ARA Alferez Sobral ( A - 9 ) ARA " Alférez Sobral " ( A - 9 ) is an aviso in Argentine Navy service since 1972 . She had previously served in the US Navy as the fleet tug . US Navy service . Built by Levingston Shipbuilding Co . , at Orange , Texas as a " Sotoyomo " - class rescue tug served as USS " Salish " ( ATA - 187 ) from 1944 to 1972 . Argentine Navy service . The ship was named after Antarctic explorer Alférez José María Sobral ( 1880 – 1961 ) . She was acquired 10 February 1972 departing with her sister - ship ARA " Comodoro Somellera " from Mayport , Florida on 6 March 1972 and arriving Puerto Belgrano on 18 April . Falklands War . In the early hours of the morning on 3 May 1982 , the ship was hit by three Sea Skua anti - ship missile s fired by British Westland Lynx HAS . Mk . 2 / 3 helicopters . At the time the ship was approximately 60 nautical miles ( 110 km ) north of the Falkland Islands searching for the crew of a downed Canberra ( B - 110 ) bomber that had been shot down two days earlier by an AIM - 9 Sidewinder AAM ( air - to - air missile ) fired from a British BAe Sea Harrier FRS . Mk . 1 ( XZ451 ) . The " Sobral " was initially spotted by a Westland Sea King helicopter . When the helicopter approached to investigate , it was shot at by the vessel ' s 20 mm fore cannon . The helicopter immediately retreated and called for assistance . In response and launched their Westland Lynx HAS . Mk . 2 / 3 helicopters . " Coventry " Lynx ( XZ242 ) attacked first , firing two Sea Skua ( air - to - surface ) anti - ship missile s . One of the missiles narrowly missed the bridge , the second hit " Sobral " fiberglass 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 . One or perhaps both of these missiles struck the bridge , causing extensive damage . In total the attack killed eight of the crew — including the ship ' s captain , Lieutenant Commander Sergio Gómez Roca — and injuring eight . The " Sobral " lost all her electrical power , radio , radar and compass . The only navigational guide available to the crew was the direction of the waves at the time of the attack . She was found and helped by the Sikorsky S - 61N LV - OCL ( a civilian aircraft requisitioned by the Argentine Air Force as part of Escuadron Fenix and piloted by 1st Lt Lucero ) which evacuated the injured . " Sobral " was then assisted by the civilian trawler " María Alejandra " and finally reached Puerto Deseado two days later on 5 May . The attack had occurred at the approximated position . Post - war . The ship survived the conflict and remains in naval service . The ship ' s badly damaged bridge is currently on display at the Naval Museum in the city of Tigre , Argentina . The name of Argentina ' s final Espora class corvette was renamed to honour her captain . Goméz Roca was the first commander of the Argentine Navy to be killed on the bridge of his ship since the war with Brazil in the 19th century . The aviso ARA " Teniente Olivieri " ( A - 2 ) bears the name of the Guardamarina ( Midshipman ) Olivieri who was also killed in the action . Since 1993 she had been homebased at Ushuaia until February 2010 when she moved to Mar del Plata switching places with ARA " Gurruchaga " ( A - 3 ) . In 2001 she assisted the expedition ship " Caledonian Star " which had been struck by a rogue wave during transit of the Drake Passage .