LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Chaco War: Gran Chaco War
built 213 days ago
The history of the origins of the Ju-52 and the history of the Gran Chaco War are closely intertwined. Even before the war started Bolivia had already made good experiences with Junkers aircraft. It was ... only natural, when the need for heavy duty transport aircraft arose, that Bolivia should turn to Junkers. In the summer of 1931 Lufthansa had rejected the Ju-52 1m single engine version of the Ju-52. But in the autumn of that year representatives of Lloyd Aero Boliviano took a look at the aircraft and ordered two examples but with the condition attached to the order that three Pratt & Whitney Hornet engines 3) be fitted in place of the single liquid cooled engine of the Ju-52/1M. Junkers workers at the Dessau factory immediately began to convert airframes (werkenummern: 4008 named "Juan del Valle" and 4009 "Huanuni"), the Ju-52/3m was born.
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In the year 1922 the Chaco War is clearly forecast. The Saavedra government, having borrowed $1,000,000 from Stifel-Nicolaus, with an option on future loans for three years granted the bankers, needs money badly, and is forced or bribed into taking a $33,000,000 loan at 8%, redeemable not before 1947 from a combination of Stifel-Nicolaus, Equitable Trust and Spencer Trask Co. Purposes: to refund previous loans (Morgan, Chandler and Co., Equitable Trust) some at lower rates than 8%; to cover short-term Customs Notes; for railroad building and “improvements” (Chaco roads and munitions); for “administrative expenses”; for bankers’ commissions and expenses. This loan, which is one key to the entire Bolivian situation, was secured as follows:
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The Chaco War was fought in 1928-37 between Paraguay and Bolivia, for control of the Gran Chaco region of approximately 20,000 square miles. Bolivia wanted the area for access to the sea and because oil was thought to have been discovered. Besides the duration, this war is ... famous because it was the largest Latin American war of the 20th Century, featuring 80-100,000 killed and 300,000 POWs on both sides put together. For a detailed article on the war, go to www.carney.com/erik/forgotten_conflicts/chaco
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Initially, and indeed for most of the Gran Chaco War, the Ju-52s were flown by German Civilian pilots but efforts were made to train LAB pilots to fly them. The big Jukners aircraft made a great impression in Bolivia. At the time multi engine aircraft, especially ones as large as the Ju-52, were status symbols which added to national prestige. In addition their efforts after the beginning of the war were invaluable; they evacuated casualties ... raising Bolivian morale and transported priority cargoes including artillery pieces and ammunition, communication equipment etc. to the front. It has caused a lot of speculation why the Bolivians never used the Ju-52 as a bomber.
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The Gran Chaco conflict was, in fact, largely a war of engineers. Cutting trails through the jungle, building roads, erecting field fortifications, and, above all, locating and drilling wells were the activities that determined the pace and outcome of battles. The Chaco was largely without potable surface water, even where vegetation was thickest. Before attacks could be mounted or ground held, water for men and horses had to be brought forward by truck. Trucks and gasoline were always in such short supply that their availability decided the timing of offensives or the feasibility of holding ground. Neither belligerent could afford to purchase the vehicles in the requisite numbers, and wastage was high in the rough, roadless Chaco.
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The origin of the war was a border dispute between Bolivia and Paraguay over the Chaco. This vast area was largely undeveloped except for some minor oil discoveries by Standard Oil in Bolivia and Royal Dutch Shell in Paraguay. The Chaco, which Bolivia traditionally regarded as a province (Gran Chaco), became more significant to Bolivia after the latter lost its Pacific Ocean outlet to Chile. Bolivia hoped to gain access to the Atlantic Ocean with an oil pipeline across the Chaco to the Paraguay River. Despite mediation attempts by various countries, the increased number of border incidents led the military high commands of Bolivia and Paraguay to believe in the inevitability of war.
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Gran Chaco War