British naval forces in the Falklands War
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.
Royal Navy
- Command
In Northwood, London[1]:
In the South Atlantic:
- Commander Task Group 317.8 (Carrier/Battle Group) and Flag Officer, First Flotilla: Rear-Admiral J. 'Sandy' Woodward (HMS Hermes)
- Commander Task Group 317.0 (Amphibious Task Group) and Commodore Amphibious Warfare: Commodore Mike Clapp (HMS Fearless)
- Supply force: Commodore Sam C. Dunlop RFA
- Centaur-class aircraft carrier - V/STOL carrier
- Invincible class aircraft carriers
- Landing Platform Docks
- HMS Fearless (†6) from LCU Foxtrot Four
- Commodore Mike Clapp RN + Captain Jeremy Larken RN (E S J Larken)
- 4 LCU (Foxtrot One to Four), 100 troops or one Main Battle Tank.
- 4 LCVP (Foxtrot Five to Eight), 25 troops or a Land Rover with trailer.
- flight deck for 4 Sea King HC.4 (not embarked)
- HMS Intrepid
- Captain Peter Dingemans RN (P G V Dingemans)
- 4 LCU (Tango One to Four)
- 4 LCVP (Tango Five to Eight)
- flight deck for 4 Sea King HC.4 (not embarked)
- Type 82 destroyer
- Type 42 destroyers
- County class destroyers
- Type 22 frigates
- Type 21 frigates
- Leander class frigates
- Rothesay class frigates
- Ice patrol ship
- Castle class patrol vessels
As despatch vessels, carrying mail between the Task Force and Ascension Island.
- Churchill class submarines
- Oberon class submarines
- HMS Onyx - ran aground - Moderate Damage
- Valiant class submarines
- Swiftsure class submarines
- Hecla class survey vessels
2,744 t, used as casualty ferries (hospital ships)
- HMS Hecla
- Captain Geoff Hope RN (G L Hope)
- HMS Herald
- Commander Robert Halliday RN (R I C Halliday)
- HMS Hydra
- Commander Richard Campbell RN (R J Campbell)
- Trawler/Minesweepers - MSA 11th MCM Squadron
Civilian trawlers converted to Extra-Deep Armed Team Sweep (EDATS) with some extempore acoustic and sonar equipment. Manned by Royal Naval personnel, mainly from 1st MCM Squadron based at Rosyth. All five minesweepers were involved in clearing two minefields off Port Stanley.
- HMS Cordella 1,238 GRT[4]
- HMS Farnella 1,207 GRT[4]
- HMS Junella 1,615 GRT[4]
- HMS Northella 1,238 GRT[4]
- HMS Pict 1,478 GRT[4]
Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Tankers
- RFA Olna (A123) 36,000 t
- RFA Olmeda (A124) 36,000 t
- RFA Tidespring (A75) 27,400 t
- RFA Tidepool (A76) 27,400 t
- RFA Blue Rover (A270) 11,522 t
- RFA Appleleaf (A79) 40,870 t
- RFA Brambleleaf (A81) 40,000 t
- RFA Bayleaf (A109) 40,000 t
- RFA Plumleaf (A78) 25,790 t
- RFA Pearleaf (A77) 25,790 t
Landing Ship Logistic
Supply ships
Helicopter support ship
Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service
Ships taken up from trade
The following Merchant Navy ships were requisitioned, as Ships Taken Up From Trade (STUFT).
- Liners
- SS Canberra 44,807 GRT — equipped with helicopter pad[4] and carried personnel of the 3rd Commando Brigade to San Carlos on 21 May.[5]
- RMS Queen Elizabeth 2. 67,140 GRT — equipped with helicopter pad[4] and carried 3,200 men of the 5th Infantry Brigade. At South Georgia the men of 2nd Battalion Scots Guards, 1st Battalion Welsh Guards and 1/7 Gurkha Rifles were transferred to Canberra, Norland and RFA Stromness on 27 May for transport to San Carlos.[6][7]
- SS Uganda 16,907 GRT — equipped with helicopter pad and used as hospital ship from 11 May.[4][8]
- Roll-on-Roll-off ferries
- Elk 5,463 GRT — equipped with helicopter pad and two Bofors 40 mm guns to carry three Sea King helicopters, ammunition, and heavy vehicles including eight Bofors 40 mm guns, four FV101 Scorpion and four FV107 Scimitar light tanks - joined carrier battle group 16 May[4][9]
- Baltic Ferry 6,455 GRT — equipped with helicopter pad and carried three Army helicopters, 105 troops, and 1874 tons of stores and ammunition to Ajax Bay on 1 June[4][10]
- Europic Ferry 4,190 GRT — equipped with helicopter pad and carried vehicles, ammunition, fuel, and four Scout helicopters of 656 Squadron Army Air Corps to San Carlos on 21 May[4][11]
- Nordic Ferry 6,455 GRT — equipped with helicopter pad and carried troops, stores, and ammunition to Falklands on 29 May[4][12]
- Norland 12,990 GRT — equipped with helicopter pad[4] and carried 800 men of 2 Para to San Carlos on 21 May[13]
- Rangatira 9,387 GRT — equipped with helicopter pad and Oerlikon 20 mm cannon to carry 1000 engineers with vehicles and equipment, but sailed after cease fire.[4][14]
- St Edmund 8,987 GRT[15] — equipped with helicopter pad and carried troops and vehicles[4]
- Tor Caledonia 5,056 GRT — equipped with helicopter pad and carried vehicles and equipment arriving 12 June[4][16]
- Container / Cargo ships
- Astronomer 27,867 GRT — equipped with helicopter pad and Oerlikon 20 mm cannon and carried thirteen helicopters arriving after cease fire.[17]
