The Royal Navy Took Nuclear Weapons To The Falklands War

The Nuclear Information Service report estimates that there were ten warheads aboard Invincible

Daily Mail: How the Royal Navy accidentally took nuclear weapons to the Falklands War on Prince Andrew's warship

* WE.177A nuclear depth charges were on aircraft carrier HMS Invincible
* Prince flew sorties from the Invicible as a Sea King helicopter co-pilot
* The presence of the weapons was not officially confirmed until 2005

The Royal Navy mistakenly took nuclear weapons to the Falklands War, storing them aboard the ship on which Prince Andrew served.

The WE.177A nuclear depth charges were taken aboard aircraft carrier HMS Invincible, from which the Prince flew sorties as a Sea King helicopter co-pilot with 820 Naval Air Squadron.

The Nuclear Information Service report estimates that there were ten warheads aboard Invincible, 16 on the second British carrier, HMS Hermes, and more aboard support ships in the task force dispatched by Margaret Thatcher in 1982.

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WNU Editor: Nuclear depth charges .... talk about overkill in destroying an enemy sub.

Update: This is disturbing .... Britain's 110 nuclear alerts are revealed: Safety watchdog makes a mockery of the MoD's claim of just 27 ‘incidents’ in 65 years (Daily Mail).

During The 1982 Falklands War The CIA Proposed A Plan To Give The Islands To Argentina And Deport The Islanders To Scotland

Daily Mail: Revealed: CIA's secret plan to give the Falklands to Argentina and ship the islanders off to SCOTLAND

* US planned to step in and hand the islands to Argentina following the invasion
* CIA thought the British may have 'underestimated' the Argentinian military
* Top secret papers reveal that security bosses prepared to offer islanders the choice of relocating to Scotland or to stay and become Argentinian citizens

The population of the Falklands Islands could have been relocated to Scotland under a secret CIA plan, it has been revealed.

The US planned to step in and hand the islands to Argentina following the 1982 invasion.

Early indications by the CIA pointed to Britain 'underestimating' the Argentinian military in a war which was fought 8,000 miles away from London.

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WNU Editor: Why Scotland?

Was Chile Indispensable For Britain's Victory In The Falkland's War?

“Without Chile's Help, We Would Have Lost The Falklands”, Says Former RAF Intelligence -- Merco Press

Chile's support for Britain during the Falklands War has been revealed for the first time by the man who was dispatched, with only hours notice, to secure a South American ally, according to an article in the Daily Telegraph credited to Harriet Alexander.

Sidney Edwards, now aged 80, was then a 47-year-old official in the RAF. In conditions of upmost secrecy, he was to play a key role in the conflict, awarded an OBE for his efforts – and believes that Chile's support was vital to the British victory.

Then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was reportedly so reliant on his intelligence updates she nicknamed them “Sidgrams”.

“My personal opinion – and I think one which was shared by my bosses at the Ministry of Defense and by Margaret Thatcher – is that the help we received from Chile was absolutely crucial,” he said. “Without it, we would have lost the war.”

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My Comment: The British would have still found a way to win the war. Wow .... 32 years since the end of the conflict .... the time flies. At the time I was an "intern" working at the Soviet foreign office .... we were all told to write up a paper on what was our assessment on the conflict. I wrote the dissenting opinion (almost everyone believed that Argentina was going to persevere and get what they want through negotiations) in which I said the British were going to win. My reason for my prediction was simple .... and I must my credit my father for telling me on what was going to happen .... the Argentinians only experience with war and conflict was to intimidate and scare their population. The British experience with war goes back centuries .... in short .... the British have been constantly fighting wars for centuries .. it's in their blood. In retrospect .... the Argentinians never had a chance.

A month after the end of the Falkland's War .... I was promoted.

The Secret Disastrous SAS Attempt To Invade Argentina During The Falklands War Revealed

The Secret Disastrous SAS Attempt To Invade Argentina Revealed: In The Falklands War, Crack Troops Go On A Suicidal Mission To Storm Galtieri's Exocet Missile Base. This Is Their Story - Told For The First Time -- Daily Mail

* SAS troop were ordered to attack an Argentina missile base
* Operation Plum Duff's mission was to enter an air base called Rio Grande
* A troop of eight struggled for over a week on the Argentine plains
* Given inadequate equipment, little information and useless maps

It was dark, freezing cold and 0800 GMT. Or, more significantly, ‘five o’clock, local, in the bloody morning’. Behind their captain, the SAS troopers were dragging their equipment on to the sodden Patagonian grass. The penultimate leg of 6 Troop’s long approach to battle had ended. From here it was up to them.

