Unprecedented historical images: the photos of the attack on La Moneda taken by the camera of one of the Hawker Hunter aircraft

The Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos received 23 previously unseen photographs of the bombing of La Moneda taken from one of the Hawker Hunter aircraft involved in the attack on September 11, 1973. These images were shared by The Union Films and CIPER, who had published them earlier this week. The photographs capture the operation from the perspective of the pilots flying the planes, offering a rare glimpse into the events of the military coup that overthrew President Salvador Allende’s government. The donation ceremony took place today, with participation from María Luisa Parés, an antiquarian from Concepción, and Rodolfo Gárate, director of The Union Films. The photos were obtained by Parés from a merchant who had acquired them from the widow of a general in the FACH (Fuerza Aérea de Chile). According to reports, the images were part of a commemorative album distributed to some officers after the coup. They appear to have been taken by the second plane that launched the rockets, as the presidential palace is shown smoking from the initial strikes. The photographs will be preserved by the museum as part of its historical collection, ensuring their availability for future generations. María Fernanda García, director of the Museo de la Memoria, emphasized the significance of these images, noting that they provide a new perspective on a well-known historical event. She stated that the photographs speak of history from an unfamiliar angle, adding depth to the understanding of the day's events. In parallel, CIPER has integrated these visual records into its platform “Papeles de la Dictadura,” a joint initiative with the CIP.UDP aimed at making available thousands of official documents from the years of the military dictatorship. This platform allows users to access and study materials that were once scattered across different archives or remained unknown. The inclusion of these photographs marks another step in preserving and disseminating evidence of the period. The process of recovering these images began when Parés handed them over to The Union Films, which used them to create a sequence showing the pilots' viewpoint during the attack. With this material and the story behind its recovery, Gárate produced a report that was published by CIPER. The report included both the photographs and a video showcasing the sequence. The images were initially circulating online, having been sold through websites dedicated to antique items. Their discovery and subsequent release have added a new dimension to the historical record. The photographs, captured using the cameras installed in the Hawker Hunter aircraft, offer a unique insight into the mechanics of the attack. During the production of the documentary Hawker Hunter. El ruido del silencio, released in September 2023, the team discovered that such aircraft were equipped with high-quality cameras capable of recording aerial footage. This led to further investigation, including inquiries to the Chilean Air Force, which denied possession of such records despite the publication of a similar image in El Mercurio in November 1973. The newly released images, now available on the CIPER website, depict the flight path of the aircraft directly above La Moneda, capturing the moment the bombs struck. The photographs are believed to belong to the second plane that fired the rockets, as the palace appears to be smoldering from the initial attacks. These images will serve as a valuable resource for historians and researchers seeking to understand the events of September 11, 1973, from a previously undocumented perspective.