HMS Ardent (F184)

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Career

Ordered:
Laid down:	26 February 1974
Launched:	9 May 1975
Commissioned:	13 October 1977
Fate:	Sunk by Argentine aircraft on 22 May 1982.
Struck:
General Characteristics
Displacement:	3,250 tons full load
Length:	384 ft (117 m)
Beam:	41 ft 9 in (12.7 m)
Draught:	19 ft 6 in (5.9 m)
Propulsion:	Two Rolls-Royce Olympus gas turbines, plus two Rolls-Royce RM1A Tyne gas turbines for cruising
Speed:	32 knots (59 km/h)
Range:	4,000 nautical miles at 17 knots (7,400 km at 31 km/h), 1,200 nautical miles at 30 knots (2,220 km at 56 km/h)
Complement:	177
Armament:	One Mk8 4.5 inch (110 mm) gun Two 20 mm Oerlikon guns Four SeaCat SAMs Two Corvus chaff launchers One Type 182 towed decoy
Aircraft:	One Westland Wasp when built, refitted later for one Westland Lynx
Motto:	Through fire and water

HMS Ardent (F184) was a Royal Navy type 21 frigate. She was completed with Exocet launchers in 'B' position.

Ardent participated in the Falklands War. On May 21, 1982, whilst lying in Falkland Sound and supporting Royal Marines, Ardent was attacked by Argentines A-4 Skyhawks and struck by nine 500 lb bombs, three of which exploded. The first two blew up in the hangar, destroying the Westland Lynx helicopter and blowing the Sea Cat launcher 80 ft (24 m) into the air before it crashed back down onto the flight deck. The third smashed the aft Auxiliary Machinery Room.

Power was lost to the ship and the 4.5 inch (110 mm) gun was put out of action. Ardents hangar was a shambles and there were fires spreading in her stern. However, the ship could still make 17.5 knots (32.4 km/h). Minutes after the first attack three IAI Dagger aircraft attacked her, but scored no hits.

Twenty minutes later, as Ardent was sailing for San Carlos Water, three more Skyhawks scored two more hits on the ship's port stern. The fires now spread out of control and Ardent began to slow. Three Mirage aircraft attacked her, but scored no hits.

Ardent stopped in the shallow waters of Grantham Sound, the fires in her stern out of control. The Rothersay-class Yarmouth then came alongside to take off survivors. Ardent continued to burn throughout the night, accompanied by the occasional explosion, until she sank the following morning, with only her foremast remaining above the water. The last man to leave was her Commander, Cdr. Alan West, who was subsequently awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, and served as First Sea Lord from 2002-2006.

Within days navy divers removed her light AA guns for fitting to other ships and her foremast was used as Navigational warning and datum by her sister ship Arrow whilst she bombarded Goose Green.

22 men died when Ardent sank. The wrecksite is designated as a controlled site under the Protection of Military Remains Act.

1 Official Argentine version
2 Roll of Honour
3 See also
4 External link

[edit] Official Argentine version

According, Argentine Air Force official web site [1], Ardent received these attacks

14:00 by A-4B Skyhawks of 5th Air Group, one 1000 lb bomb explode on the stern.
14:40 by IAI Daggers of 6th Air Group, 2 other 1000 lb bombs on the stern.
15:01 by Argentine Navy A-4Q Skyhawks of 3rd Fighter and Attack Sqd. Althougth the Air Force web site mention 1000 lb bombs, Navy aircraft used 500 lb during the conflict.