SS ATLANTIC CONVEYOR - 1982 MERCHANT AIRCRAFT CARRIER BRIEF - NO.29

Atlantic Conveyor was a British merchant navy ship, registered in Liverpool, that was requisitioned during the Falklands War.
She was hit on 25 May 1982 by two Argentine air-launched AM39 Exocet missiles, killing 12 sailors. Atlantic Conveyor sank whilst under tow on 28 May 1982.
board of inquiry - web.archive.org/web/200903110...
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[@ianpowell6443]

This was the last ship I worked on (4th Engineer) having worked for Cunard Brocklebank for 4 years and was made redundant 3 weeks before the ship was requisitioned for the Falklands. This was during major cutbacks due to rocketing oil prices when ships and oil rigs were being sold or mothballed. Cunard applied a 'last in, first out' redundancy policy as I understand it, which I felt was fair. I was 22, 63 now. Apparently the 'Conveyor' was being prepped to sell to the Americans as a floating military store. I was on her for about 3 months or so in Liverpool. It was during the bad winter of 1981-82 when temperatures in Scotland fell to around -26 deg c. I recall it was freezing working on a dead ship with only shoreside power. There were only a few of us on her. I remember Captain North and the Mechanic who had 7 children, so I was told. Both men where amongst those who died. Again, I can only go on what I was told - as a 'boy', presumably teenager, Captain North was one of 2 survivors having been torpedoed and the ship sank. I seem to think this was the Atlantic convoys of WWII. He told me his back was "blown open" and it stung like hell in the sea water. I had my eye on the spare stern lamp in the stores, solid copper, or maybe brass. About 3 feet tall with 3 lenses, it would have looked very well next to the fireplace - and the American's wouldn't have missed it! Unfortunately the opportunity never presented itself. Had it done so, it would have given me some pleasure to have returned it to the Company to display as I suspect it would be the only thing left above sea level.

[@suelord2075]

I was a child at the time but my Dad was the ACL Terminal Ops Manager at Seaforth when you were laid up - we came over to the ship and spent the day with Captain North around Christmas ‘81. I remember him being a lovely man.

[@wolfecanada6726]

My distant cousin was military commander of the Atlantic Conveyor, Michael Layard, I had a chance to speak with him in 1982 in Wales after he returned home on leave after the sinking. Awesome for a then 10 year old to get a first hand account.

[@vicjones3992]

A lovely chap the Admiral - retired to Somerset - knew him well - still going strong

[@wolfecanada6726]

@@vicjones3992 Very good to hear. I only met him the one time, at his parents sheep farm near Abergavenny

[@vicjones3992]

I remember seeing Conveyor in the docks at Liverpool when I was a lad - she was a pretty impressive sight I later met Admiral Leyard who was on board when she was hit by the exocet Captain North will never be forgotten

[@robwilliams6177]

R.I.P Adrian Anslow, Young Happy Lad.

[@markwoods4574]

I was 14 years old at the time of the Falklands War growing up on the Wirral one of my friends father was 2nd Officer on board the Atlantic Conveyor I remember as if it was yesterday when heard the news that she sunk and that Captain North had been lost at sea . Luckily my school friends father survived the Falklands war but the Atlantic Conveyor didn’t it lies in Falklands to this day she is a designated war grave.

[@jackharrison6771]

What a different story it would have been, had she not been sunk, and all the aircraft could have been used on the Falklands. Yomping would never been heard of by ordinary people, and perhaps- the war may have been over - quicker? A fine ship.

[@stevehanna4345]

Hi all. Thank you for posting the video reference MV Atlantic Conveyor. Living on the banks of the River Mersey at New Brighton, I remember her leaving Liverpool on that day in April to go for conversion and join the task force. She was a common site on the river at that time. I would have been about 11 years old and the thought of us going to war and maybe loosing men filled me with sadness but also a lot of pride. I watched her sail with a tears in my eyes. Rest easy those brave men. Lest We Forget.

[@buffplums]

Just visited the propellor memorial at Cape Pembroke this afternoon. I didn’t realise the first time I saw it about 2 months ago that it wasn’t from the AC but another ship, not that that is important, it’s figurative. It’s very pleasing that the Falkland islanders still show enormous gratitude to the ultimate sacrifice made and the sacrifices of those that survived. I am en ex RAF serviceman but was to9 young at the time to serve, I did arrive down here just 2 years after and the place was still in a bit of a state but I’m incredibly honoured to have done some time here. Not that it was any sacrifice in my part but just very grateful I was given the privilege to work here because if the sacrifice made by those before me.

