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EARLY BRITISH TASK FORCE
MOVEMENTS
(Parts 17-19)
Part 18. CARRIER
BATTLE GROUP FOLLOWS
WEEK TWO,
5th-11th April 1982 |
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Summary
of British Ships & Aircraft Departing
Ships Departing
Royal Navy
Alacrity,
Cmdr C J S Craig (awarded
DSC)
RN Antelope, Cmdr N J Tobin (DSC) RN Broadsword, Capt W R Canning ADC (DSO) RN Fearless, Capt E S J Larken (DSO) RN Hermes, Capt L E Middleton (DSO) RN Invincible, Capt J J Black (DSO) MBE RN Yarmouth, Cmdr A Morton (DSC) RN
Royal Fleet
Auxiliary
Brambleleaf,
Capt M S J Farley RFA Olmeda, Capt G P Overbury (OBE)
RFA Pearleaf, Capt J McCulloch RFA Resource, Capt B A Seymour RFA Sir Galahad, Capt P J G Roberts (DSO) RFA Sir Geraint, Capt D E Lawrence (DSC)
RFA Sir Lancelot, Capt C A
Purtcher-Wydenbruck
(OBE)
RFA Sir Percivale, Capt A F Pitt (DSC) RFA Stromness, Capt J B Dickinson (OBE) RFA
Merchant
Ships
British
Esk, Capt G Barber and Naval Party (NP)
1740 British Tay, Capt P T Morris British Test, Capt I A Oliphant and NP
1790 Canberra, Capt D J Scott-Masson (CBE) and NP 1710, Capt
C P O Burne (CBE) RN Elk, Capt J P Morton (CBE) and NP 1720, Cmdr
A S Ritchie (OBE) RN Irishman, Capt W Allen and NP 1770 Salvageman, Capt A J Stockwell and NP
1760
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Aircraft
Movements
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Naval Air Squadrons
Embarked
No.800
- 12 Sea Harriers, Hermes No.801 - 8 Sea Harriers, Invincible No.820 - 11 Sea King HAS.5's, InvincibleNo.826
- 9 Sea King HAS.5's, Hermes No.846 - 9 Sea King HC.4's on Hermes and
3 on FearlessNo.824 A Flt - 2 Sea King HAS.2A's,
Olmeda No.845 A Flt - 2 Wessex HU.5's, Resource No.845 B Flt - 2 Wessex HU.5's, Fort
Austin from Ascension No.845 D Flt, 2 Wessex HU.5's, based at
Ascension |
Aircraft
Departing
Royal
Air Force
Nimrod
MR.1's of 42(TB) Sqdn RAF, Wing Cmdr D L
Baugh (OBE) RAF
3 Commando Brigade
Air Squadron
9
Gazelles (3 each) on Sir Galahad, Sir
Geraint and Sir Percivale 6 Scouts (3 each) on Fearless and Sir
Lancelot
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Task
Force Departures from Monday 5th April - Through an incredible
amount of effort, a Carrier Battle Group (CVBG)
and most of 3 Commando Brigade (3 Cdo Bde) were on their
way to Ascension by week's end,
with the carriers and some of their escort and supply
ships being first to leave. "Hermes" and
"Invincible" (commanded by Capt Black, pictured
below) sailed from Portsmouth on Monday
with RFA support tanker "Pearleaf" carrying
heavy fuel oil for the older "Hermes". On the same day, frigates "Alacrity" and
"Antelope" left Devonport along with RFA fleet tanker
"Olmeda". And RFA replenishment ship
"Resource" loaded with naval stores left Rosyth to join the
carriers. By the end of the week, "Antelope"
had crossed over to the 3 Cdo Bde ships, but after
sailing from Gibraltar on Thursday,
frigates "Broadsword" and "Yarmouth"
took her place.
