Friday, July 12, 2024

Argentine Navy: Sarmiento Squadron


Sarmiento Squadron


The "Sarmiento Squadron" is called a set of river warships incorporated during the presidency of Domingo Faustino Sarmiento with the aim of modernizing the Argentine Navy and providing it with a minimum operational capacity against the naval power of the Brazilian Empire.

Background

The importance of the navy of the Brazilian Empire during the Paraguayan War was a lesson for the Argentine Republic and contributed to awakening naval awareness in some of its main leaders.


Domingo Faustino Sarmiento.

When Domingo Faustino Sarmiento assumed the presidency in 1868, he found a complex international situation and few possibilities for maneuver, limited mainly by the lack of a minimum naval power.
Still in campaign, Sarmiento's Minister of War and Navy, Colonel Martín de Gainza, communicated in his memory the state of the navy, stating "I am sorry to have to fulfill the painful duty of informing VVHH that we absolutely lack a squadron. Some ships in bad condition state and some chiefs and officers, although very worthy, do not constitute a squad.
The Paraguayan war ended but tensions began over the demarcation of boundaries with Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia. Without armed support, Argentine diplomacy headed by Mariano Adrián Varela Cané faced an idealistic negotiation, acting "evangelically" in the words of Estanislao Zeballos, proposing a resolution of the border issue on an equal footing with the defeated. The "Varela Doctrine", synthesized in the phrase "victory does not give rights to the allied nations to declare for themselves, their limits that the treaty indicated" was rejected by Brazil, adopting an aggressive position, supported by a strong occupation army. and a powerful squadron that even occupied the Argentine island of Cerrito (or Atajo) at the confluence of the Paraguay and Paraná rivers.
Sarmiento, determined to break with the diplomacy of his predecessor Bartolomé Miter in his relations with the countries of the region, characterized by his pro-Brazilian attitude, his indifference towards the Pacific countries and his neglect to ensure military balance in the region1 resolved in August In 1870, Varela was replaced by Carlos Tejedor, who harshly demanded that Brazil respect the clauses stipulated in the Triple Alliance treaty.



However, Brazil agreed with the government of Cirilo Rivarola in separate protocols of December 15, 1870 and January 14, 1871, the willingness to reach an exclusive boundary treaty between Brazil and Paraguay, ignoring the Argentine government in clear violation of article 6 of the treaty of the Triple Alliance of May 1, 1865. Brazil also unilaterally decided its borders with Paraguay and even those of Argentina, since it retained the disputed territories for itself and agreed without permission from Buenos Aires that the Argentine limit did not would pass from Pilcomayo.
On January 9, 1872, by the Cotegipe-Lóizaga treaty, the Empire of Brazil kept a third of Paraguay and maintained the occupation armies for five years. Sarmiento considered that the treaty "...will leave Paraguay a Brazilian province, to which the Banda Oriental will be added by the same means, and that of Entre Ríos and Corrientes will soon follow" and that "in a few years we will be part of the Empire, or such a diminished republic that it is not worth claiming even the name."
The growing and serious conflict caused the Brazilian government to encourage the territorial claims of Bolivia and Chile. Between 1872 and 1873, the Chilean Foreign Minister Adolfo Ibáñez y Gutiérrez maintained, with the acquiescence of Brazil, his claims on the Patagonian territory south of the Río Negro (Argentina) and "on the other side of the Andes, especially at the height of Talca and Chillán."


Photo of Minister Manuel Rafael García Aguirre.

Sarmiento Squadron

The evident need for a navy prompted the Argentine Congress to sanction Law No. 498 of May 27, 1872 (on Naval Armament) which authorized the purchase of "three armored warships of the most advanced system and maars suitable for service in waters." of the Republic". To this end, President Domingo Faustino Sarmiento ordered the immediate transfer of his friend Manuel Rafael García Aguirre (until then head of the Argentine legation in Washington) on commission to London in order to make the purchase of the aforementioned ships and supervise their construction. Despite being completely layman in naval matters, García Aguirre approached the task with the greatest zeal and consulted with two former Confederate officers of the United States Civil War, Captains Thomas Jefferson Page3 and Hunter Davidson.
García Aguirre's commitment to the task was such that he did not hesitate to consult with several officers of the British Admiralty, of whom he informed Sarmiento:
"Those in the artillery department could not have treated me better (...) Read the attached strips about battleships; no large, heavily armored ships. They recommend small ships with large cannons that serve as floating batteries and are easy to move from one point to another."