As the Sea King helicopter’s distinctive clatter faded towards the west-north-west, troop commander Captain Andrew Lawrence allowed himself a few moments to reflect. There was a sinking feeling in his stomach.

The task was to reach Rio Grande, a closely defended air base some 70 miles away. Once there, they were to attack a detachment of Argentina’s Super Etendarde fighter planes and their deadly load of Exocet missiles.

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My Comment: I heard about this mission a few years ago .... but I never knew what the details were until now.

Whales Were Torpedoed By The British Warship HMS Brilliant During The Falklands War

Contact: HMS Brilliant, a Type 22 frigate of the Royal Navy, killed three whales after mistaking them for enemy submarines while engaged in the Falklands War, it has emerged

British Warship HMS Brilliant Torpedoed WHALES During Falklands War After Mistaking Them For Enemy Submarines -- Daily Mail

Radar on the war ship registered whales as 'Wolf Packs' enemy submarines
New eyewitness testimony has emerged of the tense days in 1982

A British warship fired on and killed three whales during the Falklands War after mistaking them for enemy submarines.

The startling revelation is contained within new eyewitness accounts of the tense days aboard anti-submarine frigate HMS Brilliant during the 1982 conflict in the southern seas.

Radar on the Royal Navy ship was unable to distinguish between attacking 'Wolf Packs' of subs and a pod of whales.

In one instance, two of the mammals were killed by torpedoes and the third was attacked by one of the ship’s helicopters.

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My Comment: And we are learning about this only now .... 30 years later? I guess they wanted to keep their radar vulnerability a secret.

Falkland War Files Released

Falklands Invasion 'Surprised' Thatcher -- BBC

The 1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands by Argentina caught Margaret Thatcher by surprise, newly released government papers have shown.

The then-prime minister only saw it was likely after getting "raw intelligence" two days before the Argentines landed.

Papers released under the 30-year rule show Mrs Thatcher was acutely worried about retaking the islands.

One historian said the documents were among the "most powerful material" declassified in the last three decades.

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More News On The Release of The Falkland War Files

Thatcher papers: 'worst moment' of her life -- Bloomberg Businessweek/AP
Falklands telegrams reveal UK response to invasion -- BBC
Thatcher was ready for Falkland Islands deal, National Archives papers show -- The Guardian
Secret UK files lift lid on Thatcher-Reagan Falklands contacts -- Reuters
Britain's approach on the Falklands: neglect and hope for the best -- The Guardian
Documents reveal US-UK split over South Georgia landing -- ITV
Reagan pleaded with Thatcher not to retake Falklands -- Financial Times
Haig Wanted to Tell Argentina U.K.’s Falklands Plans -- Bloomberg Businessweek
How US nearly betrayed us to the enemy: Secretary of State threatened to tell Argentina British troops were landing on South Georgia -- Daily Mail
Maggie's war with treacherous Mitterrand over Exocet missile: Archive files reveal relationship with France was stretched to breaking point -- Daily Mail
Thatcher urged to steal French-made Exocet missiles during Falklands war -- The Guardian
British government considered pulling out of 1982 World Cup as Falklands war broke out, archive files reveal -- Daily Mail

My Comment: When the Falklands War broke out I asked my father and his war buddies (my father and his buddies were World War II vets who fought on the Soviet side) who did they think was going to win. Their answer was immediate and unanimous and their rational was the following .... the British military is a military force that has been fighting wars for centuries, while the Argentinians had zero experience on how to fight against a professional military. They gave the Argentinians two to three months before they would capitulate. They were right .... the war lasted 74 days.

Liberation Day In Port Stanley 15.06.12 (Video)

Hat Tip: Theo Spark

A War Photographer Get's 'That Picture' Which Also Almost Killed Him

(Click on Image to Enlarge)
Bravery: The snapper, who has never been named, somehow survived the Falklands War attack by two A4 Skyhawks on May 25, 1982.

Staring Down Death Through A Lens: Incredible Picture Shows Moment Two Argentine Fighter Jets Wwooped Down On Falklands War Photographer -- Daily Mail

* Unknown snapper captured the surprise assault that sank the destroyer HMS Coventry and claimed 19 lives

This is the moment a daredevil photographer stared down death through his lens - as two Argentine fighter jets swooped on the ship he was standing on.

