Abandon ship

Nearly 40 years after the Falklands War of 1982, Dr Paul Brown pieces together the full story behind the loss of six British ships and an Argentinian cruiser using recently declassified and previously unpublished reports.

The Falklands War was a pivotal event in 20th-century history, an unexpected war that grabbed international headlines and was to test the British forces to their limits. When Argentinian forces invaded the Falklands in April 1982, the British government responded by dispatching a task force to the Atlantic to take back control of the islands. The resulting war saw modern weapon systems tested in combat for the first time, to devastating effect. In the aftermath, official documents were released, but many were heavily censored through redactions or withheld altogether, so that a full understanding of events could not be gained until now.

Abandon Ship uncovers the true story behind the dramatic events of the Falklands War that led to the loss of six British ships – HMS Antelope, Ardent, Coventry and Sheffield, RFA Sir Galahad and SS Atlantic Conveyor – as well as the controversial sinking of the Argentinian cruiser General Belgrano.

Using the Freedom of Information Act, Dr Paul Brown reveals significant details around these tragic sinkings; in particular there are startling disclosures about the reasons for the loss of HMS Ardent and SS Atlantic Conveyor.

• Osprey Publishing
• ISBN 978-1-4728-4643-3
• £20. Published: 1 April 2021

**************************************************************

Can't get to the newsagents for your copy of The Armourer? Order it online (now with free postage!) or take out a subscription and avoid the general public for the next 12 months entirely. And if you're confined to quarters, stock up on some bookazines to keep you entertained.

Buy the latest copy or any back issues, either in print or digital editions by clicking on The Armourer.

Celebrate the heroes of the Battle of Britain with a commemorative bookazine, with colour images throughout, for £8.99. Get your 164 page copy here.

Buy a copy of Aircraft of the RAF, featuring 595 flying machines, for £7.99 by clicking here.

Or how about a copy of the Collecting German Militaria bookazine for £7.99? Click here to buy this.