Page 28 - ABA Salvoes 1999-2024

NAVAL GUNFIRE SUPPORT ON OPERATION CORPORATE
By Brigadier C C Brown CBE
As I look forward to taking over as DRA, I recall a visit in late 1981 by the then DRA, Maj Gen Tomlinson, to 148 Battery in Poole. He was not unimpressed by the various displays of helicopter abseiling, diving etc, but there appeared to be a hidden agenda. This was his farewell visit; not for him, but for 148. The notion that anybody would ever use naval gunfire support again was so far-fetched that, in a climate of reducing budgets and manpower, 148 faced the axe. A few months later sat on an OP, I heard ANTRIM report ready with gun-target line and time of flight. I had heard such reports many times over the previous 2 years as a NGFO, but this time I was overlooking Grytviken, South Georgia, and the Argentine garrison. Any hesitation in my giving the order to fire may be put down to the dawning that I was about to engage an enemy with NGS for the first time in many years. It went well; so well in fact that the enemy had white flags up before the landing force got anywhere near them. The only downside was my bollocking from the Captain of ANTRIM for attempting to fire on the old whaling station, a target which he was under orders not to engage, but, then again I was used to bollockings. Within a week I was in ALACRITY’S Lynx, controlling ALACRITY, ARROW and GLAMORGAN for the initial fireplan against Port Stanley airfield. The RAF Vulcans and RN Sea Harriers had led the attack and, as we approached from the north, some of the airport buildings were already on fire. As we dropped in low over the coast we spotted 2 vessels fying the Argentine flag; a converted fishing vessel and a fast patrol boat. Despite having ditched the Sea-Skua anti-ship missile in favour of greater endurance for spotting, we still has the door- mounted GPMG. Surprise was in our favour and, with ALACRITY’S Education Officer as the No1 and me as No2, the first run caught both vessels unaware. We should have known better than to try a re-attack, but it seemed too good an opportunity. We were not so fortunate the second time. Hit several times by machine gun fire from the now alert vessels, we broke clean and continued to the pre-designated OP. It was only when I jumped out of
the Lynx that I realised how badly we had been hit. Fuel was streaming from the underside of the aircraft and we therefore beat a hasty retreat back to ALACRITY. Willy McCracken (FO2), in reserve in ARROW’s Lynx on her flightdeck, heard that ALACRITY’s Lynx had been hit and launched to bring the fireplan to a successful conclusion. NGS was by now the flavour of the month and most SF actions in the lead up to the main landings involved 148 parties. On 15 May we attacked the Argentine air strip at Pebble Island off the north coast of West Falkland. GLAMORGAN once again provided excellent illumination and neutralisation of positions around the air strip, while the 11 aircraft were destroyed by direct action. The diversionary attack onto Darwin/Goose Green for the main landings in San Carlos split NGFO 5 in two with my half working with Squadron Headquarters and the other half, commanded by Bdr Oliver, working with the forward troop. All went well (the Argentines reported that they were under attack from at least a battalion) until first light when the Squadron was still split and trying to make the cover of Sussex Mountains. Quick reactions by Bdr Oliver engaged enemy aircraft preparing to take off from the airstrip at Goose Green, crippling 3 Pucaras. A further Pucara was downed by a Stinger team which included LBdr Muncer. Sadly ARDENT, who had provided the NGS, was sunk by enemy air attack as she withdrew from the gun line. FO5 then moved forward to the Mount Kent area in preparation for the main advance. Initially with NGS and CAS, supplemented with artillery from 31 May when 7 Battery were flown forward, the enemy positions on the approaches to Port Stanley were engaged night after night. The effect of destruction was apparent on forward slopes, but the demoralisation and havoc achieved was only really evident once we were retasked onto Mount Rosalie in West Falkland to defeat an enemy OP which was controlling Argentine CAS against shipping in San Carlos Water. The OP fled towards Port Howard, never to return, but PLYMOUTH got caught by enemy air on the gun line in Falkland Sound. With preparations nearing completion
NGFO 5 on reaching Port Stanley at the conclusion of combat operations
26 | Amphibious Bombardment Association