Battle of San Carlos (1982)
This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2018) |
Battle of San Carlos | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of the Falklands War | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
United Kingdom | Argentina | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Sandy Woodward Michael Clapp Julian Thompson |
Ernesto Crespo | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
2 destroyers 7 frigates 11 landing ships Sea Harrier CAPs |
90 fighter-bombers on the mainland 2 KC-130 Hercules tankers 10 attack aircraft on the islands | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
1 destroyer sunk 2 frigates sunk 8 ships damaged 4 helicopters lost 49 killed |
22 aircraft lost Operation Rosario
|
The Battle of San Carlos was a battle between aircraft and ships that lasted from 21 to 25 May 1982 during the British landings on the shores of San Carlos Water (which became known as "Bomb Alley"[2][3]) in the 1982 Falklands War (Spanish: Guerra de las Malvinas). Low-flying land-based Argentine jet aircraft made repeated attacks on ships of the British Task Force.
It was the first time in history that a modern surface fleet armed with
Background
After the
The landing took the Argentines completely by surprise; Argentine Navy officers had considered that the location was not a good choice for such an operation, and had left the zone without major defences.[5]
Argentine forces
With Argentine army forces generally confined to a static defensive role, and the Navy's surface fleet remaining in port after the sinking of the
The
The Israeli-built copy of the Mirage 5 known as the Dagger was the Argentine Air Force's newest aircraft. Thirty-six were available to Grupo 6 in April 1982, with a serviceability rate of 60 to 70 per cent. On April 25, one squadron with 9 aircraft was deployed to San Julian, while another was activated at Río Grande with 10.[7] They did not have aerial refuelling capacity and, using twin 550-gallon drop tanks, were flying at the limit of their range. A typical Dagger load during the conflict would include one 1000 lb Mk 17 bomb and two 1500 litre drop tanks. They retained their 30 mm DEFA cannon.
Fighter cover would be provided by Grupo 8's
The FAA units deployed to southern Argentina during the war were regrouped under a command known as
On the islands themselves, the lack of long hard runways precluded the use of high-performance jets. Instead less capable aircraft were employed. The Argentine-built
Near Stanley the Argentinians deployed a long-range Westinghouse AN/TPS-43 radar that proved capable of detecting British aircraft at distances up to 40 miles.[11]
British amphibious force
- British air cover was provided by aircraft carriers, deploying short-takeoff, vertical-landing Harriers.
- Aircraft carrier HMS Hermes (R12)
- 800 Squadron (BAE Sea Harrier)
- 809 Squadron (BAE Sea Harrier)
- 800 Squadron (
- Aircraft carrier HMS Invincible (R05)
- 801 Squadron (BAE Sea Harrier)
- 809 Squadron (BAE Sea Harrier)
- Aircraft carrier HMS Hermes (R12)
- Landing force: RFA Fort Austin, Europic Ferry, Norlandand Elk.
- Escort force: HMS Antrim, HMS Coventry, HMS Broadsword, HMS Brilliant, HMS Ardent, HMS Antelope, HMS Argonaut, HMS Plymouth and HMS Yarmouth.
Engagements
This is a list of the main sorties carried out by Argentine air units showing approximate local time, aircraft and call sign.
