Q&A · 2:27:22-2:28:22

A 1930s American rebuild of Argentina's battleships

A United States modernization of the Rivadavia class would likely emphasize five-inch dual-purpose guns, optical fire control, machinery work, and careful management of topweight.

Question

What would a 1930s American modernization of Argentina's Rivadavia-class battleships include?

Short answer

Likely five-inch/38 guns, better optical systems, machinery improvements, and internal rearrangement, constrained by money and topweight.

Notes

The likely secondary battery is five-inch/38 dual-purpose guns if weight permits, with five-inch/25 weapons as a possible fallback. The United States would probably supply improved optical fire control but not its newest radar. Machinery and power-plant work would make the old battleships more serviceable. Limited Argentine funding rules out ambitious additions of armor or fuel capacity. Weight saved elsewhere would instead support the secondary battery and internal rearrangement, while the extra high-mounted equipment would have to be managed against topweight.