my-server
← Wiki Redirected from British Naval Forces in the Falklands War

Falklands War order of battle: British naval forces

This is a list of the naval forces from the United Kingdom that took part in the Falklands War, often referred to as "the Task Force" in the context of the war. For a list of naval forces from Argentina, see .

Royal Navy

Command

In Northwood, London:

In the South Atlantic:

  • Commander Task Group 317.8 (Carrier/Battle Group) and Flag Officer, First Flotilla: Rear-Admiral J.F. Woodward (HMS Hermes)
  • Commander Task Group 317.0 (Amphibious Task Group) and Commodore Amphibious Warfare: Commodore M.C. Clapp (HMS Fearless)
- V/STOL carrier
Landing platform docks
  • - Flagship Task Group 317.0 (†6)
  • Captain E.S.J. Larken
  • 4 LCU (Foxtrot One to Four), 100 troops or one Main Battle Tank. LCU Foxtrot Four, bombed and sunk in the Choiseul Sound by A-4B Skyhawks
  • 4 LCVP (Foxtrot Five to Eight), 25 troops or a Land Rover with trailer.
  • flight deck for 4 Sea King HC.4 (not embarked)
  • Captain 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
s
Type 22 frigates
Type 21 frigates
  • Commander P.C.B. Canter
  • - Slightly damaged by bomb. Lynx helicopter damaged by return fire from armed coaster ARA Forrest on 1 May. Sank Argentine transport ship on 10 May.
  • Commander C.J.S. Craig
  • - sank 24 May after an unsuccessful attempt to defuse unexploded bombs from a Douglas A-4B Skyhawks (†2) - Fatal Damage
  • Commander N.J. Tobin
  • - sank 21 May by bombs from IAI Daggers and Douglas A-4Q Skyhawks (†22) - Fatal Damage
  • Commander A.W.J. West
  • Commander P.J. Mosse
  • Captain H.M. White
  • - hit by IAI Dagger cannon fire - Minor Damage
  • Commander P.J. Bootherstone
s
s
  • Commander A.S. Morton
  • - unexploded bombs from IAI Daggers - Major Damage
  • Captain D. Pentreath
  • - Ascension Island Guardship
Ice patrol ship
  • Captain N.J. Barker
s

As despatch vessels, carrying mail between the Task Force and Ascension Island.

  • Lt Commander C.F.B. Hamilton
  • Lt Commander N.D. Wood
s
s
  • - ran aground - Moderate Damage
  • Lieutenant-Commander A. O. Johnson
s
  • - Argentine fighters returning from an aborted mission jettisoned bombs nearby - Minor Damage
  • Commander T.M. Le Marchand
s
s

2,744 t, used as casualty ferries (hospital ships)

  • Captain G.L. Hope
  • Commander R.I.C. Halliday
  • Commander R.J. Campbell
Trawler/Minesweepers - Minesweeper Auxiliary (MSA) 11th MCM Squadron

Civilian trawlers converted to Extra-Deep Armed Team Sweep (EDATS) with some extempore acoustic and sonar equipment. They were crewed by Royal Naval personnel, mainly from 1st MCM Squadron based at Rosyth. All five minesweepers were involved in clearing two minefields off Port Stanley.

  • 1,238 GRT
  • Lieutenant-Commander M. Holloway
  • HMS Farnella 1,207 GRT
  • Lieutenant R. Bishop
  • 1,615 GRT
  • Lieutenant-Commander M. Rowledge
  • 1,238 GRT
  • Lieutenant-Commander J. Greenop
  • 1,478 GRT
  • Lieutenant-Commander D. Garwood

Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Tankers

  • 36,000 t
  • J.A. Bailey
  • 36,000 t
  • G.P. Overbury
  • 27,400 t
  • S. Redmond
  • 27,400 t
  • J.W. Gaffrey
  • 11,522 t
  • D.A. Reynolds
  • 40,870 t
  • G.P.A. McDougall
  • 40,000 t
  • M.S.J. Farley
  • 40,000 t
  • A.E.T. Hunter
  • 25,790 t
  • R.W.M. Wallace
  • 25,790 t
  • J. McCulloch

Landing Ship Logistic

The peacetime crews of the Round Table-class ships – British merchant seamen, operating under Ministry of Defence jurisdiction – were joined by British servicemen as signalmen, stevedores and gunners.

