HMS Ardent was a Royal Navy Type 21 frigate. Built by Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd, Glasgow, Scotland. She was completed with Exocet launchers in "B" position. Ardent took part in the Falklands War, and was sunk by Argentine aircraft in the Falkland Sound on 21 May 1982.

Falklands War

On 19 April 1982 Ardent sailed from HMNB Devonport near Plymouth for the Falkland Islands. En route, she escorted task force ships that had left late, on their way to Ascension Island, arriving on 3 May and sailing on the morning of 7 May. On 9 May 1982 while 700 miles south west of Ascension, Ardent closed to within 200 yards of the starboard side of the troopship and provided a gun power demonstration to the troops sailing south.

On 21 May 1982, whilst lying in Falkland Sound and supporting Operation Sutton by bombarding the Argentine airstrip at Goose Green, Ardent was attacked by at least three waves of Argentine aircraft. The air strikes caused Ardent to sink the next day.

British account

The first attack took place when a A-4 Skyhawk dropped two bombs at 16:00 Z (UTC), which straddled the frigate but both failed to explode.

The bulk of the air strikes began at 17:40 Z. Ardent was ordered to proceed west of North West Island along with Yarmouth to "split air attacks from the south". A group of three aircraft, either Skyhawks or IAI Daggers, crossed the Falklands Sound from the west and then turned to their left to attack from the north east. Cannon fire and three bombs struck home as the Argentine aircraft pressed their attack from the port side. The only defensive weapons which reacted properly were the 20 mm AA cannons.

The Sea Cat anti-aircraft missile system failed to track the attackers, who also outmanoeuvred the 4.5" gun by carrying out their run out of its arc of fire. Two bombs exploded in the hangar area, destroying the Westland Lynx helicopter and blowing the Sea Cat launcher 80 ft (24 m) into the air before it crashed back down onto the flight deck, and the third crashed through the aft auxiliary machinery room but failed to explode. The aft switchboard was severely damaged, causing loss of power for some key assets, such as the main gun. The hangar was left in flames, and the crew suffered a number of casualties.

With the Sea Cat anti‑air missile launcher destroyed, Lieutenant Commander John Murray Sephton RN, Ardent’s Lynx helicopter Flight Commander, organised a last‑ditch defence using small arms. In the final attack (around 15:00) Sephton was seen standing on the exposed flight deck firing his Sterling submachine gun straight up at an incoming A‑4 Skyhawk. The aircraft bombs struck Ardent’s flight deck and killed Sephton and three of his team. For his actions, described in the official citation as “extreme valour and self‑sacrifice”, Sephton was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

The dining hall was shattered, communications between the bridge and the ship control centre were cut off, and the frigate lost steering. This attack caused many casualties, especially among the damage-control teams working in the hangar.

Able Seaman John Dillon was able to remove an injured sailor from the debris and, despite his own burns, got the man topside and into the water where they were both rescued. For his heroism he received a George Medal, one of three awarded for the war.

The last man to leave was her captain, Commander Alan West, who was subsequently awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, and served as First Sea Lord from 2002–2006.

Within days naval divers removed her light AA guns for fitting to other ships and her foremast was used as a navigational warning and datum by her sister ship Arrow whilst she bombarded Goose Green.

Argentine account

Air Force attacks

thumb|[[Mark 82 bomb|Mk. 82 bomb with tail retarding device, used by the Argentine Navy A4Qs in the attack on Ardent]]

According to the Argentine Air Force official website Ardent was the subject of two attacks from FAA aircraft:

  • 14:00 Argentine time (UTC-3) by a lone A-4B Skyhawk of 5th Air Group. The bomb exploded on the stern. he rejoined Argentine forces. Lt. Arca, with his A-4Q also struck by 30 mm rounds, bailed out safely after an unsuccessful attempt to land at Stanley. The pilot was rescued from the water by the Argentine Army Huey UH-1H of Captain Svendsen. Arca ejected at Cape Pembroke, two miles (3 km) from Stanley airstrip.

Notes

References

  • HMS Ardent Association
  • UK MOD Board of Inquiry Report Into The Loss Of HMS Ardent
  • Monte Carlo matemathical theory [https://www.lanacion.com.ar/lifestyle/montecarlo-la-historia-detras-del-ensayo-sobre-estadistica-matematica-que-uso-la-aviacion-naval-para-nid04042024/]

Further reading

  • Gulf Patrol 1981 – HMS Ardent (F184) escorting the Mary R. Koch during the Operation Armilla

it:HMS Ardent