This is a list of the naval forces from the United Kingdom that took part in the Falklands War, often referred to as "the Task Force" in the context of the war. For a list of naval forces from Argentina, see Falklands War order of battle: Argentine naval forces.
Royal Navy
Command In Northwood, London: Commander-in-Chief, Fleet: Admiral Sir J.D.E. Fieldhouse Commander Task Group 324.3 and Flag Officer Submarines: Vice-Admiral P.G.M. Herbert In the South Atlantic: Commander Task Group 317.8 (Carrier/Battle Group) and Flag Officer, First Flotilla: Rear-Admiral J.F. Woodward (HMS Hermes) Commander Task Group 317.0 (Amphibious Task Group) and Commodore Amphibious Warfare: Commodore M.C. Clapp (HMS Fearless)
- V/STOL carrier
- Flagship Task Group 317.8 (†3) 2 SHAR pilots Captain L.E. Middleton 800 Naval Air Squadron (12 BAE Sea Harriers, including 7 absorbed from 899 training squadron and trials) Lt Commander A.D. Auld part 809 Naval Air Squadron (4 BAE Sea Harriers absorbed into 800 Squadron) part No. 1 Squadron RAF (8 Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.3) 825 Naval Air Squadron (4 Sea Kings HAS.2; formed from 706 training sqn)Morison (June 1983) pp.119-124 826 Naval Air Squadron (12 Sea King HAS.5) Lt Commander D.J.S. Squier 846 Naval Air Squadron (6 Sea King HC.4)
(†3) 2 SHAR pilots Captain J.J. Black RN 801 Naval Air Squadron (8 BAE Sea Harriers including 5 absorbed from 899 training squadron)) Lt Commander N.D. Ward part 809 Naval Air Squadron (4 BAE Sea Harriers absorbed into 801 Squadron)) 820 Naval Air Squadron (10 Sea King HAS.5) Lt Commander R.J.S. Wykes-Sneyd
Landing platform docks
- Flagship Task Group 317.0 (†6) Captain E.S.J. Larken 4 LCU (Foxtrot One to Four), 100 troops or one Main Battle Tank. LCU Foxtrot Four, bombed and sunk in the Choiseul Sound by A-4B Skyhawks 4 LCVP (Foxtrot Five to Eight), 25 troops or a Land Rover with trailer. flight deck for 4 Sea King HC.4 (not embarked)
Captain P.G.V. Dingemans 4 LCU (Tango One to Four) 4 LCVP (Tango Five to Eight) flight deck for 4 Sea King HC.4 (not embarked)
Type 82 destroyer
Captain A. Grose
Type 42 destroyers
- set on fire by an Aérospatiale AM39 Exocet (Air-to-Surface) Anti-ship missile launched from a Dassault Super Étendard 4 May, (†20) - Fatal Damage (sank on 10 May) Captain J.F.T.G. Salt - sunk on 25 May by three bombs from a Douglas A-4B Skyhawk (†19+1) - Fatal Damage Captain D. Hart Dyke - hit by unexploded bomb from a Douglas A-4B Skyhawk 12 May, withdrawn from war - Moderate Damage Captain A.P. Hoddinott
Captain M.G.T. Harris
Captain H.M. Balfour
s - hit by an Aérospatiale MM38 Exocet (surface-to-surface) anti-ship missile on 12 June (†14) - Major Damage Captain M.E. Barrow - hit by unexploded bomb from an IAI Dagger - Major Damage Captain B.G. Young
Type 22 frigates
- hit by IAI Dagger cannon fire - Minor Damage Captain J.F. Coward - hit by IAI Dagger cannon fire, later damaged by bomb from Douglas A-4B Skyhawk - Moderate Damage Captain W.R. Canning
Type 21 frigates
Commander P.C.B. Canter - Slightly damaged by bomb. Lynx helicopter damaged by return fire from armed coaster ARA Forrest on 1 May. Sank Argentine transport ship on 10 May. Commander C.J.S. Craig - sank 24 May after an unsuccessful attempt to defuse unexploded bombs from a Douglas A-4B Skyhawks (†2) - Fatal Damage Commander N.J. Tobin - sank 21 May by bombs from IAI Daggers and Douglas A-4Q Skyhawks (†22) - Fatal Damage Commander A.W.J. West
Commander P.J. Mosse
Captain H.M. White - hit by IAI Dagger cannon fire - Minor Damage Commander P.J. Bootherstone
s
Captain J.L. Weatherall - hit by Aermacchi MB.339A cannon/rocket and unexploded bombs from Douglas A-4B Skyhawks (†2) - Major Damage Captain C.H. Layman
Commander S.H.G. Johnston
Commander P.V. Rickard
s
Commander A.S. Morton - unexploded bombs from IAI Daggers - Major Damage Captain D. Pentreath - Ascension Island Guardship
Ice patrol ship
Captain N.J. Barker
s As despatch vessels, carrying mail between the Task Force and Ascension Island.
