Ships Diary: 01.06.82 -> 12.06.82

01/06/82 (Bill)

Peru's given 4 exocet and 2 Sea Kings to fire them from

Photo Courtesy of Simon Stearman

01/06/82 (Taffl)

Came out of San Carlos safely, brought out two Ships, Joined Main Force, and Goalkeeping on Hermes. Broadswords turn to go in tonight, things appear to be going well on shore


02/06/82 (Bill)

Exeter blew up another whale Yarmouth going home 18" of water in fwd mess

02/06/82

Hi from the land of the penguins, no still haven't seen any sheep for that matter. Been having a pretty safe number the past few days escorting the merchant ships into the sound at night and taking the previous nights ships out before daylight. During the day goalkeeping for one of the carriers. The troops are doing well ashore and should have taken Port Stanley by the time you receive this. Well sixty six days at sea. It seems a long time.
The NAAFI has just sold a load of t shirts with HMS Brilliant Spearhead Group on plus a coat of alms on (Falklands). The Welshman on board is getting some stick since the coat of arms displays large woolly sheep. We're razzing with the Ulna at the moment see how much diesel they can put on the upper deck. Since Ascension islands at commercial prices we have used over ¾ million pounds worth of fuel. It's a hell of an expensive war. The merchant men are getting a 150% more I don't begrudge them but I still think our guys down here should get the 4.50 a day LOA instead of just a pound.


There are so many buzzes around here as to when we are going home what is fairly certain is that within the next 10 days we will know, whether its 3 weeks or 3 months we set off back.

No Date

Last night a few ships went into bombard Port Stanley and the Arges decided to fly at night for a change. The Glamorgan was hit by an exocet in the Gas turbine space, no reports of how badly damaged she is yet though. All the more reason for us to be out here since we would have been the ones who would have been sent in to supposedly protect them. (I'm not being callous) 2300 Just found out that the Glamorgan steaming at 18 knots so she cant be that badly damaged.


 

02/06/82 (Taffl)

Quiet night, RAS'd Fuel then continued Goalkeeping on Carriers. 1700 A/S....... False Alarm. 1745 A/S ........False Alarm. 18800 detached to escort 4 Merchant Ships to San Carlos, hope to leave by 0330 with 4 MT Merchant Ships and rejoin Force.

Photo Courtesy of Simon Stearman

03/06/82 (Taffl)

Out of San Carlos safe, nothing much going on today, WEAPONS SYSTEM Duff, keeps dropping off line??????


04/06/82 (Bill)

Had fire in Surveillance office Steering gear motor burnt out, pinched one from stabilizer unit

 

04/06/82 (Taffl)

Quiet night Goalkeeping, had mail. Weapons Systems still playing up. Good buzz we are going in tonight with and Get This ...... INVINCIBLE.......!!!!!!!! 1915 A/S Air Raid nowt happened!!

 

05/06/82 (Taffl)

Came out of the sneaky safe, done nothing of any consequence that I could see except waste fuel, time and effort still ours is not to reason why?????
Many rumours, buzzes going round that tomorrow we take Stanley, we are supposed to go in with Exeter so she can NGS and we goalkeep on her, trouble is our WOLF is sick again,. Will we go in or
not! who knows? who cares????? Also have the Argies got land based Exocet in Stanley? If so we will have to be V Careful. We shall see what tonight and tomorrow hold for us.


06/06/82 (Taffl)

Not a lot happened, in fact sod all happened, I don't understand my feelings at all at the moment I should be over the moon that nothing happened, yet I feel frustrated that we don't appear to be doing anything!!! Am I loosing it or what, I surely cannot be at the stage where I want to get into a fight, knowing what the possible outcome could be. IT MUST BE TIME TO GO HOME NOW!!!!
70 days at sea, Alacrity on her way home (3 duff engines). Our Wolf is still tits up, going in tonight with INVINCIBLE again, don't know why but then again does anybody???


07/06/82 (Taffl)

Bad night messing about at high speed, doing NAFF ALL, waste of bloody time, got no sleep. Exeter splashed one Argie plane ( I think ). Nothing else happened. Going in again with Invincible tonight apparently doing the same as last night, someone, somewhere must know why??

 

08/06/82 (Taffl)

Another quiet day. 1700 A/S it appears we have taken out a few Argie planes over the AOA. Plymouth hit Aft. Fires under control.


09/06/82 (Bill)

Heading towards South Georgia. Reason not known, Action Stations false alarm


09/06/82 (Taffl)

Plymouth out the Conflict, damaged enough to take her away from the zone, very lucky, five casualties. Two Sir Boats Abandoned. 7 Argie planes splashed, 4 possibles????
RAS Stores this morning.


10/06/82 (Bill)

Going to South Georgia to meet up with a container ship carrying helicopters escorting her back to the main force.

 

10/06/82 (Taffl)

Detached N.E. to R/V with Merchant Ships. It will take 3/4 days to get there and back. We lost a lot of men from one of the Sir Boats, Heavy Casualties, enough to put back the Land Operations by 24hrs no details yet, but it doesn't look good!!!!!


11/06/82 (Bill)

Spent the afternoon getting goffered on the boat deck scrubbing diesel spill on the boat deck during the razz Buzz we might be back in Guz for four weeks AMP two weeks weapons trials then back down south.


12/06/82 (Bill)

Early this morning in a force nine gale got dragged out of bed to range the helicopter with 13 other blokes. After some surprisingly polite gesticulation from the chief waffou and the fact that the back end of the flight deck went under the water filling the hanger they called it off thank god.