| Sgt Troy | 02 Apr 2012 1:01 p.m. PST |
I've just read "Sea Harrier over the Falklands" by Commander "Sharkey" Ward. He pulls no punches in his criticism of higher naval command,in particular it's lack of understanding of the contribution the SHAR could have made if used correctly. He implies that part of this was that the FAA squadron on Hermes, 800 Sq. were second rate compared to his own, 801 Sq. As an example he states that 801 found contacts on their "Blue Fox" radar at around 24 miles, 800 saying that 11 miles was its maximum range! His venom is really saved for the R.A.F. who, bar a number of
honourable exceptions, were totally useless!
The book is full of useful datail with diagrams and notes on "dogfighting" and air warfare in general. Highly recommended. ( I read an old copy from my local library but I think it has been re-published in paperback for the 30th. anniversary ) |
| Spooner6 | 02 Apr 2012 1:05 p.m. PST |
Thanks for the heads up about this book. I am interested in reading about this air war. Chris |
| Arrigo | 02 Apr 2012 1:35 p.m. PST |
Sharkey… have to deal with his take on RAF on weekly basis… anyway he is usually interesting on AtA. |
Monkey Hanger  | 02 Apr 2012 2:02 p.m. PST |
A great book Also one to read is Vulcan 607 – The story of the bombing raid on the Falklands List of Falkland books on Amazon books link MH
:-) |
| emckinney | 02 Apr 2012 2:08 p.m. PST |
"Falklands: The Air War" is a must-have, even at outrageous prices. The attempt to recount every sortie by every aircraft on both sides is breathtaking, exhaustive, and exhausting! :) |
| Evzone | 02 Apr 2012 2:09 p.m. PST |
If I remember rightly, the RAF scored the first air combat kill of the conflict. |
| Goober | 02 Apr 2012 3:51 p.m. PST |
If I remember rightly, the RAF didn't get the GR3's to the Falklands until after the air war had started, and when they did arrive they were used for strike missions. All the air-to-air interceptions were by the Fleet Air Arm SHAR's. Of course the first aircraft destroyed were on Pebble Island by the SAS, but not techically an air-to-air action… G. |
| Mako11 | 02 Apr 2012 6:43 p.m. PST |
Yep, definitely a good read. |
| David Manley | 02 Apr 2012 10:31 p.m. PST |
Whilst all the A2a kills were from FAA Shars, about a quarter of the pilots in 800 and 801 were RAF pilots on exchange. I think their share of the kills was about a quarter as well. |
| BattlerBritain | 03 Apr 2012 2:48 a.m. PST |
I loved Sharkey's comments on the RAF, especially his criticism of the RAF Hercules crews. Having been in the RAF at Lyneham with the Hercules fleet I have to say that I agree with every word Sharkey says  . |
| Goober | 03 Apr 2012 5:29 a.m. PST |
Theres another book about Harriers written by an RAF guy serving in 800 on Hermes. Also good. Gives a different viewpoint of the same thing to Sharkey Wards account. G. |
| tuscaloosa | 03 Apr 2012 8:00 a.m. PST |
Don't know about the technical side, but it seems bad form to me to write a book afterwards saying how great you were and how bad your comrades were. |
| BattlerBritain | 03 Apr 2012 8:29 a.m. PST |
I seem to recall he talked about that at the start of the book. I don't think he dissed his comrades: well, not too much. I think the point he was trying to make, and has been made many times by many other people in many other wars, is that those at the top very rarely listen to or trust what is said by those at the 'sharper' end of the stick. If they had have done a lot of lives would have been saved. Sharkey knew what he was talking about as he actually did it. And if I was to go to war I'd rather have a leader like him than the people I had to put up with. |
| Martin Rapier | 04 Apr 2012 6:26 a.m. PST |
"Don't know about the technical side, but it seems bad form to me to write a book afterwards saying how great you were and how bad your comrades were." Bear in mind these are the British Armed Forces. Inter service and inter regiment rivalry are what makes us great as every single unit and branch of service is utterly convinced it is the best. |
| Arrigo | 04 Apr 2012 9:32 a.m. PST |
"Having been in the RAF at Lyneham with the Hercules fleet I have to say that I agree with every word Sharkey says grin." Have to pass this to him… it will be fun to see his internet reaction… |
| BattlerBritain | 04 Apr 2012 11:25 a.m. PST |
That'd make my day |
| Mako11 | 08 Apr 2013 11:31 p.m. PST |
Anyone know who the pilot/author is from 800 Squadron, and/or what his book is called? On the radar system, I can see where perhaps they are both right, depending upon the aircraft being painted. Larger aircraft are usually spotted at 2x the range of smaller ones. If that's not it, they could also be comparing initial spotting range vs. their fire-control lock-on range. Usually, the latter is about 50% of the distance from initially spotting an enemy aircraft, based upon anecdotal ranges I've seen provided by various airborne radars in the past. |
| Number6 | 10 Apr 2013 6:40 p.m. PST |
Without Sharkey, the British would not have won. His book proves just how important one man can be, a man who is motivated to be the best warrior he can be – and to get the most from both his men and his equipment – rather than just keeping his head down and hoping for a promotion on tenure alone. In drawn-out wars, people like Sharkey rise quickly to the top (often literally over the bodies of their predecessors). But the British were incredibly lucky to have Sharkey in a peace-time military. What's interesting about reading Sharkey's book alongside Sandy Woodward's is how much of a gap there was between Woodward and "the sharp end of the stick." Woodward was a good commander in his own way, but he had to rely on people who were above Sharkey for advice on prosecuting the air war (and therefore its effects on everything else) – people whose advice was wrong precisely because they were the kind who rise to the top in a peacetime army. |
