In total 255 British servicemen died in the Falklands War, including 88 Royal Navy seamen. I do not hold the AWO or Sam Salt responsible, these things happen in war. Arthur Herman puts it well: “The Sheffield was commanded by Sam Salt, a five-foot-four human dynamo, strong, intense, and voluble. The USN had only just started to introduce Phalanx, Aegis had barely arrived. 35 years on from the sinking of HMS Sheffield by an Exocet missile, the full and un-redacted Board of Inquiry (BOI) findings have been made public. The BOI implied that despite the inadequacy of the ship’s equipment, Sheffield could have saved herself by being better prepared. I think that it might be dawning on some of you how unsustainable a carrier battle group is. I could have sworn I toured your ship as a kid. The others were the frigates Ardent and Antelope and the destroyer Coventry. I reckon that we would struggle to get 3 destroyers manned and away within a month,we know that at least 2 will be out of action for anything up to a year. However these ships served the RN very well over some 38 years. This is surely justice denied? Salt’s ship was a Type 42-class destroyer, equipped with Sea Dart antimissile missiles; but they were useless until someone realized the Sheffield was under attack. This principle was ultimately proven in the peaceful victory of the Cold War and politicians of today would do well to consider this. Some escape hatches were found to be too small for men dressed in breathing apparatus. This requires only half the crew to be “up and about” whilst the other half sleep. You actually had a decent statement started there but you had to ruin it by yet another dig at something out of context. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Sheffield_(D80), Approximate sinking location: HMS Monmouth. Oh, hang on a minute, that’s not right is it? Ship steward Craig Bryden claimed that, almost a minute and a half after Mr Batho was called to the Operations Room, he appeared in the wardroom “aimlessly sauntering down a ladder”. Some of the equipment was hopeless, tigerfish and rapier mk 1 were totally ineffective and flammability and damage tolerance was disgraceful for one of the main naval forces in WW2 less than 40 years earlier. Sheffield’s CO, Captain Sam Salt was an experienced officer and a seasoned submariner. There is the rub because it seems they don’t want to know. Would there be a Destroyer build programme, or would we not bother replacing them? If the enemy times it right (not difficult to time with an open society like the UK) it will take a couple of months to get a carrier away. But how long till that happens, if ever? HMS Sheffield and the Type 42 destroyer. App. What an amazing thing to say. Sister ship HMS Coventry was sunk later in the conflict despite being alert and ready. It is amazing that the RN lets politicians forget items learnt the hard way only 35yrs ago, with people still living with the scars (both physical and mental) from the same mentality that has taken hold in the MOD over the last 7yrs. He told the BBC: “I’ve suffered. Couldn’t operate the radar and comms at the same time? Yes Radar 909 might have been developed in the late 1950’s but it was a very effective radar. The article is correct to say that it was more effective against high level targets but this is simply a matter of topography – no radar is capable of tracking low level targets over the horizon. More like oh crap we are done for 🙁 there wasnt anything the crew could have done….the problem went back to the design and integration of the type 42s systems and their blatantly outdated type 965 radar that was equiped to ships in the 1960s….only HMS Exeter had the type 1022 radar that the whole class should have had. “why aren’t politicians badgered about this? 35 years on from the sinking of HMS Sheffield by an Exocet missile, the full and un-redacted Board of Inquiry (BOI) findings have been made public. The only purpose I can see of allowing him to continue is that his cretinous posts are often so egregious it makes the grown ups respond. A minimum of 25 are required IMHO. I’d say the Army and RAF are still a bit better at this but the RN is stretched as thin as clingfilm. If only the bean counters would understand that it is not the size of the hull that is the main cost in a modern warship if the hull of the T82 was used but equipped as a T42 she could have had the Seawolf light installed and the CIWS and the Sheffield would have survived. It was hurriedly purchased by the RN and subsequently fitted to many surface ships, it is still in service today. The government was trying to sell Type 42s for export and so it was decided by the brass ‘“to avoid, the more doubtful cases creating the wrong atmosphere in the press and souring the general euphoria”. Ministry of