GUARANI ARA

The full index of our ship stamp archive
Post Reply
shipstamps
Posts: 0
Joined: Fri Mar 13, 2009 8:12 pm

GUARANI ARA

Post by shipstamps » Sun Oct 05, 2008 3:47 pm

50 years after the loss of the ARA GUARANI the Argentinean Post issued a stamp, which depict the vessel, in the background of the stamp a chart of the area in which the vessel disappeared with her complete crew, most probably in the area circled red on the stamp.

Built as a tug with hull No 533 by Marietta Manufacturing Co., Point Pleasant, WV on the Ohio River for the USA Army.
Not a tonnage given, dim. 149 x 33 x 19ft.
Powered by a reciprocating stem engine, 1.200 hp, speed?
April/May 1945 delivered to the USA Army as the L.T. 817.


If she ever is used by the USA Navy could not find but she was sold already in 1946 to the Argentinean Government for US$ 139.000, renamed in ARA GUARANI, together with a sistership which was renamed in CHARRÚA.

Under Argentinean flag her details are:
Displacement 982 tons, dim. 43 x 10.20 x 4.50m., draught medium 4.80m.
1.200 hp., one propeller, speed 12 knots.
Bunker capacity 417 ton oil.
Range 9.500 miles.
Crew 40.

After arrival in Argentine used for 10 years to help ships in distress, or aiding them in emergency. Among them were the transport PATAGONIA in 1948, the merchant ships MONTREAL in 1951, the RIO SANTA CRUZ in 1952 and the fruitless search for the LUCHO IV in 1952.
1954 Was she reclassified as a salvage ship, and stationed at Ushuaia.

When in 1958 when she was under command of Capt. Gerardo Zaratiegui with a crew of 37 a emergency arose in the in the Antarctic when the second cook Mario Olive of the Naval Station “Melchior” got a appendicitis attack, and needed to undergo a surgical operation. For this the base needed blood plasma and medications.
An airplane of the Naval Aviation a DC-4 the C.T.A.-2 was made ready to deliver the required stuff.
The plane under command of the naval pilot Capt. D Eduardo Ruiz had to fly from Rio Grande to the Antarctic base Melchior and back to Rio Grande.

To give him logistic and metrological support during this flight when he had to pass the dangerous Drake Passage, the ARA GUARANI was made hurriedly ready for sailing; the crew at that time not complete was supplemented with naval base crew of Ushuaia, without much experience.

14 October 1958 at 06.00 the ARA GUARANI sailed from Ushuaia with on board 38 people bound for the Drake Passage.
At that time a large western storm hit the area, with large waves, and hurricane force winds and icy conditions.
15 October the air mission is successful completed, after the aircraft parachute eight packages with medicines off above the Melchior base, of which 7 are recovered by base personal.

The GUARANI ride out the storm in a position about 10 miles off Nueva Island, and she report that she is heading for Nueva Island looking for shelter to repair a damaged hatch cover, which allowed water to enter the stern and engines.
A later truncate report from the vessel, in a position 7 miles south off Cape Hall is the last which has been received.

Immediately after contact was lost with the vessel a large search and rescue operation commenced, first with the airplane C.T.A.-2, which had carried out the mission to “Melchior” and soon thereafter by a other DC-4 the C.T.A.-1 and two Catalina’s the P.B.Y 5P5 and 5P6.
Land patrols were send out in terrible climate conditions, while the storm not abate, after 10 October (date can not be right) one of the airplanes discovered a large oil stain, later reporting a other stain in a other area. The oil stains are in a position of 220 and 8 miles off Cape Buen Suceso.


The destroyer ARA SAN LUIS left the navy base Puerto Belgrano on 15 October at 23.00 hour, and the salvage ship ARA DIAGUITA at 19.20 hours from Mar del Plata.
The destroyer ARA CERVANTES left Mar del Plate the 16th at 16.00 hours.
The three ships after arrival in the area where the last known position was given, commence a search together with the a airplane the Avro Lincoln of the Aeronáutica Argentina the B-25, a plane of Argentine Airlines and two frigates of the Chilean Navy the COVADONGA and IQUIQUE.

Patrol cars were taken to Crosley and Flinders to try to locate possible wreckage, when noting was found she were send to Punta Cuchillo, Bahia Franklin, Bahia Valentin and Puerto Español but also without any results.

27 October after lowering the flag the search mission was stopped, and the ARA GUARANI declared as lost with her complete crew.

Source: Mr. Mario Rosner. Apuntes Sobre los Buques de la Armada Argentina by C.N. Pablo Arguindeguy. US Army and Watercraft of World War II by David H, Grover.
Attachments
Guarani.jpg

Post Reply