Falklands War - Britisk Task Force Build-up

NORTHWOOD (Task Force HQ)

ROYAL NAVY 

Culdrose (HMS Seahawk)

Devonport (HMS Drake)

Faslane (HMS Neptune - SSN's)

Gosport (HMS Dolphin)

Portland (HMS Osprey)

Portsmouth (HMS Nelson)

Rosyth (HMS Cochrane)

Yeovilton (HMS Heron)

    

ROYAL MARINES

Arbroath (45 Cdo RM)

Plymouth (3 Cdo Bde RM, incl. 40 & 42 Cdo)

RM Poole

BRITISH ARMY

Aldershot (2 & 3 Para)

Church Crookham (1/7 Gurkhas)

Hereford (SAS)

London (2 Scots & 1 Welsh Guards)

Marchwood (RCT)

Middle Wallop (AAC)

Netheravon (AAC)

Sennybridge (5th Inf Bde training)

ROYAL AIR FORCE

Brize Norton (VC10’s)

Coningsby (Phantoms)

Kinloss (Nimrod MR2’s)

Lyneham (Hercules)

Marham (Victors)

Odiham (Chinooks)

St Athan (maintenance)

St Mawgan (Nimrod MR1’s)

Waddingtons (Vulcans)

Wittering (Harrier GR3’s)

Wyton (Nimrod R1’s)

Summary of Main British Commanders (Honours awarded in brackets)

DEFENCE STAFF, WHITEHALL, LONDON

Admiral of the Fleet Sir (later Baron) Terence Lewin, Chief of the Defence Staff,

Admiral Sir Henry Leach, Royal Navy,

General Sir Edwin Bramall, Army,

Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Beetham, Royal Air Force

TASK FORCE COMMANDERS, NORTHWOOD

Admiral Sir John Fieldhouse (GBE), Task Force Commander,

Major General J J Moore (KCB) MC and bar RM, Land Forces Deputy,

and later

Lieut General Sir Richard Trant,

Air Marshal Sir John Curtiss (KBE), Air Commander,

Vice Admiral P G M Herbert, Flag Officer Submarines

SOUTH ATLANTIC COMMANDERS

Rear Admiral J F Woodward (KCB), Carrier Battle Group,

Commodore M C Clapp (CB), Amphibious Task Group,

Brigadier J H Thompson (CB) RM, Landing Force Task Group and 3 Commando Brigade RM,

Followed by:

Major General Moore RM, Land Forces Falklands Islands,

Brigadier M J A Wilson MC, 5th Infantry Brigade

Eventual British Casualties and Losses in Major Equipment

$ warships and a landing craft,

1 fleet auxiliary

1 merchantman,

23 Navy, 7 RAF, 3 Marine and 1 Army helicopters and aircraft.

1,000 of the men taking part were killed or wounded.

             

British Aims and Outcome –

Once the decision was taken to launch "Operation Corporate" and dispute the Argentine invasion by force if necessary, Britain's military power was rapidly mobilised. Commanders were appointed and from bases thoughout the country, the highly technological ships and aircraft were readied and despatched to transport and support a limited number of professional Marines, Paras and Guardsmen. Fighting as infantrymen, they re-took the Falklands the hard way, and at the end of an 8,000 mile long logistical nightmare and lengthy chain of command. Directly responsible to the British Cabinet for all military aspects was the Defence Staff at Whitehall not far from Downing Street with its Chief, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Terence Lewin and the other service heads. Working out of Northwood, Middlesex, just outside London were the Task Force Commanders led by Admiral Sir John Fieldhouse, Commander-in-Chief Fleet, who in turn controlled events in the South Atlantic through the commanders on the spot. Taking part in this vast undertaking were nearly 30,000 men and a few women, and a large proportion of Britain's Navy and Marines, fleet auxiliaries and merchantmen, aircraft and helicopter squadrons, plus five Army battalions and supporting arms.

Nuclear-powered hunter-killer submarine HMS Conqueror, one of the first Royal Navy warships to reach South Georgia and then the Falklands area. She torpedoed and sank the Argentine cruiser "General Belgrano" on the 2nd May 1982

Up to the final Argentine surrender, each of the ships, aircraft squadrons and main military units, as they entered the South Atlantic for the FIRST time in the campaign are introduced below.

Submarines reaching the Falkland's Area, early April to May

Nuclear submarines "Spartan", "Splendid", "Conqueror", "Courageous"(?), "Valiant" and conventionally powered "Onyx", with some SBS.

