АҚШ құрған Никарагуа Ұлттық гвардиясы (1925-1979)

1925–1979 US created militia in Nicaragua

The National Guard (lang es, otherwise known as la Guardia) was a militia and a gendarmerie created in 1925 during the occupation of Nicaragua by the United States. It became notorious for human rights abuses and corruption under the regime of the Somoza family (1936–1979). The National Guard was disbanded when the Sandinistas came to power in 1979.

Prior to the U. S. occupation, the long period of civil strife had encouraged the development of a variety of private armies. The freshly elected government of President Carlos José Solórzano requested that the U. S. Marines (equally interested in central control) remain in Nicaragua until an indigenous internal security force could be trained; for that effect, the Nicaraguan government hired in 1925 a retired U. S. General to help set up a new paramilitary gendarmerie force, titled the Guardia Nacional de Nicaragua (National Guard of Nicaragua). That same year, U. S. forces left the country, but after a civil war broke out, they returned in 1926 and took over the command (and training) of the National Guard from 1927 to 1933, when it was returned to Nicaraguan control under the government of President Juan Bautista Sacasa. President Sacasa, under political pressure from José María Moncada, who had been the leader of a rebel faction which later joined the government after U. S. mediation efforts, appointed Anastasio Somoza García as Chief Director of the National Guard in 1925. On 1 January 1937, President Somoza Garcia reappointed himself again chief director of the National Guard, installing a corrupt military dictatorship linked to U. S. business interests that would last four decades. In September 1956, Somoza Garcia was fatally shot by a young dissident poet, Rigoberto López Pérez, and was succeeded in the presidency by his elder son, Luis Somoza Debayle, while his youngest son Anastasio Somoza Debayle, a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point became the Chief Director of the National Guard. The guard's domestic power, however, gradually broadened to embrace not only its original internal security and police functions but also control over customs, telecommunications, port facilities, radio broadcasting, the merchant marine, and civil aviation. Even as trusted friends of the family succeeded Luis in the presidency, his brother remained firmly in control of the National Guard. Eventually, in 1967, Anastasio himself was elected president; Luis soon died of a heart attack, leaving Anastasio in sole control. Without his brother's technocratic influence, Anastasio's corrupt ways were unrestrained. The 1972 Nicaragua earthquake, which severely damaged the capital of Managua, brought further evidence of corruption, as members of the National Guard openly looted damaged businesses and misappropriated international aid, and Somoza Debayle's personal wealth soared during the reconstruction period. In 1974, the growing Sandinista movement FSLN (named after the assassinated Sandino) succeeded in forcing the government to accept an amnesty, after which Somoza Debayle declared a state of siege and the National Guard launched a violent and repressive reaction in the period 1975–76. effectively allowing the power structure of the National Guard to prevent a Sandinista victory while removing the increasingly unpopular Somoza from power. The Carter Administration even sent Somoza a congratulatory note from Carter after his disputed victory in the 1978 elections. After the assassination of opposition leader among the business elites Pedro Chamorro in January 1978, the Nicaraguan public reacted with a series of nationwide strikes and increasing political unrest against the regime. The National Guard was re organized and expanded, growing to a force of more than 10,000 officers and enlisted men, with localized security companies dispersed throughout the country and modern specialized units such as mechanized and engineer battalions, a Presidential Guard, and a reinforced tactical battalion. The strengthened National Guard continued to tighten its grip but opposition only grew broader and fiercer. A humiliating hostage crisis ensued on 22 August 1978 when 25 Sandinista rebels disguised as National Guard soldiers led by "Comandante Cero" (Commander Zero), future Contra leader Edén Pastora, occupied the National Assembly Palace in Managua, took 2,000 hostages, and escaped to Panama with 50 released political prisoners. The seizure of the National Palace was the second major action launched by the Sandinistas. By March 1979, the Somoza regime faced an open civil war as well as being cut off from all aid by the United States, including blocking of an emergency shipment of weapons and ammunition coming from Israel. With ammunition, spare parts, fuel, and medical supplies running dangerously low, the increasingly hard pressed National Guard could no longer sustain a prolonged fight against the rebels. Already plagued by shaky morale, and weakened by casualties and desertions after seven weeks of battle, GN units were gradually forced to fall back to Managua. Following the collapse of the National Guard, many members relocated to Guatemala and went on to form the Fifteenth of September Legion, which was committed to overthrowing the Sandinista rule.

