Summary
of British Ships & Aircraft Departing
Royal Navy
Ambuscade, Cmdr P J Mosse
RN
Courageous ?, Cmdr R T N Best RN
Exeter, Capt H M Balfour MVO RN
Valiant, Cmdr T M Le Marchand (awarded MID) RN
Merchant
Ships
Alvega, Capt A Lazenby
Baltic Ferry, Capt E Harrison and NP 1960, Lt Cmdr G B
Webb RN
Eburna, Capt J C Beaumont
Lycaon, Capt H R Lawton and NP 1900, Lt Cmdr D J Stiles RN
Nordic Ferry, Capt R Jenkins and NP 1950, Lt Cmdr M St J D
A Thorburn RN
Saxonia, Capt H Evans and NP 1910
RAF
Aircraft
9 (of 10) Harrier
GR.3's of 1(F) Sqdn RAF
AIRCRAFT EMBARKED
Army Aircraft
3 Scouts of 656 Sqdn AAC on Baltic Ferry
6 Gazelles of 656 Sqdn AAC on Nordic Ferry
At Ascension
No.845 D Flt - 2 Wessex
HU.5's on Ascension to Intrepid
No.845 E Flt - 2 Wessex HU.5's from Intrepid to Tidepool
No.846 - 9 Sea King HC.4's on Canberra (1), Elk (3),
Fearless (3), Intrepid (2)
8 Sea Harriers of No.809 NAS, 6 Wessex HU.5's of No.848 D
Flt, 6 Harrier GR.3's of 1(F) Sqdn RAF, and 4 Chinooks of
18 Sqdn RAF on Atlantic Conveyor
Task Force Departures from
Monday 3rd May - Monday saw the last nuclear
submarines on their way to the South Atlantic when
"Valiant" left
Faslane for patrol off the Argentine coast. ("Courageous"
also possibly left around now). Two more warships also
sailed from other parts of the world for Ascension and on
to the Total Exclusion Zone (TEZ) after carrying out
guardship duties - frigate "Ambuscade" from Gibraltar on
Monday and destroyer "Exeter" from the
West
Indies on Friday to
replace the lost "Sheffield". Two merchantmen left with
much needed supplies for the Task Force, but this time via
South Georgia. On Tuesday 4th cargo ship "Lycaon" sailed
from Southampton
loaded with ammunition,
and on Saturday refrigerated stores ship "Saxonia" from
Plymouth mainly with food. Additional tankers also headed
for the South Atlantic during the week. "Alvega" from
Portsmouth for Ascension to serve out the war as a base
storage tanker supplying heavy fuel oil, diesel and
aviation fuel, and "Eburna" sailing from the West Indies
having earlier been converted for fleet refuelling at
Plymouth. Then on
Sunday, part of 5th Inf Bde headed out
from
Southampton on RO-RO
ferries "Baltic Ferry" and "Nordic Ferry".
Ascension -
Late on Monday 3rd, two Vulcans and their Victor tankers (pictured
below) took off to get one of the bombers
to Stanley early
next morning for "Black Buck 2". Meanwhile the build-up of
aircraft continued. Starting on Monday, nine Harrier
GR.3's from RAF Wittering (a tenth returned) reached Wideawake
over the next three days after making the nine hour flight
from St Mawgan. Of these, three stayed on to provide the
first local air defence for Ascension and the other six
prepared to embark on "Atlantic
Conveyor" later in the week. During this week the two
No.845 Wessex based on the island were joined in their
vertrep duties by one of her Chinooks and by a flown-in
Sea King HAR.3 which also provided search-and-rescue.