21 May
The Argentine Army force on site was a section from the 25th Infantry Regiment named Combat Team Güemes (Spanish: Equipo de Combate Güemes). The 62-man unit, under 1st Lieutenant Carlos Esteban, was dispatched to the area on May 15 following HMS Alacrity's passage through Falkland Sound. An outpost with two 81mm mortars and two recoilless 105mm rifles was established on Fanning Head, in order to watch for amphibious landings and control the entrance to the Sound.[13] On the night of the British landings, 19 men under 2nd Lieutenant Roberto Reyes were manning the outpost, while Esteban and the remainder of the unit were stationed in Port San Carlos settlement.[14]
The British fleet entered San Carlos during the night and at 02:50 was spotted by EC Güemes which opened fire with
1st Lt Carlos Daniel Esteban from EC Güemes informed Goose Green garrison about the landings at 08:22 (he was finally evacuated by helicopter on 26 May). The Argentine high command at Stanley initially thought that a landing operation was not feasible at San Carlos and the operation was a diversion. At 10:00, a COAN Aermacchi MB-339 jet based on the islands was dispatched to San Carlos on a reconnaissance flight. In the meantime, the FAA had already started launching their mainland-based aircraft at 09:00. Four Pucaras from Goose Green harassed SAS positions that were directing naval gunfire. Two of the aircraft were shot down by British forces.[16]
Between 10:15 and 17:12, seventeen sorties were carried out by FAA and COAN. Daggers and A-4Cs of the FAA made attacks on HMS Antrim, HMS Argonaut, HMS Broadsword, HMS Brilliant, and HMS Ardent. Sorties of MIIIEA aircraft were used as diversions as well. While many of the bombs did not explode, Ardent and Argonaut were hit, sustaining damage and casualties. Sea Harriers intercepted some of the attackers, destroying 8 FAA aircraft.
22 May
HMS Ardent, badly damaged on 21 May, eventually sank early in the morning.
23 May
On 23 May Argentine aircraft resumed attacking, striking HMS Antelope, HMS Broadsword, and HMS Yarmouth. Only Antelope was damaged, sinking before dawn on 24 May, after an unexploded bomb detonated while being defused. Of the attacking aircraft, two were shot down. An additional COAN pilot was killed after ejecting from his A-4Q after a tyre burst upon landing.
24 May
On 24 May the Argentine pilots on the continent openly expressed their concern about the lack of collaboration between the three branches of the armed forces, and protested with passive resistance. General
Six sorties were launched by the FAA against the British forces. RFA Sir Lancelot and probably Sir Galahad and Sir Bedivere and ground targets were attacked. Four attack aircraft were shot down, with one pilot killed.
25 May
Attacks by the FAA on 25 May proved more successful than the previous day.
List of Sorties | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Time | Branch | Aircraft | Callsign | Pilot(s) | Summary |
21 May | |||||
10:15 | COAN | MB339 | 4-A-115 | Lt Guillermo Owen Crippa | A reconnaissance flight flew over the landing force twice to determine the exact composition of the fleet, earning the highest national military decoration, the Argentine Nation to the Heroic Valour in Combat Cross. He attacked HMS Argonaut and an unidentified RFA ship with guns and rockets , then withdrew.
|
10:15 | FAA | Pucara |
Tigre | Cpt Benítez Mj Tomba 1st Lt Micheloud |
Three (of four) planes scrambled from Goose Green and were engaged by gunfire from HMS Ardent. Cpt Benítez was shot down by a Nigel Ward,[19] while Lt Micheloud's aircraft escaped and landed at Port Stanley's airfield.
|
10:20 | FAA | MIIIEA |
Four aircraft made a diversion north of the islands. | ||
10:25 | FAA | Dagger | Leon | Cpt Dimeglio Lt Castillo |
From San Julian, Cpt Dimeglio and Lt Castillo attacked HMS Antrim with their 30mm cannon. Their 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs failed to explode. |
10:30 | FAA | Dagger | Ñandú | Cpt Rodhe Lt Bean |
From Rio Grande, Tierra del Fuego , Cpt Rodhe and Lt Bean attacked HMS Argonaut, Lt Bean was shot down by a Sea Wolf SAM from HMS Broadsword; Broadsword was attacked by pilot Cpt Janet.
