1982: Falklands War - Lethal Air Attacks On British Ships

'On This Day 1982: Falklands War - Lethal Air Attacks On British Ships'
Surprise airstrikes from Argentine Skyhawk jets on the RFA support ships Sir Galahad and Sir Tristram at Bluff Cove left both vessels badly damaged and ablaze.
The fighter planes attacked before British forces had set up any anti-aircraft defences and killed 50 servicemen - 48 onboard the Sir Galahad, including 32 Welsh Guards who had been waiting to be taken ashore.
Helicopter pilots were praised for their bravery - flying into thick black smoke to rescue soldiers from both the ships' decks and from the water.
#FalklandsWar #Falklands40 #BluffCove #SirGalahad #SirTristram
🎥 Subscribe to our KZbin channel (tap the bell icon and stay up to date with all the latest On This Day videos!) - / onthisdayitnp
🎥 Follow us on Twitter - / onthisdayitnp
🎥 Like us on Facebook - / onthisdayitnp
🎥 Check out our TikTok - / onthisdayitnp

[@catherinemorey9289]

Christopher hailwood who died on The Sir Galahad was my friend at secondary school in Crewe Cheshire in the 1960s!!! He was a great lad and a very brave naval serviceman and I think of him often!!! God bless Christopher I will always remember you with great pride and affection!!! Anthony Oconnor formerly of 157 Ruskin Road Crewe Cheshire England ❤

[@Killadey]

My dad served in the Falklands war with the royal navy. I hadn't looked into this conflict much until recently, maybe it was too close to home. I've been watching some videos recently and I can see why It's took me until age 42 to be ready to handle it. My dad has talked occasionally over the years about his experiences there, but I think as a kid my brain couldn't accept that it was real, I couldn't really appreciate how close I was to losing my dad. The bravery and ingenuity shown was incredible and I'm in awe of those who served there, but I'm also heartbroken for the people who had to suffer because of a few people's stupid actions.

[@NicolasTorres-w9o]

Vamos Argentina... Un saludo a la reina de parte de las FAA

[@Killadey]

@Llllllll173 Hi there mate. My Dad's name is Terry Deans, he was a caterer on the Minerva. 👍

[@Killadey]

@@NicolasTorres-w9o Our Queen has already passed away friend 😉 Lets let history be history. Greetings from UK and Viva la libertad, carajo!

[@carlosenriquez1371]

"because of a few people's stupid actions" . You just defined the cause of 99,99% of wars.

[@carlosenriquez1371]

@@NicolasTorres-w9o medio desubicado tu comentario. No fue un partido de fútbol sino una guerra en donde murieron soldados de ambos lados. Espacialmente del nuestro.

[@cesardaconceicao567]

These are very sad pictures. I remember when I saw them for the first time on TV News and was very impressed. We suffered something similar but on the high seas and with more deaths when the General Belgrano Cruiser was torpedoed and sunk. The tragic balance of wars. God save ALL those who fell in that war in Heaven and give peace to their loved ones. An affectionate greeting from Argentina.🇦🇷

[@Will-b7g]

Finally an Argentine that has respect

[@rafaelzalazar5353]

Excelente documental: muchas gracias y saludos desde Argentina.

[@Mr121john]

Brave men the Welsh guards never to be forgotten survived and lost many Thanks.

[@iftikharfaridy2974]

Though am a Argie supporter . . Still . . Bravo for the Chopper pilots . . Their flying and rescue efforts were extraordinary . . .

[@hamishglenn4900]

If you're an Argie 'supporter', I've got bad news for you: the invasion failed.

[@okmillo5077]

Due to the bombs that never exploded, if we count that they exploded, there would be approximately 12 ships lost.

[@patrickcallaghan8577]

I think HMS Plymouth alone had 4 bomb hits with none exploding. The Argentine Air Force Daggers and Skyhawks came in so fast and low the bombs didn't have time to arm.