Standard uniform for all ranks since the late 1920s was the US Army tropical 'Chino' khaki cotton shirt and pants, worn with the US M1912 Campaign Hat (a. k. a. 'Montana Peak Hat') in Olive Drab felt with the triangular Nicaraguan national cap badge. Military Academy cadets were issued a special version of the 'Chino' uniform, with the shirt modified by the addition of black shoulder straps and breast pockets' flaps dyed black. Officers and sometimes NCOs wore in the field breeches and riding boots or the US M1931 cavalry laced boots whereas the other ranks' had their trousers trucked into US type canvas (or leather) gaiters and ankle boots. The khaki US M1934 sidecap (a. k. a. 'garrison cap') was also supplied to GN personnel during the 1930 1940s. Guardia uniforms underwent some changes in the 1950s and 1960s, with officers adopting the US M1942 light khaki service dress, comprising tunic, slacks and a matching peaked cap with brown japanned chinstrap and peak, or black dress cap with gold chinstrap, black peak with gold leaf embroidery for field and general ranks (the GN Chief Director had additional French style embroidery on the cap band), and silver triangular national cap badge. which began to replace the earlier M 1 in 1977. Morocco, and South Africa, particularly after U. S. aid was cut in 1978. Other countries such as Italy, West Germany, Portugal, El Salvador, Paraguay, Sweden, South Korea, and the Philippines were also involved in providing some form of covert aid or acted as brokers in secret arms deals.

The first standard issue weapon of the Guardia Nacional (GN) infantry companies at the mid 1920s was the Krag–Jørgensen US M1896/98 .30 40 (7.62 mm) bolt action rifle, soon superseded by the Springfield US M1903 .30 06 (7.62×63mm). The squad weapon was the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) M1918A2 US .30 06 (7.62×63mm) light machine gun – the GN also appears to have received the American made version of the famed World War I British made Lewis gun .303 (7.7mm), the Savage Model 1917 LMG chambered for the US .30 06 (7.62×63mm) cartridge –, with the company weapons being the Colt Browning M1895 "potato digger" .30 06 medium machine gun and the US M1917A1 .30 06 Browning water cooled medium machine gun. Officers and NCOs received the Thompson M1928A1 US .45 caliber (11.4mm) submachine gun, as well as the Colt M1911A1 .45 caliber (11.4mm) semi automatic pistol as personal sidearm. A small number of ZB vz. 30 light machine guns were acquired from Czechoslovakia in 1937 for evaluation, but they were never adopted as standard weapons by the GN. In the 1940s–1950s, the GN received surplus American infantry weapons of World War II/Korean War vintage – M1/M2 US .30 carbines (7.62×33mm) and M1 Garand US .30 06 (7.62×63mm) semi automatic rifles and Smith & Wesson Model 15 revolvers in .38 Special were also adopted. Medium and heavy machine guns, in the form of the M1919A4 US .30 06 Browning (7.62×63mm) – or its M1919A6 light machine gun version – and the larger M2HB .50 Browning (12.7×99mm) were added to the Guardia's arsenal, replacing the ageing M1895 and M1917A1 water cooled medium machine guns. Assault rifles began to be adopted towards the end of the 1960s, though they never displaced entirely the earlier weaponry, such as the Garand rifle which remained the weapon of choice for soldiers serving in the Guardia's infamous firing squads and the security companies, who employed it to disperse demonstrations. Nevertheless, by 1978–79 most GN infantry formations had either the Belgian FN FAL (or its Israeli version, the lightened ROMAT) 7.62×51mm NATO or US M16A1 5.56×45mm assault rifles, with elite units receiving the Israeli made IMI Galil SAR and ARM variants in both 5.56×45mm and 7.62×51mm which was adopted in the mid 1970s. At squad level, the Belgium made FN MAG 58 and US M60 light machine guns both in 7.62×51mm NATO, replaced the obsolete BAR and Savage models, though the heavier Brownings were retained as platoon and company machine guns. The Israeli Uzi 9mm submachine gun was also given to armoured crews, Police BECAT teams and EEBI "Commando" troops, who were also issued the US Remington Model 700 Sniper rifle 7.62×51mm, and the Ithaca Model 37 12 gauge and Remington Model 870 12 gauge pump action shotguns. Hand grenades were supplied by the Americans, who provided M59 "Baseball" hand grenades, Mark 2 Fragmentation Hand/Rifle Grenades, M61 Fragmentation Hand Grenades, M67 grenades, M26A1 Fragmentation Hand Grenades, M34 White Phosphorus Smoke Grenades and M18 Smoke Hand Grenades; single shot grenade launcher and the expendable anti tank, one shot US M72 LAW 66mm.