Defence images ©Crown Copyright. He saw it too, and thought: “My God, its a missile!” Walpole had just five seconds to grab the ship’s microphone and shout: “MISSILE ATTACK! The Phalanx of today is a very different beast, and it has to be said is still regarded, correctly, as being of marginal use. In May, Sheffield took part in the sinking of the German battleship Bismarck, narrowly escaping a friendly fire torpedo attack by the aircraft carrier Ark Royal ' s Fairey Swordfish; Eleven torpedoes were dropped and only defective Duplex exploders … It seems that there needs to be far better oversight of UK Naval affairs generally; be it in warship construction and numbers, battle preparedness and assessment of capabilities right down to our Merchant Navy’s adequacy for an island state. If Ark Royal and Eagle or their projected replacements (CVA01 program) had been around, Argentina never would have invaded and we wouldn’t be discussing Sheffield. It was the first of four Royal Navy ships sunk during the Falklands War. The timing of these absences was exceptionally unlucky but not an indicator of slackness. Unless otherwise credited, images used under Open Government License. This is no different. I would certainly be interested. No policeman, fireman or Doctor should ‘ever be arrested’ unless its ‘something particularly bad’. Totally inaccurate. in short we need more ships NOW! Entering service in 1988, Sheffield served with the Royal Navy until 2002. Mr Cobain’s article is reasonably well researched but the bare facts need to be seen in their full context before making accusations. On Plymouth we prepared for war on the way South, we experienced action at South Georgia before the rest of the task force even arrived. Imagine if you’re a child of one of the 22 dead on HMS Sheffield and how they’re feeling today? The Sheffield also lacked basic electronic jammers that could confuse missile radars. A heavy-handed piece by Ian Cobain in the Guardian heaps blame on the ship’s operations team and implies results of the inquiry were subject to a sinister cover up. After all, ‘soldiers will be soldiers’. As for banana republich hood, that is what you lot want isn’t it? They Type 45 would have kicked ass in this situation….however in Anti ship and Anti Sub warfare the 45 is very vulnerable. Only 15 years ago HMS Nottingham almost went to the bottom and that wasn’t even the result of enemy action! Is there any strategic plan to rebuild lost assets in a future conflict? Phalanx is entirely automated and would almost certainly have saved the Sheffield.” I would be sceptical about that, the performance of Phalanx especially the early blocks against Sea Skimmers has always been under question. My name is Elaine and Grandad died on HMS Acasta 1940 8th June I live in Poole and found on the memorial Glorious Lieutenant Basil James Wise and Reginald Arthur Marsh Petty officer of the Ardent. You are a marxist and anti British as is clear from your littany of toxic posts on every single wrotten comment you have posted on here. The military judiciary looks to be both incompetent and susceptible to party political interference. I have written off the House of Commons in this regard and believe this is probably a role for the Lords where a really powerful Maritime or tri-defence group should exist and have the right to call anyone to account for their actions or neglect. HMS Broadsword rescued more than 170 men from the water. We are even talking of making them out of Aluminium and having no Anti Air capability. Harry, why stop at military personnel? What about all the heroic efforts of the crew to save the ship and fight the fires for four hours after the strike, and I would hardly think acting as an ASW picket ship in a contestested war zone thousands of miles from home is a trip around the Solent now is it? It was either the Falmouth or the Plymouth. HMS Sheffield is a Type 22 frigate originally in service with the British Royal Navy. Day by day, Britain’s descent into third world Banana Republichood is becoming more entrenched. 30×173 has similar muzzle velocity and greater mass so should be effective much further than 20×102, I think a lot of the comparisons compare maximum range to effective range). “I feel that it’s time the public know.” Some feel that Captain Sam Salt has been made to carry the can for the events which led to the loss of the ship. Chaff was successfully and liberally used by the task force later in the war but relied on alert reactions, perfect timing and ship handling to place the ship away from the chaff cloud as it floated downwind. There are men that are still suffering today from the effects of what they experienced onboard HMS Sheffield and many of the veterans are angry about the release of the BOI and the Guardian article which they call “misrepresentative” and