The Falklands War:

The
Bluff Cove
Disaster
Robert S. Bolia

G IVEN THE Falkland Islands’ location, one

would expect an invasion or defense would
require joint operations, an expectation that was cer-
Islands was bound to fail suggests that the Army
staff did not want to be part of that presumed di-
saster in the first place. Also, when the Brigade was
tainly borne out when Argentina invaded the Islands dispatched it was without two of its three original
in 1982 and the United Kingdom dispatched a joint major maneuver units, and it had no logistic back-
task force to reclaim them a week later. The up and little significant training—certainly none in
Falklands War involved a number of joint operations joint Navy/Army or amphibious operations. That they
by the British task force, many of them highly suc- were to fight and not garrison in one of the most
cessful, including amphibious landings, naval gunfire complicated of military roles in a sub-Antarctic win-
support of infantry operations, and the insertion of ter must have been a disagreeable surprise to the
Special Forces by helicopter and ship. One of the Army staff.”1
less successful joint operations was the amphibious Perhaps 5 Brigade’s soldiers’ behavior on board
landing of the Welsh Guards on 8 June 1982 at the transports in San Carlos Water colored Clapp’s
Fitzroy, in which failures in jointness were in part re- view. They became notorious for lack of order and
sponsible for the ensuing disaster. discipline and their penchant for stealing other sail-
Relations between the Royal Navy and the Brit- ors’ personal belongings.2 One Army officer said,
ish Army (represented by the newly formed 5 Bri- “The Navy [is] well used to having the Royal Ma-
gade) were strained—at best. Many believed the rines and other Green Beret-wearing members of
Army had inserted itself into the war only to accrue Commando Forces on board. They therefore as-
its share of glory, despite being unprepared for am- sumed the Welsh Guards would be the same—if not
phibious operations in the South Atlantic’s winter something similar. However, it had rapidly become
weather. clear even to the saltiest of sailors that the Welsh
Commodore Michael Clapp, who had overseen Guards were nothing like as well prepared as they
the nearly flawless landings of 3 Commando Bri- needed to be. After confusions and difficulties, [the
gade, was especially critical: “What I did not appre- commander of] Intrepid had put the soldiers ashore,
ciate . . . was the lack of understanding of joint op- only to be recalled back to pick them up again. This
erations by the Army Brigade . . . nor the near entailed quite a bit of work, with the LCMs [land-
nonexistent communications that were to dog that ing craft, mechanized] ferrying the troops back on
brigade. The blame for much of this inefficiency board, and much disruption of a ship that was diffi-
should not be laid at the door of [Brigadier] Tony cult to operate under normal circumstances. The
Wilson [commander of 5 Brigade] and his staff. sailors were shocked at the condition of the Welsh
Delaying the dispatch of these reinforcements on the Guards when they returned after just a night or so
assumption that any plan to recapture the Falkland ashore—wet, filthy, miserable—and obviously inef-
See also Bolia’s review of John Wilsey’s H Jones VC: The Life fective. Their yardstick was the Royal Marines, who
and Death of an Unusual Hero, page 82.—Editor come back on board after arduous exercises in good

