So let's just make that tribute very public!"
ITN Reporter - Michael Nicholson- 22 May 1982
Overview
At midnight on the 21 May 1982 HMS Ardent, under the
cover of darkness, led the Amphibious Task Force into
Falkland Sound during the early hours of the 21st May
1982. The ship "charged" into the sound ahead of the
County Class destroyer HMS Antrim and the remainder
of the landing force. The Ardent headed for Grantham
Sound to take up a lonely gun line position. The ship
was working as stealthily as possible, awaiting
instructions to bombard Goose Green airstrip. The
plan was to carry out Naval Gunfire Support (NGS)
bombardments to harass Argentine troops and aircraft
located around the Darwin and Goose Green areas.
Hopefully this would make the Argentine troops
believe the landings were happening elsewhere and not
in the San Carlos inlet.
Different View: A NAAFI Civilian's Story
Different View: A NAAFI Civilian's Story
Bombardment of Goose Green Airfield
As the main amphibious landings started on Blue Beach
in the San Carlos inlet Ardent was providing
NGS support to the Special Forces units operating
ashore. They were communicating by radio with the
ship from hidden observation posts around Darwin and
Goose Green, ensuring the Argentine troops were kept
pinned down. The Ardent was operating alone,
outside the protection of other British ships and
combat aircraft, so it was not long before the
Ardent became a target for the Argentine air
force.
After only two hours of daylight the first of many aircraft to attack us that fateful day homed in on us. Petty Officer Gunner "Jonno" Johnson, the emergency SeaCat aimer, spotted an Argentine Pucara aircraft closing in and he launched a SeaCat missile into its path. The missile did not reach its target but it did make the Pucara's pilot turn tail, it was to be the first of many encounters with Argentine aircraft for the crew of Ardent that day.
Read: How NGS is carried out
After only two hours of daylight the first of many aircraft to attack us that fateful day homed in on us. Petty Officer Gunner "Jonno" Johnson, the emergency SeaCat aimer, spotted an Argentine Pucara aircraft closing in and he launched a SeaCat missile into its path. The missile did not reach its target but it did make the Pucara's pilot turn tail, it was to be the first of many encounters with Argentine aircraft for the crew of Ardent that day.
Read: How NGS is carried out
Air Attacks
With NGS operations complete the Ardent was
ordered into the open waters of Falkland Sound to try
and draw the fire of any Argentine aircraft flying
towards San Carlos from the South. In this vulnerable
position, a lone Skyhawk caught the ship by surprise
and deployed two 1,000lb bombs. They both missed but
the Skyhawk flew so close its jet-stream put the main
992-radar aerial askew. This was a wake up call for
all of the crew who were dog-tired as the ship played
a deadly waiting game for the next wave of air
attacks. With only an hour to go before dusk
Ardent's luck was to change having survived
sixteen air raids. Air raid number seventeen was in
progress; consisting of 4 Argentine Navy Skyhawk
A4Q's led by Captain Alberto Philippi. Their mission
was to sink the lone frigate that had caused the
Argentine troops and Air Force so many problems
throughout the day.
The aircraft broke through the ships defenses by keeping to the Ardent's stern profile. Although "Jonno" Johnson was tracking the lead aircraft and screaming for emergency control of the SeaCat system; it never came. In the Ops room below the weapons team watched the raid close as they desperately tried to bring their weapons to bear. The order to "take cover" was given by the bridge, the attacking aircraft released their payloads and two snake-eye 500lb bombs struck home. As the stern lifted, the Ardent rocked as if a giant hand was playing with us; the force of the explosion rippled through the ship throwing the crew around like matchsticks.
The ship had lost its SeaCat launcher and the hanger roof had been ripped open like a sardine can. The flight deck was in flames, as was most of the back end of the ship. All computer weapon systems were off-line leaving only the close range guns to defend against further attacks ourselves with. The crew of Ardent now relied on people like the ships NAAFI canteen manger, John Leake, who had been made a Petty Officer when active service was declared. John had used a GPMG when he was in the Army and had volunteered to man the weapon again, when he was put in uniform. He was now alongside the weapons teams working under the direction of the visual weapons director. John's action throughout the Argentine attacks was inspiring to all the weapons crews. His award of the Distinguished Service Medal after the conflict was a credit to his bravery; and the confirmed "kill" of an Argentine Skyhawk forced to land at Port Stanley airport after its fuel tanks were hit by John's GPMG small arms fire.
The aircraft broke through the ships defenses by keeping to the Ardent's stern profile. Although "Jonno" Johnson was tracking the lead aircraft and screaming for emergency control of the SeaCat system; it never came. In the Ops room below the weapons team watched the raid close as they desperately tried to bring their weapons to bear. The order to "take cover" was given by the bridge, the attacking aircraft released their payloads and two snake-eye 500lb bombs struck home. As the stern lifted, the Ardent rocked as if a giant hand was playing with us; the force of the explosion rippled through the ship throwing the crew around like matchsticks.
