78 THE AVIATION HISTORIAN Issue No 22ABOVE The first of the AN’s Walruses was M-O-9, which made its first flight at Eastleigh with the B Conditions
marking N-15 in April 1938. The first two Argentinian Walruses were built specifically for the AN and both were
transported to Buenos Aires aboard the Vickers-Armstrongs-built cruiser ARA La Argentina during early 1939.While its Lorraine Dietrich-engined Fairey IIIF
Mk IIIMs had provided excellent service since the
type’s introduction in 1928, the AN was well aware
that by the mid-1930s the type was approaching
obsolescence. To address this, the Argentinian
government signed a contract with Grumman
in the USA for eight G-20 biplane amphibians
(an export version of the JF-2) on April 17, 1936.
These were assigned to the observation unit
Escuadrilla de Observación de la Aviación de la Flota
de Mar (EOAFM) based at Puerto Belgrano, and
were frequently sent on detachment aboard the
ARA 25 de Mayo and ARA Almirante Brown. The
escuadrilla was split into two sections of three
aircraft with the remaining two kept in reserve.INTO ARGENTINIAN SERVICE
Back in the UK, the Air Registration Board (ARB)
allowed Supermarine to use its own B Conditions
markings when test-flying aircraft being prepared
for sale to foreign governments, provided such
flights were confined to its own aerodromes. The
two Argentinian Walruses thus used B Conditions
markings N-15 and N-16.
Following their assembly at Woolston, N-15 and
N-16 underwent engine runs and systems checks
at Eastleigh in late March 1938. When these were
completed, Trevor Jones, the AID inspector in
charge at Supermarine, examined the aircraft and
declared them fit to fly. The first, N-15, made its
maiden flight at Eastleigh on April 25, 1938. Test
flights were performed by Supermarine pilotsunder the supervision of AN pilot Teniente de
Fragate Angel Ricardo Vaccari, during which N-15
was launched by catapult from ARA La Argentina
in Morecambe Bay, Lancashire. By October 15 the
Walrus had received AN code M-O-9 and on that
day was flown by Vaccari. On January 3, 1939,
M-O-9 was ferried from Eastleigh to Ternhill in
Shropshire and on to Barrow-in-Furness, where
ARA La Argentina was moored.
Vickers-Armstrongs had equipped the Argen-
tinian cruiser to operate both the Walrus and the
G-20 with a Ransomes & Rapier Ltd slider-type
catapult, which could launch a Walrus at 57 m.p.h.
(92km/h) and a G-20 at 65 m.p.h. (105km/h).
The original Gagnotto catapults fitted to ARA
25 de Mayo and ARA Almirante Brown to launch
the Corsairs were later replaced by Ransomes &
Rapier units, to allow the operation of both new
aircraft types.
The second AN Walrus made its maiden flight
at Eastleigh on April 29, 1938, and, following
acceptance flights, was coded M-O-10 and loaded
aboard ARA La Argentina on January 5, 1939.
The cruiser left Barrow-in-Furness the next day
and sailed to Gravesend docks in Kent, where
supplies and ammunition were loaded. It finally
departed for Mar del Plata, Provinçia de Buenos
Aires, on February 12 and arrived on March 2, in
time to participate in a naval review. Meanwhile,
spare parts for the Walruses were loaded aboard
the steamship ARA Chaco at Barrow-in-Furness
on March 18. The two Walruses were assignedPHILIP JARRETT COLLECTION