Why Argentina Never Expected Britain To Send Ocean Liners 8,000 Miles To War
British Bastion
19,970 views
The Falklands War, 1982: how Britain turned its cruise liners and ferries into a war fleet and sailed a civilian armada 8,000 miles south to retake the islands.
When Argentina seized the Falklands, the Royal Navy had no way to carry an army to the far side of the world.
So Britain reached into its merchant fleet, took up liners, ferries, container ships and tankers "from trade", and built a task force in a matter of weeks.
This is the story of the ships that were never built for war, the crews who volunteered to sail them, and the enemy who was certain no such fleet could ever arrive in time.
TOPICS COVERED
› Ships Taken Up From Trade, how the Royal Navy requisitioned 54 merchant ships from 33 companies in weeks
› SS Canberra, the "Great White Whale", converted in days and sailed into San Carlos carrying the Royal Marines and the Parachute Regiment
› QE2, the Cunard flagship requisitioned to carry 5 Infantry Brigade south
› MV Norland, the Hull to Rotterdam ferry that led the way into San Carlos Water
› Atlantic Conveyor and Captain Ian North DSC, and the loss that forced the long march across East Falkland
› SS Uganda, the requisitioned hospital ship, and the neutral Red Cross Box at sea
› Why Argentina's junta assumed a fleet could never be sailed 8,000 miles in time, and why they were wrong
› The Rattenbach Report and the verdict that "logistics cannot be improvised"
› The Second World War roots of it all, Cunard's Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth as record-breaking troopships
MAJOR RESEARCH SOURCES
› Imperial War Museum, Falklands collections and veteran oral histories
› The National Archives (UK), 1982 requisition and task force records
› US Naval Institute (USNI) Proceedings, analysis of Ships Taken Up From Trade
› Official histories of the South Atlantic campaign
› P&O Heritage and Cunard archives on Canberra and QE2
› The Rattenbach Report, Argentina's own official inquiry into the campaign
FURTHER READING
› "The Battle for the Falklands", Max Hastings and Simon Jenkins
› "One Hundred Days", Admiral Sandy Woodward
› "No Picnic", Major General Julian Thompson
› "The Fight for the Malvinas", Martin Middlebrook
› "Canberra: The Great White Whale Goes to War", Captain Christopher Burne
If this story means something to you, a like helps keep the memory of the merchant crews and the men they carried in front of a few more people.
If your father, grandfather or uncle served in the Falklands, in the Royal Marines, the Parachute Regiment, the Royal Navy or the Merchant Navy, leave their name and their ship or unit in the comments.
Subscribe to British Bastion for more forgotten chapters of British and Commonwealth military history.
ABOUT BRITISH BASTION
British Bastion tells the stories of British ingenuity, endurance and quiet courage, from the Battle of Britain and Bletchley Park to the Falklands.
Historical documentary for educational purposes. Archival material is presented in its historical context.
#Falklands #FalklandsWar #MilitaryHistory #RoyalNavy #SSCanberra
20 Comments
Lest We Forget them and the lost crew of the Atlantic Conveyor. Thank for your service to the armed forces and the UK.
As I've said before only the British could pull off a merchant ships that went to war.
In 1982 I was working at NAVAIR, where we were following the war closely with mixed feelings. We had a great deal of affection for the little A-4s, many of my colleagues had flown them into combat and felt a kinship with the Argentine pilots. At the same time we were deeply invested in our own Harrier project. Plus we felt a strong sense of loyalty to the British in general. In many ways it almost felt like watching a civil war.
Why Argentina Never Expected Britain To Send Ocean Liners 8,000 Miles To War
British Bastion
19,970 views
The Falklands War, 1982: how Britain turned its cruise liners and ferries into a war fleet and sailed a civilian armada 8,000 miles south to retake the islands.
When Argentina seized the Falklands, the Royal Navy had no way to carry an army to the far side of the world.
So Britain reached into its merchant fleet, took up liners, ferries, container ships and tankers "from trade", and built a task force in a matter of weeks.
This is the story of the ships that were never built for war, the crews who volunteered to sail them, and the enemy who was certain no such fleet could ever arrive in time.
TOPICS COVERED
› Ships Taken Up From Trade, how the Royal Navy requisitioned 54 merchant ships from 33 companies in weeks
› SS Canberra, the "Great White Whale", converted in days and sailed into San Carlos carrying the Royal Marines and the Parachute Regiment
› QE2, the Cunard flagship requisitioned to carry 5 Infantry Brigade south
› MV Norland, the Hull to Rotterdam ferry that led the way into San Carlos Water
› Atlantic Conveyor and Captain Ian North DSC, and the loss that forced the long march across East Falkland
› SS Uganda, the requisitioned hospital ship, and the neutral Red Cross Box at sea
› Why Argentina's junta assumed a fleet could never be sailed 8,000 miles in time, and why they were wrong
› The Rattenbach Report and the verdict that "logistics cannot be improvised"
› The Second World War roots of it all, Cunard's Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth as record-breaking troopships
MAJOR RESEARCH SOURCES
› Imperial War Museum, Falklands collections and veteran oral histories
› The National Archives (UK), 1982 requisition and task force records
› US Naval Institute (USNI) Proceedings, analysis of Ships Taken Up From Trade
› Official histories of the South Atlantic campaign
› P&O Heritage and Cunard archives on Canberra and QE2
› The Rattenbach Report, Argentina's own official inquiry into the campaign
FURTHER READING
› "The Battle for the Falklands", Max Hastings and Simon Jenkins
› "One Hundred Days", Admiral Sandy Woodward
› "No Picnic", Major General Julian Thompson
› "The Fight for the Malvinas", Martin Middlebrook
› "Canberra: The Great White Whale Goes to War", Captain Christopher Burne
If this story means something to you, a like helps keep the memory of the merchant crews and the men they carried in front of a few more people.
If your father, grandfather or uncle served in the Falklands, in the Royal Marines, the Parachute Regiment, the Royal Navy or the Merchant Navy, leave their name and their ship or unit in the comments.
Subscribe to British Bastion for more forgotten chapters of British and Commonwealth military history.
ABOUT BRITISH BASTION
British Bastion tells the stories of British ingenuity, endurance and quiet courage, from the Battle of Britain and Bletchley Park to the Falklands.
Historical documentary for educational purposes. Archival material is presented in its historical context.
#Falklands #FalklandsWar #MilitaryHistory #RoyalNavy #SSCanberra