As a result of the experience gained and thanks to the advice received, García Aguirre signed two contracts that culminated in the acquisition of the Los Andes and El Plata Monitors, four 400-ton bombers (Pilcomayo, Bermejo, Constitución and República) and two gunboats (Paraná and Uruguay) of 600 tons.
Finally, the ships that made up the squadron were:


Monitor Los Andes.

Monitors El Plata and Los Andes, 56.68 m long, 13.40 m wide, 3.35 m deep, an average draft of 3.50 m and 1,677 tons of displacement. They had an iron hull with a bow spur and armor of 160 mm of steel,6 255 mm in the main artillery turret, which was powered by steam.
They carried two steam engines (port and starboard) of 750 HP each, with two propellers that allowed them to maintain a cruising speed of 9.5 knots. It transported 120 tons of coal. The tower was mounted with 2 200-pound Armstrong muzzle-loading cannons, two 47 mm light cannons in a covered barbette and 4 37 mm Hotchkiss rapid-firing cannons. Purchased for £85,000 each at the Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead, England, they were incorporated in 1875 under the command of Bartolomé Cordero and Ceferino Ramírez respectively.

 
Gunship Paraná.


Gunship ARA Uruguay in 1874.

 
Gunship Pilcomayo (or its twin Bermejo)

Paraná and Uruguay gunboats, 46.36 m long, 7.63 m wide, 5.40 m deep, with an average draft of 3.5 m and a displacement of 550 tons, with sails (corvette rig) and a 475 HP steam engine, which moved a propeller that allowed them to reach a cruising speed of 10 knots and a maximum of 11. They transported 90 tons of coal that allowed them a range of 1,500 miles. The iron hull was completely lined with teak wood. They mounted 4 7" Vavasseur cannons on iron carriages, one in front of the funnel, one behind and the rest on each side. Acquired for £32,000 each at the Cammell Laird shipyards, they were incorporated into the squadron in 1874 under the command of Ceferino Ramírez and Erasmo Obligado respectively.
Constitution and Republic bombards, modified Rendell class, with 32.33 m in length, 9.19 in beam, 4.50 in depth, 3.20 in medium draft and a displacement of 416 tons.
Mixed ships, with iron hulls, had a single mast rig and used a 400 HP steam engine that drove two twin propellers reaching a cruising speed of 9 knots. They transported 45 tons of coal. They mounted a 240 mm muzzle-loading Armstrong cannon, mounted on a fixed gun carriage on the bow, so it could only fire along the keel line and had to be aimed with rudder strokes. They carried two 80 mm light guns on deck, one on each side. Purchased for £13,678 each at the Cammell Laird shipyard, they joined the squadron in 1876 under the command of Juan Cabassa and Daniel de Solier respectively.
Bombards Pilcomayo and Bermejo, similar to the previous ones, with small differences (a smaller draft, they transported 62 tons of coal that ensured greater autonomy, deck modifications) were incorporated in 1875 under the command of Jorge Hobson Lowry and Francisco de la Cruz, respectively. Both were built at the Rennie&Co shipyard, Greenwich, England (subcontracted by Cammell Laird).
Steam Workshop and Depot for torpedoes and mines Fulminante, with 55 m in length, 9 in beam, 5 in depth, an average draft of 2.28 and a displacement of 620 tons. A mixed vessel, it had a two-masted schooner rig and a Compound-type steam engine with a propeller that reached a speed of 10 knots. It carried 80 tons of coal as fuel. It joined in 1875, remaining stationary under the command of Hunter Davidson. A flotilla of 4 torpedo boats was also incorporated, 2 of them assigned to the Fulminante, the first of the Argentine Navy. The torpedoes were bronze loaded with 65 pounds of dynamite. They were called "boalón" because for use they were placed on the tip of an 8-meter-long iron boom.
Steamers Notices Resguardo and Vigilante, 30 m long, 5.5 m wide, 3.0 m deep, with an average draft of 1.20 m and 100 tons of displacement, carried two 92 HP steam engines that drove two propellers reaching a speed of 7 knots. It transported 16 tons of coal that gave it an autonomy of 6 days. Mixed vessel, it was rigged as a 2-masted paileboat. His helmet was made of iron and he had a strong wooden belt for defense. It mounted a 6-inch Armstrong gun. Acquired for £5,000 from Cammell Laird, they joined the Port Captaincy under the command of the pilot Cándido Chaneton and the pilot Juan Rubaclo, respectively.

