HMS ''Ardent'' was a
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
Type 21 frigate
The Type 21 frigate, or ''Amazon''-class frigate, was a British Royal Navy general-purpose escort that was designed in the late 1960s, built in the 1970s and served throughout the 1980s into the 1990s.
Development
In the mid-1960s, the Royal Na ...
. Built by
Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd
Yarrow Shipbuilders Limited (YSL), often styled as simply Yarrows, was a major shipbuilding firm based in the Scotstoun district of Glasgow on the River Clyde. It is now part of BAE Systems Surface Ships, owned by BAE Systems, which has also op ...
, Glasgow, Scotland. She was completed with
Exocet
The Exocet () is a French-built anti-ship missile whose various versions can be launched from surface vessels, submarines, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.
Etymology
The missile's name was given by M. Guillot, then the technical director ...
launchers in 'B' position. ''Ardent'' took part in the
Falklands War
The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial de ...
, where she was sunk by Argentine aircraft in the
Falkland Sound
The Falkland Sound ( es, Estrecho de San Carlos) is a sea strait in the Falkland Islands. Running southwest-northeast, it separates West and East Falkland.
Name
The sound was named by John Strong in 1690 for Viscount Falkland, the name only l ...
on 21 May 1982.
Falklands War
On 19 April 1982 ''Ardent'' sailed from
HMNB Devonport
His Majesty's Naval Base, Devonport (HMNB Devonport) is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Clyde and HMNB Portsmouth) and is the sole nuclear repair and refuelling facility for the Roy ...
near
Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...
for the Falkland Islands. En route, she escorted
task force ships that had left late, on their way to
Ascension Island
Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island, 7°56′ south of the Equator in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is about from the coast of Africa and from the coast of South America. It is governed as part of the British Overseas Territory o ...
, arriving on 3 May and sailing on the morning of the 7 May. On 9 May 1982 while 700 miles south west of Ascension, ''Ardent'' closed to within 200 yards of the starboard side of the troopship and provided a gun power demonstration to the troops sailing south.
On 21 May 1982, whilst lying in Falkland Sound and supporting
Operation Sutton
Operation Sutton was the code name for the British landings on the shores of San Carlos Water, at Ajax Bay and Port San Carlos, near San Carlos on East Falkland.
Landings
During the night, 3 Commando Brigade along with attached units of the ...
by bombarding the Argentine airstrip at
Goose Green
Goose Green is a settlement in Lafonia on East Falkland in the Falkland Islands. It lies on Choiseul Sound, on the east side of the island's central isthmus, south-southwest of Darwin. With a population of about 40, it is the third-largest s ...
, ''Ardent'' was attacked by at least three waves of
Argentine
Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, s ...
aircraft. The air strikes caused ''Ardent'' to sink the next day.
British account
The first attack took place when a
A-4 Skyhawk
The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a single-seat subsonic carrier-capable light attack aircraft developed for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps in the early 1950s. The delta-winged, single turbojet engined Skyhawk was designed a ...
dropped two bombs at 16:00
Z (UTC), which straddled the frigate but both failed to explode.
The bulk of the air strikes began at 17:40 Z. ''Ardent'' was ordered to proceed west of North West Island along with
''Yarmouth'' to "split air attacks from the south". A group of three aircraft, either Skyhawks or
IAI Daggers crossed the Falklands Sound from the west and then turned to their left to attack from the north east. Cannon fire and three bombs struck home as the Argentine aircraft pressed their attack from the port side. The only defensive weapons which reacted properly were the 20 mm AA cannons.
[Board of Inquiry – Report into the Loss of HMS Ardent, page 3](_blank)
/ref>
The Sea Cat anti-aircraft missile system failed to lock onto the attackers, who also outmanoeuvred the 4.5" gun by carrying out their run out of its arc of fire. Two bombs exploded in the hangar area, destroying the Westland Lynx
The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose twin-engined military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led t ...
helicopter and blowing the Sea Cat launcher 80 ft (24 m) into the air before it crashed back down onto the flight deck, and the third crashed through the aft auxiliary machinery room but failed to explode. The aft switchboard was severely damaged, causing loss of power for some key assets, such as the main gun. The hangar was left in flames, and the crew suffered a number of casualties.
Still in full control of her engines and steering, but virtually defenceless, ''Ardent'' was told to head north, toward Port San Carlos
Port San Carlos is located on the northern bank of the inlet known as Port San Carlos, off San Carlos Water on the Western coast of East Falkland, in the Falkland Islands. It is sometimes nicknamed "KC" after former owner Keith Cameron.
