Introduction ] Broadsword ] Foreward ] The Gathering Storm ] Our Story ] Diary ] Surrender ] Convention ] Newspapers ] MIscellaneous ]

S E A   W O L F   B I T E S   A T   L A S T
Longcast 1982 ] Ascension Island ] The Passage South ] The Falklands ] Action ] [ Seawolf ] Invasion 21st May ] Bomb Alley Day One 21st May ] Bomb Alley Day Two 22nd May ] Bomb Alley Day Three 23rd May ] Bomb Alley Day Four 24th May ] Coventry 25th May ] Total Exclusion Zone ] The Advance Ashore ] Bluff Cove ] Victory ] Epilogue ]

Fuelled by this success (excuse the pun) BRILLIANT and GLASGOW attempted the air blockade of Port Stanley on the 12th. Again nothing happened until late in the afternoon when both ships were attacked by Skyhawks. Four aircraft attacked from low overland and GLASGOW's Sea Dart was unable to engage them. However BRILLIANT attacked with Sea Wolf in the TV mode. The first two aircraft were hit by the missiles and the third in his efforts to maneuver clear of the other aircraft flew into the sea. Loud cheers echoed around BROADSWORD when news of the success was received. Sea Wolf had done exactly what the makers had specified. When would be our chance to have a go? The euphoria didn' t last long for further news quickly followed and this time it wasn't good news. A further wave of Skyhawks had attacked the ships and at the critical moment BRILLIANT's system reset and was unable to fire. Both ships were bombed and strafed, one bomb leapt through GLASGOW's engine room and out the other side fortunately without exploding. GLASGOW limped for home BRILLIANT as escort and I suppose you could say that honours were even that day. There were no casualties in GLASGOW but her time in the TEZ was to be short lived and after a patch up by the Fleet Maintenance Team in STENA SEASPREAD she returned to the UK on 26th May..


Glamorgan gives supporting fire for SAS

Fog again struck over the next few days and there was little action. Unfortunately a Sea King ditched killing 21 members of the SAS - some of them heroes at the retaking of South Georgia. Their loss stunned the Task Force. When the fog lifted the Harriers resumed the bombing of Port Stanley airfield and on 15 May HERMES, BROADSWORD and GLAMORGAN detached to do something special. What happened is now a piece of military history. The "Raid on Pebble Island". Men of the SAS bouncing back from the shock of losing their friends and colleagues in the Sea King attacked Pebble Island, under the supporting fire of HMS GLAMORGAN, destroying 11 aircraft. It was a brave feat which they carried out without loss of life on their part and early the following morning they returned to HERMES, and the three ships slipped away east.

After the trouble with water ingress in the forward Sea Wolf tracker it was decided to carry out test firings against 4.5" shells. This was carried on the 16th and we shot down 2 shells which were fired from YARMOUTH. On the same day. Sea Harriers strafed two Argentine supply ships in a bay in West Falkland so things began to go our way. However again we suffered a setback. A Sea King got into difficulty a long way from the ships and managed to make it to the Chilean coast but unfortunately crash-landed. The crew managed to survive and were eventually found by the Chileans much to our embarrassment. However the Chileans recognised that the aircraft was in distress and after a brief stay in Chile the crew were returned safely to Britain. Thinking that no more Sea Kings could fall in the sea proved to be an error when a fifth speared in, this time the crew were rescued.

At about this time everyone began to wonder when the landing would be -if indeed there was to be a landing. Talks were still going on at the UN and there was always a glimmer of hope. the 19th saw the arrival of the assault ships, FEARLESS and INTREPID, the LSLs, CANBERRA and all the other troop and equipment carriers of the Merchant Navy. GLAMORGAN continued to bombard the islands and the Harriers bombed two Sisters mount.