The Falklands
Feb 18th 2012 | 10:42 pm
#91
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 16,623
From: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Re: The Falklands
Was only 5 when the Falklands kicked off! But when I joined up in 96 the cold war was over and 'warfighting ops' (BTW your right it is this term used now), were becoming a faded memory. My first tour was Belfast followed by Bosnia, good old Ulster punch ups in the street and peace support for the UN/SFOR.
When Mr Blair came to power in 97 that was when the real fun began! Kosovo (went there) Sierra Leone (didnt go to that one!) and then finally to top it off Iraq and Afghan fighting which was warfighting more so after the invasion. Just to give and idea how busy my battalion was at one point in 2005 we had 1 company in kosovo, 1 in Afghan and rest training for Iraq!
The experience we gained in NI certainly prepared us for the war on Terror and as always the Yanks got hammered, didnt listen to us, in Iraq and could've used some our text books. (but thats another story)
However, my point is throughout my 12 years of service the Labour government constantly cut the Army even in 2004 by 4 Battalions!!!
You can argue that a Conservative cabinet would not have done the same but then as I've read Thatchers lot were going to pretty much destroy the Senior service just before the Argies invaded.
When Mr Blair came to power in 97 that was when the real fun began! Kosovo (went there) Sierra Leone (didnt go to that one!) and then finally to top it off Iraq and Afghan fighting which was warfighting more so after the invasion. Just to give and idea how busy my battalion was at one point in 2005 we had 1 company in kosovo, 1 in Afghan and rest training for Iraq!
The experience we gained in NI certainly prepared us for the war on Terror and as always the Yanks got hammered, didnt listen to us, in Iraq and could've used some our text books. (but thats another story)
However, my point is throughout my 12 years of service the Labour government constantly cut the Army even in 2004 by 4 Battalions!!!
You can argue that a Conservative cabinet would not have done the same but then as I've read Thatchers lot were going to pretty much destroy the Senior service just before the Argies invaded.
I don't think they had too many options really mate. Low and fast was about the best they could hope for. Anything else saw them picked off by the air defence systems. They were more succesful out in the open ocean where their French kit could be used.... bloody Frogs. 
Feb 19th 2012 | 4:00 pm
#92
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,380
From: Perth, WA
Re: The Falklands
The events that played out proved they weren't going to back down. They had been planning the invasion for a while. They had even bolstered their defences on the Argentine mainland because they thought it might even escalate to a British landing on their home territory.
I would suggest the war was a close run thing - if the Argentinian Air Force had managed to hit the carriers it may well have been too severe a blow to recover from. That would have removed air cover [such as it was] and the Argentinian Air Force would have been provided which much more freedom to attack naval and ground targets. The sinking of the Belgrano marked the Argentinian Navy's card - at that point they decided not to utilise their aircraft carrier since it would have almost certainly ended up at the bottom also.
Interestingly enough, the captain of an Argentinian submarine maintains that he got close enough to HMS Alacrity to fire two torpedoes at her but both were connected wrongly and didn't hit.
Feb 20th 2012 | 7:11 am
#93
FREE TIBET
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 18,840
Re: The Falklands
Was only 5 when the Falklands kicked off! But when I joined up in 96 the cold war was over and 'warfighting ops' (BTW your right it is this term used now), were becoming a faded memory. My first tour was Belfast followed by Bosnia, good old Ulster punch ups in the street and peace support for the UN/SFOR.
When Mr Blair came to power in 97 that was when the real fun began! Kosovo (went there) Sierra Leone (didnt go to that one!) and then finally to top it off Iraq and Afghan fighting which was warfighting more so after the invasion. Just to give and idea how busy my battalion was at one point in 2005 we had 1 company in kosovo, 1 in Afghan and rest training for Iraq!
The experience we gained in NI certainly prepared us for the war on Terror and as always the Yanks got hammered, didnt listen to us, in Iraq and could've used some our text books. (but thats another story)
However, my point is throughout my 12 years of service the Labour government constantly cut the Army even in 2004 by 4 Battalions!!!
You can argue that a Conservative cabinet would not have done the same but then as I've read Thatchers lot were going to pretty much destroy the Senior service just before the Argies invaded.
When Mr Blair came to power in 97 that was when the real fun began! Kosovo (went there) Sierra Leone (didnt go to that one!) and then finally to top it off Iraq and Afghan fighting which was warfighting more so after the invasion. Just to give and idea how busy my battalion was at one point in 2005 we had 1 company in kosovo, 1 in Afghan and rest training for Iraq!
The experience we gained in NI certainly prepared us for the war on Terror and as always the Yanks got hammered, didnt listen to us, in Iraq and could've used some our text books. (but thats another story)
However, my point is throughout my 12 years of service the Labour government constantly cut the Army even in 2004 by 4 Battalions!!!
You can argue that a Conservative cabinet would not have done the same but then as I've read Thatchers lot were going to pretty much destroy the Senior service just before the Argies invaded.
Feb 20th 2012 | 8:13 am
#95
Home and Happy
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 94,307
From: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Feb 20th 2012 | 8:25 am
#101
FREE TIBET
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 18,840
Re: The Falklands
Feb 20th 2012 | 12:25 pm
#103
Proudly Deplorable
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 24,249
From: Alloha snack bar
Feb 20th 2012 | 2:47 pm
#104
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 120
Re: The Falklands
Aye up here we go again, you've clearly got something against genuine service people havent you?
With comments like that and your previous sick comebacks you were either thrown out of the boyscouts or were not allowed to join the forces because you didnt pass the psych test.
With comments like that and your previous sick comebacks you were either thrown out of the boyscouts or were not allowed to join the forces because you didnt pass the psych test.
Feb 20th 2012 | 3:09 pm
#105
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 120
Re: The Falklands
Ladies and gentlemen BE I think we now have a perferct match for this particular kind of Walter wannabe:
http://www.arrse.co.uk/wiki/Legion_of_Frontiersmen
Im sure he's part of this mob however, my work here is done.......
