The Sea War in the Falklands: The Royal Navy and Argentine Armada Fought for Control of the South Atlantic

The naval war in the Falklands was characterized by a David and goliath struggle between what was one of the most modern fleets in the world versus what was seen as a backward third world fleet. The Argentine navy's main asset was that it had local superiority in the waters of the combat area. The Royal Navy had only one lightly armed guard ship in the South Atlantic and had to assemble a 45-ship task force and to sail vertically the distance of halfway around the world. If it wasn't for a series of lucky breaks, the British fleet may very well have been beaten.

In the tense period before the April 2 invasion the Royal Navy dispatched the submarine HMS Spartan to the Falklands but the huge transit of some 8000 miles from UK home waters meant that it did not arrive on station until April 12th, more than a week after the islands had been taken. The Spartan established on that day a 200 mile wide Maritime Exclusion Zone around the islands in which any Argentine vessel was liable to be attacked. The Argentine fleet including the aircraft carrier Vincentia De Mayo and the cruiser General Belgrano put to sea on April 14th to interdict the British Naval task force en route to the islands. This plan failed largely because of the carrier being forced to retire to port four days later with critical engine failures. It is been a great debate over the winner in a clash between the British and argentine battle fleets had the Latin American carrier been able to keep station. The fact that the British had three carriers (only two the Invincible and the Hermes were deployable) to the single argentine one was offset due to the nature of their air wings. Armed with a squadron of A4 Skyhawks and one of Super Étendard strike craft it is thought that an Argentine surprise attack from over the horizon may have inflicted enough damage to the task force for it to turn back.

Lacking its aircraft carrier, the argentine navy remained a threat to the British force until the submarine HMS Conqueror torpedoed the remaining Argentine capital ship, General Belgrano. A former US Naval light cruiser (USS Phoenix (CL-46)) that had seen combat at Pearl Harbor, the 13,645 ton Belgrano was sent to the bottom appropriately by a pair of 1940's era Mk8 torpedoes on May 2nd with 368 Argentine sailors perishing. The next day Sea Lynx helicopters from the British task force sank two patrol boats near the islands. Shocked by these attacks the argentine fleet retired back to its home ports for the remainder of the war."

This allowed the British task force to sail into San Carlos harbor and land troops unopposed by naval forces. The only activity carried out by the Argentine fleet at sea for the remainder of the conflict was by its submarine arm. The Salta, a forty year old sub caught on the surface near South Georgia Island was attacked by British helicopters and captured on April 28th. The modern German built submarine San Luis remained at sea and carried on a one-ship war on the British task force. Being very difficult to detect, the jumpy royal navy logged more than fifty attacks on targets they took for the San Luis with out success. The San Luis itself attacked the fleet on May 1st and again on May 10th, each time firing torpedoes that missed.

The honor of the argentine navy, lost by its fleet was recovered by its air wing. Argentine Super Étendard and Skyhawks flying from land bases inflicted huge, nearly crippling losses on the British Task force. This is covered more in the section in the Air War in the Falklands

The Argentine navy dispatched a team of four divers to sink Royal Navy ships in Gibraltar. The team arrived in Spain where it spent almost a month eyeing possible targets and awaiting permission to attack a British ship with Italian-made mines that had been brought to Spain in a diplomatic bag. They were arrested by Spanish Police before they were able to complete their mission

In 2004 it was disclosed by the MoD that some British naval vessels were sent to fight the Falklands War carrying nuclear weapons although their use was not considered. And it was claimed that they were not carried into the actual combat zone around the islands.

Jul 25, 2009 9:31 PM

Christopher Eger :

Good morning

On your article related to the Malvinas ( you called Falklands ) war, the following are incorrect facts:

1) The sinking of two patrol boats by Sea Link helicopter should be treated and a war crime; these boats were not acting as hostile vessels; instead were involved in the search and rescue mission of the crew of the Belgrano.

2) The San Luis submarine was built in Tandanor shipyard, Buenos Aires and not in Germany as you state in your article.

3) The third world navy as you mentioned had ships built in Argentina / Astilleros Rio Santiago ( Shipyard Rio Santiago ) under license from GB; two of them were the Type 42 Frigates ( was your Sheffield Type 42 built up to “3rd world standards ?)