By Good Friday 9th, most of the 3 Cdo Bde units
and their equipment had left on a variety of ships,
although some flew to Ascension. Apart from one RM Cdo Coy on
"Hermes" and part of one on
"Resource", the rest sailed in ships of the Amphibious
Task Group. On Tuesday 6th, assault ship "Fearless" headed
out from Portsmouth as Brigade HQ with Commodore
Clapp, and off Portland took on board Brigadier Thompson
and three No.846 Sea Kings. Of the four LSL's sailing at
this time, "Sir Percivale" and "Sir
Lancelot" left from Marchwood, and "Sir
Galahad" and "Sir Geraint" from Devonport.
Next day, RFA stores support ship "Stromness"
left Portsmouth after being converted to carry 45 Cdo RM.
The first
merchantmen also sailed. Taking just two days to
convert from cruise ship to trooper, "Canberra"
left Southampton
on Friday 9th with nearly 3,000 men including
most of 40 and 42 Cdo RM and 3 Para, and accompanied by
RO-RO ship "Elk" loaded with ammunition and
vehicles. Over the weekend, the first tankers headed
for the South Atlantic, mainly to top-up the RFA's in the
tanker holding areas - "British Esk" from
Portland, "British Tay" after loading at
Milford Haven and Campbeltown, and "British
Test" from Portsmouth. Also from Portsmouth on Saturday, tugs "Irishman" and
"Salvageman" loaded with towing and salvage
gear left first for Ascension. Apart from the SBS, the
other units destined to take part in re-capturing South
Georgia flew to Ascension during the the week - D Sqdn 22nd SAS apparently
earlier on, followed by M Coy 42 Cdo from Brize Norton on Friday.
Ascension
and South Atlantic - On Tuesday 6th the first RAF aircraft moved to Ascension's
Wideawake airfield. Two Nimrod MR.1's of 42(TB) Sqdn
arrived from St. Mawgan via the Azores, and next day
started patrolling the seas around Ascension and supporting the nuclear
subs on passage south. They were replaced in mid month by
more modern MR.2's, but from the UK, later flew SAR for
the Harriers as they staged to Ascension. Also on Tuesday, RFA "Fort Austin"
reached the island and three days later continued on with
D Sqdn SAS, two newly-embarked No.845 Wessex as well as
three Sea Skua-equipped Lynx for ships of the
"Advanced Group". It was from these
that the South Georgia Task Group was
detached. After Admiral Woodward had transferred his flag
to "Glamorgan", and under the command of
Captain Young in "Antrim" they went ahead and
reached
Ascension on Saturday, but neither they, nor the rest of
the "Advanced Group" which got in next day spent much time there. Earlier in the week, RFA support tanker
"Brambleleaf", after leaving her Persian Gulf
Patrol headed via the
Cape of Good Hope to refuel the South Georgia ships.
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Captain J J
Black MBE RN,
commanding officer, HMS InvincibleAssault
ship HMS Fearless (both Courtesy - MOD, Navy)
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Disposition
of British Ships, Aircraft & Land
Forces, including those Departing
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UK
Departures
Tankers British Tay,
British Test, British Esk
Tugs Irishman, Salvageman
3
Commando Brigade Transport
Assault ship Fearless
Transports Canberra, Elk
LSL's Sir Galahad, Sir Geraint, Sir
Lancelot, Sir Percivale
RFA Stromness
FR Antelope
RFA's
at Sea
Appleleaf, Pearleaf
Carrier
Battle Group
CV Hermes, Invincible
Fr Alacrity
RFA Olmeda, Resource
joined by: Fr Broadsword, Yarmouth
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Other Ships
nearing or in South Atlantic
LSL
Sir Tristram
SSN's Conqueror, Splendid, Spartan
RFA Fort Austin
RFA Brambleleaf
Ships and
Aircraft in Ascension Area
RAF Aircraft
Nimrod
MR.1's of 42(TB)
Hercules, VC.10's
Advanced Group
DD
Glamorgan, Coventry, Glasgow, Sheffield,
Fr Arrow, Brilliant
South Georgia Task Group
DD
Antrim, Fr Plymouth, RFA Tidespring
M Coy 42 Cdo, SBS, D
Sqn SAS
Departing
Falkland's Area
Ice
Patrol Vessel Endurance
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on
to Part 19 - Ascension Island
or back to Falklands War HomePage
revised
31/5/13 |
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