"1° de Mayo 1982- Bautismo de Fuego de la Fuerza..." Topic

…. AÉREA ARGENTINA.

"Se comienzan a conocer a través de informes del Estado Mayor Conjunto, las acciones bélicas en el Atlántico Sur. La aviación británica ataca en cuatro ocasiones a Puerto Argentino. Helicópteros británicos operan contra Puerto Darwin.

Desde las fragatas británicas, cañonean Puerto Argentino. Los intentos de desembarco, fueron rechazados por fuerzas argentinas. Una fragata inglesa resulta averiada y cinco aviones Harrier destruidos. La clase 1961 es convocada. El presidente Galtieri, en un discurso dirigido al país, recalca que la Argentina "responderá al ataque".

No era aún la medianoche del 30 de abril de 1982, cuando rugieron sobre la isla Ascensión, dos bombarderos Vulcan de la Royal Air Force. Cada aparato cargaba nueve toneladas y media de bombas convencionales de alto poder explosivo. Algunos minutos más tarde, el avión guía que conducía la misión, anunciaba por radio, que problemas mecánicos de importancia lo obligaban a abortar el vuelo, por lo que regresó rápidamente a su base en Ascensión…"

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Amicalement
Armand

Doesn't seem so long ago.

I was 16 and still at school. I was round at a friend's house when we heard the news of the invasion on the radio and couldn't quite believe it. In those days the UK being at war was a frightening novelty and not the normal state of affairs, as it is today. My first thought was surprise at what a stupid thing the Junta had done and then to wonder how long an SSN would take to get from Faslane to the South Atlantic.

I remember too when HMS Sheffield was sunk. I know the father of one of my friends was on a T42 but I wasn't sure which one. Went in to school the next morning to hear it was OK – he was on the Coventry…

Wow, I was 17 and one of the few kids in school who actually knew where the Malvinas/Falklands are on the map, or knew a little bit of why the two countries would be at war over those islands.

Dan

'…cinco aviones Harrier destruidos.'

Er.. No.

I recall it quite well. Also remember thinking "Oh, by the Argentines are going to regret this."

News reporting was interesting. I was in Germany at the time. Northern European reporting was fairly sober, but reportage from Spain and Italy tended to be over the top pro-Argentinian, repeating some of the more fanciful claims during the war. Just how many times can you sink the Hermes, anyway?

"'…cinco aviones Harrier destruidos.'"

"Er.. No."

Good example!

I remember watching the news intently. I was a Bn Air Ops Officer at that time in the 101, IIRC. And @ 6-8 months later a UK Army Officer came to our unit to brief us about the whole operation/lessons learned, etc.

My dad's team at Rolls Royce aerospace did about three years' worth of service and repair of Conway engines for the RAF Victor tankers in about four weeks at this time. We hardly saw him.
He and most of his team had been in either the RAF or FAA (that's Fleet Air Arm not Fuerza Aerea Argentina….) previously so they took it all quite personally.