Aerial operations in the Chaco War
Encyclopedia
Chaco War
The Chaco War was fought between Bolivia and Paraguay over control of the northern part of the Gran Chaco region of South America, which was incorrectly thought to be rich in oil. It is also referred to as La Guerra de la Sed in literary circles for being fought in the semi-arid Chaco...
was the first international conflict in the Americas in which aircraft were used. This aerial war carried a large human and materiel cost. At that time, Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
possessed one of the greatest aerial forces in the Americas, however this fact didn't prevent the final defeat. Bolivia lacked the know-how to utilise its aerial forces, and was thus unable to maximise its use of military aviation. Paraguay had a small number of pilots and technicians, all of them veterans of the revolution of 1922, a brief civil war in which the government and the rebels used aircraft in the operations, and José Félix Estigarribia
José Félix Estigarribia
Marshal José Félix Estigarribia Insaurralde was a decorated Paraguayan war hero and President of Paraguay for the Liberal party. Educated as an agronomist, he joined the national Army in 1910 and spent time in Chile and in Saint Cyr's military academy in France for additional training...
could be considered an innovator in the military use of aircraft on the continent.
Background
Between July and August 1932, the Paraguayans built a landing strip at the advance baseAdvance airfield
Advance airfield and forward airfield are military terms for a relatively primitive airfield used for refueling and re-arming air units as part of forward operations near the enemy...
of Isla Poi and deployed a small force of combat aircraft for reconnaissance purposes, which was practically all the military aircraft which Paraguay possessed. Bolivia's air force was numerically superior, but was limited by the lack of airfields close to the combat zone. Despite this disavantage, the Bolivian Army Air Corps was able to conduct attacks in a relatively effective manner.
Lieutenant Colonel Bernardino Bilbao Rioja
Bernardino Bilbao Rioja
Bernardino Bilbao Rioja was a Bolivian officer who served during the Chaco War . He pioneered the use of air forces in combat ....
took charge of the Bolivian Air Corps in the Chaco and initiated the operations in July 1932, concentrating his forces on the primary base of Villa Montes, out of an advanced base in Muñoz, nowadays Fort General Díaz, in Paraguayan territory.
First acquisitions
Vickers Vespa
|-See also:*Aerial operations in the Chaco War-Bibliography:* Andrews, C.F. and Morgan, Eric B. Vickers Aircraft since 1908, Second edition. London: Putnam, 1988. ISBN 0-85177-815-1....
combat aircraft, three Breguet XIX bombers, and three Vickers Type 143
Vickers Type 143
|-See also:*Aerial operations in the Chaco War-Bibliography:* Andrews, E.N. and E.B. Morgan. Vickers Aircraft Since 1908, Second edition. London: Putnam, 1988. ISBN 0-85177-815-1....
fighters
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
at its forward airfields. By early 1933, the Bolivian army had acquired a consignment of 20 CW-14 Osprey. Paraguay ordered seven Potez 25
Potez 25
|-See also:*Aerial operations in the Chaco War-References:Heinonen, Timo Heinonen: Thulinista Hornetiin, Keski-Suomen ilmailumuseon julkaisuja 3, 1992. ISBN 951-95688-2-4.-External links:* *...
s through the French military mission, the aircraft arriving to the country on October 1928. Even before the final delivery, one Potez was lost when, while still in a crate, it was accidentally dropped overboard during the trans-shipping operation in Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
, Uruguay. The seventh Potez 25 was replaced by the French company in 1932. An intensive training from 1928 to 1931 resulted in 25 pilots and 18 maintenance personnel ready for operating the aircraft. The First Squadron of Bombing and Reconnaissance was established by the beginning of the war, made up of the seven Potez 25s and two Wibault 73. At least ten Curtiss P-6 Hawk fighters bought by Bolivia were delivered between December 1932 and March 1935. The Bolivian army was familiar with the Hawks since a 1928 demonstration carried out in La Paz by no other than Jimmy Doolittle
Jimmy Doolittle
General James Harold "Jimmy" Doolittle, USAF was an American aviation pioneer. Doolittle served as a brigadier general, major general and lieutenant general in the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War...