[@mattrasp1615]

That’s honestly crazy. Do bombs not explode that commonly? Or is it just outdated firepower. (In this time period ofcourse)

[@berteisenbraun7415]

I think the did not arm the bombs right.

[@0Kosuka]

@@mattrasp1615 The bombs were dropped from such short distance at low altitude and high speed (the pilots had to basically skim just above sea level to avoid radar detection for as much as possible, punch hard and fast and then get out before anyone could retaliate. They dropped their payloads at approximately 50 meters distance) that the bombs 3 second timer couldn't engage on time for the bomb to arm before impact. Due to the speed and mass of the projectile, those could even punch though the whole ship and detonate on water on the other side if the conditions were right (pilots were instructed to hit engines and ammo depots to avoid that) Great effort from the FAA, they did a lot with what they had available.

[@OldHatefulCracka-zo6sm]

I can’t believe a bomb doesn’t just explode on impact 3 second timer ?? Who tf invented that bomb

[@sichere]

Bluff Cove was under observation from Argentine commandos on Mount Harriet and the Sir Ghallahad was due to disembark at night but was running late. A Royal Marine, Major Ewen Southby-Tailyour, ordered the Welsh Guards to disembark at Fitzroy “Nobody is going to Bluff Cove, unless they walk. and march the 5 miles over- land. Southby-Tailyour, was senior in rank to both of the officers commanding the two Guards companies and gave them a direct order to disembark but they refused. Had the Welsh Guard’s officers listened to the Navy’s advice, they would have disembarked at Fitzroy immediately instead of waiting to be taken to Bluff Cove, a wait which cost many lives.

[@mh53j]

Pretty sure I read that the landing craft that were to be used to offload the Guardsmen had been commandeered by the Paras for some reason and weren't available. I've also read and saw an interview with the Guards officers saying what Southby-Tailyour said was nonsense. The entire move was pretty risky, trying to rush the Guardsmen in too quick so they didn't miss out. Interservice rivalry...we do it in the US as well with disastrous results. Operation Eagle Claw and the invasion of Grenada immediately come to mind.

[@sichere]

@@mh53j The US had a lot of inter service problems during Operation Eagle Claw. The RM Officer Southby-Taylor did order the Guardsmen off as the RFA was running late as per usual in reality he was of senior rank but the Army officers refused and the rest is history.

[@ianlee487]

These pictures that you are watching you had to be there it was heartbreaking from a 2 para veteran RIP my brothers.

[@issa3522]

God bless these courageous pilots for their selfless heroism and bravery.

[@underarmbowlingincidentof1981]

I like the factual presentation always spiced up with slight overexaggerations here and there

[@shanemcdowall]

The Argentine Navy was lucky not to lose the Veinticinco de Mayo. Had they launched their Skyhawks the planes would have been tracked back to the carrier. Also the VdM was chased back to port by two British submarines. Mark Felton has done a good video on this.

[@vwtransportersandmotorcycl3729]

All 3 services working together, the might might of the British! RIP to those that never came home!

[@adambane1719]

"The might of Britain"..... Yeah sure. Thrashing some poor third world country, lol !

[@vwtransportersandmotorcycl3729]

@@adambane1719 Argentina isn’t a 3rd world country. What Britain achieved Militarily for a small country was amazing. We were outnumbered, it was a logistical nightmare which generals said couldn’t be done! We lost most of our helicopters and kit when the freight ship was sunk so the soldiers had a ‘Tab’ everywhere, something the British squaddie is good at. We were up against modern weapons, some of which supplied by the British, Americans and France. Their Skyhawks were technically superior to the Harrier in every way, yet they never shot one out of the sky in ‘air to air’ combat, yet the Harrier shot down quite a few! The Argentinians devastated our Navy from the air with massive loss of life to the British!! From what I know of 3rd world countries, they don’t tend to have that kind of firepower!! Your argument makes no sense!!

[@adambane1719]

@@vwtransportersandmotorcycl3729 First of all its not "we", because you didnt do jack all, and second, Britain at that time was one of the top militarised and powerful nuclear armed nations in the world.... versus a backwards banana Republic with 10 planes and 8 missiles and with little to NO military history or experience. You have absolutely NO idea about what you are talking about, matey.