- Atlantic Conveyor 14,496 GRT — equipped with helicopter pad[4] and carried eight 809 Squadron BAE Sea Harriers, six Hawker Siddeley Harriers, six Westland Wessex helicopters, and four 18 Squadron RAF CH-47 Chinook helicopters arriving 19 May[2][4][18] - hit 25 May by one or two Aérospatiale AM39 Exocet Air-to-Surface Anti-ship missile(s) launched from a Dassault Super Étendard (†12) - Fatal Damage: Sank in tow 28 May - 6 embarked Wessex HU.5 helicopters, 3 embarked Chinook HC.1 helicopters, 1 embarked Sea Lynx HAS.2, heavy equipment intended for airfield construction, and the bulk stock of tents intended for infantry shelter ashore were lost
- Atlantic Causeway 14,946 GRT — equipped with helicopter pad[4] and carried eight ASW Sea Kings and twenty Westland Wessex helicopters arriving 27 May.[19]
- Contender Bezant 11,445 GRT — equipped with helicopter pad and carried nine Wasp helicopters and 4 Harriers arriving after cease fire.[4][20] - purchased as RFA Argus post-war
- Freighters
- Avelona Star 9784 GRT (refrigerated) — equipped with helicopter pad and carried provisions arriving after cease fire[4][21]
- Geestport 7,730 GRT (refrigerated) — equipped with helicopter pad and carried provisions and stores arriving 11 June[4][16]
- Laertes 11,804 GRT — Soviet-built with armored cable trunks and damage control centers - carried general supplies arriving after cease fire[4][16]
- Lycaon 11,804 GRT — Soviet-built with armored cable trunks and damage control centers - carried ammunition and supplies arriving 28 May[4][22]
- Saxonia 8,547 GRT (refrigerated) — carried provisions arriving 23 May[4][16]
- Strathewe 12,598 GRT — carried supplies and landing craft arriving after cease fire[4][16]
- St. Helena 3,150 GRT — equipped with helicopter pad and four Oerlikon 20 mm cannon for use as minesweeper support ship after the cease fire[4][23]
- Tankers
- Alvega 33,000 t (57,372 DWT) — used as base storage tanker at Ascension from mid-May[24]
- Anco Charger 24,500 DWT — used as auxiliary support tanker from 24 April[25] with capability to transport 42 different liquids at once[4]
- Balder London 19,980 t (33,751 DWT) — used as auxiliary support tanker from 12 May[4][25]
- British Avon 15,640 t (25,620 DWT) — used as auxiliary support tanker from 25 April[4][25]
- British Dart 15,650 t (28,488 DWT) — used as auxiliary support tanker from 22 April[4][26]
- British Esk 15,643 t (25,905 DWT) — fitted with over-the-stern underway refueling equipment for use as the first convoy escort oiler[4][27]
- British Tamar 15,646 t (25,498 DWT) — fitted with over-the-stern underway refueling equipment for use as convoy escort oiler from 13 April [4][27]
- British Tay 15,650 t (25,650 DWT) — used as auxiliary support tanker from 12 April[4][28]
- British Test 16,653 t (25,641 DWT) — used as auxiliary support tanker from 14 April[4][25]
- British Trent 15,649 t (25,147 DWT) — used as auxiliary support tanker from 18 April[4][25]
- British Wye 15,649 t (25,197 DWT) — used as auxiliary support tanker from 25 April[4][25] - hit by bomb from Lockheed C-130 Hercules - Minor Damage
- Eburna 19,763 t (31,374 DWT) — used as auxiliary support tanker from 26 April[4][25]
- Fort Toronto 25,498 DWT — fresh water tanker from 19 April[4][26]
- G.A.Walker 18,744 t (30,607 DWT) — used as auxiliary tanker from 10 June[25]
- Scottish Eagle 33,000 t (54,490 DWT) — used as base storage tanker at South Georgia from 18 June and then moved to Falklands on 14 July[24]
- Tugs / Repair / Support Ships
- British Enterprise III 1,595 t — diving support ship
- Iris 3,873 GRT — cable ship equipped with helicopter pad and two Oerlikon 20 mm cannon for use as despatch vessel from late May.[4][29]
- Irishman 686 GRT — ocean salvage tug from 24 May.[4][23]
- Salvageman 1,598 GRT — ocean salvage tug from 7 May.(the most powerful tug on British registry with 11,000 brake horsepower and 170 ton bollard pull)[30]
- Stena Inspector 5,814 GRT — equipped with helicopter pad and used as repair ship after the cease fire.[31] - purchased as RFA Diligence post-war
- Stena Seaspread 6,061 GRT — oilfield support ship equipped with helicopter pad and used as repair ship from 16 May.[4][32]
- Wimpey Seahorse 1,599 GRT — oilfield supply vessel used as mooring tender and tug from 8 June.[4][8]
- Yorkshireman 686 GRT — ocean salvage tug from 24 May.[4][8]
Weaponry
Notes
References
- Baker, A.D.III (June 1983). Sealift, British Style. United States Naval Institute Proceedings.
- Clapp, Michael; Southby-Tailyour, Ewen (1996). Amphibious Assault Falklands. Leo Cooper. ISBN 0-85052-420-2.
- Hastings, Max; Jenkins, Simon (1983). The Battle for the Falklands. Michael Joseph Ltd.. ISBN 0-7181-2228-3.
- Morison, Samuel L. (June 1983). Falklands (Malvinas) Campaign: A Chronology. United States Naval Institute Proceedings.
- Puddefoot, Geoff (2007). No Sea Too Rough. Chatam Publishing. ISBN 97-1-86176-314-3.
- Trotter, Neville (June 1983). The Falklands and the Long Haul. United States Naval Institute Proceedings.
- Villar, Roger (1984). Merchant Ships at War The Falklands Experience. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-845-X.
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