[@whynot64928]

wow thanks for a full history of MV Atlantic Conveyor in battle. most things i have seen and read only give a paragraph to th eloss and it's affects and i remember that the Coventry loss dominated the news at the time

[@janetyeoman1544]

I had a classic wooden boat shipped from Canada to England. Had to sign off on several documents , one being the ship used was the Atlantic Conveyor. In 2015. I remembered that name from the Falklands war and had no idea they had built a replacement to carry on its service. 🇨🇦

[@LordFlash1]

just found this channel, its great! and thankyou for your service! would love to hear some stories about serving on big queenie

[@beboy12003]

Glad to have you back. Hope the QE is running well.

[@penkagenova7073]

The MS Queen Elizabeth

[@bl7355]

Superb video, excellent detail. I worked on UK flagged container ships, Ro-Ros, bulk carriers, AHTS & offshore support vessels. I often used to wonder how they could be adapted to other uses. My suspicion is that there is a watch list of interesting vessels and they UK gov't keeps a load of secret conversion plans in a cabinet somewhere in case of emergencies.

[@richardkotorac5423]

He Has Returned! Hope you had a good time out at sea.

[@TheShipYard2]

IM BACK it was the worst time of my life so far haha

[@allancarey2604]

So my brother was until very recently on the Australian Army as a helicopter engineer & found himself in HMAS Canberra & Choles (ex HMS Limas bay (?)...he’s a big fella so let’s say he felt a little squished onboard & got almost as green as his uniform :) ....he didn’t “mind” it, but still he was glad it wasn’t 10 weeks worth :)

[@optimalnemesis2633]

Its been awhile glad your back

[@TheShipYard2]

Tell me about it haha, worst 10 weeks at sea ever

[@optimalnemesis2633]

When i got the notification it said the shipyard replied

[@Assassinus2]

Welcome back!

[@TheShipYard2]

Thank you, I’m glad to be back

[@allancarey2604]

Welcome back :)

[@gregbolitho9775]

First time I've seen Atlantic Conveyer. Heard about her, never seen her. Rippa set up, If, I was still part of a War Gaming and Tactics Group. I could use that set up bludy effectively. Thanks!

[@Ka9radio_Mobile9]

Nice video, remember seeing this on the news in the US. RIP to all who lost there life's in the Falklands conflict. Brave Men and Women, and a fearless country.

[@factorylad5071]

their

[@Ka9radio_Mobile9]

@@factorylad5071 Oh my!

[@kingsrook9866]

welcome back

[@bigdmac33]

Very good recounting.

[@lesgreen8042]

Very good video however one correction it's RFA Argus, not HMS.

[@donaldpaterson5827]

Shows the difference in thought process between MN and RN. I’m sure the RN would have flown off the Wessex helicopters rather than keep the space clear for Medivac. On a MN fire fighting course at Montrose the scenario was given of a supply boat on fire and having to save two crew member or the ship. The instructors ex RN would have saved the ship. The fourteen or say MN personnel on the course would save the crew. This shows the different mindsets due to differing priorities.

[@jimstrachan2773]

Lost an old mess oppo at Culdrose on The Conveyor RIP

[@SeegzB]

The delay of the Co2 fire suppression was because it would of suffocated all survivors trying to get out, it was later found that without a delay it still would not of saved the ship.

[@barrycrosby8602]

My dad had friends who worked on the building of the ship at swan hunters shipyard and he worked on the replacement vessel the Atlantic conveyor 2 which I seen being launched at wallsend from in the yard I was about 6 at the time amazing sight still remember it clearly to this day

[@phmwu7368]

SS Atlantic Conveyor carried at least 7 Sea Harrier & 6 GR3 Harrier VTOL aircraft but these had already left the ship before both Exocet missiles impacted port side ! However 1 Lynx, 3 Chinook and 6 Wessex helicopters were lost ... a Chinook and a Westland Wessex had already left the ship and were saved.🧐

[@ModlyModly]

Curilovic was a one of pilots from SuE that sunk Atlantic Conveyor. I mada a interview with him some 9 years ago.

[@Irobert1115HD]

he has returned.

[@TheShipYard2]

Yes, I am back, with a vengeance

[@toothpickjohnny5244]

2 of us left Barking to load 40ft containers at the Naffi in Amesbury just across from Bulford camp , on to Devonport where we would wait our turn to lift our containers , i had a good view across the dock yard and saw a line of Atkinson Boarders in ACL colours with 20ft containers and orange stickers as in explosives , the container ship i don't remember the name or Line but it was having a gun fitted to the Bow ,,,thats the point when the hairs stood up ...........Mother Hen SS Uganda ,hospital ship , i went on school cruise some years before

[@SteamboatWilley]

Strange that such a modern ship was steam powered and not diesel.

