submarine detachment, along with the cruiser HMCS Ontario, were dispatched to ensure the Syndicalist fleet was kept in visual range - with the Royal Sovereign trailing behind at a distance of 2km.

10:45 - 11:59 AM; The Republican Counter Assault

It was the Republican Navy’s turn to strike - its planes were launched from the deck of the Liberty and Republic - 24 Baffins and 12 Gladiators. At around 11:48am, the planes arrived at the Canadian task force - with the Royal Navy identifying small dots in the skies above them, perceiving an approaching threat. Cunningham’s brow furrowed - he became increasingly concerned over what impact the more modern Syndicalist aircraft could have on his fleet. He was right to be concerned.

As Cunningham noticed the threats that loomed from above - his attention was suddenly turned to the threat reported from the HMCS Ontario; two Republican carriers, accompanied by a flotilla of destroyers. Immediately the Vice Admiral ordered a combat air patrol to be launched, charged with protecting the Ontario. This was a futile effort however - the Syndicalist strike force heavily outnumbered the Fairey IIIs in the CAP, and while they fought valiantly, they were bested by the Republican planes’ superior manoeuvrability and firepower. For their efforts, the Canadian pilots shot down 11 British aircraft.

The surviving Baffins bombers headed directly towards the HMCS Ontario, with three veering off towards the Royal Sovereign carrier (disobeying Pugsley’s orders). The eight bombers that remained on target released their torpedo, landing four hits. The innovative ‘oxygen torpedoes’ used by the British were deadly, all but annihilating the Ontario. As the ship was engulfed in a ball of fire, Cunningham looked on - horrified.

The three bombers that were sent to the Canadian carrier conducted their torpedo run not long after. Whilst two missed their mark, one viciously pierced the Royal Sovereign’s hull, despite its best efforts to evade. The bomber that secured the hit radioed into his commander, and relayed a simple message: ‘Captain, this is for the Revolution’. Soon after, the Baffin he was flying pivoted vertically, diving down directly into the ship - and crashed into its portside. The suicide-crash, in tandom with the torpedo attack, dealt severe damage to the Royal Sovereign. Cunningham ordered a general retreat, forcing the task force into a limping withdrawal back to a Brazilian port.

The scene of Canadian destruction was stark - the Ontario had been devastated, consumed entirely in a violent fireball caused by the four oxygen torpedoes. The Royal Sovereign struggled in retreat - hampered by the hole torn into its hull by the British assault. The troopships accompanying the task force too abandoned their mission, re-routing to Luanda, to seek refuge in the Angolan port.

12:00 - 13:19 PM; The Royal Sovereign Disaster

Syndicalist planes returned to RNS Republic at midday, and recorded significant losses. Nevertheless, once re-organising and refuelling, they once again departed the carrier on Vice Admiral Pugsley’s orders, sent to pursue the retreating Royal Sovereign. The flagship’s much reduced speed ensured that the planes reached their destination at 1pm.

Twelve Baffins, escorted by four Gladiators approached the vulnerable carrier, already severely damaged. The bombing runs began, with the British planes tearing through the air as they released their oxygen torpedoes - to devastating effect. Ten were successfully evaded by the already hampered carrier; an impressive feat in itself. However, two made crucial contact with the Sovereign, tearing through the ship’s starboard. A large inferno began, engulfing much of the deck in an aggressive fire. Brave sailors ran out with hosepipes, attempting to control the raging flames. It was a futile effort.

Cunningham grimaced as the plume of fire grew. Regaining his composure, he looked resolutely out from his position at the bridge - at the slow destruction unfolding on the deck. Acting decisively, he ordered for the crew to abandon ship. Leading the effort for Canadian sailors to board lifeboats, he boarded one himself - setting out for an unknown destination in the hostile environment of the Atlantic.

13:19 - 14:00 PM; The Cavalry Arrives

The day was not yet won for the Republican Navy however - the Canadian destroyer flotilla still remained, and appeared on the task force’s flank. Tailed by the Flotte Sous-Marine, they began to approach the Syndicalist ships - determined to exact revenge. Certainly, the cavalry had arrived for the Canadians.

Torpedoes were released, heading straight for the RNS Republic. Pugsley took a deep breath, but was relieved to find many of the Entente force’s torpedoes missed, and the ones that did make contact with the carrier were either glancing strikes, or proved ineffectual. The Canadian destroyers turned away, to retreat to Brazilian ports. However; the French submarines remained - embarking on a final torpedo barrage.

The Vice Admiral conducted rapid evasive maneuvers - which proved vital in successfully denying the Sous-marine wolfpacks any significant victories. Republican destroyers released depth charges to counteract the French assault, and successfully sunk two submarines. This effort was led by the RNS Erebus, who suffered for her efforts to deter the enemy submarines - receiving a torpedo that tore through her keel, and pierced into its hull. The destroyer began its slow descent into the Atlantic, with many of its young crew doomed to a watery grave. The French submarines, with their torpedoes spent, returned to Brazilian ports.

The Second Battle of Las Malvinas was over. It was a seismic naval engagement, whose consequences would reverberate across the world It is generally agreed by historians now that both sides received significant damage. However, at the time, the Entente saw it as an astounding defeat - and the Syndicalists proclaimed a victory against Imperialism.

The battle didn't have many outside observers, having taken place in the remote waters of the Falklands. With the public information available however, the naval community worldwide have found out about:

• 1. The first instance of naval aviation being the single source of a ship's demise
• 1. The first instance of carrier on carrier combat

The knowledge gained from the battle will greatly help its participants in refining their carrier doctrines and training (Moreso the Republican forces, as their crews are actually still alive). Overseas, the Imperial German Naval Command look at the engagement convinced that this shows the potential of naval aviation as a scouting method, with ships capable of detecting each other from hundreds of kilometers away, however, it also reinforces the notion that carriers are only good for things that aren't battleships in German command.

Finally, across the globe, the "2nd Battle of the Falklands" has been often used as a signal, a momentous point that marks the shift, as the Royal Navy now definitively becomes a second rate naval power, and proves that the fledgling Republican Navy, who have now defeated the more traditional and stereotyped gentlemen's navy Royals, as the definitive first-rate naval power alongside the likes of the Kaiserliche Marine and the United States Navy, and that the Syndicalist threat on the seas is one that should not be considered lightly.