The Falklands

[trackend]

The whole thing could have been stopped before it started the artic survey vessel HMS Endurance was on station and reporting illegal landings at the old whaling station (I work with the ex chief PO) if a battalion strength force had been immediately deployed it would have nipped it in the bud. A full week passed with warnings being dispatched to the UK before the initial main force of the Argentinians arrival.

 

[plan_D]

I agree that it could have been ended before it had even started. I've read about the strange events before the war was actually declared. The confused Argentine landings and the flying of the Argentine flag over the whaling station.

In the end though, it was a pretty safe victory. Argentine conscripts are nothing compared to the professional British soldiers.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

i think the agies didn't think we'd come all the way down there to get them back did they?

 

[Nonskimmer]

Probably not. With the political climate of the day, they may have figured Britain wouldn't feel the islands were worth going to war over. If that was the case, they obviously didn't know Maggie Thatcher very well.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

that's what i love about the Falklands, it was the last time Britian as an empire (ok so we weren't really an empire ) was attacked and we said "right, we're having none of this, you, get off our island" and really stood up for what we thought was right, and it was all our own work!

 

[CharlesBronson]

A Falklands-Malvinas war video...¡¡¡¡

A bit grainy but interesting as well.

 

[evangilder]

It is interesting. I have not seen much footage of the Falklands war on the web.

 

[Glider]

CB Good video. Someone put a lot of time into loking up bits from both sides of the campaign.

 

[trackend]

Some body should have been court marshalled over San Carlos bay
to enter a landing area with no air defence (not even a bloody barrage balloon) then get all upset when the troop carrier gets the chop was total criminal and awful planing. We recieved a lot of help from the US with sat intel lanc so it was not total an unassited

 

[CharlesBronson]

The active PAC was in pursuit of Daggers at that time and the operational Rapier sites were mainly covering the 5 Brigade Headquarters and the new supply base, not the anchorage. TheRapier site covering the anchorage to the east, the direction from which the Skyhawks attacked, had been damaged in transit and a spare part was just being landed by Sea King as the attack came in.

 

[trackend]

It doesnt matter if it was damaged in transit or not CB to rely on one piece of kit for air defense is stupid a few barrage balloons would have at least made a low level bombing run over the fleet a bit more tricky. it ended up with small arms fire trying to beat off Jets and guys using bleeding row boats to evacuate the T ship.

 

[CharlesBronson]

Some pictures of the damage done to HMS sir Tristam by the A-4s

The HMS Plymouth was also attacked by IAI daggers and took 4 bombs hits and several 30 mm impacts, despite the heavy damage the ship remain afloat.

Dagger guncamera attacking Plymouth, the near splashes are 30 mm hits.

Entry and exit holes of the 30x133 mm Defa ammo in the ships structure.

 

[Glider]

CB, The large hole in the funnel was one of the bombs that didn't go off. The Plymouth took a number of hits (including one that blew up a depth charge and caused others to catch fire) but stayed in action, despite being one of the oldest ships in the action aquited herself well.
She was responsible for tha capture of the Submarine Santa Fay, took the lead in shore bombardments and was part of all the major parts of the battle being credited with a number of kills.

A number of people in the navy had a preference for the older ships and there was a feeling that some of the newer ships were fragile. They may have had the extra's but you need to be able to take hits as well as give them out.

 

[CharlesBronson]

CB, The large hole in the funnel was one of the bombs that didn't go off.

It seems that I get overexcited about the 30 mm caliber, you are correct, this holes was caused by the bombs.

The Plymouth took a number of hits (including one that blew up a depth charge and caused others to catch fire) but stayed in action, despite being one of the oldest ships in the action aquited herself well

A die hard ship indeed.

She was responsible for tha capture of the Submarine Santa Fay, took the lead in shore bombardments and was part of all the major parts of the battle being credited with a number of kills

Another crapy action of the Argentine Armada, deploying this old sub against the british...by the way the real name of this sub is "Santa Fe" a province of Argentina.

 

[Glider]

Apologies for my finger trouble. The surrender of South Georgia was also signed on HMS Plymouth

 

[CharlesBronson]

And here that particular moment, the Captain Astiz is surrending the Island.

This guy Alfredo Astiz is the prototipe of the officers that make Argentina loose the war, a real expert in "vanishing" people oposed to the military goverment, but with the poorest combat spirit and leadership.

 

[Nonskimmer]

Charles, we got rid of ladies threads for a reason. Kindly refrain from posting girly links in the future. Thanks.

 

[plan_D]

Trackend, the small arms fire as AA cover was stopped by the High Command. This was because there were soldiers either side of the sound and they would all be firing at the incoming aircraft flying over the sound, this would send bullets flying to the other side and on to the other people!

 

[Glider]

I don't know if they did stop. I saw a number of newsreal shots of attacking aircraft coming in and they weren't firecrackers going off.

They had a similar issue with the Blowpipes. Loads were fired and whilst they didn't get many hits, they did put the attackers off. However they kept comming down on the Para's positions and they don't take kindly to that kind of treatment.

 

[plan_D]

It depends when those newsreels were. I'm pretty sure an explanation to the troops what was going on would stop them but then...they were grunts.