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HMS Fearless
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To the TEZ
To the TEZ
On 7 May HMS Fearless and the Task Group left Ascension Island and made its way to the Total Exclusion Zone (TEZ) of the Falklands waters.
The ship met up with HM ships Intrepid, Argonaut, Ardent and the Atlantic Conveyor, Canberra, Norland, Europic Ferry and RFA Stromness en route.
As they approached the TEZ security became even more vital as they could to afford to lose the troops who would go on to stage the land campaign.
During their trip down the fleet was put on submarine red alert for about an hour and all vessels steamed at 16 knots and carried out zigzagging manoeuvres as evasive techniques.
On 13 May, still 900 miles away from Port Stanley, 60 officers assembled in the wardroom of HMS Fearless to hear the Brigade Commander Brigadier Julian Thompson give orders for the amphibious landing at Port San Carlos.
40 Commando and 2 Para were to secure San Carlos and Sussex Mountain with 45 Commando and 3 Para to secure Ajax Bay and Port San Carlos settlement. 42 Commando would stay behind in reserve.
Troops would then to move the artillery and air defence to cover the beachhead. Next the SBS (Special Boat Service) and the SAS (Special Air Service) carried diversionary tactics at Goose Green for the final push to the high grounds around Stanley, then onto the capital itself.
On 15 May with convoy still some 810 miles away from Port Stanley an Amphibious Assault Conference was held in Fearless for further planning in preparation for the landings.
By 16 May the troop convoy rendezvoused with HMS Antrim, and HMS Plymouth and with LSLs Sir Galahad, Sir Geraint, Sir Percivale, Sir Lancelot and Sir Tristram.
The convoy now consisted of 19 ships. On the 18 May when they were joined by the aircraft carriers HMS Hermes and Invincible and their escorts.
The ships were now on a war footing and all were darkened during the night to avoid enemy detection and attack. Even navigation lights were turned off as the now 22 ships moved together in dark silence towards Falklands waters.