The po ...
. But at 18:00 Z five Skyhawks approached the frigate and dropped numerous free-fall and retard bomb
An unguided bomb, also known as a free-fall bomb, gravity bomb, dumb bomb, or iron bomb, is a conventional or nuclear aircraft-delivered bomb that does not contain a guidance system and hence simply follows a ballistic trajectory. This described ...
s. A pattern of two to four bombs exploded in the port quarter (aft), while an undetermined number of others which failed to explode penetrated into the ship. Some of the remaining bombs exploded in the water nearby, battering the ship and causing minor flooding in the forward auxiliary machine room.[Board of Inquiry – Report into the Loss of HMS Ardent, pp. 3–4]
The dining hall was shattered, communications between the bridge and the ship control centre were cut off, and the ship lost steering. This attack caused many casualties, especially among the damage-control teams working in the hangar.
''Ardent'' stopped in the shallow waters of Grantham Sound
Grantham Sound () is a bay on East Falkland, Falkland Islands, which opens out into the Falkland Sound. At its landward end, it narrows and becomes Brenton Loch (sometimes included as a part of it). Mount Usborne overlooks it.
Along with San Car ...
, the fires in her stern now out of control. With the ship listing heavily, Commander Alan West gave the order to abandon the ship. ''Yarmouth'' came alongside to take off survivors, and the crew was transferred to . At that time it was known that 22 men were killed. ''Ardent'' continued to burn throughout the night, accompanied by the occasional explosion, until she sank at 6:30 the next day, with only her foremast remaining above the water.
Able Seaman John Dillon was able to remove debris from an injured sailor and, despite his own burns, got the man topside and into the water where they were both rescued. For his heroism he received a George Medal
The George Medal (GM), instituted on 24 September 1940 by King George VI,''British Gallantry Medals'' (Abbott and Tamplin), p. 138 is a decoration of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, awarded for gallantry, typically by civilians, or in circ ...
, one of three awarded for the war.
The last man to leave was her captain, Commander Alan West, who was subsequently awarded the Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries.
*Distinguished Service Cross (Australia)
*Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
*Distinguished Service Cross (U ...
, and served as First Sea Lord
The First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff (1SL/CNS) is the military head of the Royal Navy and Naval Service of the United Kingdom. The First Sea Lord is usually the highest ranking and most senior admiral to serve in the British Armed ...
from 2002–2006.
Within days naval divers removed her light AA guns for fitting to other ships and her foremast was used as a navigational warning and datum by her sister ship ''Arrow'' whilst she bombarded Goose Green.[
The wreck is designated as a prohibited area under the Falkland Islands Protection of Wrecks Act.
]
Argentine account
Air Force attacks
According to the Argentine Air Force
"Argentine Wings"
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 10 August (anniversary) 1 May (Baptism of fire during the Falklands War)
, equipment = 139 aircraft
, equipment_label =
, battles =
* Operation Independence
* Operation Soberanía
* Falklan ...
official website[ ] ''Ardent'' was the subject of two attacks from FAA aircraft:
* 14:00 Argentine time (UTC-3) by a lone A-4B Skyhawk of 5th Air Group. Four A-4B took off from Rio Gallegos
Rio or Río is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for "river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil.
Rio or Río may also refer to:
Geography Brazil
* Rio de Janeiro
* Rio do Sul, a ...
at 11:30 UTC-3. After experiencing problems during the air-to-air refuelling, two aircraft were forced to abort and fly back to their base. Once over the Falklands Sound, the remainder Skyhawks chanced upon an unidentified transport ship – she was apparently the abandoned Argentine cargo vessel ''Río Carcaraña'' – which was attacked by one of the jets. The other fighter, piloted by the flight commander, Captain Pablo Carballo
Commodore Pablo Marcos Rafael Carballo (born 11 December 1947) is a retired member of the Argentine Air Force - the ''Fuerza Aérea Argentina'' (FAA) - who fought in the 1982 Falklands War where he participated in actions that led to the sinking ...
, dropped one dumb bomb
An unguided bomb, also known as a free-fall bomb, gravity bomb, dumb bomb, or iron bomb, is a conventional or nuclear aircraft-delivered bomb that does not contain a guidance system and hence simply follows a ballistic trajectory. This described ...
on a frigate he found at Grantham Sound. He reported heavy anti-aircraft fire but returned safely. The bomb exploded on the stern. Carballo went on to attack ''Broadsword'' a few days later.