|
10:35 | FAA | Dagger | Zorro | Cpt Dellepine Cpt Diaz Cpt Aguirre-Faget |
Cpt Dellepine, Cpt Diaz and Cpt Aguirre-Faget bombed and strafed HMS Brilliant but the bombs hang-up. |
10:50 | FAA | Dagger | Perro | Mj Martinez Cpt Moreno Lt Volponi |
Mj Martinez, Cpt Moreno and Lt Volponi attacked HMS Antrim. Their 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs did not explode, but one of them hit the stern of the destroyer, which also received damage from 30 mm strafing. During their escape, Sea Harriers launched Sidewinders against the Daggers but the missiles fell short. |
12:45 | FAA | A-4C |
Pato | Cpt Almoño Cpt Garcia 1st Lt Daniel Manzotti Lt Nestor Lopez |
Intercepted by Sea Harriers; Manzotti and López were shot down and killed by Sidewinders. |
12:45 | FAA | A-4B |
Mula | Cpt Carballo Ensign Carmona |
Mula 2 attacked an unknown ship, most probably the abandoned Argentine cargo vessel Rio Carcaraña, and withdrew, bombs, both of which failed to explode.[17]
|
13:37 | FAA | A-4B |
Leo | 1st Lt Filippini Lt Autiero Lt Osses Lt Robledo Ensign Vottero |
Hit HMS Argonaut with 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs which did not explode, with one crashing through her Sea Cat magazine, detonating two missiles and causing damage and two fatalities among Argonaut's crew.
|
14:30 | FAA | MIIIEA |
Two aircraft took off as a diversion. | ||
14:35 | FAA | Dagger | Cueca | Cpt Mir Gonzales Cpt Robles 1st Lt Luna Lt Bernhard. |
Intercepted by Sea Harriers, and Lt Luna was hit by a Sidewinder but ejected safely. The other three pilots attacked HMS Ardent, and hit the warship with 30 mm gunfire and two 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs on her stern before returning safely to their base. The frigate's Sea Lynx helicopter was destroyed. |
14:53 | FAA | Dagger | Laucha | Mj Puga 1st Lt Román |
Attacked HMS Brilliant. The third pilot attacked an unknown ship, probably HMS Antrim. |
14:58 | FAA | Dagger | Raton | Mj Piuma Cpt Donadille 1st lt Senn. |
Intercepted by Sea Harriers of Nigel Ward and Lt Thomas. The Daggers dropped their ordnance −2 fuel tanks and one 1,000 lb (450 kg)- and tried to escape, but the three were shot down by Sidewinders, with all pilots ejecting safely. After recovering the pilots, the FAA realised that the San Julian-based Daggers' approach corridor had been discovered and made efforts to correct the situation.
|
15:15 | COAN | A-4Q |
Tabanos | Cpt Philipi Lt Arca Lt Marquez |
Hit HMS Ardent with several 500 lb (230 kg) Valour in Combat Medal .
|
17:02 | FAA | A-4C |
No ships found. | ||
17:12 | FAA | A-4B |
No ships found. | ||
23 May | |||||
13:30 | FAA | A-4B |
Nene | Carballo 1st Lt Guadagnini Lt Rinke Ensign Gomez |
Attacked Rio Gallegos. A second Argentine plane dropped a 1,000 lb (450 kg) bomb on Antelopes starboard side, killing Crewman Mark R. Stephens. Lieutenant Guadagnini was hit and killed by HMS Antelope's 20 mm cannon and crashed through her main mast while carrying out his bombing run; his bombs pierced the frigate's hull without exploding.[22] After the attack, one of these detonated while being defused, sinking the ship.