4) The name of our aircraft carrier was “25 de Mayo” and not Vincentia de Mayoo; he could not perform the attack you mention due to insufficient wind that that day ; no engine trouble was involved.

You did not mention damages to the following vessels and the heavy damages caused to your Aircraft Carrier never declared by your government which arrived back in the UK several months after undergoing repairs at the shipyard in Trinidad

Saturday 1st May

HMS Alacrity - slightly damaged by bomb near misses

HMS Arrow - slightly damaged by cannon fire

HMS Glamorgan - slightly damaged by bomb near misses, all off Stanley by Daggers of FAA Grupo 6.

Tuesday 4th May

HMS SHEFFIELD - mortally damaged south east of Falklands by Exocet missile fired by Super Etendard of CANA 2 Esc. Burnt out and sank in tow on Monday 10th May.

Wednesday 12th May

HMS Glasgow - moderately damaged off Stanley by unexploded bomb (1) dropped by A-4B Skyhawks of FAA Grupo 5. Bomb passed through hull but damage took some days to repair and she shortly returned to UK.

Friday 21st May

HMS Antrim - seriously damaged in Falkland Sound outside San Carlos Water by unexploded bomb (2) dropped by Daggers of FAA Grupo 6. UXB removed but damage took some days to repair.

HMS Broadsword - slightly damaged outside San Carlos Water by cannon fire from Daggers of Grupo 6.

HMS Argonaut - slightly damaged outside San Carlos Water by rockets and cannon fire from Aermacchi MB.339A of CANA 1 Esc, and then seriously damaged by two unexploded bombs (3/4) dropped by A-4B Skyhawks of FAA Grupo 5. Removing the UXB's and carrying out repairs took a number of days and although declared operational, she soon sailed for the UK.

HMS Brilliant - slightly damaged outside San Carlos Water by cannon fire from Daggers of Grupo 6. (Different attack from "Broadsword")

HMS ARDENT - badly damaged in Grantham Sound by bombs - hits, UXB's (5+) and near misses - dropped by Daggers of Grupo 6, then mortally damaged by bombs from A-4Q Skyhawks of CANA 3 Esc off North West Island. Sank the following evening.

Sunday 23rd May

HMS ANTELOPE - damaged in San Carlos Water by two unexploded bombs (6/7) dropped by A-4B Skyhawks of Grupo 5. One of the bombs exploded that evening while being defused and she caught fire and sank next day.

Monday 24th May

RFA Sir Galahad - damaged by unexploded bomb (8) and out of action for some days,

RFA Sir Lancelot - damaged by unexploded bomb (9) and not fully operational for almost three weeks,

RFA Sir Bedivere - slightly damaged by glancing bomb, all in San Carlos Water probably by A-4C Skyhawks of FAA Grupo 4.

Tuesday 25th May

HMS Broadsword - damaged north of Pebble Island by bomb from A-4B Skyhawk of Grupo 5 bouncing up through her stern and out again to land in the sea.

HMS COVENTRY - sunk north of Pebble Island in same attack by three bombs.

ATLANTIC CONVEYOR - mortally damaged north east of Falklands by Exocet missile fired by Super Etendard of CANA 2 Esc. Burnt out and later sank in tow.

Saturday 29th May

British Wye - hit north of South Georgia by bomb dropped by C-130 Hercules of FAA Grupo 1 which bounced into the sea without exploding

Tuesday 8th June

HMS Plymouth - damaged in Falkland Sound off San Carlos Water by four unexploded bombs (10-13) from Daggers of FAA Grupo 6.

RFA SIR GALAHAD - mortally damaged off Fitzroy by bombs from A-4B Skyhawks of Grupo 5 and burnt out. Later in June towed out to sea and sunk as a war grave.

RFA Sir Tristram - badly damaged off Fitzroy in same attack and abandoned, but later returned to UK and repaired.

LCU F4, HMS Fearless - sunk in Choiseul Sound by bomb from A-4B Skyhawk of Grupo 5.

Saturday 12th June

HMS Glamorgan - damaged off Stanley by land-based Exocet missile.

Sincerely,

Rafael Quesada