ARA ''Alférez Sobral'' (A-9) is an 800-ton Tugboat, ocean-going tug that was in service with the Argentine Navy from 1972 until 2019, where she was classified as an ''aviso.'' fuerzasnavales.com: Technical Specs and picture of ''aviso'' ARA ''Sobral''
She had previously served in the US Navy as the fleet tug . In Argentine service an ''aviso'' is a small naval vessel used for a number of auxiliary tasks, including tugging, laying buoys, and replenishing other ships, lighthouses and naval bases.Aviso ARA A"lférez Sobral" en combate
article by her second-in-command in 1982

US Navy service

Built by Levingston Shipbuilding Company, Levingston Shipbuilding Co., at Orange, Texas as a Sotoyomo class tug, ''Sotoyomo''-class rescue tug, she served as USS ''Salish'' (ATA-187) from 1944 to 1972.

Argentine Navy service

The ship was named after Antarctic explorer Alférez (rank)#Argentina, Alférez José María Sobral (1880–1961). She was acquired on 10 February 1972 along with her sister-ship from Naval Station Mayport, Mayport, Florida on 6 March 1972 and arriving to Puerto Belgrano on 18 April.

Falklands War

In the early hours of 3 May 1982, the vessel was hit by at least two Sea Skua anti-ship missiles fired by British Westland Lynx, Westland Lynx HAS.Mk.2/3 helicopters. At the time the ship was approximately north of the Falkland Islands searching for the crew of a English Electric Canberra, Canberra (B-110) bomber that had been shot down two days earlier by an AIM-9 Sidewinder Air-to-air missile, AAM (air-to-air missile) fired from a British BAE Sea Harrier, BAe Sea Harrier FRS.Mk.1 (XZ451). The ''Alférez Sobral'' was initially spotted by a Westland Sea King helicopter. When the helicopter approached to investigate and was engaged by ''Alférez Sobral'''s fore Oerlikon cannon. The helicopter retreated and requested an armed response. In response and launched their Westland Lynx HAS.Mk.2/3 helicopters. ''Coventry'' Lynx (XZ242) attacked first, firing two Sea Skua (Air-to-surface missile, air-to-surface) anti-ship missiles. One of the missiles narrowly missed the bridge, the second hit ''Alférez Sobral'' fibreglass motorboat, injuring the crew of a 20 mm cannon and knocking out the radio aerials. Twenty minutes later ''Glasgow'' Lynx (XZ247) launched two more missiles, at least one of which struck the bridge, causing extensive damage. The attack killed eight of the crew—including the ship's captain, Lieutenant Commander Sergio Gómez Roca—and injured eight. The ''Alférez Sobral'' lost all her electrical power, radio, radar and compass; she had no working navigational aids other than a landing compass, unsuitable for sailing. She was found and helped by a Sikorsky S-61, Sikorsky S-61N LV-OCL (a civilian helicopter requisitioned by the Argentine Air Force as part of Escuadron FenixEscuadrón Fénix Web site: History
and piloted by First Lieutenant Lucero) which evacuated the injured. ''Alférez Sobral'' was then assisted by the civilian trawler ''María Alejandra'' and finally reached Puerto Deseado on 5 May. The attack had occurred at the approximated position .

Post-war

From 1993 ''Alférez Sobral'' was based at Ushuaia; in February 2010 she moved to Mar del Plata switching places with USS Luiseno, ARA ''Gurruchaga''. In 2001 she assisted the expedition ship ''Caledonian Star'' which had been struck by a rogue wave during transit of the Drake Passage. She remained in service until 2018.

Legacy

The ship survived the conflict and remained in naval service until August 2018. There are plans to preserve ''Alférez Sobral'' as a museum ship in Santa Fe, Argentina, Santa Fe. In 2022 it was reported that she might be placed on the disposal list. The ship's badly damaged bridge is currently on display at the Naval Museum in Tigre Partido, Tigre, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Argentina's final Espora class corvette was renamed to honour ''Sobrals captain, Sergio Raul Goméz Roca, the first commander of an Argentine ship to be killed in action since the Cisplatine War, war with Brazil in the 19th century. The aviso ARA Teniente Olivieri (A-2), ARA ''Teniente Olivieri'' (A-2) is named after the guardamarina (midshipman) Claudio Olivieri, also killed in the action and posthumously promoted to lieutenant.

Specifications

ARA (A-9) ''Alférez Sobral'', Sotoyomo-class fleet tug, Sotoyomo-class ''aviso''The US Sotoyomo-class were fleet tugs; this vessel was classified as an ''aviso'' in Argentine service
Displacement 835 tonnes
Length 43.6 m
Beam 10.3 m
Draught 2.2 m
Propulsion 2 GM 12-278 A diesel-electric 2200 HP engines, 2 1500 HP generators, 1 propeller
Cruising speed 8 kn
Maximum speed 13 kn
Range 16,500 nm
Armament 1 Bofors 40/60 C cannon, 2 x 20mm Oerlikon cannons
Crew: 46

References

Notes

Bibliography

* ''The Fight for the Malvinas'', Martin Middlebrook,

External links

Histarmar Site pictorial

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081205074547/http://www.ara.mil.ar/pnav_buques.asp#08 ARA official website: Side view (profile) of ARA ''Alférez Sobral''] *
ARA official website: Technical Specifications of ARA ''Alférez Sobral''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alferez Sobral (A-9), Ara 1944 ships Falklands War naval ships of Argentina Sotoyomo-class tugs of the Argentine Navy Ships transferred from the United States Navy to the Argentine Navy Maritime incidents in 1982