* 14:40 UTC-3 by IAI Dagger
The Israel Aircraft Industries Nesher (Hebrew: נשר, 'griffon vulture', often mistranslated as 'eagle') was the Israeli version of the French Dassault Mirage 5 multirole fighter.Gupta 1997, p. 105.
Having sustained aircraft losses during the S ...
s of 6th Air Group. A flight of two Daggers, led by Captain Mir González, was joined by a third Dagger returning from an aborted sortie. They headed together towards San Carlos, but were intercepted by a patrol of Sea Harriers vectored by ''Brilliant'', and the attached aircraft was shot down over West Falkland. The pilot ejected and was recovered later. The two original Daggers successfully outran the British air patrol and entered Falklands Sound from the south. They discovered a frigate and dropped two bombs on her stern. They also hit the craft with their 30 mm cannon. According to this report, the warship responded to the attack by firing anti-aircraft missiles.
Navy aircraft sortie
* 15:01 UTC-3 three Argentine Navy
The Argentine Navy (ARA; es, Armada de la República Argentina). This forms the basis for the navy's ship prefix "ARA". is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the ...
A-4Q Skyhawks Skyhawk may refer to:
Aircraft and military
* Cessna 172 Skyhawk, a single-engine, four-seat light airplane
* Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, a ground-attack jet aircraft
* Seibel S-4, a helicopter evaluated by the United States Army under the designation YH- ...
of 3rd Fighter and Attack Naval Sqd. hit ''Ardent'' with at least two bombs on the stern, a number of unexploded bombs which ripped into the hull, and several near-misses.[ These fighters usually operated off the carrier ARA ''Veinticinco de Mayo'', but this mission was carried out from a land base at ]Rio Grande
The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico.
The length of the Rio G ...
. Navy aircraft used a dozen retarding tail bombs during the attack.
During their escape they were shot down by Sea Harrier
The British Aerospace Sea Harrier is a naval short take-off and vertical landing/vertical take-off and landing jet fighter, reconnaissance and attack aircraft. It is the second member of the Harrier family developed. It first entered servic ...
s. The pilot who made the final run, Lt. Gustavo Marcelo Márquez was killed in action after his A-4Q was hit by 30 mm fire and exploded. Lt. Philippi, shot down by an AIM-9L Sidewinder missile, ejected safely; afterwards being sheltered by local farmer Tony Blake during the night''La balada del piloto bahiense y el estanciero kelper''
he rejoined Argentine forces. Lt. Arca, with his A-4Q also struck by 30 mm rounds, bailed out safely after an unsuccessful attempt to land at Stanley
Stanley may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Film and television
* ''Stanley'' (1972 film), an American horror film
* ''Stanley'' (1984 film), an Australian comedy
* ''Stanley'' (1999 film), an animated short
* ''Stanley'' (1956 TV series) ...
. The pilot was rescued from the water by the Argentine Army
The Argentine Army ( es, Ejército Argentino, EA) is the land force branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic and the senior military service of Argentina. Under the Argentine Constitution, the president of Argentina is the commander- ...
Huey UH-1H
The Bell UH-1 Iroquois military helicopter, first introduced in 1959, is the first production member of the prolific Huey family of helicopters, and was itself developed in over twenty variants, which are listed below.
XH-40 and YH-40
The firs ...
of Captain Svendsen. Arca ejected at Cape Pembroke
Cape Pembroke ( es, Cabo San Felipe) is the easternmost point of the Falkland Islands, and is on East Falkland. There is an automated lighthouse here.
Lighthouse
An automated lighthouse on Cape Pembroke was built in 1855, and rebuilt in 1906 ...
, two miles (3 km) from Stanley airstrip.
Commanding officers
Notes
References
*
*
*
HMS ''Ardent'' Association
*
*
UK MOD Board of Inquiry Report Into The Loss Of HMS Ardent
Further reading
*
External links
– HMS ''Ardent'' (F184) escorting the '' Mary R. Koch'' during the Operation Armilla
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ardent (F184)
Type 21 frigates
Shipwrecks of the Falklands War
Protected Wrecks of the United Kingdom
Maritime incidents in 1982
Falklands War naval ships of the United Kingdom
1975 ships
Ships built on the River Clyde
Ships sunk by Argentine aircraft
Frigates sunk by aircraft
it:HMS Ardent