- British soldiers were operating under poor intelligence during their mission
- They were attempting to destroy missiles before they could do further damage
- The British had lost the HMS Sheffield and the HMS Invincible
- Pictures and story of the mission is retold in a book called Exocet Falklands
The full story of the disastrous SAS attempt to invade Argentina and destroy the Exocet missiles has been told by those on both sides of the Falklands War.
British soldiers were operating under poor intelligence as they attempted to destroy the missiles before Argentina could use them to do further damage, after they'd hit the HMS Sheffield.
Pictures show the soldiers as well as the Argentine crew and Capitan de Corbeta Curilovic who were responsible for attacking the HMS Invincible, as part of an historic book.
Arming Super Etendard 204 with an Exocet. Four of these French machines were used during the Falklands War by the Argentinians after the USA put an arms embargo in place
The Argentinian Super Etendard pilots - Rodriguez, Barraza, Colavino, Colombo, Bedacarratz, Curilovic, Francisco, Mayora
The pictures from both sides of the conflict are featured in 'Exocet Falklands', written by Ewen Southby-Tailyour detailing the disastrous SAS attempt to remove Argentina's main weapon from the war.
Andrew Lawrence was captain of the crew tasked with getting to the Rio Grande, a closely defended air base to attack a detachment of Argentina’s Super Etendarde fighter planes and their deadly load of Exocet missiles.
Super Etendard 202 refuel en route for the Task Force on 30 May with Skyhawks behind. British soldiers were sent to disarm the remaining exocets after the HMS Sheffield was destroyed
Where exactly are the Malvinas? The command bunker at Rio Grande. The soldiers who were en route to the bunker did not have sufficient intelligence for their mission
Left, HMS Onyx arriving in HMS Dolphin, Portsmouth from the South Atlantic. The Jolly Roger with a 'commando dagger' indicates a special forces operation. Right, Squadron Leader Max Roberts post 1982
Left, Lieutenant Colonel Richard Preston. Right, Squadron Leader Charlie Cartwright, an RAF intelligence officer, who become Operation Mikado's only source of real-time intelligence for the flight
Captain Andy 'L' with fish, in Oman 1981. He had concerns over the mission, especially when the rations ran so low with so long still to go
Refuelling a Hercules from a Victor tanker. Each one of these would take two refuels for the 28 hour trips they would cover and it would take five Victors to get one C-130 to the Falklands to drop supplies
Refuelling a Hercules from a Victor tanker. Each one of these would take two refuels for the 28 hour trips they would cover and it would take five Victors to get one C-130 to the Falklands to drop supplies
There was also a submarine-launched Special Boat Squadron's Operation Kettledrum against the northern naval air base at Puerto Deseado.
Operation Plum Duff was a tall order, made taller by the lack of intelligence, coherent maps or proper briefings. It was clear to every member of the patrol that they had been asked ‘to conduct a full frontal assault into the unknown’.
Lawrence (not his real name) manned a group who were to be dropped in Chile and make their way by foot to the border before being picked up, but they ran out of rations and had to implement an emergency plan.
The rescue party never came, and the men had to give themselves up and were sent home more than a month later.
'This is the account of three mainland assaults that might have changed the nature of the Falklands conflict militarily and diplomatically,' said Mr Southby-Tailyour.
'The political aftermath of such attacks on the South American continent would, too, have had international consequences.
Capitan de Corbeta Alejandro Francisco returning from the attack on 'HMS Invincible'. Argentina claimed to have caused damage to the carrier, but there was no evidence they had
Migual Pita at Stanley airport folds up the Union flag. The book gives accounts from both sides of the Falklands war for the first time
Capitan de Corbeta Curilovic second from left with Teniente de Navio Barraza. The captain's rank was the equivalent of a Squadron leader
The crew of Sea King 'VC' in 2012 - Richard Hutchings, Pete Imrie, Alan 'Wiggy' Bennett at the annual 'Jungle' cocktail party
The former SAS Sea King Helicopters
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The RAF pilots ordered to conduct an 'assault-landing' of two Hercules onto Rio Grande air base during Operation Mikado have spoken of the extraordinary procedures they developed: so have the commander of the SBS and the captain of the British submarine involved in Operation Kettledrum.