[@timp.9582]

True. this vessel and her 5 sisters were built late 60's/early 70's. Although slow-speeds were prevalent at the time, these vessels were not. These ships were twin screw design, perhaps as a means for attaining design speed but also perhaps there were limitations in the design of machinery spaces to provide maximum cargo hold storage capacity. In any case, this class of vessels were scrapped by the mid-80's. As an aside, there were a series of ACT and P&O containerships from this era built with steam plants, some were actually converted to 2T slow speed engines, some scrapped, et al.

[@robertgeorgemiller278]

Commentary - sounds like Mackenzie Crook, the actor who played the complete wonker in 'the Office' tv series.

[@bradjames6748]

Captain North had balls of steel

[@factorylad5071]

I know I was the ships quarter master and saw them bang together as he walked out on deck.

[@justandy333]

I've done a little bit of researching, but I cannot find what the SS stands for as the prefix for the name of the Atlantic Conveyor. Can anyone help me out please?

[@lukemcgahern2357]

The ship was powered by 4 steam turbines therefor had the prefix ss standing for steamship.

[@justandy333]

@@lukemcgahern2357 Thankyou so much mate! That ones been bugging me for ages. 👍

[@maxplanck9055]

This ship was sailing in a combat zone with no weapons or decoy equipment, you can see why it was sunk, beaurocratic cost cutting sending ships underpowered?✌️❤️🇬🇧

[@gottjager760]

Good to see you didn't die horribly.

[@TheShipYard2]

No, still here haha

[@factorylad5071]

No but feel free to make donations towards the preservation of the wooden leg that he lost during the conflict.

[@robwilliams6177]

R.I.P We will Remember You ! Safety was ignored both when built and the loading,stored kerosene next to the Magazine? No training in Fire Fighting ,no Fire Curtain ? So how did the ship sail? someone signed signed the paperwork !

[@dionphillips4573]

@TheShipYard what's your role on ship?😃

[@penkagenova7073]

That's top secret british government information he cannot reveal

[@JohnE9999]

A couple of Phalanx CIWS could have been added easily, maybe as many as four.

[@marcbiff2192]

Not that easily.

[@SamGreeneRacing]

This gives me Red Storm Rising vibes

[@zenupmo1593]

The Royal Navy determining the Altantic Conveyor to be a "low value target" instead of a "high profile target" didn't help.

[@ianpowell6443]

Hi, I have an entry above. After leaving the Merchant Navy due to redundancy and no jobs for engineers amongst other reasons, I became a policeman - no risk of redundancy. That lasted 7 years until I got a 'proper job'! So to get to the point, when out on patrol one day I spoke to a recruiter at the RN office in our town. Explained the story and asked him what was known about the reason for its sinking. He told me, and don't shoot me, I can't verify this - that the exocet was targeting another ship, but the Conveyor became visible to the missile from behind the target ship. As the ship's moved apart, the missile did a calculation of its fuel and, apparently, they were programmed to aim for the largest object, which became the Conveyor when they moved apart and so it took aim. I haven't checked this with anyone else, and if not correct, I'm sure there are plenty of detailed records now about the sinking.

[@alexm7743]

That s what happen when you mess in the wrong islands

[@tunisianpartisan1080]

does anyone know what class of ship was the atlantic conveyor?

[@buddee20]

It was a G2 class carrier if that was the question you meant

[@tunisianpartisan1080]

@@buddee20 okay, thanks ,i heard about that but sadly didnt found any information about that specific class of ship

[@suelord2075]

G2 stands for 2nd generation - ACL launched their G3s between 1984 and 1986 and the G4s sometime in the mid 2010s.

[@alisterjongisultura2740]

SHES A BIG SHIP!

[@firefightergoggie]

It's pronounced "Shinook"...not "Che-nook". (CH-47)

[@robwilliams6177]

Sorry i do not believe this.she was ordered to change posistion so as to offput a missile meant for Big ship ie AC Was a Decoy.we. will know the truth one day !!!

[@allancarey2604]

So a quick question? You mention the draft changed due to season...whys that?

[@TheShipYard2]

so, this is what i found - "Summer draft is a naval term for the worst-case loaded draft a ship can have. This draft is corrected for the worst-case seasonal conditions (summer in this case). During summer the water is warmer, and thus less dense and expands slightly: see Thermal expansion. This makes ships float deeper in the water. Summer draft is the opposite of Light ship condition."