66 November - December 2004 MILITARY REVIEW

 BLUFF COVE DISASTER
order, even if they do leave muddy boot prints and act as a reserve, or should he open up an axis
throughout the nice, clean ship.”3 of advance along the south coast of East Falkland,
The lack of discipline and amphibious training in sending 5 Brigade to take up positions on the right
the Army and a dearth of communications led to flank, before making the final push to Stanley?
friendly-fire casualties. The first such incident oc- Sound military reasons existed for the former ap-
curred on the night of 5 June, when HMS Cardiff proach. A well-practiced unit, 3 Commando Brigade
mistakenly shot down one of 5 Brigade’s Gazelle had trained together for years.6 Its soldiers and ma-
helicopters. Four factors contributed to this unfor- rines were better acclimated to the weather condi-
tunate accident: tions in the Falklands as a result of their longer ten-
Unaccustomed to operating with the Royal ure in theater and from years of training in Norway.
Navy, 5 Brigade did not have a naval liaison officer They were also positioned forward and ready to
attached. fight; indeed, 2 Para had already proven itself in com-
The brigade failed to signal the flight to Major bat at Goose Green.
General Jeremy Moore’s headquarters so the Royal While legitimate military reasons existed for open-
Navy could be informed. ing a southern axis of advance, Moore’s decision
Rear Admiral Sandy Woodward failed to in- seems to have been largely political. On the passage
form either Moore or Clapp that Cardiff had set up south, Wilson, 5 Brigade’s commander, pressed
an “ambush” for Argentine C-130 transport aircraft Moore to consider the southern option. According
making nightly runs to and from the mainland. to one Royal Marine staff officer, Wilson was “ob-
Gazelle’s identification, friend or foe, was sessed with the fear that Julian Thompson [3 Com-
turned off because the device negatively interacted mando Brigade commander] would win the war be-
with other onboard electronics. Cardiff picked up fore his men could do anything.”7 While any brigade
the Gazelle on radar and, based on its speed and di- commander would have a natural desire to demon-
rection, assumed it was one of the C-130s. Not ex- strate his brigade’s effectiveness in combat, Wilson’s
pecting friendly aircraft in his area, Cardiff’s cap- desire in this case weighed more heavily on Moore
tain ordered the Sea Dart missile crew to shoot than it perhaps should have. As a Royal Marine gen-
down the aircraft.4 eral, he felt acutely that he should not show undue
Poor coordination and cooperation between the favoritism toward the Marines. By giving Wilson his
British Army and the Royal Navy also led to en- southern axis, Moore perhaps hoped he was giving
emy-inflicted casualties that might otherwise have the Army an equal chance for glory.8
been avoided. Nowhere is this more evident than in When Moore sanctioned the southern thrust, he
the events leading up to the Argentine bombing of expected 5 Brigade to disembark at San Carlos,
LSLs [landing ships, logistic] Sir Galahad and Sir march south to Goose Green, then “yomp” east
Tristam. across the south coast, moving into position on the
The problems began before 5 Brigade arrived in right flank of 3 Commando Brigade in the hills out-
the Falklands. While en route, 3 Commando Brigade side Stanley. Instead, 2 Para (under 5 Brigade’s op-
landed at San Carlos to consolidate positions. A week erational control) “hijacked” a Chinook helicopter and
later, 3 Parachute Battalion and 45 Commando Bri- leaped forward to Fitzroy Settlement and Bluff Cove
gade marched toward Stanley, while 2 Battalion, the without first notifying Moore, but with Wilson’s ap-
Parachute Regiment [2 Para], marched south to as- proval. Wilson then presented the action to Moore
sault Argentine positions at Goose Green.5 By 31 as a fait accompli.9
May, the day before 5 Brigade disembarked at San Although daring and successful, 2 Para’s dash
Carlos, three 3 Commando Brigade battalions were was not sound from a military viewpoint. The bat-
at Mount Kent within 15 miles of the capital. Of the talion, which had moved about 55 kilometers ahead
remaining two battalions, 2 Para was still at Goose of the next nearest 5 Brigade unit, had no artillery
Green, cleaning up after having defeated and cap- or air support and no means of immediate reinforce-
tured the Argentine force; 40 Commando was dug ment. The battalion was isolated, and any Argen-
in at San Carlos, ready to defend the beachhead if tine attempt to take advantage of this isolation could
necessary. have been disastrous. Indeed, their landing at Fitzroy
This left Moore with a decision to make. Should was almost the cause of a blue-on-blue incident
he move the remaining 3 Commando Brigade units when they were spotted by a Mountain and Arctic
forward, leaving 5 Brigade to guard the beachhead Warfare Cadre observation post. According to

MILITARY REVIEW November - December 2004 67

Royal Navy

Armada Republica Argentina

(Left ) Deck crew aboard the HMS Hermes load Sidewinder missles
onto a Harrier jump jet. (Above) Argentine Skyhawk light attack
bombers of the type that doomed Sir Galahad.