 
Armed Transport Steamer Pampa.

Armed transport steamer Pampa, (former Parminghan), acquired in 1870 from Miguel Soler & Cía for $f 50,000.
With a length of 69.44 m, a beam of 7.44, a depth of 3.41, an average draft of 2.00 m and a displacement of 409 tons, it had a mild steel hull, two-masted paileboat rigging, a steam engine of 260 HP with 2 cylinders and 4 boilers, which drove side wheels reaching a maximum speed of 13 knots and 8 knots cruising. She was initially armed with 2 75 mm Krupp cannons.
Some smaller ships: steamship Sirena, tugboat Puerto de Buenos Aires, transport Santa Fe, whaleboat Guarda Costa, boat Talita and Pontón Vanguardia

Complementary measures

On the other hand, despite protests from Brazil, Sarmiento decided to heavily artillery Martín García Island with heavy Rodman coastal cannons that, although they were already outdated (muzzle-loading and smoothbore), due to their high caliber (381 mm, 500 pounds). They were capable of damaging the armor of Imperial monitors and covering the access channels to the interior rivers.
For the purposes of establishing logistical bases and workshops for the ships that were purchased, in October 1873 he obtained funds from Congress for the construction of an arsenal and marine depot in Zárate, which he created in December of that year.
Finally, Sarmiento created the Naval School on October 5, 1872, which initially operated aboard the steamship General Brown under the command of Sergeant Major Clodomiro Urtubey, and which in the first stage was maintained until its dissolution in 1877 as a result of the "rebellion of the capes", being reorganized shortly after in the corvette Uruguay in charge of Martín Guerrico.



All these measures contributed to stopping the estuary from being visited by foreign squadrons in a permanent attitude of pressure and probably facilitated the resolution of the boundary issue in 1875.
However, although the units acquired represented the best that the mixed technology of the time (sail and steam) could offer and even when they operated both in Argentine rivers and on the high seas, even in Antarctic waters, they were in all cases vessels rivers.
On the other hand, the incorporation of the main ships, the monitors, immediately caused Brazil to acquire two more monitors to its squadron, the Javary and the Solimões of 3700 tons, 4 cannons of 250 mm and 2 of 37, incorporated in 1875, while Chile added the Cochrane and the Blanco Encalada, of 4,500 tons, 13 knots and 4 9-inch guns, which would soon be decisive in the war with Peru and Bolivia. Thus, the improvement in the relationship of forces in a short time was again uneven, which would be revealed in 1878 on the occasion of the Py Expedition.

References

1. Gustavo Ferrari, Argentina and its neighbors, in Argentina from the Eighties to the Centennial, Buenos Aires, Sudamericana, 1980, page 671.
2. Manuel Gálvez, Life of Sarmiento.
3. (1808-1902) He was linked to the country before his participation in the Civil War through his exploration trips to the Bermejo and Salado rivers. He actively collaborated in the design and construction of the Los Andes and El Plata monitors
4. Ratto, Héctor: "The first naval commissions abroad", Bulletin of the Naval Center, Volume 58, year page 19.
5. Captain Page once again advised the minister on the construction of which
6. At the height of the belt, a band that surrounds the hull of the boat to protect it.

Bibliography
  • Teodoro Caillet-Bois, Historia Naval Argentina, 1944, Imprenta López, Buenos Aires 
  • Arguindeguy, Pablo E. CL, y Rodríguez, Horacio CL; "Buques de la Armada Argentina 1852-1899 sus comandos y operaciones", Buenos Aires, Instituto Nacional Browniano, 1999. 
  • Héctor Raúl Ratto, José Craviotto, Humberto F. Burzio, Sarmiento y la marina de guerra, Secretaria de Estado de Marina, 1963 
  • Carlos López Urrutia, Historia de la Marina de Chile, Andres Bello, 1969. 
  • Departamento de Estudios Históricos Navales, Historia marítima argentina, Cuántica Editora, 1982.
External links

Wikipedia


Saturday, July 6, 2024

Creation of the Naval Air Search and Rescue Squadron

Creation of the Naval Air Search and Rescue Squadron (Naval Aviation)



 

On June 24, 1963, the Naval Air Search and Rescue Squadron was founded with the incorporation of the first three Grumman Albatros UH-16B aircraft, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Julio O. Caravaglia. This squadron was part of the Aeronaval Squadron No. 3 from 1963 to 1965, and later joined the Aeronaval Squadron No. 4, both based at the Punta Indio Aeronaval Base. On August 9, 1977, the squadron was placed in reserve at the BAPI due to the deprogramming of its aircraft, which were not replaced.