Lt Commander C.F.B. Hamilton
Lt Commander N.D. Wood
s - sank Commander C.L. Wreford-Brown
Commander R.T.N. Best
s
- ran aground - Moderate Damage Lieutenant-Commander A. O. Johnson
s
- Argentine fighters returning from an aborted mission jettisoned bombs nearby - Minor DamageWest, Nigel (2010). Historical Dictionary of Naval Intelligence. Scarecrow Press, pp. 63-64. Commander T.M. Le Marchand
s
Commander J.B. Taylor
Commander R.C. Lane-Nott
s 2,744 t, used as casualty ferries (hospital ships)
Captain G.L. Hope
Commander R.I.C. Halliday
Commander R.J. Campbell
Trawler/Minesweepers - Minesweeper Auxiliary (MSA) 11th MCM Squadron
Civilian trawlers converted to Extra-Deep Armed Team Sweep (EDATS) with some extempore acoustic and sonar equipment. They were crewed by Royal Naval personnel, mainly from 1st MCM Squadron based at Rosyth. All five minesweepers were involved in clearing two minefields off Port Stanley. 1,238 GRTBaker (June 1983) pp.111-118 Lieutenant-Commander M. Holloway HMS Farnella 1,207 GRT Lieutenant R. Bishop 1,615 GRT Lieutenant-Commander M. Rowledge 1,238 GRT Lieutenant-Commander J. Greenop 1,478 GRT Lieutenant-Commander D. Garwood
Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Tankers
36,000 t J.A. Bailey 36,000 t G.P. Overbury 27,400 t S. Redmond 27,400 t J.W. Gaffrey 11,522 t D.A. Reynolds 40,870 t G.P.A. McDougall 40,000 t M.S.J. Farley 40,000 t A.E.T. Hunter 25,790 t R.W.M. Wallace 25,790 t J. McCulloch
Landing Ship Logistic
The peacetime crews of the Round Table-class ships – British merchant seamen, operating under Ministry of Defence jurisdiction – were joined by British servicemen as signalmen, stevedores and gunners.
- bombed by Douglas A-4B Skyhawk - Minor Damage P.J. McCarthy - bombed on 24 May and 8 June by Douglas A-4B Skyhawks (sunk by torpedo on 21 June and declared a war grave) (†48) - Fatal Damage Paul J.G. Roberts
D.E. Lawrence - damaged by unexploded bombs from Douglas A-4B Skyhawks Christopher A. Purtcher-Wydenbruck
A.F. Pitt - bombed 8 June by Douglas A-4B Skyhawks (†2) - Major Damage G.R. Green
Supply ships
22,890 t J. Logan 22,890 t B.A. Seymour 23,600 t Commodore Sam Dunlop RFA (S C Dunlop) 23,600 t D.G.M. Averill 16,792 t - attacked by A-4C on 24 May - Minor Damage J.B. Dickinson
Helicopter support ship 9,000 t D.F. Freeman
Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service
Ships taken up from trade
The following Merchant Navy ships were requisitioned, as Ships Taken Up From Trade (STUFT).
