Themes

Article highlights

• HMS Fearless in the Falklands

• Britain's amphibious capabilities

• Fearless in the Task Group

• Heading South

• Ascension Island - preparation for war

• To the TEZ

• Preparing to land

• Further duties

• The return home

Preparing to land

On 19 May a command from the C-in-C Fleet at Northwood came ordering the transfer of 1200 men from the STUFT troop carriers to Fearless and Intrepid.

They had initially decided not to keep the three major assault units together. This posed a tricky task for the ships as the conditions were too rough to use the landing craft and the helicopters were in reserve for the final assault.

40 Commando cross decking to HMS Fearless from SS Canberra, 19th May 1982, LCUs from the Assault ship can be seen in the foreground. (RMM)

The alternative of using a Jackstay, to transfer the troops was also dropped as it was too dangerous and it would take up to 15 hours to complete.

Luckily, for the Amphibious Task Group, the high seas abated and the transfer by LCU could go ahead. HMS Fearless took on 600 men from SS Canberra.

The Commandos and Paras queued on the Promenade Deck of the converted ocean liner down to the gun port doors some decks down and, after handing down their equipment, had to jump from the liner into the landing craft.

It was a dangerous operation and luckily only one marine fell into the icy waters, he was soon recovered from the side of the landing craft. The transfer took about an hour and a half to complete.

This also meant that the already cramped conditions got much worse. The 600 extra troops meant men were sleeping in the Junior Rates Dining Hall, in the corridors, on the tank deck, and even inside the LCUs.

Tank deck of HMS Fearless on D-1, San Carlos Landings, Falklands War 1982. (RMM)

Thursday 20 May was the day before the landings would take place. The convoy was now less than 100 miles from Port Stanley and by 2000 that day had changed formation into waves.

HMS Fearless and HMS Intrepid were leading in Wave One. At 2040 the ship was at action stations as escorting warships began to barrage Argentinean positions on Fanning Head and the surrounding area.

Fearless anchored in Falkland Sound around midnight on 21 May ready to deploy its landing troops ashore.

42 Commando heading for San Carlos Beach in an LCU, Falklands War 1982. (RMM)

Although the landing troops had practiced embarking the landing crafts from the LPD prior to the actual event, there had been no time to mount a full-scale drill.

The landings on the 21 May did not begin incredibly smoothly. A problem in the ballast pumps, which allow the ship to lower itself into the water and deploy the landing craft led to delays with the first LCUs carrying personnel from 40 Commando.

Phase one of the landings was complete by 0730 and by midday all the landing objectives had been successfully achieved.