Britain Strengthens Falklands Defense

[scotttswan]

There are already "stories" about the SAS having been on the Argentine mainland during the '82 conflict, officially denied on both sides.

There were plans on this happening but i doubt it did.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/argentina/1387091/SAS-suicide-mission-to-wipe-out-Exocets.html

Pros:
-Testimonials of 2 Argentinean pilots
-HMS Invincible did not appear in Port Stanley until 2 months after the end of the conflict
-A portion repainted on the right side (when HMS Invincible returner to Portsmouth on Sept. 17 1982)
(Note: for those last two points, I'm basing myself on second hand testimonials, still searching for pics to be honest)

Most people think the pilots mistook Invincible for another ship

http://www.navy-net.co.uk/history/44360-attack-invincible-falklands.html
is a royal navy forum with people claiming to have served on invincible and with ex invincible crew who basically dismiss it.

I was on the flight deck of the Invincible when the Conveyor was hit. The reason she was hit was because she was the biggest "picture" on the Etendards radar! We had just reached the end of our box the Hermes was coming back down the line, the Conveyor was across the top of the box, and the Invincible was next up for the turn. So you had, the stern of the Hermes, the length of the Conveyor and the bow of the Invincible as targets. Biggest picture? Atlantic Conveyor.
I can assure you and all of the Argentinians, the Invincible was never hit by anything bigger than Albatross shit!

another guy posts here
https://www.strategypage.com/militaryforums/9-2911/page3.aspx#startofcomments

Hi everyone,
just browsing and saw this topic and thought I would add my little 2pence worth!!!
I was the EW operator on board HMS Exeter during the Falklands and would like to shed a little light on what happened that day, 30th May 1982.
The 2 Exocet missiles were fired by the Super Etendard aircraft, and I gave the alert to the task force that the missiles had been fired in the Search mode.... both Avenger and Exeter were in close proximity to each other during this attack. The missile then locked onto Exeter and we deployed Chaff in the hope of decoying the missile away from us which we successfully achieved. The Exocet flew thru the chaff cloud and, unfortunately began its search mode again. The Atlantic Conveyor was the largest target in its view and therefore locked onto her. A very unfortunate and sad event which could not have been predicted.
The next item has caused some controversy for many years... with Avenger claiming to have shot down the 2nd Exocet with her 4.5 inch gun, however, Exeter fired her Seadart in the surface mode having locked onto the missile using her 909 radar. At the time that I heard the radar head cease on the ESM equipment, the SeaDart Controller assessed the missile as "Hit"... although the official report states that Avenger was credited with the kill.
At no point during the war was any of the carriers hit by either bombs or missiles... most of the time the carriers spent their time outside the Total Exclusion Zone (TEZ), which would have meant the Argentine pilots would have been on a suicide mission as they would not have had enough fuel to return to mainland Argentina!
Hope this helps clear up some of the queries you may have chaps!!

As for staying 2 months longer, maybe it was providing support to the Brits after the war?


Top Gear put invincible to good use in its later years though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eiJkQzpzRc

 

[mrporoto]

You tossers go on about it like it was a video game with your imagination gone wild.If this happened if that happened!!! fucking sad asses.Young people were killed,real life not on the tv screen.My girlfriends brother was captured by the british,he was 18 year old
conscript and I don't think he would give you lot much change with your stupid fantasising!!!

 

[JamJam]

You tossers go on about it like it was a video game with your imagination gone wild.If this happened if that happened!!! fucking sad asses.Young people were killed,real life not on the tv screen.My girlfriends brother was captured by the british,he was 18 year old
conscript and I don't think he would give you lot much change with your stupid fantasising!!!

Good job he was captured by the British.
I'd hate to think what the Argentineans would have done to captured British soldiers judging by what they did to their own population at the time.

 

[Gringoboy]

Mrporoto, we are discussing several viewpoints and scenarios with regard to the war in 1982 and its subsequent knock on effects.
We are all aware of how many young people lost their lives, but that doesn't negate being able to discuss this very serious topic.
I trust that your girlfriend's brother was well treated by the British.

 

[camberiu]

You tossers go on about it like it was a video game with your imagination gone wild.If this happened if that happened!!! fucking sad asses.Young people were killed,real life not on the tv screen.My girlfriends brother was captured by the british,he was 18 year old
conscript and I don't think he would give you lot much change with your stupid fantasising!!!

I fail to see how abstaining from running "what if" scenarios on our heads, and talking about it, will lessen the pain brought by that war. The war did happen. It was a completely preventable war. People died (often painfully) for no good reason. I think everyone taking part of this debate here is well aware of that. I think you should channel your anger towards Cameron and Cristina, who are using the dispute over the islands for their own populistic reasons. Please consider the possibility that you might be barking under the wrong tree.

 

[Smcali23]

esllou, on 14 January 2013 - 09:46 PM, said:

There are already "stories" about the SAS having been on the Argentine mainland during the '82 conflict, officially denied on both sides.

There were plans on this happening but i doubt it did.
http://www.telegraph...ut-Exocets.html


It happened dude. I have a an excellent source. Nothing to do with submarines, more like a helicopter 'crash', Rio Grande, a baffled farmer and an escape through Chile.

Of course you don't have to believe me, but let's just say this source was extremely surprised that this info didn't make it into the recently released reports.

 

[Amargo]

Good job he was captured by the British.
I'd hate to think what the Argentineans would have done to captured British soldiers judging by what they did to their own population at the time.

Argentines did indeed capture quite a few British soldiers - they were well treated, probably better than the own Argentine conscripts.


And I don't know where this idea comes from that people in Argentina were randomly kidnapped and murdered during the dictatorship. There was -indeed- what nowadays occupying forces in Afghanistan call 'collateral damage', including killings of innocent people, theft of babies, etc. From a military point of view the Argentine dictatorship was well organised, ruthless and extremely efficient at eliminating 'subversive elements'. They had been trained by the French and, in turn, they trained central american armies in fighting leftwing terrorists.

 

[Amargo]

Anyway, aside of the Malvinas/Falklands conflict, this regional war is kind of frightening if you consider the possibility at the time of a conflict with USSR (another rumor: if the US were using their satellites to provide intelligence to UK, some say that USSR was also doing so with Argentina... Strange association indeed, I don't believe it). And I put France in the same bag, even with Exocets (which later sunk USS Stark).

I think the Russkies were having a ball during the Malvinas war. Some of their subs were allegedly shadowing British subs, warships, etc. and according to some reports even jamming communication among British warships. At the same time they kept watching the British fleet as it was approaching the Malvinas and a few dedicated satellites are said to have been put in orbit to watch what was happening. The success of the Exocet surely made more than one happy in Moscow.

 

[JamJam]

And I don't know where this idea comes from that people in Argentina were randomly kidnapped and murdered during the dictatorship.

From a military point of view the Argentine dictatorship was well organised, ruthless and extremely efficient at eliminating 'subversive elements'. They had been trained by the French and, in turn, they trained central american armies in fighting leftwing terrorists.

Oh dear, its been well documented that MANY people went missing during the dictatorships - I find it almost disgusting that you refer to them as 'subversive elements'. Lots of students went missing. These weren't people with guns or bombs.

 

[camberiu]

Oh dear, its been well documented that MANY people went missing during the dictatorships - I find it almost disgusting that you refer to them as 'subversive elements'. Lots of students went missing. These weren't people with guns or bombs.

I don't think you need to be armed or violent to be subversive. I think his point is that most of the people who disappeared were opponents of the regime not random folks. I don't think he was passing moral judgment or defending the practice of kidnaping people.