Enrique,
I have my feet back on terra firma now and can devote a bit more time to this thread.
Once again, many thanks for your contribution.
Do you know anything more about the detail of the conversation between Cuerva and the radar controllers. I have been trying to establish to what extent he was short of fuel or his aircraft damaged. Why would the controllers suggest he eject?
I have spoken with several Australian Mirage III pilots and they reckon the landing at Stanley would have been possible but highly risky. They are also surprised that he would have been so short of fuel after such a short engagement. There are some stories of Cuerva disappearing off the radar screen for twenty minutes after the combat during which time he is credited with straffing some of our ships. (I have a feeling this was endorsed by Pierre Clostermann but goodness knows where he got this from.) It was, supposedly, after this that he made his request to land at Stanley. I am also curious about the long burst of cannon fire either just before or just after he was shot at by his own AAA. Was this what set them off or did he clear his wing of tanks and pylons etc causing the ground forces to think they were under attack. Again this is a little questionable as he would have been directly over Stanley town. Most pilots would not drop their tanks over a built up area. (And for what reason? It looked like he was positioning downwind for a left circuit to land at Stanley on the westerly runway so why not clear the wing over the sea to the south?)
The second area of interest for me is the Penfold/Hale vs Ardilles combat on the same day. Are there any records or memories of the conversation between Ardilles and his radar controllers? You see, it is of great interest to us why Ardilles shot a rear hemisphere heat seeking missile at Hale head on from about ten miles and, apparently, nearly got him!! Martin Hale gives a graphic account of this missile tracking towards him and was amazed to find out, recently, that the shooter was not a Mirage III with Magic and Matra but a single Mirage V with no radar and Shaffrir heat seekers! The British radar, slightly embellished by Tony Penfold's "Multiple Boguey" call, indicated there were several hostiles approaching the merge. History records it was Ardilles on his own.
Enrique, I would be very interested if you can add anything to these questions.
Many thanks in advance.
ES