[@vwtransportersandmotorcycl3729]

@@adambane1719 Now you’re being pedantic! And how does that matter? They picked a fight and they lost. An attacking force needs to be bigger and have more firepower to win in battle, thats how it works. I think its you that doesn’t know what you’re on about….matey

[@facundogonzalez3127]

@adambane1719 Deberias informarte mas antes de hablar ingenuidades,Argentina poseía mas de 100 aviones y no 10. Tambien tenía misiles antiaereos y antibuques. Que argentina haya manejado mal la guerra no quiere decir que sea un pais tercermundista. Informesé mas antes de hablar!

[@ivajdth]

Gran registro ...no.sabia que tenian tripulacion oriental

[@adamlee3772]

A lot of Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels did, many from Hong Kong, as did a lot of UK flagged merchant ships, I remember quite a few perished on Atlantic Conveyor and my father telling me when he was on Shell Tankers as en engineering officer he had a lot of Asian crews.

[@davidrobinson8337]

Takes beret off. Those poor fellas.

[@DonWan47]

A disaster of the Guards making.

[@okmillo5077]

I doubt HMS Invincible was hit but photos of the conflict show changes.

[@d-rob5513]

And if my granny was born with a pair of bollocks she would be my grandad ! 🤷🏼 irreverent statement mate as it didn’t happened.

[@carlosenriquez1371]

Please add photos/sources. Thanks.

[@mh53j]

Invincible was never hit.

[@reypempers5076]

​@@mh53jsegún la historia oficial inglesa si fue golpeado pero paso por arriba y le dio a un helicóptero para luego caer al mar

[@edmund184]

Is this an ignorant statement: How can so many of our ships be hit without adequate external defence?

[@AndresRamirez-rl9xq]

El problema en esa época eran los Radares no tenían tanta tecnología cómo ahora y los Pilotos Argentinos eran expertos en vuelo rasante a baja altura y los radares no lo detectaban solamente a pocos kilómetros de sus navíos y ya era tarde estaban arriba de sus barcos atacandolos y la mayoría de las bombas no explotaron por esa razón porque volaban muy bajo y rápido y esas bombas estaban diseñadas para otros propósitos y no para un ataque antibuque y son reconocidos por todo el Mundo por eso y después de esa Guerra se cambiaron las tácticas en la Guerra Antibuques

[@patrickcallaghan8577]

If I remember correctly, this was a wakeup call to NATO and the CIWS (phalanx) system was developed for all of our warships.

[@Jake-nd5ub]

Can't speak for the RN ships but RFA ships and merchant millatry ship they don't really have anythings to defend themselves with just a couple of old 20mms 😢

[@mh53j]

These weren't warships; doubt they had air search radar capable of picking up low flying combat aircraft and they had limited anti aircraft weapons on board: Sir Galahad listed as having 1-40mm gun, Sir Tristram as 2-40mm guns; kind of useless against low flying "fast-movers." The "air defense" was supposed to be land based Rapier missiles that hadn't yet been set up. Earlier in the campaign it took quite a while to get them set up and adjusted at the San Carlos beachhead. In the final analysis, they weren't really that effective, their "kills" greatly exaggerated; only 1 Argentine aircraft can be attributed to it.

[@BiffJackson-o4i]

How the hell did these two troop ships end up unprotected without anti-aircraft or destroyer escorts while troops ashore were fishing. Just like WW2 the Brits are lollygagging about in a war zone.

[@carlosenriquez1371]

They could not anticipate that argentinian pilots would be able to fly so dangerously close to the water, so the radars just couldn't detect them.

[@SnakePliskin762]

Ships where spread out all over the task force to defend it. Somebody made the decision that the troops onboard couldnt cover the distance on foot so decided to move them closer by ship. It was a catalogue of errors combined before you start slagging off British forces.

[@cameroncurrie7208]

That was the year I joined the Canadian army.