Now the bulk of 3 Cdo Bde
followed in the wake of the slower LSL's. On
Thursday 6th, "Canberra" left with 40 and
42 Cdo RM and 3 Para,
and with both her and "Elk" carrying their own Sea King
HC.4's. Accompanying them was RFA "Tidepool" and two
escorting frigates. As they departed, the rest of the Amphibious
Group ships were arriving to join "Fearless" and
RFA "Stromness" (now with most of 45 Cdo RM on board), but
only to stay for a short time. Assault ship "Intrepid" and
transport "Atlantic Conveyor" reached the island on
Wednesday, and the merchantman took on board the awaiting
eight Sea Harriers and six GR.3's to add to her already
large complement of helicopters. Finally, transports
"Europic Ferry" and "Norland" got in with 2 Para after
calling in at Freetown on the way. Within a matter of hours
on Friday, they and the last of the amphibious ships were
heading south.
South Atlantic - Later
in the week, escorting warships "Antelope" and "Antrim"
met and exchanged roles. "Antelope" carried on north with
"Tidespring" and her POW's bound for Ascension, while
"Antrim" took over the task of escorting the LSL Group
south, in which she was joined by "Plymouth" from the
CVBG. Further south, but back on Tuesday 4th, the Carrier
Battle Group suffered its first, shocking casualty, when
destroyer "Sheffield" was hit by an air-launched Exocet,
the missile which exercised such an influence on Task
Force operations throughout the war. Meanwhile "Endurance"
on her own at
South Georgia saw the
start of the build-up there when two tugs arrived. RMAS
"Typhoon" stayed through May, while "Salvageman" soon
sailed to assist "Sheffield" but without success, and
moved on to what was later known as the Tug, Repair and
Logistic Area (TRALA) to the east of the Falklands. On
Sunday, RFA "Blue Rover" followed them in to
Cumberland Bay to take
up her duties as station tanker.
RAF Victor
tanker refuelling Jaguars. Note: these fighter types were
not
employed in the Falklands War. (Courtesy - MOD, RAF)
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Disposition
of
British Ships, Aircraft & Land
Forces, including those Departing
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UK
Departures
Transports Baltic Ferry,
Nordic Ferry, Lycaon, Saxonia
Tanker Alvega
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Ships
on
Passage - Central/South Atlantic
DD Exeter
SS Onyx
SSN Valiant
FR Ambuscade
SSN Courageous?
LSL Sir Bedivere
Ships
and
Aircraft in Ascension Area
RAF
Aircraft
Sea King of 202 and Chinook of
18 Sqdn RAF, Vulcans, Nimrods,
Victors, Hercules, VC.10's
Harriers
on Way South
Sea Harriers of No.809 NAS
Arriving Harrier GR.3's of 1(F) Sqdn
RAF
Other
Ships at Ascension or Reaching the
Area on the Way South
Ambulance ships Herald, Hydra
Tankers RFA Bayleaf, Anco Charger,
British Avon, British Dart, British
Wye
Support
Tankers
in South Atlantic or in Tanker
Holding Areas
RFA Appleleaf, Plumleaf
British Esk, British Tamar (leaves
for Gibraltar), British Tay, British
Test, British Trent
Water tanker Fort Toronto
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3
Commando Brigade and Amphibious
Group Ships
Assault ships Fearless,
Intrepid
RFA Stromness, Tidepool
Transports Atlantic Conveyor,
Canberra, Elk, Europic Ferry, Norland
FR Ardent, Argonaut
LSL
Group
Sir Galahad, Sir Geraint, Sir
Lancelot, Sir Percivale, Sir Tristram,
RFA Pearleaf
FR Plymouth DD Antrim
In
South Atlantic
RFA Tidespring, FR Antelope
RFA Regent
Carrier
Battle
Group
CV Hermes, Invincible
DD Glamorgan, Coventry, Glasgow,
(SHEFFIELD lost)
FR Alacrity, Arrow, Brilliant,
Broadsword, Yarmouth
RFA Fort Austin, Olmeda, Resource
with SBS and SAS
Submarine
Force
SSN Conqueror, Spartan,
Splendid
South
Georgia
IPV Endurance
RFA Blue Rover
Tugs Salvageman, RMAS Typhoon
M Coy 42 Cdo RM
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