The snapper, who has never been named, somehow survived the Falklands War attack by two A4 Skyhawks on May 25, 1982.

The Argentine Air Force had tasked its pair of prized pilots to take out HMS Coventry and HMS Broadsword - the two British ships on duty to the northwest of the disputed archipelago.

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My Comment: That's tempting fate.

The Captain Of HMS Coventry Recalls The Horror Of His Ship Sinking In The Falklands War

HMS Coventry. Wikipedia

David Hart Dyke, The Captain Of HMS Coventry Recalls The Horror Of His Ship Sinking In The Falklands War: 'It Was Black, With People On Fire...' -- The Telegraph

David Hart Dyke, captain of HMS Coventry and father of comedian Miranda Hart, relives the horror of losing his ship in the Falklands War.

The memories of the final moments leading up to the fatal attack on HMS Coventry during the Falklands War are vivid for David Hart Dyke; when he speaks of them, his voice still cracks with emotion. Hart Dyke was the captain of the Coventry, one of three Type 42 destroyers that were part of the task force sent by Margaret Thatcher to liberate the Falklands after Argentina invaded three decades ago.

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My Comment: A riveting war story. Read it all.

Remebering The Sinking Of The Belgrano

The sinking of the Belgrano was seized upon by anti-war foes of Margaret Thatcher, the prime minister Photo: AP

Thirty Years On, Argentine Survivors Of The Belgrano Sinking Recall The Moment Falklands War Erupted Around Them -- The Telegraph

It may be 30 years since the Argentine cruiser Belgrano was sunk in the first British attack of the Falklands war, but for survivors it might have been yesterday.

It was perhaps the most controversial episode of the Falklands War and brought its single heaviest loss of life.

Thirty years later, the sinking of the General Belgrano cruiser, with the deaths of 323 Argentine crewmen, still arouses deep emotions and fierce debate.

Despite its advancing years, the vessel was the most potent in the junta's navy. After it was sunk on May 2, 1982, by two torpedoes fired by HMS Conqueror, a nuclear-powered Royal Navy submarine, no Argentine vessel left port again during the conflict.

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My Comment: One more reason why Argentina should never invade the Falklands again.

Remembering The Falklands War 30 Years Later

Falklands War Wounds Still Fresh, 30 Years Later -- CNN

(CNN) -- The war itself lasted for less than three months. But 30 years on, wounds from the Falklands war are fresh, and Britain and Argentina are still at odds over the chilly, windswept island chain in the South Atlantic.

Monday marks the 30th anniversary of the start of the war over the Falklands, which Argentina calls Las Malvinas.

Britain won the 74-day war that began with an Argentine invasion attempt, but Argentina still presses claims to the islands, which are home to more than 3,000 people.

Read more ....

More News On The 30 Year Anniversary Of The Falklands War

Falkland Islands: Overview -- The Guardian
Falkland islands: Overview -- The Telegraph

Britain and Argentina set to mark 30 year anniversary of Falklands invasion -- The Telegraph
Falklands War anniversary brings renewed tensions -- CBC
Tensions high on 30th anniversary of Falklands war -- AFP
30 years after Falklands war, visible scars remain -- AP
Falklands anniversary: Cameron repeats self-determination pledge -- The Guardian
Candle for war dead as Britain marks Falklands invasion -- AFP
Britain reaffirms commitment to Falklands -- Sydney Morning Herald
UK condemns Argentinian Falklands protests -- Sydney Morning Herald

Argentina still wants Falklands 30 years after war -- AP
Argentine President criticises UK's 'absurd' claim on the Falklands -- The Telegraph
Protesters burn effigy of Prince William as mob attempts to storm the British Embassy in Argentina -- Daily Mail
Argentine protesters outside British embassy -- BBC
Prince William burned in effigy on Falklands War anniversary -- L.A. Times
Argentina anger at UK refusal to discuss Falklands -- Irish Times
Argentina chides Britain on Falklands war anniversary -- Reuters

Falklands 'vulnerable to attack' -- Press Association
Warning over potential Falklands invasion -- AFP