Liners 44,807 GRT – equipped with helicopter pad and carried personnel of 3 Commando Brigade to San Carlos on 21 May.Villar (1984) p.171 . 67,140 GRT – equipped with helicopter pad and carried 3,200 men of 5 Infantry Brigade. At South Georgia, the men of 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards, 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards and 1st Battalion, 7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles were transferred to Canberra, Norland and RFA Stromness on 27 May for transport to San Carlos.Trotter (June 1983) pp.108-111Villar (1984) pp.49&173 16,907 GRT – equipped with helicopter pad and used as hospital ship from 11 May.Villar(1984)p.183
Roll-on-Roll-off ferries 5,463 GRT – equipped with helicopter pad and two Bofors 40 mm guns to carry three Sea King helicopters, ammunition, and heavy vehicles including eight Bofors 40 mm guns, four FV101 Scorpion and four FV107 Scimitar light tanks - joined carrier battle group on 16 MayVillar (1984) pp.9,37-38,40&171 6,455 GRT – equipped with helicopter pad and carried three Army helicopters, 105 troops, and 1,874 tons of stores and ammunition to Ajax Bay on 1 JuneVillar (1984) pp.43&173 4,190 GRT – equipped with helicopter pad and carried vehicles, ammunition, fuel, and four Scout helicopters of 656 Squadron Army Air Corps to San Carlos on 21 MayVillar (1984) pp.44&172 6,455 GRT – equipped with helicopter pad and carried troops, stores, and ammunition to Falklands on 29 MayVillar (1984) p.173 12,990 GRT – equipped with helicopter pad carried 800 men of 2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment and men of 848 Naval Air Squadron to San Carlos on 21 MayVillar (1984) pp.31&172 9,387 GRT – equipped with helicopter pad and Oerlikon 20 mm cannon to carry 1,000 engineers with vehicles and equipment, but sailed after cease fire.Villar (1984) pp.28&174 8,987 GRT – equipped with helicopter pad and carried RAF crews (18 Sqn), troops and vehicles 5,056 GRT – equipped with helicopter pad and carried vehicles and equipment; arrived 12 JuneVillar (1984) p.180
Container / Cargo ships
Astronomer 27,867 GRT – equipped with helicopter pad and Oerlikon 20 mm cannon and carried thirteen helicopters; arrived after cease fire.Villar (1984) pp.87&179 14,946 GRT – equipped with helicopter pad and carried eight BAE Sea Harriers (809 Squadron - aircraft later transferred to the two carriers), six Hawker Siddeley Harriers, six Westland Wessex helicopters, and four CH-47 Chinook helicopters (18 Squadron RAF); arrived 19 MayVillar (1984) pp.37&178-179 - hit 25 May by one or two Aérospatiale AM39 Exocet air-to-surface anti-ship missile(s) launched from a Dassault Super Étendard (†12) - Fatal Damage: Sank in tow 28 May - 6 embarked Wessex HU.5 helicopters, 3 embarked Chinook HC.1 helicopters, 1 embarked Sea Lynx HAS.2, heavy equipment intended for airfield construction, and the bulk stock of tents intended for infantry shelter ashore were lost 14,946 GRT – equipped with helicopter pad and carried eight ASW Sea Kings and twenty Westland Wessex helicopters; arrived 27 May.Villar (1984) pp.84&179 Contender Bezant 11,445 GRT – equipped with helicopter pad and carried 9 Wasp helicopters, 4 Harriers and 3 Chinooks; arrived after cease fire.Villar (1984) pp.86&179 - purchased as post-war Myrmidon 23,413 GRT-equipped with tented accommodation and Portakabins armed with 20 mm Oerlikon cannons, arrived after ceasefire
Freighters
Avelona Star 9784 GRT (refrigerated) – equipped with helicopter pad and carried provisions; arrived after cease fireVillar (1984) pp.95&180 Geestport 7,730 GRT (refrigerated) – equipped with helicopter pad and carried provisions and stores; arrived 11 June Laertes 11,804 GRT – Soviet-built with armored cable trunks and damage control centers - carried general supplies; arrived after cease fire Lycaon 11,804 GRT – Soviet-built with armored cable trunks and damage control centers - carried ammunition and supplies; arrived 28 MayVillar (1984) p.179 Saxonia 8,547 GRT (refrigerated) – carried provisions; arrived 23 May Strathewe 12,598 GRT – carried supplies and landing craft; arrived after cease fire 3,150 GRT – equipped with helicopter pad and four Oerlikon 20 mm cannon for use as minesweeper support ship after the cease fireVillar (1984) p.182
Tankers Alvega 33,000 t (57,372 DWT) – used as base storage tanker at Ascension from mid-MayVillar (1984) p.53 Anco Charger 24,500 DWT – used as auxiliary support tanker from 24 AprilVillar (1984) p.169 with capability to transport 42 different liquids at once Balder London 19,980 t (33,751 DWT) – used as auxiliary support tanker from 12 May British Avon 15,640 t (25,620 DWT) – used as auxiliary support tanker from 25 April British Dart 15,650 t (28,488 DWT) – used as auxiliary support tanker from 22 AprilVillar (1984) p.176 British Esk 15,643 t (25,905 DWT) – fitted with over-the-stern underway refueling equipment for use as the first convoy escort oilerVillar (1984) p.174 British Tamar 15,646 t (25,498 DWT) – fitted with over-the-stern underway refueling equipment for use as convoy escort oiler from 13 April British Tay 15,650 t (25,650 DWT) – used as auxiliary support tanker from 12 AprilVillar (1984) p.175 British Test 16,653 t (25,641 DWT) – used as auxiliary support tanker from 14 April British Trent 15,649 t (25,147 DWT) – used as auxiliary support tanker from 18 April