Falklands video.. shocking..

A correction:

HMS Sheffield (04:37)
HMS Ardent or HMS Antelope (05:22)
HMS Brilliant (05:56)
HMS Sheffield (05:58)
HMS Antelope (06:05)
HMS Coventry (06:28)
RFA Sir Galahad / RFA Sir Tristram (07:02)

The ‘gun camera’ footage is actually the attack on HMS Brilliant by a Dagger on 21st May outside San Carlos Bay.

Interesting video. Shows a lot of the “front end” action quite well. But what has got to be remembered is that WE did not “win” the Falklands Campaign. THEY “lost” it. THEY made bigger and more important mistakes than WE did (and I was on Ascension long before the Task Force left UK, and arrived in Falkland just after the cease-fire) – and WE made plenty! What is needed is not to re-live the Tactics (and the euphoria) but to take a long, hard, look at the Strategy – using 20/20 hindsight as the Staff College lecturers will do (I would love to sit-in on some of their modern lectures on the Falklands Campaign!). A lot of, apparently un-committed, nations either assisted US – or did their best to negate what WE were trying to do. And I’m not just talking about the USA and/or the USSR.
There is a lot more about Op CORPORATE that needs to surface before we can draw any real conclusions. Did the UK Navy know it was their last throw of the dice to remain a Blue-Water Fleet? Did the RAF know that without BLACK BUCK they would have become mere “Truckies”? Would WE, as a consequence, have ended up with one, combined, military arm (viz the abortive Canadian experiment!). From a military point of view WE did what WE were best at. However, as we live in a democracy(?) the military are beholden to the politicians. And how many of them, now, have actual military experience – very, very, few! During the planning, and execution, of CORPORATE there were a large number of politicians (M Thatcher excepted!) who had had military experience. It showed.
Not now, I fear!
Rgds
Peter Davies

The Sir Galahad was that the same one where you see the lifeboats being rowed ashore?

Yes.

The ‘Harrier’ loss looks like genuine footage of a Sea Harrier / Harrier flying low overhead but this is then spliced to footage of a (delta-winged) target drone being shot down during some missile firing trial.

great job thanks!

Thanks for filling in the blanks! As a side not thre is another video there showin items preserved such as planes and all. Who used the canbera thats on display?

Rough guide to ships (with video time in brackets):

HMS Sheffield (04:37)
HMS Ardent or HMS Antelope (05:22)
HMS Plymouth (05:56) – Gun Camera Footage
HMS Sheffield (05:58)
HMS Antelope (06:05)
HMS Coventry (06:28) – One shot of HMS Sheffield here too
RFA Sir Galahad / RFA Sir Tristram (07:02)

Sorry for any mistakes I did this in a bit of a rush.

Thanks for the help

The Sir Galahad was that the same one where you see the lifeboats being rowed ashore?

The frigate seen being hit on the bow is a Type 12 and is probably Argonaut which was hit by bombs and severely damaged, but was saved and later repaired

There’s an indistinct scene of what might be a burning ship at night – if so could be Ardent which was hit by two raids, first by Daggers, then Skyhawks, and had to be abandoned.

The frigate which blows up and breaks in two is the Type 22 Antelope which was hit by a bomb which went off while bomb disposal crew tried to defuse it.

The RFA burning would be the Sir Galahad?

The destroyer which rolls over was the Type 42 Coventry which was hit by bombs from a Skyhawk raid

Recommended reading: ‘Through Fire and Water: The loss of HMS Ardent’ and ‘Four Weeks in May: A Captain’s Story’ on the loss of Coventry

Peter, I know someone who could ident ships etc from the video, Griffiths911 was on HMS Cardiff in theatre at that time. Bex