Summary of
British Ships & Aircraft Departing
Royal Navy
Ardent, Cmdr A W J West (awarded DSC) RN
Argonaut, Capt C H Layman (DSO) MVO RN
Hecla, Capt G L Hope RN
Herald, Cmdr R I C Halliday RN
Hydra, Cmdr R J Campbell RN
Royal
Fleet Auxiliary
Plumleaf, Capt R W M
Wallace RFA
Regent, Capt J Logan RFA
Tidepool, Capt J W Gaffrey RFA (from Curacao)
Merchant
Ships
Atlantic Conveyor, Capt I H North (post DSC) and
NP 1840, Capt M H G Layard (CBE) RN
Anco Charger, Capt B Hatton
British Dart, Capt J A M Taylor and NP 1800
British Wye, Capt D M Rundle (OBE)
Europic Ferry, Capt W J C Clarke (OBE) and NP 1860, Lt
Cmdr C E K Roe RN
Fort Toronto, Capt R I Kinnier and NP 1750
Uganda, Capt J G Clark and NP 1830, Cmdr A B Gough RN and
Surgeon Capt A J Rintoul RN
Helicopters
Embarked
No.848 A Flt - 2 Wessex HU.5's, Regent
6 Wessex HU.5's of No.848 D Flt and 5 Chinooks of 18 Sqdn
RAF on Atlantic Conveyor,
3 Scouts of 656 Sqdn AAC on Europic Ferry
Task Force Departures from
Monday 19th April - Only now were two more frigates
ready to leave for Ascension. On Monday, type 21 "Ardent"
and Leander class "Argonaut" (pictured below)
sailed from Devonport along with two RFA's from Portland -
support tanker "Plumleaf" and replenishment ship "Regent".
That same day, the first of four white painted and Red
Cross-marked hospital ships departed. Liner "Uganda" cut
short a children's Mediterranean cruise and arriving at
Gibraltar spent the weekend having full medical facilities
installed before heading south. She was followed from Gib
on Tuesday by survey ship "Hecla", and from Portsmouth on
Saturday by "Herald" and "Hydra" all in the role of
ambulance ships. One of their main tasks would be to ferry
casualties between "Uganda" in the planned Red
Cross Box and Montevideo.
Monday 19th also
saw the departure from Southampton of "Fort Toronto" as
the only fresh water tanker with the Task Force through to
the end of the war. And by the end of the week, three more
tankers were on their way as fleet refuellers - "British
Dart" after delayed loading at Loch Striven, "Anco
Charger" from Fawley, and "British Wye" from Devonport.
Finally on Sunday, another two RO-RO transports set out as
part of the build-up of 3 Cdo Bde. After
conversion at Southampton, ferry "Europic Ferry" left
Portland with much of 2 Para's equipment and three Scouts.
And joining her from Devonport was container ship
"Atlantic Conveyor" in an aircraft and helicopter support
role, complete with flight deck, fuelling and maintenance
facilities, and carrying six Navy Wessex and five RAF
Chinook helicopters.
Ascension -
Now the ships of the Amphibious Group
started arriving to spend their time storing and
re-stowing, replenishing by helicopter, landing craft and
Mexeflote, and sending their troops ashore for limited
exercises and weapons training. The slower LSL
Group only stayed until the end of the
following week, but the others remained a week longer.
Meanwhile, and typical of the enterprise shown, "Elk" had
the sides of her upper deck cut away for helicopter
operations and added two 40mm Bofors. Two civilian tugs
also arrived to join RMAS "Typhoon", with "Irishman"
staying into early May, but "Salvageman" soon headed for
Tristan da Cunha and on to South Georgia. During the week,
RFA "Fort Austin" got back from her rendezvous with
"Endurance", re-stored and returned south to join the
CVBG.
South Atlantic - On
Wednesday 21st the South Georgia Group
arrived off this forbidding island. Next day, on the 22nd,
two helicopters were lost on South Georgia's Fortuna Glacier
[first British aircraft losses - b1,b2 - see Part 22]. Still
on the 21st and far to the north, one of "Hermes'" Sea
Harriers intercepted an Argentine Boeing 707 of Grupo 1
approaching the Carrier Battle Group. This
happened each time one of them came near over the next three
days, when in response to warnings through diplomatic
channels, they stayed away. On Friday 23rd in the evening,
the first Task Force aircraft was lost at sea in the South
Atlantic when one of "Hermes" five remaining No.846 Sea King
HC.4's flying on vertrep crashed in poor weather with the
loss of her crewman [third British aircraft loss - b3].
By Sunday 25th, and less than
seven days from combat, the carriers rendezvoused with the
Advanced Group ships. Before then in the
South Georgia area, the two helicopters had been lost,
detached frigate "Brilliant" had joined other ships there
in the helicopter attacks on submarine "Santa Fe", and
that same Sunday, the Argentine garrison on South Georgia
was surrendering.
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HMS
Hermes post-war (Courtesy - MOD, Navy) |
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HMS
Argonaut post-war in Portland harbour,
south England (Courtesy - MOD, Navy) |
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Disposition
of
British Ships, Aircraft & Land
Forces, including those departing
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Other
UK Departures
Transports Europic Ferry,
Atlantic Conveyor
Tankers Anco Charger, British Dart,
British Wye
Water tanker Fort Toronto
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On
Passage, North Atlantic
Ambulance ships Herald, Hydra
Hospital ship Uganda & Ambulance ship
Hecla
FR Ardent, Argonaut
RFA Plumleaf, Regent
also RFA Tidepool
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Ships
and Aircraft in Ascension Area
RAF
Aircraft
Nimrods, Victors, Hercules,
VC.10's
3
Commando Brigade & Amphibious
Group Ships
Assault
ship Fearless
Transports Canberra, Elk
RFA Stromness,
LSL
Group
LSLs
Sir Galahad, Sir Geraint, Sir
Lancelot, Sir Percivale, Sir
Tristram
RFA Pearleaf,
FR Antelope,
Other
Ships at Ascension or Reaching the
Area on the Way South
Tankers British Esk, British Tay
Tugs Irishman, Salvageman, RMAS
Typhoon
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Reaching
and Departing Ascension
RFA Fort Austin
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Support
Tanker in South Atlantic
RFA Appleleaf
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Carrier
Battle
Group
CV
Hermes, Invincible; DD
Glamorgan,
FR Alacrity, Broadsword,
Yarmouth; RFA Olmeda, Resource
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Advanced
Group
DD Coventry, Glasgow,
Sheffield, Fr Arrow
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with
SBS & G Sqdn SAS
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In
South Atlantic
RFA Brambleleaf
In
or Approaching Falklands Area
SSN Splendid, Spartan, Conqueror
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South
Georgia Task Group
DD Antrim, FR Plymouth, Ice
Patrol Vessel Endurance, RFA Tidespring
M Coy 42 Cdo, SBS, D Sqdn SAS
joined by Fr Brilliant
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