British naval forces in the Falklands War

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This is a list of the naval forces from the United Kingdom that took part in the Falklands War. For a list of naval forces from Argentina, see Argentine Naval Forces in the Falklands War.

Contents 1 Royal Navy 2 Royal Fleet Auxiliary 3 Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service 4 Ships Taken Up From Trade 4.1 Liners 4.2 Roll-on-Roll-off ferries 4.3 Container / Cargo Ships 4.4 Tankers 4.5 Tugs / Repair / Support Ships 5 Weaponry 6 Reference 7 External links

[edit] Royal Navy

• Overall commander (from London): Sir John Fieldhouse
• Task Force: Rear-Admiral J. 'Sandy' Woodward
• Amphibious Fleet: Commodore M. Clapp^[1]
• Supply Fleet: Capt. S.C. Dunlop

Centaur class aircraft carrier

• HMS Hermes (R12) - Flagship (†3) 2 SHAR pilots
  • Capt. L.E. Middleton

Invincible class aircraft carriers

• HMS Invincible (R05) (†3) 2 SHAR pilots
  • Capt. J.J. Black

Landing Platform Docks

• HMS Fearless (L10) (†6) from LCU Foxtrot Four
  • Capt. E.S.L. Larken
• HMS Intrepid (L11)
  • Capt. P.G.V. Dingemans

Type 82 destroyer

• HMS Bristol (D23)
  • Capt. A. Grose

Type 42 destroyers

• HMS Sheffield (D80) - sunk by a Aérospatiale AM39 Exocet (Air-to-Surface) Anti-ship missile launched from a Dassault Super Étendard (†20)
  • Capt. S. Salt
• HMS Glasgow (D88) - damaged by unexploded bomb from a Douglas A-4B Skyhawk, withdrawn from war
  • Capt. A.P. Hoddinott
• HMS Coventry (D118) - sunk by three bombs from a Douglas A-4B Skyhawk (†19)
  • Capt. D. Hart-Dyke
• HMS Exeter (D89)
  • Capt. H.M. Balfour
• HMS Cardiff (D108)
  • Capt. M.G.T. Harris

County class destroyers

• HMS Glamorgan (D19) - damaged by an Aérospatiale MM38 Exocet (Surface-to-Surface) Anti-ship missile (†13)
  • Capt. M.E. Barrow
• HMS Antrim (D18) - damaged by unexploded bomb from a IAI Dagger
  • Capt. B.G. Young

Type 22 frigates

• HMS Brilliant (F90) - slightly damaged by IAI Dagger cannon fire
  • Capt. J.F. Coward
• HMS Broadsword (F88) - slightly damaged by IAI Dagger cannon fire, later damaged by bomb from Douglas A-4B Skyhawk
  • Capt. W.R. Canning

Type 21 frigates

• HMS Active (F171)
  • Cdr. P.C.B. Canter
• HMS Alacrity (F174) - slightly damaged by bomb
  • Cdr. C.J.S. Craig
• HMS Antelope (F170) - sunk by unexploded bombs from Douglas A-4B Skyhawks (Bomb exploded during defusing) (†2)
  • Cdr. N. Tobin
• HMS Ardent (F184) - sunk by bombs from IAI Daggers and Douglas A-4Q Skyhawks (†22)
  • Cdr. A. West (Later Admiral Sir Alan West, First Sea Lord 2002 - 2006)
• HMS Ambuscade (F172)
  • Cdr. P.J. Mosse
• HMS Avenger (F185)
  • Capt. H.M. White
• HMS Arrow (F173) - slightly damaged by IAI Dagger cannon fire
  • Cdr. P.J. Bootherstone

Leander class frigates

• HMS Andromeda (F57)
• HMS Argonaut (F56) - damaged by Aermacchi MB.339A cannon/rocket and unexploded bombs from Douglas A-4B Skyhawks (†2)
  • Capt. C.H. Layman
• HMS Minerva (F45)
  • Cdr. S.H.G. Johnston
• HMS Penelope (F127)
  • Cdr. P.V. Rickard

Rothesay class frigates

• HMS Yarmouth (F101)
  • Cdr. A. Morton
• HMS Plymouth (F126) - damaged by unexploded bombs from IAI Daggers
  • Capt. D. Pentreath

Ice patrol ship

• HMS Endurance
  • Capt. N.J. Barker

Castle class patrol vessels

• HMS Leeds Castle (P258)
• HMS Dumbarton Castle (P265)

Churchill class submarines

• HMS Conqueror (S48) - sank the ARA General Belgrano
  • Cdr. C.K. Wreford-Brown
• HMS Courageous (S50)
  • Cdr. R.T.N. Best