Guardia infantry and artillery formations were equipped with a variety of crew served weapons. Light mortars ranged from the M2 60mm and M1 81mm models of World War II vintage, to the more recent M29 81mm; some selected elite troops received the Israeli designed Soltam M 65 120mm heavy mortar. They were also issued US M18 57 mm, M20 75mm, M67 90mm and M40A1 106mm recoilless rifles. The field artillery battery was provided with six to nine World War II vintage M3 37mm towed anti tank guns, four US M101A1 105mm towed Howitzers and an unspecified number of EDESA Yarará 70mm 42 tube multiple rocket launchers of Argentinian origin mounted on Chevrolet C 10 Cheyenne 4×4 light pickups In addition, two obsolete L3/33 tankettes acquired from Italy in the mid 1930s were reportedly held in reserve, but only one (nicknamed "La Mascota" by the Nicaraguans) was still kept in running conditions by 1979. and Toyota Land Cruiser (J40) light pickups, VIASA Ebro trucks "Campeador" one ton pickups (Spanish produced variant of the Jeepster Commando), M151A1 ¼ ton 4×4 utility trucks (nicknamed "Pumas" by the Nicaraguans), Dodge M37B ¾ ton 4×4 1953 utility trucks (nicknamed "Chatas" by the Nicaraguans; in 1978, one M37B was converted by the GN engineers into an armored car prototype dubbed "La Trigra", but the whole project was discontinued due to the lack of funds), and Israeli AIL M325 Command Cars ("Nun Nun") and Mercedes Benz Unimog 404 light trucks. Heavy transport vehicles were also employed, ranging from older World War II GMC CCKW 2½ ton 6×6 and Chevrolet G506 1½ ton 4×4 trucks to newer US Dodge W500/W600 Power Wagon 4×4 medium duty trucks, US M35 series 2½ ton 6×6 cargo trucks and US M39 5 ton 6x6 cargo trucks, and Spanish Pegaso 3046 4×4 and 3050 6×6 heavy duty trucks, which the GN received in both civilian and military versions. Besides being used as troop carriers these vehicles also doubled as 'gun trucks' or 'technicals', being fitted with heavy machine guns, recoilless rifles and AA autocannons. Moreover, their lack of protection rendered them highly vulnerable to improvised explosive devices (IEDs) or small arms fire, and many were lost together with their crews in 1979 due to intense street fighting and ambushes in rural areas. Commandeered tracked Caterpillar or wheeled civilian Bulldozers of American and Spanish origin were also employed by the Guardia during the battles for Masaya and Managua to clear paths on rebel held urban neighbourhoods by demolishing buildings turned into bunkers by the guerrillas.