, who later tried to take off a float-fitted Hawk from Lake Titicaca
Lake Titicaca
Lake Titicaca is a lake located on the border of Peru and Bolivia. It sits 3,811 m above sea level, making it the highest commercially navigable lake in the world...
without success. The fighter of choice for the Paraguayan air branch was the Fiat CR.20
Fiat CR.20
|-See also:-References:* Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. The Complete Book of Fighters. New York:Smithmark, 1994. ISBN 0-8317-3939-8....
, acquired through the Italian legation. Five aircraft were delivered in April 1933. The warplanes were declared operational on 25 May 1933, and arrived to the front the next day.
Operational history
Given the potential of the Bolivian Ospreys, Lt Col Bilbao visited the Commander in chief, Colonel Enrique Peñaranda Castillo, and suggested him that the best use of the Bolivian Air Force was to bomb the main Paraguayan base at Puerto Casado on the Paraguay river, given that every man, car, horse, and munition used this point to enter the Chaco theatre of operations.Later, in a violent confrontation with Colonel Castillo, Bilbao Rioja insisted in bombing Asunción
Asunción
Asunción is the capital and largest city of Paraguay.The "Ciudad de Asunción" is an autonomous capital district not part of any department. The metropolitan area, called Gran Asunción, includes the cities of San Lorenzo, Fernando de la Mora, Lambaré, Luque, Mariano Roque Alonso, Ñemby, San...
in order to demoralise the Paraguayans. From the airstrips at Muñoz and Ballivián, the Bolivian Air Force was able to access Asuncion and Puerto Casado. The Bolivian high command disapproved Bilbao Rioja's demands as they thought, not incorrectly, that bombing Asuncion would cause an international outcry against Bolivia. At the time of the war, the Bolivian high command saw no profit in taking such dramatic steps, though the Bolivians came to reconsider this later.
However, they authorised various incursions against the Paraguayan bases at Puerto Casado. These incursions provoked a strong reaction on the part of the Argentine government, as many Argentines lived and worked in Puerto Casado and managed the railway that linked that city with the Chaco heartlands (and thus supported the Paraguayan military campaign).
Argentina, though officially neutral during the war, maintained a status that could be described as "amiable neutrality" towards the Paraguayans, even offering them financial support. After the air strike on Puerto Casado in 1933, the Argentines told the Bolivians that they would not tolerate further attacks on their civilians, implying that they might be inclined to support the Paraguayans if such attacks continued. Faced with this dilemma, Bolivia sensible discontinued aerial attacks. From this point in the campaign, the Bolivian Air Corps was used primarily for reconnaissance missions on the front lines, for aerial patrols and close air support.
From the beginning, Bilbao Rioja ordered the aircraft to conduct aggressive patrols over the Chaco, and the Bolivians lost at least one Vickers Vespa due to anti-aircraft fire at the end of July. During the Battle of Boquerón
Battle of Boquerón
The Battle of Boquerón was a battle fought from September 7 to 29 in 1932 between the Bolivian and Paraguayan armies in and around the stronghold of Boquerón. It was the first major battle of the Chaco War...
, both sides carried out numerous attacks in support of ground troops.
Between 9 and 29 September, Paraguayan Potez 25s, escorted by Wibault 73 fighters, carried out 12 bombing raids against the Bolivians in Boqueron. The Paraguayans also used their radio-equipped Potez 25s to direct artillery fire from their Schneider
Schneider Electric
Schneider Electric is a French global company. It was founded in 1836 by two brothers, Eugène and Adolphe Schneider.In the first part of the 20th century, Schneider et Cie associated itself with Westinghouse Systems, a major international electrical group at the time. The group began manufacturing...
75 mm batteries.
Though both sides flew reconnaissance and close air support missions during the Boqueron Campaign, there is disagreement about the first air-to-air confrontation:
- According Paraguayan reports, this occurred on 28 September, when a Paraguayan Potez 25 encountered a Bolivian Vickers Vespa. The Paraguayan pilot, Lieutenant Emilio Rocholl, was wounded but able to return to base with his aircraft.