It is interesting to know some details about the incorporation of the Albatross into Naval Aviation. The Argentine Air Force made the original purchase of the three aircraft, out of a total of six, with the apparent purpose of forming an anti-submarine group and at the same time for Search and Rescue missions. A disagreement over the mission and tasks assigned to these aircraft (acquired from the USAF and reconditioned) ended with a presidential decision by Dr. Arturo Frondizi, who determined that three of the devices not equipped for anti-submarine missions would be for the Argentine Air Force, using them for Search and Rescue missions, and the remaining three would be assigned to the Navy. In 1970, a fourth HU-16B Albatros aircraft was added.



Source: History of Argentine Naval Aviation Volume I. Pablo E. Arguindeguy.

Aviones Argentinos






Wednesday, July 3, 2024

1955 Revolution: Status Report from Cuyo



Cuyo Mobilizes


On the night of September 17, the troops of the Second Army arrived at the gates of the city of Mendoza and stopped there. General Julio Alberto Lagos was waiting for them at that point ready to receive command from his commander, General Eugenio Arandía.



Once at the head of the powerful unit, Lagos requested a report on the situation as he needed to take quick measures before setting off towards Córdoba. The picture of the situation that Arandía described to him was not what he expected because, as they explained to him, there was a lack of integration between the commanders and the news broadcast on the radio, they limited the revolution to the rebel focus of the Mediterranean province that at that time was being surrounded. by loyal troops under the command of generals Iñíguez, Morello and Moschini.
In view of this, influenced by the false news broadcast by government radio stations and letting himself be carried away by a counterproductive excess of caution, Lagos approved the resolution issued by his General Staff and retreated towards Mendoza, abandoning Lonardi's forces to his side. luck. According to the conclusion they had reached with General Arandía, if the civil war broke out (which in fact had already begun), it would be necessary to consolidate the three Cuyo provinces without risking their forces in a confrontation that would short term, it would have to annihilate them.
The Lagos troops spent the night next to the access bridge to Palmira and the next morning they entered the city, with the 2nd Mountain Infantry Battalion of Calingasta at the head, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Eduardo Aguirre. The long column of vehicles found the access roads blocked by buses and trucks that the CGT had abandoned during the night to make progress difficult, punctured the tires of most of them. Under the direction of officers and non-commissioned officers, the conscripts proceeded to remove them, moving the vehicles off the road or throwing them into the river and slowly, the displacement became effective.
The Second Army was received with joy. The population, mobilized by Dr. Facundo Suárez[1], took to the streets to cheer him and people approached the soldiers to give them food and drinks while shouting and applauding his passage from Guaymallén, along San Martín Avenue.
Lagos installed his command in the Military High School and appointed General Roberto Nazar as provisional governor of the province. Whoever was its owner until that moment, Dr. Carlos Horacio Evans, appeared shortly after, to make himself available to him and after a brief and correct exchange of words, he was told that he could leave the province or remain at home, finally opting for this last proposition.