an “insult to the heroes of that day”. As the Guardian reported with relish back in 2000, the Entendard aircraft were detected by radar operators on HMS Invincible, a full 19 minutes before the Exocet hit Sheffield. I doubt that you’ve ever served on either because they had the same anti-aircraft missile system! Thus the T26’s are designed as High End ASW operators to provide escort to Ships in the N Atlantic or to Task forces, 8 is not enough to do that and the 5 GP versions could have been equipped quickly with Tails and could operate using other equipment without to high degree of competency. The Type 42 destroyer was designed as an air defence ship and built to a tight budget resulting in a slightly compromised platform. HMS Sheffield was a Type 42 Guided Missile Destroyer in service with the Royal Navy during the Falklands War and was on Radar picket duty on the morning of May 4th, 1982 when she was attacked by 2 Super Etendards of the Argentine Air Force. Fatigue was a particular problem for commanders in the Falklands who could not fully relax for weeks on end. There was no fire from de missile´s fuel remnant. When hit, Sheffield was not at actions stations which requires the entire crew to be closed up, but in defence watches where half the crew are on watch while the other half rest. I believe you’re confused with the simultaneous operation of the EW and Satcomms systems which wasn’t possible – as mentioned in the article. There is nothing to blame to the crew and officers in the sinking. It’s a fairly similar type of thing asking a policeman to apprehend young drug dealers, it’s almost impossible to do a perfect job, particularly if you don’t know that they’ve swallowed packages. There also existed many shortcomings in warship design and equipment fit that were quickly exposed by the Exocet strike. There is nothing to blame on the ship’s operations team. In the euphoria of victory it was overlooked that the RN didn’t perform particularly well. my personal view is we are potentially looking at the same situation now with the type 31, smaller, cheaper and more hulls in the water (maybe?). Why is it that when reading the above article I have this feeling of a coverup. You can read an explanation of his actions in a statement by the AAWO, Lt Cdr Batho, here, veterans are angry about the release of the BOI and the Guardian article, Revealed: catalogue of failings that sank Falklands warship HMS Sheffield, PTSD fears aftershock report on HMS Sheffield sinking is revealed, Officers dismissed radar warning of Exocet attack on HMS Sheffield, A history – the Royal Navy’s Falkland Islands patrol vessels, In focus: HMS Protector – the Royal Navy’s Antarctic patrol ship, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1414411.stm, https://www.navy-net.co.uk/community/threads/help-needed-loss-of-hms-sheffield.55833/page-2#post-956281, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perseus_(missile). Might it be time for a Royal Commission to investigate the matter? I agree that the RN has (and always will) suffer the peacetime issue of cuts. However, it could be argued that it was the actions of her government that created the conditions for the war in the first place. Keep sending money overseas to subsidize others while Royal Navy grows steadily weaker. In 1509 when Henry VIII was crowned … Donations via PayPal towards running costs of this website would be most welcome. ” ……………… not to mention that at the time the Argys had a secondhand British aircraft carrier. The ship was launched on 23rd July 1936 and was the 1st RN ship to bear this name. The Falklands proved that the old fashioned “curtain of lead” was still a deterrent. A Gazelle-class light cruiser that was torpedoed by HMS E19 about 20 nautical miles (37 km) south of Scania, Sweden. It has notably failed to take out sea skimmers or more than one occasion or failed to track properly. On a negative note, I do agree with the fact that we have insufficient escorts. They (the RN) are trying to cover up what really happened… and what really happened is that the fire was caused by the impact of a plane bomb (not missile) with a generator. It will only have 3 CIWs Block 1b defending itself. If not to apportion blame then at least for lessons learned purposes? HMS Sheffield was hit while carrying out a scouting mission off Port Stanley in the South Atlantic. The main Sea Dart system was usually very effective against medium and high altitude targets but the fire control radars did not have the ability to successfully track low-level targets. Although the sea-skimming missile threat was well understood and the RN possessed their own ship-launched Exocets, the entire Royal Navy fleet of the time lacked effective Close In Weapons Systems (CIWS). But lessons were learned and procedures