General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
RE: why - why not.
Posted by:
John Griffiths
()
Date: February 02, 2001 11:11PM
<HTML>Facts time!
Ardent was sunk 22.5.82, in daylight. She was struck by 2 x 500 pound iron bombs and a conservative estimate also says around 14 x 68mm rockets fired by MB.339 A\'s of the Argentine Navy\'s 1st Attack Sqn. In two minutes! The figure varies between 11 and 14 but whatever, it laid her flat either way. What\'s semantics?
The one you\'re thinking of is \'Antelope\', which was sunk on 24.5.82. She was also hit by 2 x 500pounders, with the attacking Skyhawk splashed. The Army\'s Bomb Disposal team put Staff Sargeant Jim Prescott aboard while the Navy prepared to abandon her. However, there is now evidence that says the armourer who armed the bomb inserted the fuse the wrong way around which misled the BD guy and the bomb detonated as he was defusing it. The fire spread and went out of cotrol and the picture of her blowing up is probably the most remembered of the Falklands conflict.
She was then abandoned, with a casualty loss of 2 dead and seven wounded.
In that same raid, HMS Glasgow was also hit - but the 1000 pound bomb went through her without exploding. Lucky them
\'Arrow\' was struck by a bomb on 1.5.82 but not sink.
For the record, the Type 21 frigates were known as \'Porches\' - they could shift PDQ when they wanted to - 30knots top end! After the Falklands, the remaining class ships were sold en-masse to Pakistan, where they are still in service. Good little ships.
I joined the Navy to see palm trees and dusky maidens....
...ah well!
John
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Ardent was sunk 22.5.82, in daylight. She was struck by 2 x 500 pound iron bombs and a conservative estimate also says around 14 x 68mm rockets fired by MB.339 A\'s of the Argentine Navy\'s 1st Attack Sqn. In two minutes! The figure varies between 11 and 14 but whatever, it laid her flat either way. What\'s semantics?
The one you\'re thinking of is \'Antelope\', which was sunk on 24.5.82. She was also hit by 2 x 500pounders, with the attacking Skyhawk splashed. The Army\'s Bomb Disposal team put Staff Sargeant Jim Prescott aboard while the Navy prepared to abandon her. However, there is now evidence that says the armourer who armed the bomb inserted the fuse the wrong way around which misled the BD guy and the bomb detonated as he was defusing it. The fire spread and went out of cotrol and the picture of her blowing up is probably the most remembered of the Falklands conflict.
She was then abandoned, with a casualty loss of 2 dead and seven wounded.
In that same raid, HMS Glasgow was also hit - but the 1000 pound bomb went through her without exploding. Lucky them
\'Arrow\' was struck by a bomb on 1.5.82 but not sink.
For the record, the Type 21 frigates were known as \'Porches\' - they could shift PDQ when they wanted to - 30knots top end! After the Falklands, the remaining class ships were sold en-masse to Pakistan, where they are still in service. Good little ships.
I joined the Navy to see palm trees and dusky maidens....
...ah well!
John
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