Installed Weaponry
The primary purpose of her design was in airspace denial so this meant the warship carried an extensive set of radar and sensor equipment as well as sonar. The twin-missile launcher fit was the GWS-30 "Sea Dart" and twenty-two reloads were carried. More conventional weaponry included the 4.5" Mark 8 series gun set at the forecastle. 2 x Triple torpedo tubes offered the vessel a counter against enemy submarines at range.
The Falklands War of 1982
HMS Sheffield was critical in trialing the Sea Dart at-sea missile weapon and was used in this fashion until about 1980. On April 2nd, 1982, the military-run Argentine government sent in its forces to take the Falklands Islands from British hands to prompt the beginning of the Falklands War. The war ran over the period of two months, one week and resulted in a decisive British military victory - leading the Argentines to replace their military government with a democratically-elected one in 1983. Additionally, the two countries severed political ties until 1989.
The Falklands War was a tremendous British naval undertaking which saw forces amassed in Britain anf Gibraltar and set sail to Ascension in the mid-Atlantic. From there, the force moved into the South Atlantic and operated in and around the Falklands Islands region off the Argentine coast.
As resounding as the British victory was, it came at a price with 255 killed to the Argentine's 649. The British Royal Navy lost a pair of frigates as well as a pair of destroyers and three lesser ships. Twenty-four helicopters, ten combat warplanes, and a single bomber were part of the tallied losses before the end.
The End for HMS Sheffield
Nevertheless, the need was great and HMS Sheffield was pushed into action along with other RN warships. While she operated in the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) picket role for the British Task Force on May 4th, 1982, she was struck by one of two Exocet anti-ship missiles launched by Argentine Air Navy Dassault "Super Etendard" fighter-bombers (detailed elsewhere on this site). The strike hit her amidships while the second fell harmlessly into the water near her port section. The damage resulted in loss of critical operating components and began to spread fire - this in addition to twenty of her crew killed. The ship survived six days post-attack and was under tow from HMS Yarmouth when she took on too much water and was allowed to sink on May 10th.
In an after-action review of the situation, there proved many failings on the part of the British for the attack and subsequent sinking of one of their warships. Issues ranged from lack of a complete Electronic CounterMeasures (ECM) suite and operator/crew training to operator/officer-level responses and the failure of available technologies at play.
Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