Lance-Corporal Steve Nicoll of 7 Counter-Insur- have been to use one of the two LPDs [landing
gency Squadron, “Calculating co-ordinates for a fire platform, dock], either Fearless or Intrepid, but
mission on the troops, who were bunched and in the Fleet Headquarters at Northwood, United King-
open, I opened up communications in the clear, dom, had forbidden using these high-value assets
seeking confirmation of friendly forces movement for this purpose. Intrepid sailed halfway between
to prevent any loss of reporting time. Cadre HQ the two points, where the Scots Guards transferred
[Headquarters] at Teal Inlet, collocated with the 3 to LCUs [landing craft, utility] to carry them the rest
Commando Brigade HQ, confirmed there should be of the way, allowing Intrepid to be back under a
no friendly troops to our front. After several ques- protective air defense umbrella at San Carlos be-
tions and answers to confirm details, the fire mis- fore daylight.
sion was accepted. . . . We were waiting for the Transferring the Scots Guards went off reason-
executive order of ‘Three rounds fire for effect.’ ably well, but communication problems existed be-
Precisely at this point the cloud cover opened a ‘win- tween 5 Brigade and the Royal Navy and between
dow’ and we saw the easily recognized figure of a the Carrier Battle Group and the Commander, Am-
Scout helicopter with British markings. It all unfolded phibious Warfare. These failures nearly led to more
in a few very brief seconds—the radio handset was blue-on-blue incidents. One occurred when Cardiff
already poised and the command ‘Check, check, and Yarmouth nearly fired on the LCUs because
check,’ confirmed sighting of a Scout helicopter. It their commanders had not been informed of the
still wasn’t clear if all the activity could be attrib- presence of friendly forces. In the other incident, 2
uted to the British but it was apparent that we had Para had not been informed of the Scots Guards ar-
been very close to bringing down fire on our own rival, and when the Guards appeared, 29 Battery,
side.”10 thinking the Guards were Argentineans attempting
The leap forward by 2 Para exasperated Moore. an amphibious operation, trained their guns on the
On the one hand he could not recall 2 Para without Guards.12
appearing to favor the Royal Marines, while on the The Navy planned to use the same tactic to move
other hand, appearing to be slow to advance. At the the Welsh Guards to Bluff Cove, using Fearless in-
same time, he could not easily reinforce the para- stead of Intrepid. This time, two of Fearless’s
chute battalion; there were not enough helicopters LCUs, preloaded with the Guards’ heavy equipment,
to move the rest of the brigade and its equipment were ready to sail when they reached Elephant Is-
by air, and Army units were ill suited to marching in land, where they rendezvoused with two of
the Falklands. The only choice was to move Intrepid’s LCUs, which had remained at Bluff Cove
them by sea.11 after having deposited the Guards there the previ-
Transport by sea was probably the fastest way ous night. The two remaining Welsh Guard rifle com-
to move a brigade from San Carlos to Fitzroy, but panies were to embark in these LCUs and follow
because of the proximity to Stanley and the lack the others to Bluff Cove. However, when Fearless
of adequate air defense, far from the safest. The arrived at the rendezvous point, no LCUs were to
easiest way to accomplish such a movement would be found.13

68 November - December 2004 MILITARY REVIEW

 BLUFF COVE DISASTER
Communications between Fear- A British Sea King helicopter
less and 5 Brigade were so poor it ferries supplies as the Sir Tristram
was impossible to find out what and Fearless ride at anchor within
the Port San Carlos defensive screen.
had happened to the LCUs, but
a decision had to be made as to
what to do with the troops and
equipment. After some discussion,
the command decided to sail the
two LCUs immediately and re-
turn the following night to land
the remaining two rifle compa-
nies.14 The landing of the heavy
equipment came off without inci-
dent, but a new signal from