The ship had lost its SeaCat launcher and the hanger roof had been ripped open like a sardine can. The flight deck was in flames, as was most of the back end of the ship. All computer weapon systems were off-line leaving only the close range guns to defend against further attacks ourselves with. The crew of Ardent now relied on people like the ships NAAFI canteen manger, John Leake, who had been made a Petty Officer when active service was declared. John had used a GPMG when he was in the Army and had volunteered to man the weapon again, when he was put in uniform. He was now alongside the weapons teams working under the direction of the visual weapons director. John's action throughout the Argentine attacks was inspiring to all the weapons crews. His award of the Distinguished Service Medal after the conflict was a credit to his bravery; and the confirmed "kill" of an Argentine Skyhawk forced to land at Port Stanley airport after its fuel tanks were hit by John's GPMG small arms fire.
Damage Control and Further Attacks
After the fatal air raid the ship’s company battled
the blazing fires with great determination, slowly
bringing them under control. But it was to be a
wasted effort. In what must have been one of the
Falkland Conflict’s most overkill enemy strikes; six
Argentine aircraft attacked the now clearly disabled
Ardent as it headed for safety with the rest
of the fleet to the North. As many as ten bombs hit
home, once again their target being the after end of
the ship where, in a desperate bid to defend the
ship, members of the ship’s flight were killed
engaging the aircraft with small-arms fire. As the
attack came from astern the 20mm close range weapons
could not be brought to bear. Tears of frustration
filled the weapons aimers' eyes as the stern of
Ardent once again took a terrible beating from the
air.
Photo: 20mm cartridges from this engagement collected by Cdr. Alan West
Once again as the ship shuddered from the force of the exploding bombs the Ardent was now very badly damaged with its stern from the funnel aft, ablaze both above and below decks. With dusk coming, Commander West had managed to get the ship anchored off the nearby Wreck Point. Commander West received damage reports from the First Lieutenant, Marine and Weapons Engineering Officers and some of his Senior Rates. It was clear that Ardent had lost power; the fires were out of control and the ship defenceless. Although the numbers were unknown, the Ardent had suffered many casualties and deaths amongst the crew. Faced with this information, Commander West signalled the nearby frigate HMS Yarmouth with the simple words "Take off my men." That done he gave the sad order to abandon ship, which was repeated quickly by word of mouth and over the Ardents broadcast system. Weeks later Commander West was to explain to journalists why he had given the order. "At the end of the day a ship is nothing without its men" he told them. It was a hard decision but one that prevented further loss of lives on a warship that was beyond saving.
Video: Commander West on the loss of HMS Ardent
Photo: 20mm cartridges from this engagement collected by Cdr. Alan West
Once again as the ship shuddered from the force of the exploding bombs the Ardent was now very badly damaged with its stern from the funnel aft, ablaze both above and below decks. With dusk coming, Commander West had managed to get the ship anchored off the nearby Wreck Point. Commander West received damage reports from the First Lieutenant, Marine and Weapons Engineering Officers and some of his Senior Rates. It was clear that Ardent had lost power; the fires were out of control and the ship defenceless. Although the numbers were unknown, the Ardent had suffered many casualties and deaths amongst the crew. Faced with this information, Commander West signalled the nearby frigate HMS Yarmouth with the simple words "Take off my men." That done he gave the sad order to abandon ship, which was repeated quickly by word of mouth and over the Ardents broadcast system. Weeks later Commander West was to explain to journalists why he had given the order. "At the end of the day a ship is nothing without its men" he told them. It was a hard decision but one that prevented further loss of lives on a warship that was beyond saving.
Video: Commander West on the loss of HMS Ardent
Abandon Ship
Video: Final Moments of HMS Ardent
The crew of Ardent was eventually transferred to the luxury liner SS Canberra in San Carlos bay. The Canberra had spent the day offloading troops to the beachhead and dodging Argentine aircraft and bombs. Considering how big and white she was (the troops nicknamed her the Big White Whale), it was a miracle that she had not been hit by enemy fire. It was with this in mind that, as midnight approached, the Canberra was ordered to weigh anchor and head out to a new station, 130 miles North-North-East of Port Stanley. One by one the Ardent survivors passed by a desk where our names, rank and official number were written down and a can of beer and packet of cigarettes were then thrust into our hands. Later on that evening, after dinner the survivors gathered in the ballroom. The First Lieutenant and Master-at-Arms had been busy putting together the survivors’ signal. There was still some doubt as to the accuracy of the final list; the other ships that had come to our rescue could have picked up some of our crew. But a clear idea of those who had perished in the attack was starting to surface and names were read out.
The ships crew had been at action stations since 2200 the previous night . At midnight Ardent had bombarded Argentine shore positions at Goose Green in support of the SAS, then moved on to protect the southern approach to the first large-scale landings at San Carlos Bay. It was a bright day, the water still and no clouds in the sky, perfect flying weather for the Argentine pilots. Although completely exposed, Ardent's luck had held out during fifteen previous air raids but shortly before dusk this changed. After heavy and sustained Argentine air attacks Ardent suffered fatal damage to the ship's stern and lost 22 of the crew to this enemy action. As dusk fell HMS Ardent was abandoned. A number of the crew were honored for their bravery on the 21 May 1982, these awards can be viewed here.
