RAF Harrier Ground Attack: Falklands
During the Falklands war Jerry Pook, a pilot in No. 1(F) Squadron RAF, flew air interdiction, armed reccon, close-air-support and airfield attack as well as pure photo-reccon missions. Most weapons were delivered from extreme low-level attacks because of the lack of navigation aids and in the absence of Smart weapons. The only way he could achieve results was to get low down and close-in to the targets and, if necessary, carry out re-attacks to destroy high-value targets. Apart from brief carrier trials carried out many years previously there had been no RAF Harriers deployed at sea. The RAF pilots were treated with ill-disguised contempt by their naval masters, their professional opinions ignored in spite of the fact that the RN knew next to nothing about ground-attack and reccon operations. Very soon after starting operations from the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes the squadron realized that they were considered as more or less expendable ordnance. The Harriers lacked the most basic self-protection aids and were up against 10,000 well-armed troops who put up an impressive weight of fire whenever attacked.
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Contents
1 In at the Deep End
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1 |
2 Ascension
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20 |
3 A South Atlantic Cruise
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26 |
4 Hermes
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35 |
5 First OperationFox Bay
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49 |
6 Invasion21 May
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56 |
7 Fourship Attack on Goose Green
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66 |
8 Sea Harrier Night Raid
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71 |
21 SAM Kill
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151 |
22 LGBS on Target
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159 |
23 ENDEX14 June
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162 |
24 Dry Land at Last
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165 |
25 Jeff Comes Back
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171 |
26 1F Squadron Returns to the Falklands
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173 |
27 Afterthoughts
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177 |
Letter to Wing Commander Neal
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182 |
9 The Counter Air Programme
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74 |
10 Blue on Blue
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82 |
11 Exocet Attack
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86 |
12 Routine Operations
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89 |
13 Enroute Tactics
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99 |
Photo Gallery
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106 |
14 Goose Green FAC Shambles
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107 |
15 Dusk Strike at Goose Green
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113 |
16 My Luck Runs Out
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121 |
17 More Navy Cockups
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128 |
18 Bad Weather Sets In
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134 |
19 Yet More Navy Cockups
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138 |
20 A Crash on the Strip
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144 |
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Common terms and phrases
aboard Air Combat Air Defence Air Task Message airborne aircraft already Argy Armed Recce Ascension ashore Atlantic Conveyor Boss brie®ng room brief Captain carried cloud cluster bombs cockpit Combat Air Patrol Commander couple deck dif®cult enemy Exocet Falkland Sound Falklands war feet Flight Flyco formation fuel going Goose Green Ground Attack ground crew guns Head up Display helicopters Hermes ight Initial Point islands Jeff John Rochfort knew landing later launch looked Low Level miles missile Naval Air Squadron Navy night operations peacetime Pete Harris planned Port Howard Port Stanley Air®eld position pretty problem radar radio realised retard bombs rockets Sapper Hill Sea Harrier Sea Harrier pilots ship ship's shot Sidewinders sortie South Atlantic Squadron pilots strip target area Task Group told Tony Harper Toss Bombing troops weapons weather West Falkland Wings ying