- According to Bolivian accounts, the first aerial combat on the Americas between belligerent nations occurred on 4 December 1932, over Saavedra. The victor was Bolivian pilot Rafael Pabón, who shot down a Paraguayan Potez TOE Nº 6. This was the pilot's only victory against a Paraguayan aircraft, despite Bolivian claims of other two victories. While he was seeking a second victory, he was taken out by a Potez 25 TOE N° 11, dying there with his gunner on 12 August 1934 near Fort Florida. Upon discovering the identity of the pilot, the Paraguayans paid the dead pilot great honours.
Ther first encounter between fighters over the Chaco took place on 12 June 1933, as five Ospreys were being escorted by three Hawks and one Vickers Scout in the course of an airstrike against Isla Poí. The Fiats disrupted the Bolivian package in the middle of a furious dogfight. Lieutenant Walter Gwynn's CR.20, however, crashed in the aftermath, killing the pilot. A Paraguayan technical team ruled out hostile fire as the cause of this loss. The Fiats engaged the Ospreys again on 23 September 1934 over Picuiba, when two Bolivian warplanes were spotted while involved in a bombing mission. One of the Ospreys jettisoned its bombs and escaped unscathed, but the other pilot only became aware of the enemy fighters when he noticed the loss of his wingman. The Fiats duly targeted the lonely plane with their machine guns. The Paraguayans claimed the second Osprey as "probable", but the Bolivian aircraft managed to fly back to its base, although seriously damaged. The Paraguayan army would lose another Potez 25 to Bolivian planes on 12 December 1934 over Capirenda, when a Hawk escorting a Junkers K43 shot down Potez TOE Nº 13 after a brief exchange of fire. Both pilot and gunner survived the crash. The conflict would see the last ever dogfight between biplanes, over the Bolivian stronghold of Ballivián. The Potez 25 would be the only type of aircraft from either side to be used along the entire conflict.
Aerial support
The aerial forces played a variety of important roles at all stages of the war, including close air support, reconnaissance, air supply and evacuation of the wounded.Though the aerial combat and bombardier units gained the most glory, the unarmed transport and general-use aircraft of both air forces played a key role in the war. Both sides used a variety of transport and light aircraft to support their forces. Paraguayan planes would drop water to their own thirsty troops in the form of ice blocks, a tactic developed by the Bolivians during the siege of Boquerón
Battle of Boquerón
The Battle of Boquerón was a battle fought from September 7 to 29 in 1932 between the Bolivian and Paraguayan armies in and around the stronghold of Boquerón. It was the first major battle of the Chaco War...
. The Potez 25 played the role of transport aircraft during the first
First Battle of Nanawa
The First Battle of Nanawa was a battle fought from January 20 to 26 in 1933 between the Bolivian and Paraguayan armies during the Chaco War. Nanawa , established by the Paraguayans in 1928, was considered the strongest Paraguayan outpost after it was heavily fortified by the end of 1932 under...
and second
Second Battle of Nanawa
The Second Battle of Nanawa was a battle fought from July 4 to 9 in 1933 between the Bolivian and Paraguayan armies during the Chaco War. It was one of the bloodiest battles fought in South America in the 20th century, coming to be labeled as the "South American Verdun" by comparison with the...
battles of Nanawa, when they replenished the depleted Paraguayan stockpiles with hand grenades and ammunitions. The four Potez 25s involved in the operation were stripped of their rear machine guns in order to use the gunner's cockpit to load 115 kg of ammunition. The aircraft departed from Isla Poí to the south over Bolivian-controlled areas. On the first day only, they delivered 1,650 kg of ammunition on a hastily built runway. Three of the planes were hit by ground fire and forced to make emergency landings, but all of them were recovered and shipped to Asunción, where they endured a major overhaul.
Meanwhile, the Bolivian Ospreys became major players on the Bolivian victory at Cañada Strongest
Battle of Cañada Strongest
The Battle of Cañada Strongest was a battle fought from May 10 to 25 in 1934 between the Bolivian and Paraguayan armies during the Chaco War. The engagement is considered the greatest victory of the Bolivian army during the war, and actually took place some 60 km southwest of Cañada Strongest, near...
when aerial reconnaissance from Ballivian uncovered a new Paraguayan trail through the woods aimed to encircled two Bolivian divisions west of Cañada Esperanza.