Royal Navy
Northwood prohibited the use of
the LPDs without hauling a large
escort.15 A new plan was needed.
Navy commanders soon decided the Welsh was damaged. By the time the Guards disembarked,
Guards would go aboard Sir Galahad, which had Sir Galahad and another LSL, Sir Tristam, had
been scheduled to take a Rapier surface-to-air mis- been anchored at Port Pleasant, off Fitzroy, for 5
sile battery and a field hospital to Fitzroy. This should hours.
not have been a problem. There was plenty of room Needless to say, the Argentines in the hills around
for the Welsh Guards and had Sir Galahad left San Stanley had noticed the Guards.18 This would not
Carlos by dusk it should have been able to deposit have been much of a problem the previous day; the
the Rapiers and the field hospital at Fitzroy and the Falklands had been beset by bad weather for days,
Welsh Guards at Bluff Cove and still be back at San leaving the Argentine Air Force unable to fly. How-
Carlos before dawn. Unfortunately, because of a ever, on the 8th the weather began to clear, and al-
number of communications problems, the field hos- though isolated cloudbursts were predicted, it was
pital took 6 hours to load, and the LSL was not ready reasonable weather in which to attempt a raid.19
to sail until 5 hours after dusk. The captain requested Thus, when a forward observation post reported
permission to defer until the following night, but his British ships at Port Pleasant, it was not long be-
superiors ordered him to go anyway. The only con- fore the Air Force issued orders to attack.20
cession they made was to allow him to go to Fitzroy Eight Argentine A-4B Skyhawks, four from
rather than Bluff Cove. The commander did not each Dogos (Bulldogs) and Mastines (Mastiffs)
tell him what to do with the Welsh Guards, and the squadron, flew from Río Gallegos loaded with three
captain did not tell the Welsh Guards the ship was 250-kilogram (kg) bombs each. Six Daggers, three
not going to Bluff Cove.16 Perros (Dogs), and three Gatos (Cats) left from the
The change in destination did not become appar- airbase at Río Grande similarly laden and led by a
ent until Sir Galahad arrived off Fitzroy at 0650 the Learjet which provided navigation information. The
following morning: “Nobody is going to Bluff Cove,” 14 attack aircraft—a number that shrank to 10
said Royal Marine Major Ewen Southby-Tailyour, when three Skyhawks and one Dagger were un-
“unless they walk.”17 The Welsh Guards were to able to continue because of mechanical or re-
disembark at Fitzroy and march the 5 miles over- fueling problems—were preceded by four Mirages
land to Bluff Cove. The majors commanding the two from Río Gallegos to draw off the Harrier’s com-
Guards companies refused. Southby-Tailyour, senior bat air patrol (CAP) to allow the Skyhawks and
in rank to both officers, gave them a direct order to Daggers to attack the ships anchored in Bahía
disembark. They still refused. Agradable unmolested.21
Another potential solution was to load as many To keep pace with the slower Learjet, the five
of the Guards as possible into the one available land- Daggers kept changing their heading as they zig-
ing craft and sail them to Bluff Cove as quickly as zagged through the sky between Río Grande and the
possible. This option was accepted, but its execu- Malvinas. As they approached the islands, they de-
tion was delayed because the LCU’s loading ramp scended to just above the ocean to prevent British

MILITARY REVIEW November - December 2004 69

 A
A British
British Harrier
Harrier flies
flies low
low over
over the
the
Sir
Sir Galahad
Galahad before
before itit was
was fatally
fatally
attacked
attacked by by Argentine
Argentine Skyhawks.
Skyhawks.

Royal Navy
radar detection, and the Learjet returned to base. Skyhawks dropped their bombs on the nearby Sir
The Perros and Gatos then had to find and attack Tristam. All five Skyhawks made it safely back to
their targets. the mainland.25
As it happened, the Daggers never arrived at Port Where were British air defenses? For all intents
Pleasant. As they approached the bay they spotted and purposes, there were none. LPDs Fearless and
Plymouth, which had sailed from San Carlos to bom- Intrepid, forbidden by Northwood from participat-
bard Argentine positions in the hills outside Stanley, ing in the operation, mounted four Seacat surface-
and decided to attack it instead of the LSLs. Four to-air missile systems and two 40-millimeter (mm)
bombs struck the ship, but the altitude from which Bofors guns, but the LSLs had only the Bofors.26
they were dropped was too low, and they failed to The Mirages had drawn off the Harrier CAP, so the
fuze and explode. Still, it was a successful attack. CAP had no chance of intercepting or pursuing the
The ship was significantly damaged, four crewmem- Skyhawks.27 As if this were not bad enough, the
bers were injured, and all the Daggers returned Rapier battery was not working properly.
safely.22 Rapier was a surface-to-air missile system de-
The British claim Plymouth survived the war, but signed for point defense against low-flying aircraft
at least one Argentine source, written well after the and should have been effective against the
war, reports it as having been sunk.23 Another Ar- Skyhawks. Unfortunately, the launchers the detach-
gentine account suggests the Daggers sank ment had brought to Fitzroy and quickly set up were
Yarmouth, and the same day an accidental Harrier faulty and would not fire. Before they embarked on
attack sank Plymouth in Falkland Sound.24 the LSL, the soldiers knew two of the four launch-
Although the Daggers never reached Port Pleas- ers had problems, but Rapiers were available in lim-
ant, the Skyhawks did. Three of the Skyhawks, in- ited numbers, and the defense of the San Carlos an-
cluding those of the two flight leaders, could not re- chorage was deemed more important than Fitzroy’s
fuel and had to return to Río Gallegos. Five defense. One “cloudpuncher” said, “I pressed the
remaining planes formed a single squadron and flew fire button but nothing happened. I had to sit there
in low over East Falkland, taking small arms fire and watch Sir Galahad explode like watching a
from the Scots Guards as they passed Fitzroy and movie, only it was real. It was the most sickening
Bluff Cove. They then turned back and attacked the moment of my young life.”28
LSLs moving out to sea. The lead Skyhawk hit Sir HMS Exeter broadcast air raid warning “red” a
Galahad with two bombs, both of which exploded. few minutes before the attack, but neither LSL heard
The second plane’s bombs went long, but the third the warning.29 The only warning the sailors and
found its mark, dropping another 250-kg bomb into Welsh Guards received was when they saw the
the ship. Seeing the explosions, the other two planes coming in. Nothing could be done to prevent