In January 1978 National Guard overall strength peaked at about 25,000 officers and enlisted men under the direct personal command of their Chief Director and President of Nicaragua Major general Anastasio Somoza Debayle (a. k. a. 'Tachito'). Often described as something closer to a corps of feudal retainers (or an occupation force) than to a modern national army, the GN was primarily organized for internal security and Counter insurgency (COIN) operations rather than national defense, with most infantry units being assigned static garrison duties, and consequently its conventional military value was very low. Out of this total some 10,000–12,500 served in the ground forces proper (including women in the military and PNGN), but only about 7,500 were combat troops, organized into one Presidential Guard battalion, one armoured battalion, one mechanized infantry battalion, one mechanized company, one engineer battalion, one Military Police battalion, one field artillery battery and one anti aircraft battery, plus sixteen security companies. including pilots and ground personnel, under the command of Colonel Donaldo Humberto Frixote, an experienced pilot and staunch Somoza loyalist. FAGN main air elements at the time consisted of four squadrons – one attack, one helio, one transport and one advanced training – provided with a mixed inventory of aircraft of various types, mostly of U. S., Israeli, British, Canadian and Spanish origin, the majority being propeller driven. All FAGN aircraft and personnel were concentrated at the military airbase adjacent to the then Mercedes International Airport at Managua, which also housed the Air Force HQ and the Aviation School. either seven or eleven North American T 28A/D Trojan dual seat trainers converted for the ground attack role, seven Lockheed T 33A dual seat jet trainers converted to the fighter bomber role, two Douglas A 20G Havoc night fighters and seven Douglas A 26B/C Invader reconnaissance/light bombers. The Escuadrón de Ala Rotatoria (helicopter squadron) aligned for aerial reconnaissance, search and rescue (SAR), transport and assault duties eleven Sikorsky S 58T (CH 34A) Choctaw helicopters converted for the gunship role (nicknamed "Skyraiders" by the Nicaraguans), twelve Hughes OH 6A/H 369HS Defender light observation helicopters, four Hiller 12B Raven light utility helicopters, three Hughes 269 A/B (TH 55A) Osage light utility helicopters, two Bell UH 1H Iroquois utility transports, an unspecified number of Sikorsky H 19 Chickasaw utility helicopters and one Bell 47H light utility helicopter. The Escuadrón de Transporte (transport squadron) operated thirteen Douglas C 47 Skytrain transports, eight Cessna 180 Skywagon light utility aircraft, seven Cessna 185 (U 17B) Skywagon light utility aircraft, seven Beech 18 (C 45) Expeditor trainer & utility aircraft, six De Havilland Canada DHC 3 (U 1A) Otter STOL utility transports, five CASA C 212 Aviocar medium transports, two IAI Arava 201 STOL utility transports, two Piper PA 23 250 Aztec twin engined light piston utility transports, eight Piper PA 34 200 Seneca twin engined light utility transports, one Hawker Siddeley HS 125 600B mid size business jet, one Rockwell Aero Commander 680FL Grand utility transport and an unspecified number of Cessna 421 Golden Eagle light transports. The advanced training squadron of the Aviation School operated twenty nine North American AT 6 Texan dual seat trainers, ten Piper PA 18 Super Cub light utility aircraft, seven Cessna 172 J/K Skyhawk utility aircraft and six Fairchild PT 19A trainers.

The Marina de Guerra de la Guardia Nacional (MG GN, Nicaraguan National Guard Navy) in 1978 stood at about 1,000 sailors and ratings who manned a surface flotilla of some eight to ten Israeli Dabur 1 class patrol boats, one GC2 patrol boat, one GC6 patrol boat, and one Swiftships 85 ft type patrol boat. The MG GN flotilla was divided into a Pacific coast patrol squadron, the Guardia Marina del Pacífico, and an Atlantic coast patrol squadron, the Guardia Marina del Atlântico. Most of its lightly armed personnel were concentrated in the main cities (Managua, Leon, Matagalpa, and Masaya) on police duties, or assigned to the Brigadas Especiales contra Actos de Terrorismo (BECAT, Special Counter insurgency Brigades). Initially attached for administrative purposes to the 3rd company of the General Somoza Combat Battalion and headquartered at Tiscapa Hill just outside Managua, the EEBI was an indigenous Special Forces training center modelled after Fort Bragg, and was tasked of training the Guardia's own elite anti guerrilla Commandos, the "Black Berets" and its first parachute unit, the "Wild Geese". Inspired on the U. S. Special Forces (USSF), Chilean Army Commandos' and Brazilian Army Paratroopers' training programs, the School's own special curriculum placed emphasis on counter insurgency. Advanced courses ranged from basic light infantry skills, jungle combat and survival to sniper, light and heavy weapons (mortars and artillery), demolitions, 'Commando' operations and intelligence, reconnaissance (Ranger), communications, medical, airborne and even light armor tactics. Ex USSF and exiled South Vietnamese LLDB instructors conducted most of the training, This was followed in 1983 by the Hollywood films Last Plane Out and Under Fire; the latter was actually shot at Mexico with Mexican Army soldiers portraying both Guardia' troops and FSLN guerrillas.