The Time when the Punta Indio Base was razed

Punta Indio Web

Magdalena to the North and BAPI to the Southeast.

In the troubled 60s, the Punta Indio Base was the protagonist of some unfortunate events

The tumultuous and chaotic 1960s gave rise to two rival factions within the Argentine Armed Forces: the Blues and the Reds. These factions engaged in violent clashes, most notably in 1962 and 1963, leading to significant bloodshed. The final confrontation, which left 24 dead and 87 wounded, erupted when the Colorado faction attempted to overthrow President José María Guido. In just three days, the Blues emerged victorious, resulting in widespread purges within both the Army and Navy.

It was April 2, 1963. The day dawned clear and seemingly perfect for the conspirators' plans. Their goal was to install retired General Benjamín Menéndez, a seasoned plotter, as president. Menéndez had been designated as the "commander in chief of the revolutionary forces of Air, Sea, and Land." Among the conspirators was Admiral Rojas, a key figure.

The Navy, for the most part, supported the uprising. In the Army, those opposing the blue leadership, led by retired General Federico Toranzo Montero, managed to seize control of a few units in the interior. However, in the Air Force, the rebellion was stifled, as Commodore Lentino's minority faction failed to gain the upper hand.

To understand this conflict, we must go back to 1955 and the so-called Liberating Revolution or 1955 Revolution, which had ousted Perón and banned his movement. In 1958, Arturo Frondizi secured the presidency through a pact, winning the election with votes from Perón’s exiled supporters. This betrayal was unforgivable to the military, especially after Frondizi’s secret meeting with Che Guevara in August 1961. Eight months later, Frondizi was overthrown, and Senator Guido assumed the presidency, though under the heavy influence of the "Military Party."

Anti-Peronist, anti-communist, and driven by a handful of ambitious conspirators, the "Military Party" quickly fractured upon exposure to political power. In true Argentine fashion, it split into two factions: the Blues and the Reds. Rogelio García Lupo, a journalist of the time, described the division as inevitable.

Though both factions were anti-Peronist, they differed in their reasons. The Reds saw Peronism as a violent and sectarian movement that paved the way for communism. The Blues, on the other hand, believed that despite its excesses, Peronism had saved the working class from communism and subversion, presenting itself as a Christian and national force.

The Blues, referring to themselves as "own forces" in military parlance, first emerged in September 1962, branding their adversaries as "Reds" (or "enemies"). Through psychological operations and Communiqué 150, drafted by Mariano Grondona, the Blues presented themselves as "legalists." After four days of skirmishes, they elevated Juan Carlos Onganía to the head of the Army.

Supported by the Blue faction, Guido’s government began to explore ways of reintegrating Peronism into the political sphere—albeit without Perón himself. Meanwhile, the Colorados awaited their moment to seize power.

That moment came on April 2. The most intense battle of the uprising occurred between the 8th Tank Regiment in Magdalena and the nearby Naval Aviation Base at Punta Indio. The commander of Punta Indio, Captain Santiago Sabarots, urged Colonel Alcides López Aufranc, leader of the tank regiment, to join the revolt, but to no avail. Leaflets dropped from a small plane gave a 20-minute warning before the attack commenced. "The barracks were a hive of activity, and the order was given to evacuate," recalls conscript Hermindo Belastegui, from class 42. At 12:30, the barracks were hit by Panther and Corsair planes firing shrapnel, incendiary bombs, and destructive explosives. Belastegui, deeply marked by the experience, later captured these memories in El C-8 no se rinde, a book published only two months ago. In it, he recounts how the regiment endured a relentless assault that lasted all day, with over 100 bombs dropped, including napalm. The attack left 9 soldiers dead and 22 wounded.

"At 12:30, Panther and Corsair planes began the attack with shrapnel fire, incendiary bombs, and destructive explosives," recalls Hermindo Belastegui, a conscript from the class of '42. Deeply impacted by that experience for years, this former metalworker captured his memories in *El C-8 no se rinde*, a book he managed to publish just two months ago. The book recounts how they were relentlessly attacked throughout the day, with more than a hundred bombs, including napalm. The assault left 9 soldiers dead and 22 wounded.

The next day, the "loyal" Air Force launched a counterattack on Punta Indio. By the time the 8th Tank Regiment's armored vehicles entered the base, the damage was done: 24 naval aircraft had been destroyed, 5 marines were dead, and Captain Santiago Sabarots had fled to Uruguay. Alcides López Aufranc, nicknamed "the fox of Magdalena" in a local version of Erwin Rommel, "the desert fox," sought revenge and wanted to level Punta Indio. However, he was dissuaded by Juan Carlos Onganía and the rising Colonel Alejandro Agustín Lanusse, preventing an even bloodier outcome.

After the events of April 2-3, 1963, the Punta Indio base was occupied and once again ransacked by troops from the 8th and 10th Motorized Cavalry Regiments. The destruction of aircraft on the ground, along with the damage to maintenance workshops, was significant. The cause of this devastation was, yet again, the senseless political conflicts that led to Argentinians fighting and killing each other. In this particular case, aircraft from Punta Indio launched an attack on the 8th Regiment in Magdalena, as shown in the photos below, with a T-6 Texan firing rockets at the regiment, leaving its facilities in ruins and causing casualties. In response, the 8th and 10th Regiments launched a counterattack, seizing the Punta Indio base and destroying its aircraft and infrastructure.

A North American T-6 firing rockets over Magdalena.

The 8th Regiment of Magdalena shows the aftermath of the attack.

Location of the 8th Armored Cavalry Regiment of Magdalena.

Army forces prepare to attack Punta Indio.

Part of the runway with damaged aircraft.

The tank regiment poses on the tarmac at Punta Indio.

Location of the Punta Indio Naval Air Base (BAPI).

More photos of the damage caused. Whether in Punta Indio or Magdalena, it is difficult to comprehend today, in the 21st century, that this was not an external attack but a fratricidal war. How many poor conscripts, non-commissioned officers, and officers must have died in these senseless wars?