ARA Santa Fe (S-21)

The ARA "Santa Fe" was a submarine in the Argentine Navy from 1971 to 1982.

History

The submarine was built during the Second World War by the Electric Boat Company of Groton, Connecticut and was launched on November 19, 1944. Commissioned into the US Navy as USS|Catfish|SS-339, the submarine entered service in March 1945. As "Catfish" the submarine took part in the closing stages of the Pacific war against Japan. Afterwards she served in the US 7th fleet in the Pacific Ocean seeing service in the Korean War.

In 1971, "Catfish" was decommissioned and sold to Argentina where she was renamed the ARA "Santa Fe".

In 1982, the "Santa Fe" took part in the Falklands War ( _es. Guerra de las Malvinas/Guerra del Atlántico Sur) alongside the ARA "San Luis", the only two submarines in the Argentine Navy. The "Santa Fe" supported the Argentine invasion by landing tactical divers on Yorke Bay, who marked the beach for the main amphibious force and seized the lighthouse. Later she departed from the islands and stayed on station in the nearby area as a large British task force approached the South Atlantic.

On April 23 the Royal Navy ships, HMS|Brilliant|F90|6; HMS|Antrim|D18|6; HMS|Plymouth|F126|6; and the ice patrol boat HMS|Endurance|1967|6 were sent to retake the island of South Georgia with a detachment of Royal Marines and Special Boat Service commandos. The threat of "Santa Fe" forced the British ships to keep a distance as they landed troops on the island.

However on April 25 the "Santa Fe", after a successful supply mission to the island, was spotted by a Westland Wessex HAS.Mk.3 anti-submarine helicopter from HMS|Antrim|D18|6, and attacked with depth charges. HMS|Plymouth|F126|6 launched a Westland Wasp HAS.Mk.1 helicopter, and HMS|Brilliant|F90|6 launched a Westland Lynx HAS.Mk.2. The Lynx attacked the submarine with a Mk 46 torpedo, and also strafed it with its pintle mounted 7.62 mm L7 General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG). The Wessex also fired on the "Santa Fe" with its GPMG. The Wasp from HMS "Plymouth" as well as two other Wasps launched from HMS|Endurance|1967|6 fired AS-12 air-to-surface anti-ship missiles at the submarine scoring hits. "Santa Fe"'s men attempted to fight off the attack by firing their machine guns and an old "Bantam" antitank missile on the aircraft, but the Argentine boat was damaged badly enough to prevent her from submerging or even from sailing away. The crew abandoned the listing submarine at the jetty at King Edward Point on South Georgia and surrendered, along with the Argentine garrison, to the British forces.

Whilst under guard on the submarine by a British Royal Marine, engineer Petty Officer Felix Artuso was shot dead in the mistaken belief that he was trying to sabotage the vessel.cite book
last = Yates
first = D.
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Bomb Alley - Falklands War 1982: Aboard HMS Antrim at War
publisher = Pen & Sword Maritime
date = 2006
location =
pages = pp. 95-105
url =
doi =
isbn = 1-84415-417-3 ] He is now buried in Grytviken Cemetery. According to some members of her crew, in the middle of the confusion that followed the incident, they open a number of valves and hatchways. The submarine flooded and eventually sank alongside the pier, with only her conning tower showing above the surface. ["Luego de atracar, y aprovechando la distracción de los británicos por un incidente que le había costado la vida al suboficial Félix Artuso, tripulantes del submarino lograron burlar la guardia y abrieron disimuladamente válvulas y escotillas de la nave, provocando su hundimiento. No sólo el Santa Fe quedó así inutilizable: también el muelle." es [http://www.lanacion.com.ar/202442 La Nacion newspaper: "La guerra que no se vió"] '] [ [http://www.rna-10-area.co.uk/images/sail3.jpg#prof Wreckage of the "Santa Fe"] ]

Later on booby traps were disabled and removed. Considered worthless as a war prize, because she was non-standard, too expensive to repair, and obsolete, "Santa Fe" was raised and scuttled by the British in deep waters.

References