The 22nd started slowly for us because the mainland bases were socked in. I flew two CAP missions without getting any trade but a pair from Hermes found an enemy patrol boat in Choiseul Sound and attacked it with 30mm, driving it ashore. On one of my missions, I picked up a transmission on 243.0 in the area of Port Howard, so we hoped that the GR3 pilot had survived his ejection the day before. A Sea king went to investigate but was fired on by a Blowpipe missile.
Air raids developed during the afternoon and the ships shot down three attackers, SHARs claiming another Dagger.
On the 23rd, I was flying CAP over West Falkland at 8000’ when I spotted the “snail trail” of a helo flying at ultra low level over an inlet on the west side of the sound. I dived down to around 50’ and flew head-on to the helo, to try to identify it and my wingman picked up a further 3 in trail and attacked from the opposite direction. At very close range, I realised that it was a Puma and therefore Argentine. Being too close to engage, I passed feet above him, pulling loads of G and pulled up for a dumbbell to attack with guns. As he appeared behind me, I realised that all was not well and he gyrated wildly before smashing into the side of the hill and bursting into flames.
Meanwhile, my wingman (same one who didn’t know how to select the missile,) was attacking the last aircraft, an A109A gunship. He missed by around 100 yards (wrong sight depression - another hole in his conversion!) but that allowed me to get visual and attack. I opened fire out of range in my enthusiasm and did a grid-square removal job without hitting the target. On my second attack though, I hit him with at least one round and the secondary explosion from the fuel tank obliterated the aircraft. With my wingman’s help, I got visual on a second Puma but only had 2 rounds remaining. Luckily one hit the tail rotor boom and incapacitated the aircraft, to be destroyed completely a few minutes later by two SHARs from Invincible.
On returning to Hermes, I was congratulated by the captain but told that we thought that the GR3 pilot had been captured on the 21st and was being ferried to Stanley - in a Puma. For some days, I was very concerned that I might have killed my mate. Luckily that was not the case, he was on another aircraft and the crews of all the helos actually survived the encounter.
The day did not end well for us though. HMS Antelope was hit by a formation of A4s (one literally hitting the mast!) and was left with at least one UXB deep inside her. That evening, a pilot launching on a night raid from Hermes hit the water around 1/2 mile ahead of the ship and blew up in a spectacular fireball. We had now lost 4 SHARs with their pilots and a GR3. The odds were starting to be a concern.
”Death says live while you may - for I am coming”
Mog