|
13:45 | COAN | A-4Q |
Tabanos | Cpt Castro Fox Cpt Zubizarreta Lt Benitez |
Attacked HMS Broadsword, |
15:10 | FAA | Dagger |
Puñal | Mj Martinez Lt Volponi |
Intercepted by Sea Harriers, which shot down the second aircraft, whilst Martinez returned to base. |
15:10 | FAA | Dagger |
Daga | Struck targets inside Ajax Bay | |
15:10 | FAA | Dagger |
Coral | Struck targets inside Ajax Bay | |
24 May | |||||
10:15 | FAA | A-4B |
Chispa Nene |
Com Mariel 1st Lt Sanchez Lt Roca Lt Cervera Ensign Moroni |
Attacked ships inside the bay. RFA Sir Lancelot was hit by a 1,000 lb (450 kg) bomb, which did not explode. Two LCUs are also attacked. |
11:02 | FAA | Dagger |
Azul | Cpt Mir Gonzalez Cpt Maffeis Cpt Robles Lt Bernhardt |
Attacked unidentified ships, probably RFA Sir Bedivere, inside the bay. |
11:07 | FAA | Dagger |
Plata | Cpt Dellepiane 1st Lt Musso Lt Callejo |
Struck ground targets with 500 lb (230 kg) retarding tail bombs. |
11:08 | FAA | Dagger |
Oro | Mj Puga Cpt Diaz 1st Lt Castillo |
Intercepted and shot down by Sea Harriers. Castillo was killed and the other two ejected safely. |
11:20 | FAA | A-4C |
Halcon | Cpt Pierini 1st Lt Ureta Lt Mendez |
Intercepted by Sea Harriers but managed to return to base. |
11:30 | FAA | A-4C |
Jaguar | 1st Lt Vazquez Lt Bono Ensign Martinez |
Attacked unidentified ships, possibly RFA Sir Galahad, inside the bay. The three aircraft all received battle damage with Bono's aircraft crashing during the return flight. The other two Skyhawks were rescued by a KC-130 tanker, which approached the islands and delivered 30,000 litres of fuel while accompanying them to the airfield at San Julian.
|
25 May | |||||
09:00 | FAA | A-4B |
Marte | Cpt Hugo Palaver Lt Daniel Gálvez |
Cpt Hugo Palaver's aircraft was damaged in a Sea Dart missile fired by HMS Coventry
|
12:25 | FAA | A-4C |
Toro | Cpt Garcia Lt Lucero Lt Paredi Ensign Issac |
Attacked ships inside the bay, probably RFA Sir Lancelot. After the attack Lucero was shot down by the San Carlos air defences. He successfully ejected over the landing force,[27] was rescued and then transferred to the hospital ship SS Uganda. A Sea Dart, fired by HMS Coventry, shot down Garcia, whose aircraft had been damaged by small arms fire during the attack, to the North of San Carlos. Cpt Garcia ejected, but was not recovered and died. Ensign Isaac was losing fuel but was rescued by the KC-130, which accompanied him to his base while refuelling him in flight. |
15:20 | FAA | A-4B |
Vulcano | Cpt Carballo Lt Carlos Rinke |
Attacked HMS Broadsword,picture from shipdamaging the frigate's communication systems and hydraulics and electrics[28] and shattering the nose of her Sea Lynx helicopter Pictures of the Damage |
15:20 | FAA | A-4B |
Zeus | 1st Lt Velasco Ensign Barrionuevo |
Attacked and sank destroyer HMS Coventry after hitting the ship with three 500 lb (230 kg) bombs.British video Argentine video |
Aftermath
I think the Argentine pilots are showing great bravery, it would be foolish of me to say anything else[29]
— John Nott, British Defence Minister
In spite of the British air defence network, the Argentine pilots were able to attack their targets but some serious procedural failures prevented them from getting better results – most notably, shortcomings of their bomb fuses. Thirteen bombs[30] hit British ships without detonating. Lord Craig, the retired Marshal of the Royal Air Force, is said to have remarked: "Six better fuses and we would have lost".[31]
The British warships, although themselves suffering most of the attacks, were successful in keeping the strike aircraft away from the landing ships, which were well inside the bay.
The subsonic
The actions had a profound impact on later naval practice. During the 1980s most warships from navies around the world were retrofitted with close-in weapon systems and guns for self-defence. First reports of the number of Argentine aircraft shot down by British missile systems were subsequently revised down.[33]
See also
References
- ^ [9 Dagger, 5 A-4C, 3 A-4Q, 3 A-4B & 2 Pucara]
- ISBN 978-1-84415-417-3.[page needed]
- ^ "Americas | Charles ends Falklands tour on sombre note". BBC News. 15 March 1999. Archived from the original on 27 January 2010. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
- ^ "Julian Thompson interview". clarin. 9 April 2007. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
- ISBN 987-96007-3-8, ... consideraban que el desembarco Britanico no podia ser alli ... debido a un concepto naval que asociaba la capacidad de una flota con su espacio de maniobra para un desembarco ...
