Themes

Conflict and Change

• Introduction

• In Focus: 1900

• In Focus: World War One

• In Focus: Interwar

• In Focus: World War Two

• In Focus: Post War Conflict

• In Focus: Cold War Climate

• In Focus: Falklands and Beyond

• Special Exhibition: Falklands 25

  • - Early History

  • - Preparing for war

  • - 74 days of conflict

  • - On the front page

  • - Coming home

  • - Voices of War

Learning

• How To: Understand Propaganda

• Propaganda Image Galleries

• Education Project: Sea With Your Own Eyes

74 days of conflict

Article highlights

• 74 days of conflict

• Harriers and helos

• The heart of the Task Force

• Silent Hunters

• Tankers, tugs and the Great White Whale

• Under attack

• 'Bungs, wedges and woolley bear suits'

• Into Bomb Alley

• Harrass and deceive

• The yomp to Stanley

• 'Mother Hen' and the 'Red and Green Life Machine'

“It did seem as though there was this large ship floating around very lightly armed”

James Matthews Chief Mechanic, HMS Coventry, referring to Type 42 Destroyer

Under attack

Bombardment of Stanley airfield by David Cobb (RNM)

Crews felt vulnerable with no shore-based air cover. They feared attack from aircraft armed with bombs, cannon and the dreaded Exocet missile as well as surface ships and submarines. They relied on their own defences for protection.

The Navy had designed ships to face high-flying Russian aircraft, not fast sea-skimming missiles. Sea Harrier patrols from the Carrier Battle Group could deter or intercept attacking aircraft. Type 42 destroyers carried Sea Dart missiles to target distant aircraft, while Type 22 frigates had Sea Wolf missiles to counter Exocets and closer aircraft. However, neither missile system had been tested in war. Crews often had little warning as attacks came in below radar.

Another defence was ‘chaff’, clouds of aluminium strips, launched to divert an incoming missile. As a last resort, sailors fired machine guns and rifles from the upper decks and even used distress flares and powerful signal lights to distract pilots.

The Argentinians lost over 100 aircraft but sank six British ships and damaged a further 12. Incorrectly set fuses meant that many Argentinian bombs passed right through ships before exploding or failed to explode at all.