https://hushkit.net/2020/06/23/myths...#comment-54258Snippets:
Q: If you could have changed one thing about British air operations in the Falklands what would it have been?
“There are two subjects that continue to leave a bad taste in my mouth.
"One is the completely disingenuous propaganda campaign conducted by the Royal Air Force immediately after the war which sadly persuaded the gullible British public that they, the RAF alone, had won the air war over the Falklands. The full story of this deception and attempt to rewrite history is told in detail in my new book, soon to be published......"
"All the air to air combat kills were achieved by naval aircraft (indeed, it is worthy of note that all air to air kills by British forces since 1948 have been achieved by naval aircraft – not one by RAF aircraft – and yet they claim they won the air war in Operation Corporate, the Falklands war).
"Adding insult to injury, the propaganda campaign glorified the small but extremely expensive part that RAF Vulcan bombers played in the conflict. The real facts are that of the 63 bombs dropped by the Vulcan in three missions against Port Stanley runway, only one bomb was on target and that only damaged the side of the runway which was repaired on the same day. The four other Vulcan missions delivering anti-radar missiles only managed to hit one small radar emitter, that of a radar-controlled anti-aircraft gun on the outskirts of Port Stanley. These seven missions had no material effect whatsoever on the course of the Falklands conflict. To claim otherwise is wishful thinking."
"The suggestion that the Nimrod aircraft played any effective part at all in or near the combat zone is also facetious propaganda."
"In relation to the Falklands War, the Royal Navy made no big mistake. They and the Amphibious Brigade land forces contrived and achieved a remarkable victory against all odds. The only major failure was that of the Royal Air Force who, despite their earlier outrageous claims to Ministers, were unable to provide the Task Force with any air defence or antisubmarine capability en route to the conflict or during combat operations. They have not yet been held accountable for this abysmal failure.
My new book attempts to rectify this.”
No-one claims that the RAF won the Falklands Air War alone or unaided, and I’ve never heard any RAF officer deny the tremendous contribution of the Royal Navy. His contention that “They proclaimed loudly and strongly to the British public that the Royal Air Force had won the air war over the Islands” is deluded.
On the other hand, Nigel Ward himself has spent most of the past 38 years trying to deny that the RAF made any contribution, and has consistently denigrated and rubbished its personnel and aircraft. (That’s when he hasn’t been vociferously shouting down the other Sea Harrier squadron in the Falklands – you know, the one that scored more kills than Ward’s…..)
Ward claims that “all air to air kills by British forces since 1948 have been achieved by naval aircraft – not one by RAF aircraft.” That ignores the kills scored by RAF pilots in RN and USAF aircraft, not least one Flt Lt Dave Morgan – the leading scorer in the Falklands War.
Moreover he picks the 1948 date very carefully, as, on 22 May 1947, the RAF did shoot down four Egyptian fighters (Fg Off Cooper and Fg Off Bowie both shot down one REAF Spitfire each and Fg Off McElhaw got the other two), all while flying Spitfire XVIIIs with 208 Squadron).
Some reports suggest that the Tempests of No.6 Squadron downed an Israeli Spitfire. There are also persistent rumours that certain 208 Sqn pilots later extracted their revenge on the IAF by shooting down any IAF aircraft they later encountered, including a number of transport aircraft, and that this was subsequently hushed-up to avoid escalating the situation.
In Korea, a Flight of RN Sea Furies did down a MiG-15, while RAF pilots, including Sqn Ldr John Merrifield, Flt Lts John Nicholls, John Granville-White, RTF Dickinson, John Lovell got MiG kills while flying Sabres in Korea, with Nichols claiming a Mig on his 99th mission. Squadron Leader Graham Hulse got three kills in Korea. A further 4 kills were made by Canadian nationals who were still in the RAF and flying USAF Sabres in Korea.
Some sources also list Alan Jenkins, and Dennis Dunlop.
With regard to Black Buck, Ward repeats the tired old ‘only one bomb on the runway’ trope, when the plan – to drop a stick diagonally across the runway meant that this was exactly what was intended. Black Buck was also intended to demonstrate that the mainland was ‘at risk’ and this was achieved.
Ward’s slur on the Nimrod ASW effort is unworthy even of him, but I was pleasantly surprised that his Hush Kit piece was at least less full of lies, exaggeration and nonsense than his recent evidence to the House of Commons Select Committee.
Ward’s visceral hatred for the RAF is such that you’d almost think that someone in RAF blue had slapped him in his pram, or that he’d been failed by OASC...