General Julio Alberto Lagos

One of the first orders given by Lagos upon arriving in Mendoza was to occupy the radio station, dispatching for that mission a platoon under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Eduardo Aguirre, chief of the 2nd Mountain Battalion of Calingasta, which performed prominently during the San Luis rebellion. . Aguirre took over the station without any problems and immediately put Lieutenant Colonel Mario A. Fonseca on duty, who once at the microphone, proceeded to inform the citizens that both Mendoza and San Luis were in the power of the revolution.
Another important measure adopted by General Lagos was the arrest of senior leaders of the regional ruling party, represented mainly by the political and union leadership and by militants of the Justicialist basic units, who represented a serious threat to the revolution. There was no resistance in any of the basic units raided. Where there were problems was at the CGT premises, where many of its leaders, members and workers had barricaded themselves.
Lieutenant Colonel Aguirre headed towards the headquarters of the workers' union at the head of a platoon, believing that taking over the building was going to be a simple matter. However, upon arriving at the place, he was greeted by a large hail of bullets that forced him to to adopt defensive measures.
Following orders from their boss, the soldiers jumped out of the jeeps in which they had come and once under cover they opened fire, generating a violent exchange of fire in which two conscripts lost their lives and two officers were wounded.
The fight continued for several minutes, with the unionists containing any attempt to approach them, which forced Aguirre to ask for reinforcements. While he fired the submachine gun, he gave directives, concerned for the safety of his men. Two of them lay dead on the pavement and two others, seriously injured, were trying to take cover behind the vehicles.
Aguirre saw that the union members were shooting from various points, some from the upper windows and others from the roofs, so he tried to concentrate his bursts on those points.
The arrival of two trucks with troops was what decided the confrontation. Knowing they were surrounded and overwhelmed in men and weapons, the unionists waved a piece of white cloth tied to a stick and surrendered. The union headquarters was controlled and its defenders forced to leave slowly, with their hands on their heads. Once outside, they were subjected to an intense search and were then forced to board trucks to be taken to prison. The bodies of the dead soldiers were evacuated in an ambulance that arrived a few minutes later and the wounded left with them in the direction of the hospital. The actions in Cuyo had claimed their first victims.


Once the city was dominated, General Lagos ordered the occupation of the El Plumerillo Air Base, to which he sent General Arandía's second, Colonel Nicolás Plantamura, accompanied by the escort of the Mountain Infantry Detachment 1 under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Alberto Cabello. Waiting for them at the place was Vice Commodore Martín Alió, known for his Peronist tendency, who handed over the military unit, clarifying beforehand that he did not agree to the uprising. However, his officers did, whom Plantamura met in the casino to talk and find out his position regarding the revolution. Twelve nationally manufactured Calquin bombers were at the disposal of the rebel forces, which, added to the powerful crew of Villa Reynolds, constituted a weapon of great value.
Back in Mendoza, Lieutenant Colonel Cabello received the order to support Major Rufino Ortega's platoon that was to take the local headquarters of the Federal Police, a mission that was accomplished with the support of revolutionary civilian commands without any incidents.
That was the situation in Mendoza and San Luis when, after noon, Lieutenant Colonel Fonseca, the same one who had transmitted the revolutionary messages by radio, requested authorization to march on San Juan, fearful of the attitude that the head of the army might assume. that garrison, Colonel Ricardo Botto.
After obtaining the approval of his superiors, Fonseca gathered under his command Colonel Aguirre's Infantry Battalion and the San Juan Sapper Company that reinforced the Second Army there and provided it with a cannon from the artillery battalion commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Fernando. Elizondo, he started.
The troops traveled throughout the night, stopping their march at dawn, in the town of Carpintería, close to the provincial capital. From there they continued in broad daylight, while people, almost all from the fields, farms and vineyards immediately around the route, gathered on the side of the route to greet the troops. As Ruiz Moreno, from whom we extract most of the information, relates, people did not forget the prohibition on carrying out the procession of the Virgin of Andacollo, imposed by the government.
Where there was tension was in San Juan, as a result of the deployment of police forces carried out by Commissioner César Camargo. The police were determined to resist but the intervention of Fonseca, also from San Juan and a childhood friend of Camargo, prevented bloodshed. It was evident that the police were not an adequate force to confront the Army and it was necessary, at all costs, to avoid any type of clash.
Camargo agreed and raised the device for the troops to enter the city, birthplace of illustrious personalities in Argentine history such as Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, Brother Justo Santa María de Oro and Francisco Narciso Laprida. There were also scenes of joy, with the crowd cheering and applauding the passage of the rebel troops. The Virgin of Mercy was even taken out of the cathedral in front of which the crowd gathered and prayed, covering the Plaza 25 de Mayo. Fonseca was carried on a litter to the Government House where his head, Juan Viviani, handed over command to him. In this way, Cuyo was left in the power of the revolution with General Lagos, at the head of the civil and military command.

