The First and Last Argentine Landing in Malvinas

2 April – 13 June 1982

By Commodore (Ret.) Roberto Federico MELA

Malvinas-Historias de coraje

The first landing for the reconquest of the Islas Malvinas on the morning of 2 April 1982, and the final landing and take-off on the night of 13–14 June, were carried out by C-130 “Hercules” aircraft of the Argentine Air Force on the runway at Puerto Argentino. Although different crews took part, their navigator was the same person: the then Commodore Roberto Federico Mela. Here is his account.

First landing

On the night of 1 April 1982, fourteen transport aircraft of the Argentine Air Force — 5 C-130s, 4 Fokker F-28s, 2 Boeing 707s, 2 Fokker F-27s and 1 IA-50 G-II — flew from their home base at the I Air Brigade in El Palomar to various deployment bases in southern Argentina, in order to take part in Operation ARIES 82, the code name for the airborne assault operation on the runway at Puerto Argentino.

The first departure for Malvinas was scheduled for the C-130, registration TC-68, call sign LITRO UNO, from Comodoro Rivadavia Air Base, carrying Brigadier Luis Castellano, Commander of the Malvinas Air Component, his General Staff, the Argentine Air Force Special Operations Group, and personnel tasked with setting up the Air Cargo Terminal.

The departure of this first aircraft was delayed several times, until it finally took off at 05:32 hours on 2 April, heading directly towards a point located 10 kilometres east of Puerto Argentino, where it had to wait until the last British troops had evacuated the aerodrome area and until our own troops had finished removing the obstacles the enemy had scattered across the runway: tractors, vehicles, baggage carts, and so on.

Landing was finally authorised and took place at 08:23 hours. After this, the personnel being transported quickly left the aircraft and unloaded the equipment needed to establish the MALVINAS Military Air Base.

Meanwhile, in the town of Puerto Argentino, just over 2 kilometres away, the Governor’s House was being taken. Those who had just landed could hear the exchange of gunfire between the British garrison and the patriotic Marine Infantry forces.

The crew of LITRO UNO earned the distinction of having begun the air assault for the recovery of our islands, and Commodore Roberto Mela had the honour of personally taking the enemy’s main flag from the airport facilities, still then called Port Stanley. That flag is now kept in the Hall of Honour of the Cadet Corps at the Military Aviation School in Córdoba.

Final landing and take-off

The final Argentine flight to the Islas Malvinas, with landing and subsequent return take-off, was carried out by C-130 TC-65, call sign PATO. It took off from Comodoro Rivadavia Military Air Base at 15:26 hours on 13 June with a simulated flight plan to Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego. From there, it was to descend to 10–20 metres above the sea, already in complete darkness because of the time of year at those latitudes, and, making a wide detour south of the Islas Malvinas, enter Puerto Argentino from the south-east.

The flight was conducted on instruments, since visibility was completely nil due to the prevailing darkness, compounded by adverse weather with rain, sleet and saline mist from the low-level flight over the waves, which formed a filthy crust on the windscreens. No lights were switched on, except the absolute minimum needed to make out the strictly necessary instruments. Nor was it possible to use the onboard radar, and radio communications were also impossible, as such emissions would have been immediately detected by the enemy.

Despite all these difficulties, after a flight of more than three and a half hours, the aircraft was able to reach a point around 30 kilometres from Puerto Argentino at the scheduled time. There was a tolerance of 5 minutes for reaching this point, because if the aircraft arrived earlier or later than that, our own anti-aircraft artillery would open fire, considering it to be an enemy aircraft. From that position, the crew could see, to the west of the Malvinas capital, an extraordinary brightness produced by the artillery duel, the flares used to locate targets, and tracer ammunition of every kind.

Although the tactical conditions were critical, the decision was made to land, since the aircraft was carrying an element vital to the Argentine troops: a powerful 155-millimetre gun and its corresponding stock of ammunition.

After touching down, the Hercules taxied to the end of the runway furthest from Puerto Argentino, because enemy shelling was taking place near the opposite threshold and a large number of flares were illuminating the area.

The complicated task of unloading the gun, which weighed several tonnes, became even more difficult when one of its wheels became jammed against the walls of the aircraft, while the engines were running and ready for immediate departure. Suddenly, the aircraft commander was ordered from the ground to shut down the engines and abandon the aircraft, as the Puerto Argentino air-surveillance radar had detected an English CAP — Combat Air Patrol — heading directly towards the aerodrome.

In the darkness, briefly lit by flares and the bursting of artillery shells, crew members and passengers left the aircraft. They remained for almost an hour among the mud and rocks bordering the runway, waiting for the British raiders — who did not approach because of the respect they had for our effective anti-aircraft artillery — to decide to turn back once they had exhausted their fuel.

When the enemy aircraft moved away temporarily, and before another incursion could take place, the personnel returned to the Hercules, which had by then been freed of the gun. The engines were started in record time, and at 20:35 hours, amid the shrapnel scattered across the runway, “PATO” took off for the return flight with almost 70 evacuees, among them two journalists from Argentina Televisora Color: Nicolás Kasansew and Carlos Lamela.

The turbulent return route, amid the shadows of enemy warships and the threat of new combat air patrols, was flown at a height above the sea which, at times, was barely 10 metres.

In the first minutes of 14 June 1982, the Hercules landed at Comodoro Rivadavia Military Air Base, just over 9 hours after its initial departure.

That same day, a few hours later, British forces occupied the Malvinas aerodrome, discovering with surprise — and not without admiration — that Argentine transport aircraft had operated on the runway throughout the entire air and naval blockade, until the very last minute of the very last day.

Crews of the first and last Argentine flights with landing and take-off at Puerto Argentino

Islas Malvinas

2 April 1982

Aircraft: C-130 “Hercules”, registration TC-68 — LITRO UNO
Landing in Malvinas: 08:43 hours
Take-off from Malvinas: 09:20 hours

Pilot: Commodore Carlos Julio BELTRAMONE
Co-pilot: Vice-Commodore Alfredo CANO — Commander, C-130 Squadron
Navigator: Commodore Roberto Federico MELA

Flight mechanics:
Sub-Officer Adjutant Juan RYDZIK and Principal Corporal Mario CEMINO.

Cargo assistants:
Sub-Officer Adjutant Manuel CARABAJAL, Auxiliary Sub-Officer Ramón PAJÖN and Auxiliary Sub-Officer Carlos SALZANO.