The 1922 Paraguayan Civil War featured the first recorded aerial dogfights in South America.
Between 1922 and 1923, Paraguay descended into a brutal factional conflict between Constitutionalists and Loyalists. While the war was rooted in political instability and disputed elections, it became a historic testing ground for early military aviation, witnessing the continent's first aerial combat engagements between rival pilots in the skies.
The conflict emerged from the deep fragmentation of the Paraguayan Liberal Party following the 1904 revolution. By 1922, the party had split into two primary factions: the Gondrists, loyal to former President Manuel Gondra, and the Schaererists, led by Eduardo Schaerer. Tensions peaked when President Gondra resigned in 1920, leading to the interim presidency of Eusebio Ayala. When Ayala blocked the candidacy of Schaererist Colonel Adolfo Chirife, the Constitutionalist side launched an armed offensive on May 27, 1922.
The war is particularly notable for its pioneering use of aircraft. As the Gondrist and Constitutionalist forces clashed across the country, both sides utilized planes for reconnaissance and bombing. In September 1922, British pilot Patrick Hassett, flying for the Gondrists, engaged a Constitutionalist Ansaldo SVA.5 in what is recognized as the first dogfight in South American history. Hassett later forced down another rebel aircraft, marking the first time an airman shot down an opponent over the continent.
The war concluded in July 1923 after a series of desperate maneuvers. Following the death of Colonel Chirife from pneumonia in May 1923, his successor, Pedro Mendoza, launched a final offensive on the capital, Asunción. Although the rebels briefly entered the city on July 9, they were quickly routed by a Loyalist counter-attack from the north. Lacking ammunition and suffering from poor logistics, the remaining insurgent forces under Lieutenant Colonel Brizuela fled to Argentina, ending the year-long struggle.
Source: Paraguayan Civil War (1922–1923)