[@allancarey2604]

Cheers :)

[@TheShipYard2]

np :)

[@benwilson6145]

@@TheShipYard2 This is not correct. the vessel is designed to have a freeboard to ensure that she is not overloaded.The maximum draft is then marked, this is for use in salt water ie seawater. This is the maximum Summer Draft. There are other marks added also as maximum drafts , a Winter load Line is added that reduces the displacement of the vessel by 1/48th. A Tropical load line can also be added which increase the vessels displacement by 1/48th. Additional load-lines can be added for fresh water so that a vessel in fresh water may load to these lines so that on transit to sea water the vessel will rise to the correct load-line.

[@mikaeldahlblom5538]

Cinderella was built and run by swedish Wallenius line.

[@tee2899]

That ticking is a pain in the fucking arse

[@jameswallace7709]

RFA Argus not HMS 😊

[@benwilson6145]

You cannot discharge the CO2 smothering until all persons have evacuated the space, and been accounted for, as they would be killed by the CO2 displacing the oxygen in the air.

[@TheShipYard2]

ahhhh, so ships carry EEBD's, essentially a plastic bag over your head with a canister that converts CO2 into air, gives you about 10mins of air. so in response to your question. you can, as long as the personnel in the area where the explosion happened, there shouldn't be anyone there due to the heat or they unfortunately perished. personnel who would be fighting the fire as part of a fire fighting team would be on air if they were trying to tackle it. so if the CO2 was discharged into the compartment, the men still alive on air will be fine. i hope that makes sense, if not ill try to say it easier

[@benwilson6145]

@@TheShipYard2 No, takes a very complex chemical reaction to convert CO2 into Carbon and Oxygen, if it was simple we would not have to worry about Global Warming, not done in a plastic bag. Emergency Escape Breathing Device are many different types, may be a device to filter out smoke particles to a device with a small air bottle. Not usually carried on one's person, usually a few in the Engine Control Room. Pretty sure if you were to find the Cunard instructions on the release of CO2 they would say ensure all personnel are accounted for.

[@TheShipYard2]

ahhh, ok, i thought it would be like that, i think we use it sometimes maybe on ship if theres an Exercise. i might be wrong. not usually in those exercises. ill take your word because you seem to be more knowledgeable about the subject. i guess i cant always be right :P

[@benwilson6145]

@@TheShipYard2 EEDB were not in general use in this time period, 15 years later maybe.

[@TheShipYard2]

ahh, i thought they been around for a long time, never mind

[@benwilson6145]

There are no Greasers in the British Merchant Navy.

[@TheShipYard2]

hmmmmm, what would you call a merchant navy version of "STOKER"

[@benwilson6145]

@@TheShipYard2 Think Stoker went out with shoveling coal, not sure what Cunard's designation was. but Donkeyman, Motorman or Engine Room Rating are possible.

[@TheShipYard2]

ahhhhhh, we still call the Marine engineer department personnel "stokers"

[@benwilson6145]

@@TheShipYard2 Donkeyman because historically they used to look after the Donkey boiler. Greaser is a US term.

[@brianpreval5602]

steamship atlantic conveyer, shouldn't it be motor vessel

[@ccalthrop6347]

4:29 RFA Argus.

[@michaelwhite3688]

I have watched two of these now and they are quite interesting , the only thing that marred them for me was the commentary which in places was below Parr even the subtitles could not get what was said at times, and I can do without the acting .The historical story was good however although it shows yet again Lions led by Donkeys

[@ronzomac6246]

You won't mob. I'm ex navy and you are not. Even the way you talk over your slides/video is civy talk.

[@TheShipYard2]

how would you describe talking like your in the MOB??? you know people are different. I have a service number, I joined Raleigh on Nov 13th 2017. my class was Cunningham 17/23. I passed out on Feb 2nd 2018, went to hold over for 3 weeks, joined HMS Collingwood for my career course for 13 weeks, not taking into consideration of the crap you do with Mattapan division. Passed out before summer leave. Went to warfare training squadron based out of COMPORFLOT building opposite the Naffi. went to Gib for 7 weeks. joined QE on jan 15th 2019. now tell me im not in the MOB

[@jamesmulligan7413]

Wtf we have gate keeping for the fucking navy?

[@alannewman85]

You do sound like such a supercilious burke. You are describing people fighting for their ship and their lives. With your snooty military narrative you do sound quite condescending in your narrative.

[@factorylad5071]

And his mum chews his muesli for him.