A memorial to our lost shipmates can be viewed here.
The Journey Home
The survivors of HMS Ardent stayed on Canberra for a
week, keeping busy by helping move stores and other
routine jobs. It was a difficult time, the crew were
all at a loss, being wrenched from the action was so
frustrating for so many. On the 27 May the Canberra
rendezvoused with the pride of the British merchant
fleet, the luxury liner Queen Elizabeth II in
Grytviken harbour, South Georgia. QEII was
transferring 5 Brigade troops to the Canberra for
onward transport to the Falkland Islands.
As darkness fell, the transfer of the troops was complete and it was time for the crew of Ardent to transfer to the QEII. In a way the survivors felt reluctant to leave the Canberra, the crew had made them welcome and the work Ardent's had done by shifting stores had given the crew a sense of purpose. But is was time to leave and, dressed mostly in the Canberra provided white boiler suits, the crew of Ardent climbed down onto the flight deck of the patrol ship HMS Leeds’ Castle. The night was very dark, still and icy cold and, as the 177 survivors of Ardent looked back at the Canberra, they could see the decks packed with people. Almost every member of the Canberra's crew, the embarked Royal Naval Party and many of the Scot's Guards came out to see them go. The music being played by the Royal Marines Band drifted out from their position on the promenade deck. In reply, we started to sing the "Oggie" song. A tune beloved of rugby fans and any sailor who ever came from Devonport. The harbour echoed to the sound as if filled with a thousand voices - "Oi, Oi, Oi." As we looked back at Canberra we broke into applause, our way of saying thank you to the band, the crew and the Great White Whale herself. As we stood stock-still, watching Canberra merge into the darkness, my thoughts were full of the unknown journey ahead and how we would be greeted back home in England.
For many of the crew time on the QEII was frustrating, there was no work for to do like on the Canberra and boredom soon took over. The Ardent were joined by the survivors of their sister ship HMS Antelope and the Type 45 destroyer HMS Coventry; both of which had been sunk by Argentine weapons during the week the Ardent crew had been on the Canberra. However, this was a chance to relax and the crews of each ship used the opportunity to run the normal sailors diversions like beauty parades, SODS Operas and horse racing nights, it was a way of coping with the loss of their ships and shipmates.
Photos: From the journey home
The QEII arrived home in Southampton on Friday 11 June, greeted by a flotilla of little ships forming up around the QEII as it made the journey to its berth. The Queen Mother waved at the QEII and survivors from the deck of the Royal Yacht Britannia. The crews of the Ardent, Antelope and Coventry lined the decks and waved back.
Video: HMS Ardent Survivors Return Home on QEII
As darkness fell, the transfer of the troops was complete and it was time for the crew of Ardent to transfer to the QEII. In a way the survivors felt reluctant to leave the Canberra, the crew had made them welcome and the work Ardent's had done by shifting stores had given the crew a sense of purpose. But is was time to leave and, dressed mostly in the Canberra provided white boiler suits, the crew of Ardent climbed down onto the flight deck of the patrol ship HMS Leeds’ Castle. The night was very dark, still and icy cold and, as the 177 survivors of Ardent looked back at the Canberra, they could see the decks packed with people. Almost every member of the Canberra's crew, the embarked Royal Naval Party and many of the Scot's Guards came out to see them go. The music being played by the Royal Marines Band drifted out from their position on the promenade deck. In reply, we started to sing the "Oggie" song. A tune beloved of rugby fans and any sailor who ever came from Devonport. The harbour echoed to the sound as if filled with a thousand voices - "Oi, Oi, Oi." As we looked back at Canberra we broke into applause, our way of saying thank you to the band, the crew and the Great White Whale herself. As we stood stock-still, watching Canberra merge into the darkness, my thoughts were full of the unknown journey ahead and how we would be greeted back home in England.
For many of the crew time on the QEII was frustrating, there was no work for to do like on the Canberra and boredom soon took over. The Ardent were joined by the survivors of their sister ship HMS Antelope and the Type 45 destroyer HMS Coventry; both of which had been sunk by Argentine weapons during the week the Ardent crew had been on the Canberra. However, this was a chance to relax and the crews of each ship used the opportunity to run the normal sailors diversions like beauty parades, SODS Operas and horse racing nights, it was a way of coping with the loss of their ships and shipmates.
Photos: From the journey home
The QEII arrived home in Southampton on Friday 11 June, greeted by a flotilla of little ships forming up around the QEII as it made the journey to its berth. The Queen Mother waved at the QEII and survivors from the deck of the Royal Yacht Britannia. The crews of the Ardent, Antelope and Coventry lined the decks and waved back.
Video: HMS Ardent Survivors Return Home on QEII