RAF Squadrons reaching or deploying to Ascension, early April to May

VC.10 transports of 10 Sqdn, Hercules transports of 24, 30, 47 and 70 Sqdns,

Nimrod maritime reconnaissance aircraft of 42(TB), 51(?), 120, 201 and 206 Sqdns,

Victor tankers of 55 and 57 Sqdns

Vulcan bombers of 44, 50 and 101 Sqdns,

Harrier GR.3 attack aircraft of 1(F),

Chinook helicopter of 18 and a

Sea King of 202,

Phantom fighters of 29(F) Sqdns,

Units of the RAF Regiment.

South Georgia recaptured ("Operation Paraquat") on 25th April

Naval forces - Destroyer "Antrim", Frigates "Brilliant", "Plymouth", Ice patrol ship "Endurance", RFA's "Tidespring" and (earlier) "Brambleleaf" and "Fort Austin".

Land forces - M Coy 42 Cdo RM, SBS RM and D Sqdn 22nd SAS.

Carrier Battle Group starting attacks on Falklands, 1st May

Naval forces - Carriers "Hermes", "Invincible", Destroyers "Glamorgan", "COVENTRY", "Glasgow", "SHEFFIELD", Frigates "Broadsword", "Alacrity", "Arrow", "Yarmouth" and RFA's "Olmeda" and "Resource". Joined later in May by destroyer "Exeter", frigate "Ambuscade" and RFA "Regent".

Carrier aircraft - Sea Harriers of Nos.800 and 801, anti-submarine and assault Sea King helicopters of Nos.820, 826 and 846 NAS; and later, Sea Harriers of No.809 and RAF Harrier GR.3's of 1(F) Squadrons.

Land forces - 

SBS RM, D and G Sqdns 22nd SAS.

Amphibious Group reaching the TEZ, followed by Landings in San Carlos Water ("Operation Sutton") on 21st MayNaval forces - including Assault ships "Fearless", "Intrepid", Frigates "ARDENT", "Argonaut" and later "ANTELOPE", RFA's "Stromness", "Tidepool", LSL's "SIR GALAHAD", "Sir Geraint", "Sir Lancelot", "Sir Percivale", "Sir Tristram" and (later) "Sir Bedivere", Transports "Canberra", "Elk", "Europic Ferry", "Norland", and Aircraft and helicopter support ship "ATLANTIC CONVEYOR".

Land forces - 

3 Commando Brigade RM including 40, 42 and 45 Cdo RM and 2 and 3 Para, and 3 CBAS Gazelle and Scout helicopters.

Other Ships and Helicopter Squadrons supporting the Task Force up to the End of May

At Ascension

RMAS mooring vessel "Goosander" and Tanker "Alvega"; also Detached despatch vessel "Dumbarton Castle"

Tanker Holding Areas in the South Atlantic and in Tug, Repair and Logistics Area (TRALA)

RFA tankers "Appleleaf", Pearleaf and "Plumleaf" plus Tankers "Anco Charger", "Eburna", Eight British Petroleum "British" tankers, and Water tanker "Fort Toronto".

Operating in Falklands area Hospital ship "Uganda" and Ambulance ships "Hecla", "Herald" and "Hydra" in Red Cross Box (RCB), Repair ship "Stena Seaspread" and Tugs "Irishman", "Salvageman", "Yorkshireman" in TRALA.

 Reaching South Georgia

Requisitioned minesweepers "Cordella", "Farnella", "Junella", "Northella" and "Pict", RFA tanker "Blue Rover", RMAS tug "Typhoon", Detached despatch vessels "Iris" and "Leeds Castle", Ammo ship "Lycaon" and Stores ship "Saxonia".

 Other Helicopters

Sea Kings of No.824 and also 846, Wessex of Nos.737, 845 and 848, Lynx of No.815 and Wasps of No.829 NAS on warships, RFA's and merchantmen, together with one RAF Chinook of 18 Sqdn.

"Bristol" Group arriving in TEZ, late May

 Destroyers "Bristol", "Cardiff", Frigates "Active", "Avenger", "Andromeda", "Minerva", "Penelope", RFA's "Bayleaf" and "Olna".

5th Infantry Brigade reaching South Atlantic late May to join Advance on Stanley, early June

Land forces - 

5th Infantry Brigade including 2 Scots and 1 Welsh Guards, 1/7 Gurkha Rifles and Gazelle and Scout helicopters of 656 Sqdn AAC.

Transports - 

"Queen Elizabeth 2", "Baltic Ferry" and "Nordic Ferry".

Other Ships and Helicopter Squadrons arriving to support Task Force up to Surrender

  

RFA's "Engadine" and "Fort Grange", Merchantmen "Atlantic Causeway", "Balder London", "Contender Bezant", "Geestport", "St. Edmund", "Tor Caledonia" and "Wimpey Seahorse",

Sea Kings of No.825 and Wessex of No.847 NAS.