Summary of
Main Events
CVBG - CV
Hermes, Invincible; DD Glamorgan, Coventry, Glasgow; FR
Alacrity, Arrow, Brilliant, Broadsword, Yarmouth; RFA Fort
Austin, Olmeda, Resource; with SBS and SAS
1. SHEFFIELD
sank (10th)
2. Alacrity entered Falkland Sound from
the south (10th)
3. Alacrity sank Isla de los Estados off
Swan Is (10th/11th)
4. Alacrity met Arrow and headed back to
CVBG (10th/11th)
5. Glasgow damaged off Stanley/Argentine
aircraft lost - [a16,a17,a18] Skyhawks (12th)
6. Argentine aircraft lost at Goose Green
- [a19] Skyhawk (12th)
7. PEBBLE ISLAND OPERATION (11th-15th)
(1) SAS Boat Troop patrol ashore to reconnoitre
(11th/12th) (2)
Hermes, Broadsword and
Glamorgan approached and D Sqdn SAS landed by No.846 Sea
Kings (14th)
8. Pebble Island Installations and
aircraft destroyed and force returned to CVBG; Argentine
aircraft lost - [a20-25] Pucaras, [a26-29] Mentors, [a30]
Skyvan (14th/15th)
9. British aircraft lost east of
Falklands - [b7] Sea King (12th)
10. Argentine cargo ship Rio Carcarana
attacked and beached in Port King (16th)
11. Argentine transport Bahia Buen Suceso
damaged at Fox Bay East (16th)
In the build-up to the
landings at San Carlos, Admiral Woodward's
destroyers and frigates continued to wear down the
invaders and
D Sqdn SAS made an
important contribution with its Pebble Island raid. On
Monday 10th, as submarine "San Luis" made her last
reported and equally unsuccessful attack on ships of the
Task Force and "Sheffield" finally sank, "Glasgow" (Sea
Dart) and "Brilliant" (Sea Wolf) took over as type 42/22
combination
from "Coventry" and "Broadsword" and continued their radar
picket and bombardment duties off Stanley. That night as
"Arrow" moved to the north end of Falkland Sound, sister
ship "Alacrity" prepared to sail right through from the
south for the first
time to flush out any supply ships. As she passed up the
Sound, "Alacrity" detected a small ship apparently heading
for Port Howard, and
using her single 4.5 inch, illuminated with star shell.
Refusing to stop, the target was engaged in the
only surface action of the war and after a
number of hits, exploded and sank with heavy casualties.
Reportedly there were only two survivors from what turned
out to be the naval transport "ISLA DE LOS ESTADOS"
carrying fuel and military supplies. "Alacrity" carried on
through to meet "Arrow", and on Tuesday morning, both
ships headed back to the carriers. Later that day,
"Yarmouth" also returned from her attempts to tow
"Sheffield" out of the TEZ.
On Wednesday afternoon (12th)
with "Glasgow" and "Brilliant"
still off Stanley, eight A-4B Skyhawks of Grupo 5 were
sent in to attack the bombarding ships. The first flight
came in low, and as "Brilliant"
fired her Sea Wolf automatically for the first time in
anger, two aircraft exploded in the air, a third crashed
in to the sea trying to escape and the fourth dropped its
bomb without hitting, and got away [a16, a17, a18]. The
second flight of four came in some minutes later, but for
technical reasons Sea Wolf could not fire, and this time
"Glasgow" was hit by a bomb which went in one side and out
the other without exploding or causing any casualties.
Although the damage was not severe, she had to withdraw to
the CVBG for repairs that took a number of days and
eventually became the first British warship to return
home. Meanwhile as these Skyhawks returned home, they
passed too close to
Goose Green and "Glasgow's"
attacker was shot down by Argentine AA [a19].
Just a week before the
landings, a raid was mounted by D Sqdn SAS
on the airstrip and facilities at Pebble Island,especially
to destroy the ground attack Pucaras based there. First of
all men of the Squadron's Boat Troop were put ashore over
Tuesday night to reconnoitre the area and three days later
on Friday 14th, "Hermes" and escort "Broadsword" together
with "Glamorgan" in the fire support role left the CVBG,
and passing to the north, approached
Pebble Island by night.
As "Glamorgan" closed in to gunfire range, "Hermes" flew
off the 48 SAS attackers and NGFO team in her No.846 Sea
Kings to be guided in at midnight by the awaiting patrol.
After a forced march to the airstrip, the attack went
ahead led by
Captain Hamilton, and all
the aircraft there put out of action or destroyed by
prepared charges. A fuel depot, ammo dump and radar
installation were also destroyed. All this time
"Glamorgan" provided gunfire support, and as the raiders
withdrew, a brief Argentine counter-attack was halted when
the officer in charge was shot. With two men slightly
wounded the SAS were safely picked up again by the
helicopters. The raid was a complete success and the
Argentines not only lost six Pucaras of Grupo 3 [a20-25],
four T-34C Mentors [a26-29] of CANA 4 Esc and one Coast
Guard Skyvan [a30], but also the use of the airstrip at a
crucial time. Now into Saturday morning, the warships
returned to the CVBG, but "Glamorgan" soon moved on to
other duties.
Although bad weather had
restricted fixed wing flying earlier in the week, by
Wednesday 12th it had improved sufficiently for high level
bombing attacks to be made
on Stanley, the same day
a No.826 ASW Sea King from "Hermes" ditched near the CVBG
with engine failure [b7]. The crew were saved. The next main
action took place over the weekend as Sea Harriers continued
to bomb Stanley. On Saturday night "Brilliant's" Lynx failed
in an attack on the transport "Bahia Buen Suceso" in Fox Bay
East, but "Hermes" aircraft more than made up for this next
day. In the middle of Sunday 16th, two No.800 Sea Harriers
bombed and strafed the blockade running cargo ship "Rio
Carcarana" (8,500 grt) at anchor off
Port King and although
there were no casualties, she caught fire, was beached and
abandoned, finally to be destroyed by "Antelope's" Lynx a
week later. Another two aircraft caught the "Bahia Buen
Suceso" still at
Fox Bay East alongside
the jetty and raked her with cannon fire. Bombs were not
used because of the ship's proximity to the settlement, but
the damage was enough to deny her use by the Argentines, and
she stayed there until after the war.
Following the Pebble Island
raid, HMS Glamorgan took on the job of convincing the
Argentines that any landings would take place on East
Falkland, south of the capital. For a number of nights,
she bombarded
Stanley and moved down the coast as far as Choiseul Sound
carrying out a variety of deception activities. Other SBS
and SAS operations were no doubt taking place all this
time, and over Sunday night "Alacrity" sailed through
Falkland Sound again and landed an SBS/NGFO team by Gemini
near Sussex Mountains which overlooks the landing
beaches around San Carlos Water.
Sea Harriers
of No 800 NAS aboard HMS Hermes in "typical foul weather"
in the Atlantic during winter.
Probably taken post-war, but typical of South Atlantic
conditions during the Falkland's War (Courtesy - MOD,
Navy)
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