Cosmic,
PLEASE do NOT think I am trying to belittle the very brave acts that were demonstrated by your excellent pilots, that was not my intent. You will see I am only critical of decisions made by the commanding officers of two warships.
AR1
Operation Sutton was the codename for the amphibious assault to reclaim the Falklands. At 2200hrs on the 20th May everyone on board went to General Emergency stations for the final approach to the Islands.
Canberra anchored at Fanning Head at 0017hrs on Friday 21st May.
Whilst HMS Antrim and HMS Plymouth laid down heavy bombardment of the shoreline, HMS Fearless and HMS Intrepid along with RFA Stromness and MV Norland disembark troops of 40 Commando, 3 Para, 45 Commando and 2 Para.
At 0520 that morning, Canberra weighed anchor and entered San Carlos Water to begin disembarking her troops amongst repeated air attacks from Argentine aircraft.
The men of 42 Commando were the reserve force for HMS Intrepid's 3 Para, and they began to leave Canberra just after 1000hrs that morning.
The air attacks on the ships in San Carlos Water continued until 1600hrs, after which time HMS Ardent had been sunk and HMS Argonaut damaged. At 1900hrs, the order was given to disembark the remaining troops from Canberra, and at 2242hrs she weighed anchor and headed out of San Carlos Water and North Falkland Sound. The troops were ashore and fighting to regain control of the British Islands. Canberra had done her job and landed around 2000 troops without a casualty and without getting hit herself.