[@gino3286]

very sad story indeed What puzzles me is that very few accept the fact that ALL warships were vulnerable and even more now when hypersonic antiship missiles are readily available They are very vulnerable because of their size and slowness I was watching a high speed manouvre of mighty aircfrat carrier It takes an afternoon to be completed exposing itself very much to possible attacks 13 billions buy almost 10 thousands Harpoons just to say If you shoot 6 or 7 of them no ship would survive For just 10 millions consider that a serious ship cost starts at 1 billion Do you see the madness ? in ww2 Japanese kamikaze were destroying the US fleet Only the nukes gave the victory to USA Nukes are very effective to end conflicts that seem more deadly games Ok it is a business I see

[@slobama]

Sitting ducks. No proper defense

[@tonyramdial9651]

The camander of that batatlion should be court martialed for failing to protect his his ships and men with AAA guns. He didn't take being in a war seriously.

[@fernandogarcia-wq1qm]

bienvenidos a la argentina!

[@d-rob5513]

Welcome to losing the Falklands war 🇬🇧 over 13000 Argentine troops couldn’t defend an island that they had been prepared to defend for a couple of months from an initially smaller task force sailing from over 8000 miles away. All the odds were in Argentinas favour ! Britain expected to lose ships so this was a footnote in Argentinas embarrassing loss. Come and take it back anytime you like as it went so well last time you tried 👍

[@carlosenriquez1371]

Che loco soy argentino. Mostra respeto porque hubo gente que murio en ese ataque. Esto no es futbol. Acordate que de nuestro lado murieron muchos mas en el Belgrano. Y pasaron exactamento lo que ves en el video, pero peor, en aguas mas profundas.

[@carlosenriquez1371]

@@d-rob5513 never mind the total lack of respect of my countrymen. Both sides had brave men. UK had more skilled ones and won the war, period. Was not easy, though. Never is. My respect for those who died on both side, including some friends of mine.

[@sorbets1]

I need to ask the question….did we lose?

[@scaraboo3624]

Yes. Maggie destroyed the economy thanks to this war

[@albertoluzon9079]

En las guerras pierde todo el mundo. De los 2 países terminaron con problemas mentales y suicidios

[@rafalemarine5063]

Bravo les Argentins et les Super Étendard Français équipés avec le missile anti-navire Exocet 👍👍😉💥💥💥.

[@franciscojaviergarciasanch2921]

Si el Exocet fue cosa fina y fue una buena idea que lo probarán los británicos ,

[@holasoynico165]

Que lindo

[@crazytanks2001]

Your 649 didn't return home

[@curamalal2784]

Thats what happen when the pirates mess in the wrong territory

[@fasfas8999]

Air Force Argentine The Death .......)))

[@crazytanks2001]

Who quickly surrendered

[@fasfas8999]

@@crazytanks2001 Argentine air force never surrendered infantery yes.....anyway the large distance technology ignorant see videos

[@commandbrawler9348]

​​@@fasfas8999 learn English, you speak nonsense

[@cristiansilviobernachea8807]

kkkkkkkk, nice, asado albion,jajajajajajajajajaj

[@adamlee3772]

Rule Britannia, Britannia Sank The Belgrano and The Falklands will forever be British.

[@nineofnine]

Why is the narrator exaggerating the facts...we are watching the facts you are trying to exaggerate!!!

[@carlosenriquez1371]

Nope. Not exaggerated. Google about Simon Weton, a Welsh veteran and you'll give an idea...

[@SP-qo3pd]

Back when London had White People.

[@maratonlegendelenemirei3352]

This looks like a nice piece of staged propaganda.

[@okmillo5077]

Argentina caused a lot of damage with little.

[@patrickcallaghan8577]

It wasn't

[@RayCyst310]

Attention seeking twot

[@baphomet66and6]

Which part of the news report or narrative is staged like.?

[@vwtransportersandmotorcycl3729]

I doubt the families of the Welsh guards who died on Galahad would agree that it was staged, what a comment 🤦‍♂️