At the start of the war, the Bolivian military forces employed Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano (LAB) civilian airliners, including four light transport aircraft Junkers F-13 (single engine, six passenger) and three Junkers W-34 transport transport aircraft. Some Junkers F-13 would be converted into flying boats by the Bolivian army. The LAB had recently included a Ford Trimotor, using it as a transport aircraft, which was destroyed in an operational accident while taking off at Villa Montes.
In December 1932, Bolivia received from Germany
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
three tri-motor Junkers JU 52
Junkers Ju 52
The Junkers Ju 52 was a German transport aircraft manufactured from 1932 to 1945. It saw both civilian and military service during the 1930s and 1940s. In a civilian role, it flew with over 12 air carriers including Swissair and Deutsche Luft Hansa as an airliner and freight hauler...
, bought with a loan from Bolivian tin tycoon Simón Patiño
Simón Iturri Patiño
Don Simón Iturri Patiño was a Bolivian industrialist who was among the world's wealthiest men at the time of his death. With a fortune built from ownership of a majority of the tin industry in Bolivia, Patiño was nicknamed "The Andean Rockefeller"...
. A fourth aircraft arrived in February 1935. The durable construction of the JU 52, which included a lift capability of three tons, made it an ideal aircraft for flights in South America. The Bolivians counted on a substantial air transport force, and the conditions of logistics in the Chaco demanded that such capabilities be used to the maximum in order to transport the necessary munitions, combustibles, and medicine to the front. During the war, the JU 52 alone transported more than 4,400 tons of cargo to the front.
Aerial medical evacuation
Paraguay also pressed a wide variety of transport and general-use aircraft into service. At the end of 1932, Paraguay had purchased two Travel Air Model S-6000 six-passenger aircraft from the United States, to serve as aerial ambulances. Both aircraft were christened Nanawa. During the war, both sides used aircraft for the transport of the sick and wounded from the front-line airstrips to the field hospitals in the rear. Over the course of the war, the Bolivian JU 52's evacuated over 40,000 Bolivian troops from the frontlines.The carrying capacity of the Paraguayan Travel Air and Breda 44 was limited, but they generally flew a shorter distance to fully equipped hospital ships which were anchored at the ports of Concepción and Puerto Casado. Gravely wounded troops were transported to the Central Military Hospital in Asunción
Asunción
Asunción is the capital and largest city of Paraguay.The "Ciudad de Asunción" is an autonomous capital district not part of any department. The metropolitan area, called Gran Asunción, includes the cities of San Lorenzo, Fernando de la Mora, Lambaré, Luque, Mariano Roque Alonso, Ñemby, San...
. These aerial ambulances flew constantly, and many Paraguayan soldiers were evacuated by air during the war.
Leadership transport
General Estigarribia used light aircraft extensively for liaison throughout the region, and to meet with his commanders. Estigarribia also used light aircraft to conduct his own reconnaissance of the front lines. The Paraguayan president Eusebio AyalaEusebio Ayala
Eusebio Ayala was President of Paraguay from 7 November 1921 to 12 April 1923 and again from 15 August 1932 to 17 February 1936. He was a member of the Liberal Party. He was overthrown by Rafael Franco.- His Life :...
also used aircraft, often the multi-use Potez 25, to visit the troops and meet with Estigarribia.
This was the first war in the Americas where the political leaders were able to meet personally with military leaders during operations in the large and isolated zones of the combat theatre. The main Paraguayan liaison aircraft and high speed courier was the Consolidated Model 21 C (PT-11), made in the United States. Paraguay also bought at least one Curtis Robin, two de Havilland DH.60 Moth
De Havilland DH.60 Moth
The de Havilland DH 60 Moth was a 1920s British two-seat touring and training aircraft that was developed into a series of aircraft by the de Havilland Aircraft Company.-Development:The DH 60 was developed from the larger DH 51 biplane...
