Malvinas: Call Sign "Jaguar"

Call Sign "Jaguar"

Three A-4C Skyhawks, call sign “Jaguar,” took off from San Julián at 10:00 AM. Crew: First Lieutenant José Vázquez (C-324), Ensign Guillermo Martínez (C-318), and Lieutenant Jorge Bono.
They reached the target area at approximately 11:30 AM without being intercepted. They headed towards San Carlos Bay on a heading of 190/220 and dropped six bombs on the frigate Arrow. A wingman spotted a call sign on the structure. They estimated eight to ten ships in the strait. One was identified as the Canberra. They received heavy anti-aircraft fire from the ships and land. Upon exiting, they realized that all three aircraft were losing fuel significantly. They jettisoned their tanks and flew on a heading of 210° for three minutes. The squadron leader ordered the ejection of Number 3, but he reported that he still had 3,000 lbs of fuel remaining. They set a heading of 260°, climbing over the San Carlos Strait. They spotted a ship and descended again. After crossing the strait (5 NM north of Fox Bay), they climbed and checked their fuel: No. 1: 1,500 lb, No. 2: 2,280 lb, and No. 3: 2,500 lb.



They crossed Gran Malvina, climbing, but upon entering the sea north of South Georgia Island, they observed No. 3 (Lieutenant Bono) begin a gentle descending turn and impact in the sea.
There are doubts about his ejection, but in any case, he fell into the icy water. They requested guidance from the KC-130 Hercules "Madrid 2"; they found it at flight level 100 and docked (No. 1 had 200 lb and No. 2 had 1,200 lb). Thus attached to the Hercules, they reached the mainland, flying 30 nautical miles from San Julián, where they undocked and landed at 1:00 PM. The KC-130 Hercules transferred 39,000 pounds of air to Squadron No. 1 and, to assist the Jaguars, had to approach to within 60 nautical miles west of Gran Malvinas.



This sortie will be inscribed in the history of world aviation for the boundless courage of its pilots. Lieutenant Jorge Bono, who could have ejected and descended softly with his parachute, gave his life. A few days later, on May 30, First Lieutenant José Vázquez would follow him in the attack on the aircraft carrier Invincible, but that is another story.