Falkland Islands thriving 30 years after war -- BBC
Still scarred by Falklands conflict -- Sydney Morning Herald
Argentina is still fighting a losing battle for the Falklands -- Washington Post editorial
Tensions high on 30th anniversary of Falklands war -- France 24 editorial
Cameron must heed the Falklands lessons -- Daily Mail
Falklands War: Why the battle continues 30 years later (+video) -- Jonathan Gilbert, Christian Science Monitor
Falkland Islands: How strong is Argentina's position? -- John Simpson, BBC
Falklands anniversary: In pictures -- BBC
The Falklands War: timeline -- The Telegraph

The Plan To Bomb Argentina During The Falklands War Disclosed For The First Time

Midnight runs: The Vulcan bombers were prepared to fly just 300ft over Argentina to destroy runways using bombs with a 1,000lbs payload. Daily Mail

How The RAF Drew Op Plans To Attack Argentina Over The Falklands In 1982 -- The Telegraph

RAF bomber crews trained to attack mainland Argentina to flatten its airfields in retaliation for any attempt to retake the Falkland Islands, it can be disclosed for the first time.

Vulcan bombers, designed for nuclear raids on Russia, trained night and day in Scotland and Canada for a low level attack hundreds of miles deep into Argentine sovereign territory, a new book has shown.

The news is likely to further strain the poor relations between Britain and Argentina that have been at their lowest since in the Falklands War in the lead up to the 30th anniversary of the invasion.

The plans were drawn up by Air Commodore Simon Baldwin, who was the wing commander in charge of the last remaining Vulcan squadron in 1982.

Read more ....

Update: RAF bomber crews 'trained to attack airfields deep inside Argentina in daring night-raids' to prevent new Falklands attack -- Daily Mail

My Comment: Thank God they did not need to go through with the mission.

A British "Suicide Mission" During The Falklands War

The Secret Falklands 'Suicide Mission' -- The Telegraph

The story of the Falklands soldiers who refused to carry out a dangerous raid on an Argentine fighter base.

Five in the morning, May 21 1982, seven weeks into the Falklands conflict. The Argentine radar operator at Rio Grande airbase, on the island of Tierra del Fuego, is looking forward to his bed. Outside, rain is blowing across the deserted airfield.

The blip appears out of nowhere, 25 miles out to sea, coming in fast and low. Suddenly alert, the operator calls over his duty officer, but the blip has already faded.

Out over the South Atlantic, two C130 Hercules transports of 47 Squadron Royal Air Force battle through the night. Buffeted by strong headwinds, they skim the waves at 50 feet to evade detection. The co-pilots peer through night‑vision goggles, guiding the pilots towards the coast, one lapse enough to cause disaster. Night vision is in its infancy, the devices a secret gift from the Americans. Tension mounts as landfall over Argentina approaches, the conclusion of a 13‑hour flight from Ascension Island involving two mid-air rendezvous with Victor tankers.

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My Comment: This would have been a suicide mission.

France's Role In The Falkland's War

How France Helped Both Sides In The Falklands War -- BBC

In his memoirs, former UK Defence Secretary Sir John Nott describes France as Britain's "greatest ally" during the Falklands War. But formerly secret papers and other evidence seen by the BBC show that was not the full story.

Before the war, France sold Argentina's military junta five Exocet missiles.

At the time, few suspected that the regime's longstanding claim on the Falklands would lead to war, and the sale went largely unnoticed. But when in May 1982 these Exocet missiles were used to strike Britain's HMS Sheffield and Atlantic Conveyor, with the loss of 32 British lives, near panic ensued in London.

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My Comment: As the old saying goes .... with friends like this, who needs enemies.

An On The Ground Report On the Brutality Of The Falklands War

A Very Dirty War: British Soldiers Shot Dead By Enemy Troops Waving The White Flag And Argentinian Prisoners Bayoneted In Cold Blood. An Ex-Para Tells Of The Horrors Of The Falklands -- Daily Mail

In this brutally candid series, ex-Para Tony Banks tells of his emotional journey from battlefield atrocities to forgiveness and redemption.

The Falklands War was short, sharp and very nasty. The fighting I experienced as a young soldier in the Parachute Regiment was, at times like something out of World War I. We fought at close quarters, clearing trenches of Argentinian troops with bayonets and grenades.

I saw close friends killed and mutilated, crying for their mothers as the life ebbed from them. I witnessed wounded and badly burned men writhing, screaming in agony.