Oberon class submarine

• HMS Onyx (S21)
  • Lt-Cdr. A. O. Johnson

Valiant class submarine

• HMS Valiant (S102)
  • Cdr. T.M. Le Marchand

Swiftsure class submarines

• HMS Spartan (S105)
  • Cdr. J.B. Taylor
• HMS Splendid (S106)
  • Cdr. R.C. Lane-Nott

Hecla class survey vessels

• HMS Hecla (A133) casualty ferry
• HMS Herald (H138) casualty ferry
• HMS Hydra (A144) casualty ferry

Trawler/Minesweepers

• HMS Cordella
• HMS Farnella
• HMS Junella
• HMS Northella
• HMS Pict

[edit] Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Tankers

• RFA Olna (A123)
• RFA Olmeda (A124)
• RFA Tidespring (A75)
• RFA Tidepool (A76)
• RFA Blue Rover (A270)
• RFA Appleleaf (A79)
• RFA Brambleleaf (A81)
• RFA Bayleaf (A109)
• RFA Plumleaf (A78)
• RFA Pearleaf (A77)

Landing Ship Logistic

RFA Sir Lancelot. San Carlos Water

RFASir Tristram at Fitzroy. Late June 1982

• RFA Sir Bedivere (L3004) - slightly damaged by bomb from Douglas A-4C Skyhawk
  • P.J. McCarthy
• RFA Sir Galahad (L3005) - fatally damaged by bombs from Douglas A-4B Skyhawks (Later sunk as war grave) (†48)
  • P.J.G. Roberts
• RFA Sir Geraint (L3027)
  • D.E. Lawrence
• RFA Sir Lancelot (L3029) - damaged by unexploded bombs from Douglas A-4B Skyhawks
• RFA Sir Percivale (L3036)
• RFA Sir Tristram (L3505) - damaged by bombs from Douglas A-4B Skyhawks (†2)

Supply Ships

• RFA Regent (A486)
• RFA Resource (A480)
• RFA Fort Austin (A386)
• RFA Fort Grange (A385)
• RFA Stromness (A344)

Helicopter Support Ship

• RFA Engadine (K08)

[edit] Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service

• RMAS Typhoon (A95)
• RMAS Goosander (A94)

[edit] Ships Taken Up From Trade

The following Merchant Navy ships were requisitioned, known as Ships Taken Up From Trade, or STUFTs.

[edit] Liners

• SS Canberra — personnel of the 3rd Commando Brigade.
• RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 — personnel of the 5th Infantry Brigade.
• HMHS Uganda — Hospital ship.

[edit] Roll-on-Roll-off ferries

• Elk
• Baltic Ferry
• Europic Ferry
• Nordic Ferry
• Norland
• St Edmund
• Tor Caledonia

[edit] Container / Cargo Ships

• Atlantic Conveyor — sunk by an Aérospatiale AM39 Exocet Air-to-Surface Anti-ship missile launched from a Dassault Super Étendard (†12)
• Atlantic Causeway
• Contender Bezant — purchased as RFA Argus post-war
• Geestport
• Lycaon
• Saxonia
• St. Helena

[edit] Tankers

• Alvega
• Anco Charger
• Balder London
• British Avon
• British Dart
• British Eask
• British Tamar
• British Tay
• British Test
• British Trent
• British Wye — damaged by bomb from Lockheed C-130 Hercules
• Eburna
• Fort Toronto
• G.A.Walker
• Scottish Eagle

[edit] Tugs / Repair / Support Ships

• British Enterprise III
• CS Iris
• Irishman
• Salvageman
• Stena Inspector — purchased as RFA Diligence post-war
• Stena Seaspread
• Wimpey Seahorse
• Yorkshireman

[edit] Weaponry

• Sea Slug Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM)
• Sea Cat / Guided Weapon System (GWS) 20 SAM
• Sea Wolf / Guided Weapon System (GWS) 25 SAM
• Sea Dart / Guided Weapon System (GWS) 30 SAM
• Aérospatiale MM38 Exocet (Surface-to-Surface) Anti-ship missile
• Ikara (Surface-to-Surface) Anti-submarine missile
• L7A2 GPMG (General Purpose Machine Gun)
• Oerlikon 20 mm anti-aircraft (A/A) gun
• Bofors 40 mm L/60 Mark 9 A/A gun
• 4.5 inch (114 mm) L/55 Mark 8 gun
• 4.5 inch (114 mm) L/45 Mark 6 gun
• Mark 8 torpedo
• Mark 24 Tigerfish torpedo
• Limbo Mark 10 anti-submarine mortar

[edit] Reference

1. ^ Sir Lawrence Freedman:The Official History of the Falklands Campaign, 2005

The Official History of the Falklands Campaign, Sir Lawrence Freedman, 2005, Routledge, ISBN 0-7146-5207-5

[edit] External links

• Ships of the Royal Navy - Royal Fleet Auxiliary - Merchant Navy

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