are changed rapidly. In fact there are at least twice as many veterans as you would expect from a representative sample of the UK population. The Super Etendards flew from mainland Argentina. The Rover portable fire pumps were unreliable and there was inadequate fire-fighting equipment held onboard most ships. In fact, since there was no sign of planes or enemy activity no one believed they could be under attack until the officer on the bridge, Lieutenant Peter Walpole, noticed a smudge of smoke about six feet above the water a mile away, headed right for them. This has been selectively quoted by the Guardian article – the BOI actually says in the preceding sentence “the atmosphere on board was tense but there was no evidence of complacency.” The easy victory at South Georgia and the simple sinking of the cruiser Belgrano had given rise to a perception back in the UK that the war would be “a walk-over”. The only other potential defence against Exocet was the chaff launcher which fired clouds of aluminium strips that create false radar echoes to lure the missile away from the ship. HIT THE DECK” before the Exocet struck starboard amidships at 680 miles an hour.” That missile was fast: Whatever the veracity of the guardian’s article, the officers did not stand ‘mesmerised’. Numerous officers and diplomats had tried to warn the Foreign Office of exactly what could happen if British resolve to defend the Falklands was seen to be waning. Not by an Exocet missile. The Type 42 was designed as a cheaper alternative to the cancelled type 82 and the older county class , it was a lot smaller with little room to update systems within the hull size and cramped in both operation and accommodation for the crew. Well done with the site by the way. Standard issue nylon clothing was found to have melted in contact with fire, severely exacerbating burns. The hull was light in its construction with aluminuim being used exstensivly, alu, fire and saltwater is a bad mix. Twenty people died and 26 were injured when HMS Sheffield was hit by an Argentinian Exocet missile during the early days of the 1982 conflict. Under these circumstances, surely an investigation would have been warranted? BRIGGS, David R, Petty Officer Marine Mechanic, D1348157, posthumous DSM The wreck of HMS Coventry is now a registered war grave protected from unauthorised dives on … No soldier, sailor or airmen should ever be arrested for what they did in war else it was something particularly bad. It had a radar system developed in the 1950’s combined with a missile system developed in the 1960’s crammed into a hull designed during the 1970’s that was the bare minimum to get the weapon system to sea. Most tragedies have a complex web of contributory factors including somewhere humans. This meant 6 (or 7 hours) on watch, 6 (or 7 hours) off watch followed by 6 (or 5 hours on with the corresponding 6 or 5 hours off watch. As if a chump like you would have a clue what happened on that valiant ship all those years ago, one way or the other. The ship was alert, detected the missile and made a pre-planned turn that prevented the missile from penetrating the hull and main missile magazine. Not on 4 may. HMS Coventry was a Type 42 (Sheffield-class) destroyer of the Royal Navy.Laid down by Cammell Laird and Company, Limited, at Birkenhead on 29 January 1973, she was launched on 21 June 1974 and accepted into service on 20 October 1978 at a cost of £37,900,000.. She was sunk by Argentine Air Force A-4 Skyhawks on 25 May 1982 during the Falklands War How about, STOP spending billions on foreign dictatorships and foreign aid, and use it for 3 more Type 45s, another 5 Type 26 frigates, how about keeping HMS Ocean, HMS Bulwark, HMS Albion. Sounds a bit like the British thinking about the Japanese prior to Singapore. Instead financial desperation leaves the MOD basically saying to the RN you’re not allowed to have an accident! As for the officers not being in the operations room at the time, even if they were what could they do they had no radar in operation and no weapons to fight the threat. Fieldhouse was noted for his humanity and was one of the most outstanding officers the RN has had since WWII. No more than the politicians who wouldn’t spend the money on the right kind of ships but responsibility none the less. The Lt Cdr accepts he was not at his post but briefly in his quarters reading an intel report and checking cloud base and in the wardroom, where he may have been given a cup of tea. The RN did conduct extensive analysis what happened and the lessons from the Falklands led to drastic changes to warship design, training and concept of operations. No single individual can be held accountable for these decisions which are typical of a long period in a peacetime mentality where painful lessons learned in past