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Falklands/Malvinas (Opr. Corporate)
The Lynx of the RN have their combat debut
over the cold waters of the South Atlantic
as part of Operation Corporate (Falklands
War).
Some twenty-seven Lynx from No. 815 Squadron
‘went south’ where they operated in the ASW,
ASV, VERTical-REPlenishment (VERTREP) and
Special Operations insertion role. Many of
the Lynx were hastily fitted with Sea Skua
missiles, even though the missiles had not
completed their full acceptance trials
within the Fleet Air Arm (FAA). It was not
only the Sea Skua’s use which was hasty,
many of the HAS Mk 2s heading south with the
Task Force were not uniformly equipped - not
all had Sea Skua, while Electronic-Counter
Measures (ECM), thermal imagers and MAD were
only carried by a handful of aircraft. Many
Lynx were fitted with door-mounted GPMGs for
Close-Air-Support (CAS) operations and,
though unofficial, the installation proved
popular with crews.
One of the most celebrated actions involved
two Lynx from HMS Brilliant, which attacked
the Argentine submarine Santa Fe on the 25th
April 1982, during Operation Corporate. One
launched a Mk 46 torpedo, expecting the
vessel to submerge, which it didn’t. The sub
was then unable lo submerge due to the
circling torpedo beneath it; the Lynx
attacked with their 7.62mm machine-guns
eventually putting the submarine out of
action.
Further action on the night of the 3rd May
1982 saw HMS Coventry’s Lynx ripple fire two
Sea Skuas at the enemy patrol boat, Alferez
Sorbal. Two direct hits were scored from a
range of 13km. In the confusion of the
attack the vessel was struck again by a
further two Sea Skuas from a Lynx attached
to HMS Glasgow. On May 23rd the Argentine
supply ship Rio Caracana received two direct
hits courtesy of a Lynx from HMS Antelope.
The Sea Skua was gaining itself an
impressive reputation, leaving a succession
of enemy vessels burning and sinking
following Lynx attacks. By the end of the
Falklands Conflict Lynx HAS Mk 2s of the RN
had an impressive combat record, with one
example even having a lucky escape when
attacked by a pair of Argentine Daggers.
Three Lynx were lost when the ships Ardent,
Atlantic Conveyer and Coventry were sunk. A
further example lost its nose when an
unexploded bomb bounced off the side of HMS
Broadsword - however no Lynx were shot down
or lost in flying accidents despite the
atrocious weather conditions encountered in
the region.
Gulf War
(Opr. Granby)
Six Lynx helicopters (armed with Sea Skua
Air to Sea Missiles) .were sent from 829
Naval Air Squadron (NAS) to the Gulf on four
Royal Navy frigates. In total the Lynx
helicopter was responsible for 15 Iraqi ship
kills, at least five of which were made by a
single helicopter, Lynx 335 of H.M.S
Cardiff. The various confrontations
are detailed below:
Lynx 335 from Cardiff together with an
American Sea Hawk destroy a target, believed
to be a minesweeper or landing vessel,
marking the first Royal Navy success of the
war.
Lynx helicopters from Type 42 destroyers
Cardiff and Gloucester are dispatched with
US forces to destroy two anti-aircraft
batteries that had been constructed on oil
platforms off the coast of Kuwait. 12 Iraqis
were captured in the process becoming the
first prisoners of war (POWs).
24th January: Lynx 335 attacks
three Iraqi vessels, sinking two
minesweepers, off the Island of Quarah.
Cardiff 's Lynx tries to capture a minelayer
but the Iraqi crew scuttle the vessel and 22
are taken prisoner. The island is
later captured.
29th January: A flotilla of 17
landing craft, part of an attempted Iraqi
amphibious assault on the town of Khafji, is
spotted and engaged by Royal Navy Lynx
helicopters. Flights from Brazen and
Gloucester attack and sink one vessel while
Lynx 335 from Cardiff sinks another. The
remainder are damaged, destroyed or
dispersed by American carrier based aircraft
and Royal Navy Sea King helicopters.
30th January: A convoy consisting
of 3 Polnochny class landing ships, three
TNC- 45 fast attack craft and a single Type
43 minelayer (also part of the attempted
assault on Khafji) is identified. H.M.S
Gloucester's Lynx destroys a TNC-45 with
Cardiff and Brazen's helicopters attacking
the T43. Gloucester's Lynx then destroys the
other two TNC45's. Other units were damaged
including a Polnochny that was later
destroyed by RAF Jaguar aircraft.
8th February: Lynx 335
attacks a Zhuk class patrol boat.
11th February: Lynx
335 attacks and sinks another Zhuk Class
patrol boat.
15th February: H.M.S Manchester's
Lynx helicopter sinks a salvage vessel named
Aka.
16th February: H.M.S Gloucester's
Lynx destroys a Polonchy class landing
craft. |
