'Falklands' Most Daring Raid'

[orca]

PN,

No you completely misunderstand me. The point is that for Blackbuck to have had an effect we would have to demonstrate the fact that FAA jets supposed to be doing one thing were stopped and made to do another.

i.e. Fighters fragged for OCA sweep in support of the strikers would be re-tasked with DCA. The point is that if the fighters couldn't mount an effective sweep (looking for FRS 1 - nor Vulcan!) then there was no point sending them to do it. Thus they could be put on DCA. This is convenient - but it might not have been Blackbuck which forced their hand.

Another point raised is important. No-one should have been looking for Vulcans. They would have been looking for Vulcan. Very important distinction in my mind. Reach I will grant you, but with a single bomber? I am not as convinced as some that we were demonstrating much. (My opinion is irrelevant, as is that of all British people. If the Argentinians thought we were demonstrating reach then BB was a success.)

Next genuine question. By 'forcing' the Argentinians to keep their radar switched on - how exactly was it made vulnerable to attack from VSTOL aircraft?

And lastly - the interesting bit.

Marcantile, this is exactly what I was hoping for. How many fighters were dispersed and kept on high readiness? Why were there blackouts but the jets seem to have been kept well to the south of Buenos Aires? Did the Argetinians think that more than one Vulcan would come? What targets did the Argentinians think it could hit? Which were actually defended? Were the Mirage III thought unsuitable to go to the islands after 1 May because they lost to the FRS1?

As I have said before it is the Argentinian point of view that matters - the British view of capability, reach, non-kinetic effect etc is purely supposition without proof of what actually changed in the Argentinian plan.

Thanks everyone, very interesting thread.

VP-F and Dan Winterland, both of you mention the impact on morale. What is your source? Being bombed is horrendous (if 107mm fire is anyting to go by) but BB only put two sticks of bombs into a limited amount of real estate. Are you speaking for all troops on the island or just those at the airport? I have read some accounts of the infantry fighting that would suggest the morale in some Argentinian units was very good. This is also very interesting - thank you.