, a WACO Cabin, a CANT 26
CANT 26
-References:*The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft , 1985 , Orbis Publishing** Sapienza Fracchia, Antonio Luis: "La Contribución Italiana en la Aviación Paraguaya". Author's edition. Asunción, 2007. 300pp....
and two light Junkers A 50 for liaison and light support duties.
Paraguayan and Bolivian aerial operations over the Paraguay river
Given that all the troops and supplies which Paraguay sent to the Chaco were transported via the Río Paraguay, aerial control of the river took on considerable importance. The Paraguayan Navy had a small aviation arm (Naval Aviation), equipped with Macchi M.18Macchi M.18
|-See also:-References:* Sapienza Fracchia, Antonio Luis: "La Contribución Italiana en la Aviación Paraguaya". Author's edition. Asunción, 2007. 300 pp....
, a Savoia-Marchetti S.59
Savoia-Marchetti S.59
|-See also:-References:* Sapienza Fracchia, Antonio Luis: "La Contribución Italiana en la Aviación Paraguaya". Author's edition. Asunción, 2007. 300 pp....
, and a CANT 10
CANT 10
|-See also:-References:* * Sapienza Fracchia, Antonio Luis: "La Contribución Italiana en la Aviación Paraguaya". Author's edition. Asunción, 2007. 300pp....
flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
s.
The Navy quartered its small force at Bahía Negra, in the northern sector of the Chaco, in order to support its forces blocking any Bolivian advance downriver. During the war, the Paraguayan air force flew 145 missions, including reconnaissance missions and air-ground attacks. The Aero-Naval unit kept the Bolivians under pressure in the upper part of the Río Paraguay, including conducting the first nighttime bombardments in the Americas. On 22 December 1934, a Macchi M.18 bombed the Bolivian outposts of Vitriones and San Juan, south of Puerto Suarez
Puerto Suárez
Puerto Suárez is an important inland river port and municipality in Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia. It is located 10 km west of the border with Brazil.-Location:...
, dropping 400 pounds of bombs.
The Bolivians also based a small aerial squadron in the northern sector of the Chaco, and attacked traffic on the Rio Paraguay on various occasions. Given the dependence of the river as a line of communication, the loss of a gunboat or large steamboat due to air attack would have been a grave loss for Paraguay.
To counter the Bolivian aerial menace, the Paraguayan Navy used gunboats, all of them well-equipped with antiaircraft artillery, to escort troop or supply boats, and to serve as antiaircraft defense at the principal bases of Concepción
Concepción, Paraguay
- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
, Puerto Casado and Bahía Negra. The gunboats saw some action, and on several encounters kept Bolivian aircraft at bay. The gunboat Tacuary
ARP Tacuary
The ARP Tacuary was a riverine gunboat in service on the Paraguayan Navy for almost a century. She was built in 1907 by T. & J. Hosking, Ireland, as the steel-hulled yacht Clover...
is credited with the shooting down of a Bolivian aircraft at Bahia Negra on 22 December 1932, while the large gunboat Humaitá fought off the surviving aircraft of the same package minutes later at Puerto Leda. Due to the efforts of the Navy, the Bolivians were able to inflict only minimal damage on Paraguayan logistic traffic.
Air Arm of the Paraguayan Navy
The Air Arm of the Paraguayan Navy was created in 1929, as the Servicio Aéreo Naval, with the help of the Italian aviator Tcnel. Ernesto Colombo. It initially had a CANT-10 and an SIAI S59bis, followed in 1932 by two Macchi M18s. It also shared two Morane-Saulnier MS-35 and MS-139 trainers, and a SAML A.3 with Army Aviation. Paraguayan Naval Aviation had the honor of conducting the first nighttime aerial bombing in the Americas with a Macchi M.18 (R-5) against Bolivian positions in the northern front. This was on 22 December 1934. In commemoration of this achievement, Naval Aviation day is celebrated every 22 December.Embargo on aerial weaponry
As the attrition of aerial assets was heavy for both countries, the issue of replacing aircraft was made difficult by the embargo on the sale of weaponry to either side by the League of NationsLeague of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
and American government. However, though both embargoes were inconvenient, both sides showed ingenuity in evading international controls in order to import sufficient aircraft to keep their forces flying.