At 06:30 on September 19, a Beechcraft AT-11 from Córdoba landed in the countryside, on Route 40, 30 kilometers south of Mendoza, bringing on board frigate captain Carlos García Favre, emissary of General Lonardi. As soon as he got off the plane, the naval officer boarded a private vehicle that immediately took him to Luján de Cuyo, a stop before the provincial capital, where he arrived around 11:00 when the population was celebrating the arrival of the Second Army in the streets. coming from St. Louis.
An hour later, he was brought before General Lagos, urgent as he was to inform him of the difficult situation that the rebel garrison was going through. Once in his presence, frigate captain Carlos García Favre conveyed to him his distressing request for reinforcements and the imperative need for him to get underway as soon as possible to alleviate the difficult situation of he. While this was happening, in the streets, the crowd chanted slogans in favor of revolution and freedom, ignorant of those events that were unfolding.
Far from what García Favre imagined, Lagos's attitude was one of caution. After listening attentively, the general spoke slowly, detailing the inconveniences involved in providing aid to Lonardi. According to him, the Second Army was not fully aware of what was happening, it was imbued with the slogan of not spilling blood between brothers and for that reason, its full subordination could not be counted on when marching on Córdoba. . On the other hand, the capture of Río Cuarto was impossible because fuel was scarce and extremely difficult to obtain.
García Favre was dismayed because he did not expect such an attitude. Extremely nervous, he insisted again: Córdoba urgently needed reinforcements because if it did not have them the revolution would end up being defeated. Lagos remained in his position. Without saying a word, he listened to the emissary with a serious expression and then summoned him to a new meeting at 6:00 p.m.
By then, all Peronist party headquarters had been raided and the private homes of several activists confiscated, in order to prevent acts of sabotage, all this before the radio reported that starting at 9:00 p.m. that same day, the curfew and that martial law was in force throughout the city.

At the agreed time, García Favre, wearing civilian clothes, appeared at the barracks of the Sapper Battalion 8 for his second meeting with Lagos. Upon arrival, he was invited to witness the formation in the parade ground, in front of which, the general took formal possession of his position and harangued troops and civilians, exhorting them to fight for freedom. He also praised the Navy for its courageous and unwavering actions, stating at the end that the union of the three forces would ultimately grant them victory. But as far as the help requested is concerned, he said nothing specifically to García Favre. When the liaison tried to communicate with Lonardi to relieve him of the situation, he found that the arrest of the officers in charge of communications prevented him from establishing contact.
During the night of September 18 to 19, General Lagos and his high command developed a plan to alleviate the difficult situation in which General Lonardi found himself. Among other things, an air attack was decided from Villa Reynolds to the Las Higueras airfield, in order to neutralize the loyalist Gloster Meteors operating from there.
As Ruiz Moreno explains, Villa Reynolds, seat of the V Air Brigade, had been occupied on Sunday the 18th by troops from the IV Mountain Detachment of Tupungato who had left the previous day from San Luis, with that destination.
The taking of the base was carried out by the I Battalion of the 21st Mountain Infantry Regiment under the command of Major Celestino Argumedo, who arrived after two hours of march along a 110-kilometer route. In the brigade, the officers who at that time (03:00 in the morning) had control of the unit were waiting for them, after an intense combat with the 278 loyal non-commissioned officers who guarded it and who attempted acts of sabotage.
That same afternoon (5:30 p.m.), Major Argumedo contacted General Lagos to suggest carrying out the planned attack on the Las Higueras airfield, because at that height, it was imperative to neutralize the threat posed by the Gloster Meteors that operated from there. They responded three hours later, telling him to stay in his position until further notice.
The attack never materialized and Argumedo limited himself only to supplying bombs to both the revolutionary forces of Córdoba and those of Comandante Espora and to providing light weapons to the revolutionary civilian command of Dr. Guillermo Torres Fotheringham that was to take over Radio Ranquel in Río Cuarto. .
The next morning, an unexpected event took place that significantly raised the morale of the revolutionary forces. Soldiers of the Second Army who were inspecting the Mendoza railway station discovered a car full of cutting-edge weapons from the United States, which was there in transit to Chile. The cargo, composed of bazookas, recoilless rocket cannons and machine guns, was seized and distributed among the troops that were to march on Río Cuarto the next day. The joy that the discovery aroused meant little to Captain García Favre since in the afternoon, General Lagos told him that he was not planning to divert troops towards Córdoba because he planned to consolidate his positions in Mendoza.
General Lonardi's emissary was perplexed but managed to make a proposal aimed at complicating Perón's situation and lightening that of his superior: request international organizations to recognize Cuyo as a belligerent territory. Lagos agreed and without wasting time, ordered Dr. Bonifacio del Carril, honorary auditor of the Army in the Field, to begin the corresponding steps.
Because the situation in Cuyo was unknown in Córdoba, Lonardi dispatched Major Francisco Guevara with the mission of communicating to Lagos that he was ready to establish an air bridge between both provinces in order to transport the reinforcements of the Second Army to the combat zone. .
In accordance with this plan, the Military Aviation School began to prepare three DC-3s and a Convair from Aerolíneas Argentinas, from which the seats were removed to increase its capacity. Civil aviator Alfredo Barragán, pilot of the state airline company and determined supporter of the revolution, was placed in charge of them, who had to drive the planes to Mendoza in the company of Lieutenant Colonel Carlos Godoy.
Guevara boarded a Beechcraft AT-11 piloted by Captain González Albarracín, a co-pilot and a radio operator and left through the San Roque Lake air corridor, the only one that still remained open to rebel aviation, bound for Cuyo. The ship flew low until it reached the waters and at that point took flight, to move away between the positions occupied by the 14th Infantry Regiment and the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment.
After two hours of flight, the plane touched down in El Plumerillo, from where Guevara departed to meet Lagos.
Upon seeing him arrive, the general stood up and greeted him affectionately, inviting him to participate in the meeting that he was currently holding with Arandía and García Favre. The head of the Second Army seemed oblivious to reality and gave the impression that the triumphal entry he had made in Mendoza had negatively influenced him.
Guevara gave a detailed account of what was happening in Córdoba and, like García Favre, placed special emphasis on General Lonardi's need for reinforcements. When he finished speaking, he gave Lagos a letter from the leader of the revolution in which he requested the urgent sending of all the infantry with their mortars and machine guns, explaining that the crisis that his group suffered was, precisely, an infantry crisis and that His situation had worsened so much that he counted on that help to overcome it as soon as possible.
Despite this and the fact that Guevara explained that Lonardi planned to resist until the end, Lagos hesitated again, arguing that he had only 1,000 men to defend Cuyo and that he could not deprive himself of any. When he expressed his decision to establish a provisional government in Mendoza, Guevara was surprised and responded that this idea had already been adopted by General Lonardi but that it was not essential at that time.
That made Lagos reconsider and, at least for the moment, he scrapped the project to once again study sending reinforcements to Córdoba.
He was leaving on the 19th and Lagos was still thinking.

