The most tense moment was with a frigate in front of Terreiro do Paço

After the decision was made about the coup, "the doubts" came and the concern about what could happen.

With the troops on the street and the military coup underway, Almada Contreiras, the Navy contact for the captains at the Pontinha Command Post, intercepted the communication that started one of the most tense moments of the revolution.

"We intercepted all the communications and, therefore, we knew that the frigate had been ordered to go to Terreiro do Paço. So it was receiving orders to machine-gun the units that were in Terreiro do Paço, including Salgueiro Maia. And we, as we knew that, gave orders to one of our artillery batteries", recalled Garcia dos Santos.

"Which was in Cristo Rei", added Vítor Crespo.

After the order was given to the artillery battery to aim at the frigate, Vítor Crespo threatened the frigate's commander: "You, at the first shot you fire, will go to the bottom".

Frigate to the bottom? It was unlikely...

The initial objective of the artillery battery was terrestrial: to aim at Monsanto, where it was expected that the members of the Government would retreat. None of the captains believed in the ability of the gunners to hit the target anchored in the Tagus.

"I believe that the artillery battery would not be able to hit the frigate, but it was a resource maneuver. [...] The battery was prepared to hit terrestrial targets. [...] but what resources did we have?", questioned Otelo.

And not even the law of gravity was in their favor.

"As the artillery pieces were up there, and they had to aim downwards, they ran the risk of the ammunition bouncing", explained Garcia dos Santos.

"The grenade does not go out in a straight line, it goes out in a curve", specified Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho.

Avoiding disaster in Terreiro do Paço

The Armed Forces Movement (MFA) had nuclei of officers in all the Navy units, who, not being ship commanders, were "fundamental in the command structure".

In the 'Gago Coutinho', it was the second-in-command, together with other officers, who, under instructions received from Pontinha, prevented the orders for the frigate to fire on Terreiro do Paço from being carried out.

"Not everything would have been lost", and "it does not mean that we would not have won anyway", but "it would have been terrible" for the objectives of the revolution if the frigate had fired, declared Vítor Crespo.

"That frigate firing on Terreiro do Paço was a disaster for the forces that were in Terreiro do Paço, because it was very efficient. Very close to the target, and with a rate of fire prepared for anti-aircraft fire, but it could also fire on cars and, therefore, was very militarily effective", he considered.

"But anyway, fortunately those things did not happen", said Sanches Osório.

The 'bakers' took over RTP

When Otelo decided that it was the military from the Practical School of Military Administration, in Lumiar, Lisbon, who were also known as 'bakers', who were going to take over RTP, not all the officers agreed with the idea.

"So it is the 'bakers' who are going to take over television?", criticized some, questioning the operational capacity of the military from the Practical School of Military Administration where cooks and administrators were trained, who were not used to handling weapons.

Otelo had no doubts: "Yes, sir! They are almost right in front." They just had to cross the road, the barracks was 100 meters from the RTP studios.

Captain Teófilo Bento was in command of the column, "they took over the television in no time, it was the first objective to be conquered".

"They simply left the gate, marched, went in a column, to the television, disarmed the police and took it over, delighted with life. Impeccably".

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