Bolivia depended on Chile's support. Chile had licensed the assembly of some Curtis aircraft, including the Curtis Falcon. Given that the Bolivian Ospreys were attrited by combat and accidents, the Bolivians wanted a quicker, two-seater combat aircraft, and the Falcon was an excellent replacement. The Bolivians were able to import various Falcons from Chile during the war, as Chile quietly ignored the League's embargo. The Curtis Hawkand Seahawk, the best Bolivian combat planes, were also purchased through Chilean connections.
The most daring Bolivian attempt to evade the embargoes occurred in 1934 when Bolivia requested four Curtis Condor
Curtiss T-32 Condor II
|-Accidents and incidents:*On 27 July 1934, Swissair Condor CH-170 broke up in mid-air and crashed at Tuttlingen, Germany killing all 12 passengers and crew.-See also:-References:...
bombers. These large biplane bombers carried a ton of bombs, had three turrets, each with a long-range .30 calibre machine gun. Officially, the Bolivians wanted these aircraft for "medical transport", but given that these aircraft were ordered with military equipment, including turrets, machine guns, and bomb racks, this seems unlikely.
The more likely cause of the request was that things had gone quite poorly on the battlefield, and the Bolivians wanted a heavy bomber with the range to bomb Asuncion, and the Condor met those requirements. When the United States forbade the sale of the aircraft, the bombers were bought via the subterfuge of a recently created airline called Tampa-New Orleans-Tampico (TNT) Airline. The four bombers made it as far as Peru before the US government and Paraguayan diplomats were alerted, and asked Peru to block the aircraft.
Under the embargo of the League of Nations, France blocked 10 Potez 50s ordered by Paraguay, and the Netherlands blocked the sending of five Fokker CV
Fokker C.V
Fokker C.V was a Dutch light reconnaissance and bomber biplane aircraft manufactured by Fokker. It was designed by Anthony Fokker and the series manufacture began in 1924 at Fokker in Amsterdam.-Development:...
s. During the war, Uruguay and Argentina conspired to aid in the sales of armaments to the Paraguayans. Uruguay permitted aircraft arriving from Europe to be trans-boarded in its ports, and Paraguay bought a variety of training, transport, and liaison aircraft via Argentina.
Assessment
The cost in aircraft and pilots during the war was high on both sides. The greatest threat to flights and pilots were operating accidents. Of the new Curtis Ospreys that Bolivia had ordered, two were lose in combat and four in accidents during the war. Paraguay lost four aircraft in training accidents and four dead during the way. During the war, Bolivia flew between 57 and 62 combat planes and 22 transport and training aircraft.Paraguay fielded 32 combat aircraft and 23 trainers and transports. Per official Paraguayan statistics, during the war Paraguay lost nine aircraft (two Wibault, four Potez 25, a CANT, and two Fiat CR20), and Bolivia lost ten (6 Osprey, a Junkers, a Hawk, and two Curtis Falcons). The main cause of these combat losses was ground fire. Air-to-air combat was relatively rare. However, when the air forces came face to face aggressive combat occurred between fighter aircraft, such as a rare clash between a Paraguayan Potez 25 bomber and two Bolivian Breguet XIX bombers.
On some occasions, there were successful attacks against enemy airbases and supply dumps. The most successful Paraguayan attack of the war was against the landing strip and supply dump at Ballivián on 8 July 1934. Four Potez 25s, escorted by Fiat fighters, dropped 40 bombs on the airstrip and damaged at least seven parked Curtis combat planes, as well as depots and other facilities. The Potez also attacked and destroyed the main fuel dump at Ballivián. Two Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
an Army pilots, Lieutenants Benito Sánchez Leyton and Luis Tuya, played a key role in the raid on this Bolivian stronghold.
The greatest success of the Bolivian Air Corps occurred at the Battle of El Carmen in November 1934, when Bolivian aerial units covered the retreat of the Cavalry Corps, constantly attacking advancing Paraguayan units. The Bolivian army's successful escape was due in large part to the efforts of those pilots.