The ship's 12,000-nautical-mile range gave her capabilities that Argentine neutrality left largely untested in wartime. She could have been useful in the Pacific and had enough endurance to travel from Britain to the Falkland Islands and halfway back before refuelling. Even at the Arethusas' comparison speed of 13 knots, she was expected to out-range them. That endurance could make a modest light cruiser useful for distant patrol and escort work.
Notable Point · 16:32-17:26
The strategic value of a long-legged small cruiser
La Argentina illustrates why endurance and a 6-inch battery could make a modest cruiser useful across oceanic distances.