conflicts fade from consciousness and funding pressures result in corners being cut. Virtually every personal account of the Falklands war notes the poor quality of intelligence about the Argentine intentions and order of battle that was provided to the task force from London. E. de F. Renouf, CVO, RN). This resulted in a minimum 12 hours on watch, with your 12 hours off watch consisting of eating, sleeping, bathing and relaxing. The loss of HMS Sheffield was a horrible shock to the RN and was news around the world. What is extremely annoying is the French team that prepared the Exocets for their “mission” and also instructed the Argentinians how best to utilise them. Radar 909 can and did track low level targets and lessons learnt from the Falklands introduced several modifications to improve this capability. Yet again a very cheap shot at a ship that is not operational and not intended to be operational until 2020 – when it WILL have aircraft. Yes they made mistakes but they weren’t incompetent or negligent. Why?… because the Sheffield was cought by surprise by MV Daggers the 1st of may. Precisely, why aren’t politicians badgered about this? Blackman incident go to the heart of whether military justice should be administered separately from the civilian sector. While a investigations should have been carried out to learn why it happened and so as to prevent it. Undoubtedly mistakes and errors made during the conflict were kept in-house. The wreck was raised in 1961, and now rests in the Vasa Museum 21 Oct 1939 The German merchant Gloria (5896 GRT) is intercepted and captured off Iceland in position 65°30'N, 22°05'W by the British light cruiser HMS Sheffield (Capt. Twenty men died and a further 24 were injured in the sinking of the HMS Sheffield, the first British warship to be lost in 37 years. Finally, Force H comprised of the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, battlecruiser HMS Renown, the light cruiser HMS Sheffield and … Sheffield, destroyer, hit by Argentine Super Etendard-launched Exocet missile SE of Falklands, sank on 10 May BALFOUR, David I, Lieutenant Commander, C013406T. In fact the RN with Sea Wolf was arguably better equipped, with a better system than anyone else in 1982 for point defence. Not without any aircraft it doesnt….atm its a multi-billion £ party barge. Plagued by a series of false contact reports in the preceding days, the senior officer on Invincible responsible for air defence of the whole task force classified the contact as “spurious” and no warnings were issued. No Navy on earth was actually in a decent position in 1982 regarding hard kill of ASM’s. Not an Exocet missile! To err is human, but it’s hardly valiant to sit there and get sunk. Airing the dirty washing in public may have achieved little, added to the suffering of the bereaved and detracted from what was an incredible achievement overall. Why?… because the Sheffield was cought by surprise by MV Daggers the 1st of may. The Captain was resting in his cabin at the time and “The anti-air warfare officer had left the ship’s operations room and was having a coffee in the wardroom while his assistant had left to visit the heads”. No one can be on duty 24/7 and everyone had to pace themselves and take breaks. This is one of the reasons why there has been a shift to PDMS or larger calibre gun systems using smart munitions. The damage to HMS Sheffield after it was struck by an Exocet missile in May 1982. This is obviously unsustainable for long periods of time and is relaxed to “defence watches” when the possibility of action has diminished. HMS Coventry was a Type 42 (Sheffield-class) destroyer of the Royal Navy. Queen Elizabeth Class deters possible aggressors. Chiefly this is because there are so few ex service people or indeed really dedicated and knowledgeable in defence MP’s in Parliament. Cable instalation was not protected or armoured, again to save weight and cost. We were a tight disciplined ship and moral was high, I have no doubt in my mind that, that was a factor in our survival, especially on the day we were damaged in action. Many of these lessons are still kept alive in the RN today, particularly by the globally-renowned Flag Officer Sea Training organisation. At that range and speed….the crew were lucky to get that warning from Lt Walpol at all. In 1982 the RN was primarily an anti-submarine navy, much of its institutional focus was on the threat posed by the Soviets and in particular their submarines. A heavy-handed piece by Ian Cobain in the Guardian heaps blame on the ship’s operations team and implies results of the inquiry were subject to a sinister cover up . Funny old game, the War Industry ?? Phalanx is entirely automated and would almost certainly have saved the Sheffield. Whatever problems the armed forces are facing, it isn’t because there are too few veterans in Parliament. Initially it was meant to be called Bruiser but was named Sheffield in honour of the previous Sheffield, a Type 42 destroyer sunk in the Falklands War. (You can read an explanation of his actions in a statement by the AAWO, Lt Cdr Batho, here) Sister ship, HMS Glasgow detected the aircraft and Exocets and reacted better.  