While Lagos and Guevara argued, the Aerolíneas Argentinas plane that Lonardi had sent to Barragán's command landed in El Plumerillo.
Once on land, the new arrivals hurried to the Lagos command post and asked to speak to him. At that time, the general was meeting with General Arandía, Major Enzo Garuti, Judge of Military Instruction, Lieutenant Colonel Eduardo Aguirre, Captain García Favre and Major Guevara.
The newcomers were extremely anxious when they entered the room, assuming that by then everything had been decided, but once again Lagos delayed the matter, wanting his General Staff to stop and thoroughly analyze the situation. This attitude exasperated spirits, especially that of Commander Barragán who, raising his voice, demanded the immediate sending of reinforcements. The response he received left him stunned by its unusual and absurd nature:

-I can't distract troops because here the CGT is very strong and I could have problems.

That was the straw that broke the camel's back.
-But how is the CGT going to be a problem for the Army?!! -Barragán shouted- what are you saying?!! We have the problem!! Come on general, you have to give us the troops and weapons right now!!!

The pilot was so out of his mind that while he was speaking he pulled out his weapon, forcing those present to intervene to try to appease his anger.

-Calm down Barragán! - said Lieutenant Colonel Aguirre - Everything will be solved!

 Then, it was Major Garuti who made himself feel above the tumult.

-We must help Córdoba, general. Whose is able to do it!

Upon hearing those words, Lagos seemed convinced and in a serious tone ordered:

-Well Garuti, organize a Company.

Finally, after wasting precious hours in musings, the doubtful chief of the Second Army authorized the enlistment of 200 infantry personnel who, equipped with heavy machine guns and under the command of Major Garuti, immediately left for El Plumerillo to board the planes that, in a non-stop flight would take them to the theater of operations.

