Loss of One Destroyer More Crucial than Loss of Three Aircraft
Dear Fellow Earthlings,
On the 12th of May 1982 in Port Stanley the residents were doing their best to go on with life. A good example of this is the fact that the remaining school teachers in town continued to teach their students -- but not at the local school. The school had been commandeered by the occupation force and was not available. Therefore, the teachers were gathering their students in the teachers' homes and teaching them there... As the teachers were doing their jobs, to too were the Task Force members (out at sea) doing theirs! The Type 42 destroyer Glasgow, accompanied by the Type 22 frigate Brilliant, was bombarding suspected Argentine installations along the Falklands shoreline when they were attacked by four Argentine Skyhawks. Brilliant used its Sea Wolf system and knocked two of the Skyhawks out of the sky -- resulting in two fiery explosions. A third Skyhawk crashed into the sea. The fourth escaped. Only an hour later four more Skyhawks came in for another attack on the two Task Force vessels. Glasgow could not use its Sea Dart, for the planes were coming in too low. As for Brilliant, this time its Sea Wolf failed to fire, its computer unable to track four planes coming in simultaneously. The Skyhawks were able to withstand withering machine gun fire from Brilliant, and released their bombs. But the bombs they had discharged ricocheted off the water's surface, causing them to pass over the vessel. A fourth did hit Glasgow -- but passed entirely through the ship's hull and out the other side without exploding. The Glasgow began to take on water and headed eastward to move beyond the range of any further Argentine aircraft attacks. A third wave of aircraft did approach the two ships later in the afternoon but were chased away by the Harrier CAP ("combat air patrol"). The Argentines had lost three aircraft, The Task Force had lost a whole destroyer. Today victory had gone to the Argentine forces. Steve Wallker Earthsaver and Jingles Creator
© 2013 Steve Walker, The Jingles-The Japan Foundation for English Pronunciation, Summit Enterprises.