MoD papers reveal Falklands nuclear fear_
Rob Evans and Richard Norton-Taylor
Monday October 10, 2005
The Guardian_
British commanders sailed into the Falklands war deeply concerned that the Argentinians could capture their nuclear weapons, previously secret official papers reveal.
The documents also include a graphic description by Christopher Wreford-Brown, commander of the submarine Conqueror, of the controversial sinking of the Argentinian cruiser General Belgrano with the loss of 321 lives.
They show the naval taskforce was dispatched in such haste that there was no time to remove nuclear depth charges carried on seven Royal Navy ships. Two of the ships, Hermes and Invincible, carried 75% of the navy's entire stockpile of nuclear depth charges, the papers reveal.
Offloading the weapons would have given the Argentinians more time to tighten their grip on the islands. But keeping them on board the ships was also dangerous. The papers show the extent of the concern. They say: "It was also conceivable that weapons might fall into the hands of the Argentines, by salvage, if one of the [Royal Navy] ships had been sunk, stranded or captured."
They add: "However unlikely, the consequences of this would be most serious and the acquisition of UK nuclear weapon technology in this way by a state which had no such weapon would have damaging consequences."
The papers include extracts from Cdr Wreford-Brown's personal log. "Orange fireball seen just aft of the centre of the target," he wrote after he torpedoed the Belgrano on May 2 1982. "Third explosion heard but not seen - I was not looking!" The previous day he recorded: "A good day - in contact with the Enemy at last!"
The papers have been posted on the Ministry of Defence website, after the MoD earlier refused to release them to the Guardian and other newspapers under the Freedom of Information Act.
The war cabinet agreed to change the rules of engagement to allow the sinking of the Belgrano, even though the cruiser was outside the total exclusion zone Britain imposed around the Falklands.
Cdr Wreford-Brown sent a signal to London four hours before firing his torpedoes, saying that the cruiser had changed course, away from the islands. The signal was received by Vice-Admiral Peter Herbert, flag officer submarines, but it was not passed on to the MoD or to Rear Admiral Sandy Woodward, commander of the Falklands taskforce. Sir Lawrence Freedman, who has written an official history of the conflict, says Admiral Herbert believed the task force "had to take its chances when it could".
I couldn't find 'em!
I wonder which the other five ships were?
Last edited by Jackonicko; 10th Oct 2005 at 23:15.