Notes

  1. He was a known radical leader of the province.

 

Sunday, June 30, 2024

Triple Alliance War: The Honor of the 1st of the Line

"I am not worthy of being your Boss" - By Esteban D. Ocampo

Escuadrón De Caballería Histórica


I remember a time of Glory where the Battalion Chiefs marched in front of their men to show themselves as examples, and not to remain in orders... Time in which together with the last of their soldiers they suffered the Battle; where they bled with them; where his heart broke when he saw his boys fall to the enemy's fire... A time where each of them was like a father to his men.

"The 1st of the Line and the 1st of the National Guards of Corrientes, attacked by an infernal fire of rifles and rockets, were soon surrounded by two Paraguayan infantry battalions and a regiment of cavalry that, determined and impetuous, forced them to retreat. However, recovered from the initial surprise and despite the heavy casualties suffered, the 1st of the Line managed to gain footing and stop the enemy's overwhelming advance, barely holding on, awaiting the sending of reinforcements with which they would resume the offensive. They do not arrive, on the contrary, they receive an unexpected order: to withdraw the battalion! This meant abandoning the field to the enemy, and what was even worse, leaving the wounded and the dead there.
Colonel Rosetti, head of the 1st Line, citing these reasons, requested that protection be sent to him to save those and also the honor of the battalion. But the response was confirmation of the previous order.(...)
Naturally, the movement towards the rear that was carried out encouraged the enemy who, undertaking the advance and reaching the abandoned field, fell with ferocious violence to kill the wounded with bayonets and collect their loot from the victory.
Moments before, one of the wounded who was left abandoned, 2nd Sergeant José María Abrego, who had a leg fractured by a bullet at thigh height (and who was later bayoneted to death), stood up and, raising his rifle, shouted in a loud voice. energetic:
-"Is it possible, comrades, that you withdraw and let us take prisoners? Come, comrades!"

Soldier Alejandro Sider, who had a bullet wound to his ankle, shouted that they should not abandon him, and other calls were heard. The battalion had moved 80 steps away when these events occurred. Colonel Rosetti, as brave as he was a noble soldier, hearing this, could not bear it and determined to disobey the order at any price, addressing his battalion he expressed:


-"It is the first time that the 1st of the Line retreats in the face of its enemies," and letting himself be carried away by this cruel idea, he tore off one of the rank loops and, throwing it at the Paraguayans, added: "I am not worthy of being their chief", and turning around he charged the enemy alone.

His words and his action made the shattered ranks of the 1st react, and upon seeing the heroic desperation of his leader, he faced the enemy and launched into combat shouting: "Long live the 1st Battalion." Infantry!"



Thus, as if obeying a mandate from history, the 1st of the Line faced the enemy and counterattacked.

His troops were dismembered, there was no order and groups of soldiers led by officers and non-commissioned officers stood out in different directions, running to meet the Paraguayans (...)
After collecting the fallen, the battalion formed a column and marched to their field and although everyone's face could clearly see the sadness that overwhelmed their spirits for the loss of so many companions, they carried in their hearts the conviction of having fulfilled their mission. word pledged by his boss, Colonel Rosetti, to the President of the Republic, when answering the speech that he addressed to the battalion when marching to the Paraguay campaign and which he concluded, saying:
"You are the first in glories and the first to appear on the battlefield to wave that flag that you have covered with glories so many times..."

To which his brave leader replied:

"Your excellent sir, you can be sure that the battalion will know how to fulfill its duty in the position assigned to it."

And so it was." (1)


There was a time of glory where people fought for the country with reckless courage, courage and camaraderie... where when one fell, it was like a sure blow to the heart, because one of the sons of the country was giving up the most sacred thing that a man has: its own life.
A time of Glory, where the Chiefs thought they were not worthy of their brave boys, and that is why they charged for Glory alongside them... alongside their men...

A time where everyone knew that:

"To perish where the freedom and independence of the country rise is the most glorious grave for the brave..."

Even if they were not leaders worthy of their men...
Although today, given their example, I am not worthy of being called ARGENTINE like they were...

Esteban D. Ocampo



(1) Giunti, Luis Leopoldo "Páginas de Gloria", Círculo Militar, pag. 88

Monday, June 24, 2024

Argentine Army: Ca Cz Mte 18, Army's First Division Best


My Jorge Muga
"I am pleased to share the news that the 18th Bush Hunter Company has been chosen as the best unit in the First Army Division."



Unit's pictures