The Super Étendard pilots who sank HMS Sheffield and MV Atlantic Conveyor and then 'attacked' HMS Invincible, plus a key member of the Argentine special forces and the brigadier defending Rio Grande, add credence, depth and gravitas to the saga: as does an equally revealing interview with the SIS (MI6) officer who led the world-wide search for Exocets on the black market.
Disturbing over-confidence by commanders at home was finely counter-balanced by stirring accounts of inspiring physical and moral courage across the South Atlantic.
Mr Southby-Tailyour said: 'This is the story of the French AM 39 Exocet: an air-launched, sea-skimming, anti-ship missile deployed by Argentina against the British during the Falklands campaign in 1982.
Exocet damage to HMS Sheffield. The Argentinians fired two of their missiles at the Naby's ship and it was destroyed, giving way to the failed mission to get rid of their missiles before they could inflict more damage'
The Super Étendard pilots who sank HMS Sheffield and MV Atlantic Conveyor and then 'attacked' HMS Invincible, plus a key member of the Argentine special forces and the brigadier defending Rio Grande, add credence, depth and gravitas to the saga: as does an equally revealing interview with the SIS (MI6) officer who led the world-wide search for Exocets on the black market.
Disturbing over-confidence by commanders at home was finely counter-balanced by stirring accounts of inspiring physical and moral courage across the South Atlantic.
Mr Southby-Tailyour said: 'This is the story of the French AM 39 Exocet: an air-launched, sea-skimming, anti-ship missile deployed by Argentina against the British during the Falklands campaign in 1982.
This missile was a clear danger to the Task Force aircraft carriers, the loss of just one of which would have seriously prejudiced the outcome.
'It is also a narrative of three British Special Forces operations designed to destroy those missiles on the Argentine mainland before they could be launched by the Super Etendard fighter-bombers that carried them.'
Operation Plum Duff was a reconnaissance mission against the Argentine Navy's Rio Grande air base although direct action could be taken if the opportunity arose. Operation Mikado was also against Rio Grande and depended on Plum Duff's intelligence.
'It is also a narrative of three British Special Forces operations designed to destroy those missiles on the Argentine mainland before they could be launched by the Super Etendard fighter-bombers that carried them.'
Operation Plum Duff was a reconnaissance mission against the Argentine Navy's Rio Grande air base although direct action could be taken if the opportunity arose. Operation Mikado was also against Rio Grande and depended on Plum Duff's intelligence.
Lieutenant Commander Andrew Johnson at HMS Onyx's periscope. The submarine was the only non-nuclear submarine to be used in the Falklands War
There was also a submarine-launched Special Boat Squadron's Operation Kettledrum against the northern naval air base at Puerto Deseado.
Operation Plum Duff was a tall order, made taller by the lack of intelligence, coherent maps or proper briefings. It was clear to every member of the patrol that they had been asked ‘to conduct a full frontal assault into the unknown’.
Lawrence (not his real name) manned a group who were to be dropped in Chile and make their way by foot to the border before being picked up, but they ran out of rations and had to implement an emergency plan.
The rescue party never came, and the men had to give themselves up and were sent home more than a month later.
'This is the account of three mainland assaults that might have changed the nature of the Falklands conflict militarily and diplomatically,' said Mr Southby-Tailyour.
'The political aftermath of such attacks on the South American continent would, too, have had international consequences.
'The SAS, and to a lesser extent the SBS, would have struggled to recover from the large loss of life they would inevitably have suffered, while the RAF and thus the dependent Royal Navy would have certainly lost the use of the only two heavy-lift, long-range aircraft capable of supplying the Task Force deep in the South Atlantic ocean.'
The former SAS Sea King Helicopters
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