70 November - December 2004 MILITARY REVIEW

 BLUFF COVE DISASTER
the subsequent carnage. The explosions that rocked led to a lack of situational awareness at brigade and
Sir Galahad ignited stores of fuel and ammunition, division headquarters aboard Fearless after the
creating an inferno that left 48 dead and more than bombing.
a hundred wounded, many severely burned. Casu- Service parochialism also contributed to events.
alties on Sir Tristam were fewer because the ship If Moore had ordered 2 Para back to Goose Green
was mostly empty, but both vessels were immedi- in the first place, 5 Brigade would have been walk-
ately abandoned. The heroic assistance of four Sea ing across East Falkland, just as the Royal Marines
Kings and one Wessex helicopter prevented further had, and the attack would never have happened.
loss of life. It was by far the costliest day of the Also, had the Welsh Guard’s officers listened to the
war for the British, and it was not over.30 Navy’s advice, they would have disembarked at
The Argentines sent out two more flights of four Fitzroy immediately instead of waiting to be taken
Skyhawks. The first flight caused no British casu- to Bluff Cove, a wait which cost many lives.
alties, and all four Skyhawks were damaged by The lack of a joint force commander in theater
small arms fire and just made it back to the main- was another contributor to the disaster. Admiral Sir
land. The second flight was more successful, but it John Fieldhouse commanded the task force from a
lost three of the Skyhawks. During the skirmish, two joint headquarters at Northwood. The chain of com-
planes attacked a lone LCU ferrying 5 Brigade’s mand arrangement led to miscommunications, mis-
communications equipment through Choiseul Sound, understandings, and frustrations. Clapp was a one-
sinking it, killing six of the men aboard, and destroy- star officer while Moore and Woodward were
ing brigade radios. Despite this success, two Harri- two-star officers, a situation that left Woodward be-
ers shot down three of the four Skyhawks with lieving he was in the chain of command between
Sidewinder air-to-air missiles.31 Fieldhouse at the top and Clapp at the bottom.
In spite of the tragic loss of life, the disaster at Woodward’s perspective seems to have significantly
Fitzroy was more a wake-up call than a setback for colored Fieldhouse’s views at Northwood.33
British forces. Sir Galahad and the LCU were lost Decisions such as not using the LPDs without
along with ammunition and some communications large escorts might not have been made had a local
equipment. The debacle delayed the attack on commander been able to discuss such issues with
Stanley by 2 days, primarily so two 40 Commando the task group commander. With hindsight, it is clear
companies could augment the Welsh Guards.32 But that had Fearless been allowed to go all the way
the battle did not affect the war’s outcome, and tragi- to Fitzroy, the Welsh Guards could have been
cally, it might easily have been prevented. offloaded there, or at Bluff Cove, on the night of
The weather, of course, was an issue. If the skies 6-7 June—before the weather cleared and before
had not cleared, the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) would daylight.
never have launched the attack in the first place. No blame was ever officially attached to any
That Clapp did not receive the weather reports commander, although Woodward and Clapp revis-
from Fitzroy was certainly an issue. ited the issue years later in a literary duel. Wood-
The Royal Navy’s lack of an airborne early warn- ward criticized Clapp for using the LSLs against his
ing (AEW) capability was also important. Indeed, advice.34 Clapp blamed Woodward for the lack of
the presence of AEW aircraft in theater might have a Harrier CAP on station. One of the British carri-
been sufficient to deter the FAA from making the ers, HMS Hermes, was off having her boilers
attack in the first place and would certainly have cleaned at the time of the attack. According to
changed the outcome for Sir Galahad, Sheffield, Clapp, this left critical gaps in Harrier coverage.35
Coventry, and Atlantic Conveyor. Laying the blame on 5 Brigade is more typical
Poor communications were a major problem. because it is remembered more for being bombed
A lack of communication of flight plans led to the than for its infantry combat. To some extent, 5 Bri-
accidental shootdown of the Gazelle, and poor gade should be held responsible, but to a larger ex-
real-time communications led to Sir Galahad’s fail- tent, the problem was that 5 Brigade was in a situ-
ure to receive the air raid warning, leaving those ation for which it had not prepared. Max Hastings
aboard Fearless without knowledge of the LCUs’ points out, “The muddles and problems that beset
locations. Another factor was that 5 Brigade moved 5 Brigade occurred in many other places and at
its combat troops forward in advance of any logis- many other times during the campaign; the disap-
tic units. This not only contributed to the disaster, it pearance of the Harrier CAP . . . minutes before