- ^ Mafé Huertas & Donald 1998, p. 4-5.
- ^ Mafé Huertas 1997, p. 4-5.
- ^ Mafé Huertas 1997, p. 13.
- ^ Corum 2002, p. 62.
- ^ Hobson & Noble 2002, p. 69 & 165.
- ^ Corum 2002, p. 67.
- ^ "Argentine Airpower in the Falklands War: An Operational View". Airpower.maxwell.af.mil. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
- ^ Middlebrook 2016, p. 143.
- ^ Middlebrook 2016, p. 146.
- ^ "One of Our Aircraft is Missing". Archived from the original on 5 June 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
- ^ Zona Militar (16 November 2016). "De Prelim a Sutton - Historias de la SAS y SBS en Malvinas". Zona Militar (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 December 2023.
- ^ a b "Board of Inquiry – Report into the Loss of HMS Ardent, page 2" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 September 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
- ISBN 950-614-749-3(in Spanish)
- ^ "Major Carlos Tomba's Pucara". BBC News. Retrieved 24 June 2009.
- ^ "Some sources identify this ship as the Rio Carcaraña but other sources place the cargo vessel in Bahía Rey (King George Bay)". Archived from the original on 28 April 2010. Retrieved 12 March 2010.
- ^ La balada del piloto bahiense y el estanciero kelper Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine (in Spanish)
- ^ "Primer Teniente Guadagnini". Retrieved 18 May 2012.
- ^ "3ra. Escuadrilla Aeronaval de Caza y Ataque". Institutoaeronaval.org. Archived from the original on 31 May 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
- ^ "Carlos Zubizarreta". Archived from the original on 17 December 2009. Retrieved 6 December 2009.
- ^ Official site of the Argentine Air Force: Fuerza Aérez Argentina – Martes 25 de Mayo Archived 4 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine (in Spanish)
- ISBN 950-37-0186-4. (in Spanish)
- ^ "Cpt Tomas Lucero interview". Youtube. 10 December 2009. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
- ^ "HMS Broadsword damage control". Retrieved 18 May 2012.
- ^ "Google". Los Angeles Times. 27 May 1982. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
- ^ "British Ships Sunk and Damaged – Falklands War 1982". Naval-history.net. Archived from the original on 22 January 2010. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
- ^ Gethin Chamberlain (5 April 2002). "Would British forces be able to retake the Falklands today?". The Scotsman. p. 12. Archived from the original on 27 March 2007. Alt URL
- ^ Pablo Carballo: Halcones sobre Malvinas
- Sea Cat(zero to one against eight confirmed and two probables in the White Paper). FREEDMAN, Sir Lawrence, The Official History of the Falklands Campaign (Abingdon, 2005). Volume II, page 732-735
References
- Commodore Ruben Oscar Moro: La Guerra Inaudita, ISBN 987-96007-3-8
- Commodore Pablo Marcos Carballo: Dios Y Los Halcones, ISBN 987-96336-1-X
- Corum, James (2002). "Argentine Airpower in the Falklands War: An Operational View" (PDF). ISSN 1554-2505.
- Hobson, Chris; Noble, Andrew (2002). Falklands Air War. Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-126-1.
- Mafé Huertas, Salvador (1997). "Mirage and Dagger in the Falklands". ISSN 1361-2034.
- Mafé Huertas, Salvador; Donald, David (1998). "A-4 Skyhawk in the Falklands". ISSN 1361-2034.
- ISBN 978-1-84415-888-1.
External links
- Interview Video on HMS Ardent attack
- Bomb Alley video – Lt Tomas Lucero rescued by HMS Fearless
- Painting of Lt Owen Crippa solo attack on the frigate "Argonaut"