  • - bombed by Douglas A-4B Skyhawk - Minor Damage
  • P.J. McCarthy
  • (L3005) - bombed on 24 May and 8 June by Douglas A-4B Skyhawks (sunk by torpedo on 21 June and declared a war grave) (†48) - Fatal Damage
  • Paul J.G. Roberts
  • D.E. Lawrence
  • - damaged by unexploded bombs from Douglas A-4B Skyhawks
  • Christopher A. Purtcher-Wydenbruck
  • A.F. Pitt
  • - bombed 8 June by Douglas A-4B Skyhawks (†2) - Major Damage
  • G.R. Green

Supply ships

  • 22,890 t
  • J. Logan
  • 22,890 t
  • B.A. Seymour
  • 23,600 t
  • Commodore Sam Dunlop RFA (S C Dunlop)
  • 23,600 t
  • D.G.M. Averill
  • 16,792 t - attacked by A-4C on 24 May - Minor Damage
  • J.B. Dickinson

Helicopter support ship

  • 9,000 t
  • D.F. Freeman

Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service

Ships taken up from trade

The following Merchant Navy ships were requisitioned, as Ships Taken Up From Trade (STUFT).

Liners
Roll-on-Roll-off ferries
  • 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 on 16 May
  • 6,455 GRT – equipped with helicopter pad and carried three Army helicopters, 105 troops, and 1,874 tons of stores and ammunition to Ajax Bay on 1 June
  • 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
  • 6,455 GRT – equipped with helicopter pad and carried troops, stores, and ammunition to Falklands on 29 May
  • 12,990 GRT – equipped with helicopter pad carried 800 men of 2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment and men of 848 Naval Air Squadron to San Carlos on 21 May
  • 9,387 GRT – equipped with helicopter pad and Oerlikon 20 mm cannon to carry 1,000 engineers with vehicles and equipment, but sailed after cease fire.
  • 8,987 GRT – equipped with helicopter pad and carried RAF crews (18 Sqn), troops and vehicles
  • 5,056 GRT – equipped with helicopter pad and carried vehicles and equipment; arrived 12 June
Container / Cargo ships
Freighters
  • Avelona Star 9784 GRT (refrigerated) – equipped with helicopter pad and carried provisions; arrived after cease fire
  • Geestport 7,730 GRT (refrigerated) – equipped with helicopter pad and carried provisions and stores; arrived 11 June
  • Laertes 11,804 GRT – Soviet-built with armored cable trunks and damage control centers - carried general supplies; arrived after cease fire
  • Lycaon 11,804 GRT – Soviet-built with armored cable trunks and damage control centers - carried ammunition and supplies; arrived 28 May
  • Saxonia 8,547 GRT (refrigerated) – carried provisions; arrived 23 May
  • Strathewe 12,598 GRT – carried supplies and landing craft; arrived after cease fire
  • 3,150 GRT – equipped with helicopter pad and four Oerlikon 20 mm cannon for use as minesweeper support ship after the cease fire
Tankers
  • Alvega 33,000 t (57,372 DWT) – used as base storage tanker at Ascension from mid-May
  • Anco Charger 24,500 DWT – used as auxiliary support tanker from 24 April with capability to transport 42 different liquids at once
  • Balder London 19,980 t (33,751 DWT) – used as auxiliary support tanker from 12 May
  • British Avon 15,640 t (25,620 DWT) – used as auxiliary support tanker from 25 April
  • British Dart 15,650 t (28,488 DWT) – used as auxiliary support tanker from 22 April
  • British Esk 15,643 t (25,905 DWT) – fitted with over-the-stern underway refueling equipment for use as the first convoy escort oiler
  • 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
  • British Tay 15,650 t (25,650 DWT) – used as auxiliary support tanker from 12 April
  • British Test 16,653 t (25,641 DWT) – used as auxiliary support tanker from 14 April
  • British Trent 15,649 t (25,147 DWT) – used as auxiliary support tanker from 18 April
  • British Wye 15,649 t (25,197 DWT) – used as auxiliary support tanker from 25 April - 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
  • Fort Toronto 25,498 DWT – fresh water tanker from 19 April
  • G.A.Walker 18,744 t (30,607 DWT) – used as auxiliary tanker from 10 June
  • 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
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.
  • Irishman 686 GRT – ocean salvage tug from 24 May.
  • 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)
  • Stena Inspector 5,814 GRT – equipped with helicopter pad and used as repair ship after the cease fire. - purchased as RFA Diligence post-war
  • Stena Seaspread 6,061 GRT – diving vessel, oilfield support ship equipped with helicopter pad and used as repair ship from 16 May. "Quote": Supreme effort to prepare fleet for battle: Not for the first time has the versatility and technological capability of the offshore support fleet astounded the military - it only comes as a surprise to those not familiar with the offshore oil industry and the demands it places on ships and those crewing them, that the navies of the world do not have the same level of technology available and their personnel often lack the same levels of skills and experience. Most noteworthy was the MSV Stena Seaspread, a refitted diving and maintenance vessel which was taken to the Falklands to act as a floating workshop for the warships. During the period of hostilities the MSV Stena Seaspread carried out damage and other repairs in mid-ocean to more than 50 ships, including 10 warships and 4 captured vessels.
  • Wimpey Seahorse 1,599 GRT – oilfield supply vessel used as mooring tender and tug from 8 June.
  • Yorkshireman 686 GRT – ocean salvage tug from 24 May.

Weaponry

See also

Notes

References

External links