MILITARY REVIEW November - December 2004 71

the air attack; the lack of naval escort; the failure an LCU on 8 June 1982.
of an air-raid warning to reach the men on A modified SH-3 Sea King helicopter served in
Galahad; the delay in setting up Rapier; the col- an AEW capacity. Since British carriers only oper-
lapse of schedules; the breakdown of liaison. . . . ated with helicopters or vertical takeoff and landing
The most difficult failure to excuse is that of com- aircraft, the E-2C Hawkeye was not an option.
munication—the ignorance of so many senior offic- Seven Royal Air Force E-3D Airborne Early Warn-
ers about what troops were [doing] where and ing and Control System (AWACS) platforms later
when.”36 augmented the British AEW capability.38
After the war, a senior officer said events proved Joint integration was more difficult. The British
“the things we did on the basis of well-tried and responded by implementing the “fully unified
proven formations worked, and the ad hoc arrange- Defense Policy and Operational Staff.” 39 This
ments turned out much less happily. Joint-service li- action was amplified by the overturning of the 1981
aison and staff work left much to be desired. From Defence Review.40 The review had suggested the
beginning to end, 5 Brigade [was the victim] of Royal Navy no longer required carriers because
‘ad hoccery’ [sic].”37 the RAF could provide fleet defense anywhere
The real problem was not 5 Brigade per se, in the world. The review also suggested that
but the fact it probably should not have been amphibious vehicles like Fearless and Intrepid
there in the first place. Inadequate joint force were unnecessary because UK forces would never
command structure, poor communications, service again have to make an opposed amphibious land-
parochialism, and a lack of joint exercises—hence ing.41 Clearly, the conflict in the Falklands proved
joint planning—leading up to the Falklands con- both assumptions erroneous. The move toward
flict caused the unsuccessful offloading of the Welsh jointness as detailed in the new defense policy has
Guard at Fitzroy. These problems, exacerbated paid many dividends, including improved jointness
by the lack of AEW, led directly to the loss of in Operation Desert Storm and subsequent joint
56 British lives on Sir Tristam, Sir Galahad, and and coalition operations.42 MR