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My Comment: When the war broke out, I asked my father (a vet from the Second World War) who did he think was going to win. His answer was very quick .... the British. The reason why .... after centuries of conflict the British knew what war was all about, and their soldiers were trained accordingly. The Argentinians had nowhere near the same type of training, and were not prepared mentally and through their training for such a conflict. After reading this Daily Mail article, I have a better understanding on what my father was thinking 30 years ago.

FIFA Warns Argentine FA On Falkland's War Link

Back in action: The Argentine league resumed last week

FIFA Warns Argentine FA Over Naming Top Division After Sunk Belgrano Warship -- Daily Mail

FIFA have warned the Argentina Football Association that the move to rename their top league after the General Belgrano cruiser sunk during the Falklands War may breach rules on political involvement with football.

It was announced last week that the country's domestic league will be known as the Crucero General Belgrano First Division.

FIFA, the game's world governing body, have now written to the Argentina FA for clarification and pointed out the rules.

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More News On Argentina's Football Association Naming Their Top league After General Belgrano

Fifa concerned by reports that Argentina's first division has been renamed Belgrano -- AFP
FIFA asks Argentina to explain Falklands link -- FOX News
Fifa warns Argentina over plan to rename league after General Belgrano -- The Guardian
FIFA asks Argentina to explain league naming link to ship sunk during Falklands conflict -- Washington Post/AP
Link to Falklands war draws FIFA's ire -- ESPN Soccer/AP

My Comment: If Argentina's FA wanted publicity with this stunt .... they got it in spades.

How The First Shots Of The Falklands War Crippled An Argentine Submarine

The Argentine submarine Santa Fe which Parry disabled

'How I Fired The First Shots Of The Falklands War And Crippled An Argentine Submarine': A Gripping Tale Of Heroism By Navy Leutenant Chris Parry -- Daily mail

This diary was written during the Falklands Crisis on assorted scraps of paper and in an old Government-issue exercise book. I remember I wanted to leave an account of my unvarnished thoughts as they occurred, before the mice of hindsight and discretion got to work.

Stored away carelessly almost as soon as the conflict ended, the diary was thought to have been lost in the wake of the break-up of my first marriage. But when I retired in 2008, I opened my old naval steel trunk – and the individual pages tumbled out.

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My Comment: A truly gripping tale. Let's hope it does not happen again.

The Falklands War In Pictures

ARA Belgrano sinking

WNU Editor: The photo gallery starts here.

Enemies In War, Friends 30 Years Later

Reunited: Falklands veteran Neil Wilkinson came face-to-face with Argentinian pilot Mariano Velasco who he thought he had killed in the war

Pilot Who Shot Down Argentinian Fighter Jet In Falklands War Comes Face To Face With The Man He Thought He Had Killed… And Now They’re Best Of Friends -- Daily Mail

For 25 years, Neil Wilkinson, a Royal Navy Gunner from Leeds, lived with the guilt of shooting down an Argentinian pilot during the Falklands War.

Day after day, images of the Douglas A4 Skyhawk jet bursting into a plume of smoke and plunging into the Falklands hills, played on his troubled mind.

When the war began in April 1982, Neil was a 22-year-old able seaman living in Portsmouth.

'I really just joined the navy to see the world and to get paid for it,' Neil, now 52, says, 'I never envisaged going to war. I’d only been in the navy three years.'

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My Comment: Neil Wilkinson is lucky .... his nightmare of taking another human life is not true.

Was The Sinking Of The Argentine Warship Belgrano Justified

The Argentine cruiser General Belgrano Photo: AP

Belgrano Was Heading To The Falklands, Secret Papers Reveal -- The Telegraph

Top secret papers are set to prove that the warship Belgrano was heading into the Falkland's exclusion zone when it was sunk, and not heading back to port as the Argentinians claimed.

For decades debate and recrimination has raged over where the ship was heading when it was torpedoed by a Royal Navy submarine.

Britain received international criticism after the sinking after the Argentine Junta announced that the warship had been returning to its home port and was outside the 200 mile exclusion zone imposed by Whitehall.

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My Comment: I still remember the sinking very clearly today. To me .... there was a state of war between the two countries .... and what the Argentinians fail to realize at the time was that the Brits were not going to take any chances with their task force in the South Atlantic. The sinking also served to shock the Argentinians with the realization that they were now at war .... and there were going to be consequences. As it turned out .... the military junta in Argentina quickly lost credibility, moral among the armed forces plummeted, and the Generals themselves were eventually kicked out.