In a further stroke of bad luck, at the exact moment of the attack, Sheffield was making a transmission on her SATCOM which blinded her UAA1, a masthead sensor which could detect electronic emissions from aircraft and missiles, further reducing potential warning time. It is clear the operations room was not functioning well when the missile was detected, 30 seconds before impact, but part of this was unfortunate timing. In 1982 anything that could float was sent south, including Trawlers to act as Mine Sweepers and Townsend Thoresen Ro/Ro tubs because capacity had been allowed to be eroded even when we had 50 odd escort ships. The ASW focus had resulted in a navy that retained a broad spectrum of capability, but the heavy investment in its critical nuclear submarines had contributed to a surface fleet that was inadequately armed and equipped. Who should be blamed and to whether blame should be apportioned at all is a complex matter. Wreck of the Ardent Wreck of the Antelope Type 21 frigate Ardent was hit by several air raids on the first day of the San Carlos landings and sank the next day, taking 22 men with her. It’s not like his bile and hatred is subtle now is it? I’m prepared to cut them some slack, it’s not like they wanted this to happen.Fending off guided missiles was a fairly new thing,that had only been tried a couple of times before. I served on HMS Plymouth during the Falklands War, I wasn’t on board Sheffield so can’t comment on her state of readiness or moral. Oh my, if Lord Haw Haw here and the BBC said it, it must be true. if that situation happened in the RN it would be major issue. We know better now. There was insufficient attention to the dangers of smoke in the design of ventilation and provision of fire curtains. It is easy to criticise with all the facts some 35 years later, the actions taken were based on the information at hand at that time in History so I think we should be looking at the lessons learnt from this and how we prevent this happening going forward. The RN did, however, still regularly deploy outside of the NATO areas, HMS Sheffield had just spent 6 months in the Persian Gulf when she was sent to the Falklands. Following participation in Exercise Ocean Safari she sailed in November 1981 to undertake patrols in the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf. T42 was an odd beast, whilst in some respects cutting edge with its all Gas Turbine propulsion it was also in other areas obsolete. The BOI reports that when the incoming missiles came into view, officers on the bridge were “mesmerised” by the sight and failed to broadcast a warning to the ship’s company. This is not consistent with accounts of survivors who say that Sub Lieutenant Clark who was on the bridge, saw the incoming Exocet and shouted “missile attack, hit the deck!” over the main broadcast. HMS Sheffield (Navy Photos/Ben Titheridge, click to enlarge) return to Contents List : SOUTHAMPTON-Class Cruiser ordered from Vickers Armstrong at Newcastle on 17th December 1934 and laid down on 31st January 1935. Vasa: 10 August 1628 A Swedish warship that capsized at Stockholm, Sweden, less than 1 nautical mile (1.9 km) into its maiden voyage. Mesmerised? At least two ships of Batch 3 were built for the Argentine Navy (ARA Hercules D1 ARA Santisima D2) - a soon-to-be British enemy in the Falklands War (1982). Navylookout, many thanks for the statement. I think we do no service to ourselves as a country by hiding these things although I suspect that the Govt was as much responsible as the RN for keeping it secret lest their own shortcomings be exposed as well. position of S/V CONCORDIA sinking 17.02.2010. In at least one of those case’s, in absence of the report, one would have to conclude that the cause was disgraceful behaviour from the commanding officer. After a short spell carrying out anti-invasion duties in the English Channel, she joined Force H, based in Gibraltar. T82 not type 42? She had no space for a Sea Wolf launcher and it was not possible on the Batch 1 T42s to install the CIWS effectivly. All the parties are to blame. Plus Ca Change! I’d just mention that it’s what you call a “third world banana republic” that sank them. It’s also instructive that the RN bought Phalanx originally only for those vessels that couldn’t fit Goalkeeper (incidentally I’m not sure I believe the effective range figures for Phalanx vs Goalkeeper.
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