NOTES
1. Michael Clapp and Ewen Southby-Tailyour, Amphibious Assault Falklands: The Fitzroy so was not aware of the clearing weather when he allowed Sir Galahad to sail.
Battle of San Carlos Water (London: Orion, 1996), 286. See Van der Bijl and Aldea, 127.
2. Hugh McManners, Falklands Commando (London: HarperCollins, 2002), 222-23. 20. Ibid.; Andrada, 203-204.
3. Ibid., 222. 21. Andrada, 204, 208-209; Moro, 462-63; Middlebrook, The Fight for the Malvinas:
4. Martin Middlebrook, The Falklands War, 1982 (London: Penguin, 2001), 299-300; The Argentine Forces in the Falklands War (London: Viking, 1989), 211-12.
Nicholas van der Bijl and David Aldea, 5th Infantry Brigade in the Falklands 1982 22. Middlebrook, The Fight for the Malvinas, 212.
(Barnsley, UK: Leo Cooper, 2003), 101, 104-105. 23. Andrada, 211.
5. Because all the Chinook helicopters in the theater except one had gone down when 24. Moro, 463-64.
the Atlantic Conveyor sank on 25 May; 3 Commando had to march overland to its objec- 25. Middlebrook, The Fight for the Malvinas, 212-14.
tives. Julian Thompson, No Picnic (London: Cassell and Co., 2000), 69. A “commando” 26. Derek Oakley, The Falklands Military Machine (Staplehurst, UK: Spellmount,
is the Royal Marine version of a battalion. 1989), 34-35.
6. The two parachute battalions were late additions and Army, not Marine, units. Both 27. Middlebrook, The Fight for the Malvinas, 212; James S. Corum, “Argentine Air
were originally from 5 Infantry Brigade. However, they had little difficulty in adapting to Power in the Falklands War: An Operational View,” Air & Space Power Journal (Fall
fighting with the Royal Marines. 2002): 76.
7. Max Hastings and Simon Jenkins, The Battle for the Falklands (London: Pan Books, 28. Van der Bijl and Aldea, 119-20; Tony McNally, Cloudpunchers (Gwynedd, Wales,
1997), 308. UK: Pharaoh Press, no date given).
8. Ibid.; Middlebrook, The Falklands War, 396. Moore’s actions seem a bit short- 29. Clapp and Southby-Tailyour, 319.
sighted. Despite 3 Commando nominally being a Marine brigade in the Falklands War, 30. Middlebrook, Fight for the Malvinas, 214; Oakley, 151.
two of its five combat battalions came from the British Army. Indeed, 2 Para, an Army 31. Ibid., 214; Clapp and Southby-Tailyour, 320-21.
unit, fought the only land battle before Moore arrived in theater. There was no shortage 32. Oakley, 73.
of Army participation. 33. Van der Bijl and Aldea, 94.
9. Middlebrook, The Falklands War, 296-98, 396; Hastings and Jenkins, 309-11; Clapp 34. Sandy Woodward with Patrick Robinson, One Hundred Days: The Memoirs of the
and Southby-Tailyour, 286. Falklands Battle Group Commander (Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1997), 323.
10. Van der Bijl and Aldea, 77-79. 35. Clapp and Southby-Tailyour, 312. The withdrawal of Hermes was not the sole cause
11. Ibid., 92; Hastings and Jenkins, 312. of the gap in Harrier coverage. There had also been a mishap at the landing strip at East
12. Van der Bijl and Aldea, 107-109. Falkland that prevented the Harriers from taking off. See Van der Bilj and Aldea, 129-30.
13. Ibid., 113; Clapp and Southby-Tailyour, 307. 36. Hastings and Jenkins, 322.
14. Ibid., 307-308. 37. Ibid., 361-62.
15. Hastings and Jenkins, 313-14. 38. Edwin Leigh Armistead, AWACS and Hawkeyes: The Complete History of Air-
16. Middlebrook, The Falklands War, 301-302. borne Early Warning Aircraft (St. Paul, MN: MBI Publishing, 2002), 131-41.
17. Clapp and Southby-Tailyour. 39. Roger A. Beaumont, Joint Military Operations: A Short History (Westport, CT:
18. Middlebrook, The Falklands War, 302-303; Van der Bijl and Aldea, 128-29; Charles Greenwood Press, 1993), 163.
Bremner, “The Sinking of Sir Galahad, 8 June,” in Above All, Courage: Personal Sto- 40. Sir John Nott was appointed Secretary of State for Defence in 1981. His 1981 De-
ries from the Falklands War, ed. Max Arthur (London: Cassell and Co., 2002), 129-31; fence Review called for disposal of older Navy assets to switch resources to new weap-
B.H. Andrada, Guerra aérea en las Malvinas [Aerial warfare in the Malvinas] (Buenos ons systems.
Aires: Emecé Editores, 1983), 204. 41. Oakley, 22; Hastings and Jenkins, 24-25.
19. Rubén O. Moro, La Guerra Inaudita: Historia del Conflicto del Atalantico Sur [The 42. General Sir Peter de la Billière, Commander-in-Chief of British Forces in Op-
unheard war: history of the conflict in the South Atlantic] (Buenos Aires: Editorial Pleamar, eration Desert Storm, provides excellent discussions of joint command issues in Storm
1985), 460. It should be noted that Clapp had not been receiving weather reports from Command: A Personal Account of the Gulf War (London: Harper-Collins, 1992).

Robert S. Bolia is currently at the Collaborative Interfaces Branch of the U.S.

Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. He
received a B.A. from Wright State University and an M.A. from the American
Military University. His article “Israel and the War of Attrition” appeared in
the March-April 2004 issue of Military Review.

72 November - December 2004 MILITARY REVIEW