List of Royal Navy vessels active in 1982 explained

The following vessels were in commission, planned or under construction for HM Royal Navy in 1982.^[1] Many of these vessels took part in the 1982 Falklands War.^{[2] [3]}

Aircraft Carriers

• – .
• –,, & .

The carriers Hermes and Invincible were deployed to the Falkland Islands in April 1982 as the centre piece of Rear Admiral Woodward's Carrier Battle Group.^{[2] [3] [4] [5]}

Destroyers

• Type 82 – .
• Type 42 –,,,,,,,, & (commissioned in December 1982) and four more fitting-out/in-build as of end-1982.
• –, & .

The destroyers Bristol, Sheffield, Coventry, Exeter, Cardiff, Glasgow, Antrim & Glamorgan were all present in the South Atlantic during the Falklands War.

Sheffield and Coventry were lost to enemy action, Sheffield by air launched Exocet missile and Coventry to bombs. Glamorgan was struck by a modified air-launch Exocet^[6] from a land-based launcher causing extensive damage, however she was not crippled.

Frigates

• Type 22 – Broadsword, Battleaxe, Brilliant & Brazen, Boxer, & Beaver + 2 planned.
• Type 21 – Amazon, Antelope, Active, Ambuscade, Arrow, Alacrity, Ardent & Avenger.
• (Type 12I) –
  • Batch 1 (Ikara Group): Aurora, Euryalus, Galatea, Arethusa, Naiad, Dido, Leander, & Ajax.
  • Batch 2 (Exocet Group): Cleopatra, Sirius, Phoebe, Minerva, Danae, Juno, Argonaut, & Penelope
  • Batch 3 (Broad-Beamed Group): Achilles, Diomede, Andromeda, Hermione, Jupiter, Apollo, Scylla, Ariadne, & Charybdis
• – Yarmouth, Lowestoft, Brighton, Rothesay, Londonderry, Falmouth, Berwick^{Stand-by Squadron}, Plymouth, & Rhyl.
• – Torquay & Eastbourne^{Harbour training ship.}
• Type 81 - Gurkha, Tartar & Zulu (all reactivated from reserve for Falklands War)

Ardent and Antelope lost due to enemy action.

Amphibious Units

• – Fearless & Intrepid.
• Royal Fleet Auxiliary: Sir Bedivere, Sir Galahad, Sir Geraint, Sir Lancelot, Sir Percivale & Sir Tristram.
• Logistic Landing Craft (RCT) – HMAV Ardennes & HMAV Arakan.
• LCM (9) Type – 14 craft
• LCM (7) Type – 2 craft
• Avon-class RPL – Avon, Bude, Clyde, Dart, Eden, Forth, Glen, Hamble, Itchen, Kennet, London & Medway.
• LCVP -
  • LCVP 1: 9 craft
  • LCVP 2: 8 craft
  • LCVP 3: 9 craft
• LCP(R) – 3 craft

Sir Galahad lost due to enemy action.

Mine Warfare Forces

• .
• – Brecon, Ledbury, Cattistock, Cottesmore, Brocklesby, Middleton, Chiddingfold, Dulverton & Hurworth.
• .
• -
  • Mine Hunters: Bilderston,, Brinton,, Bossington, Gavinton, Hubberston, Iverston, Kedleston, Kellington, Kirkliston, Maxton, Nurton & Sheraton.
  • Minesweepers: Alfringston, Bickington, Crichton, Cuxton, Glasserton, Hodgeston, Laleston, Pollington, Shavington, Upton, Walkerton, Wotton, Soberton, Stubbington, Lewiston & Crofton.
• – St. David & Venturer.
• – Aveley.
• – Dittisham, Flintham & Thornham.

Offshore Patrol Vessels

• Castle-class - Leeds Castle, Dumbarton Castle
• Island-class - Anglesey, Alderney, Jersey, Guernsey, Shetland, Orkney, Lindisfarne

Submarine Service

• - Resolution, Renown, Repulse, Revenge
• - Five fitting out/in build as of December 1982
• - Swiftsure, Sovereign, Superb, Sceptre, Spartan, Splendid
• - Valiant, Warspite
• - Churchill, Conqueror, Courageous
• - Oberon, Ocelot, Odin, Olympus, Onslaught, Onyx, Opportune, Oppossum, Oracle, Orpheus, Osiris, Otter, Otis,
• Porpoise-class - Porpoise, Finwhale (harbour training vessel), Sealion, Walrus

See also

• List of Royal Navy vessels active in 1981

Notes

† - Royal Navy Reserve

Notes and References

1. Book: Jane's Fighting Ships 1982-83 . registration . 1982 . Jane's Publishing Company . London, UK . 0710607423 . 85th . Moore . J..
2. Book: Woodward, John . One Hundred Days: The Memoirs of the Falklands Battle Group Commander . 2012 . Harper Collins . Hammersmith, London . 978-0-00743-640-8 . 3rd.
3. Book: War in the Falklands, The Campaign in Pictures . 1982 . Weidenfeld and Nicolson . London, UK . 0297782029 . Sunday Express Magazine Team.
4. Book: Hart Dyke, David . Four Weeks in May: The Loss of HMS Coventry, A Captain's Story . 2007 . Atlantic Books . London, UK . 978-1-84354-590-3.
5. Book: Freedman, Lawrence . The Official History of the Falklands Campaign, Vol.1 - The Origins of the Falklands War . 2005 . Routledge . Abingdon, Oxfordshire . 978-0-71465-206-1.
6. Book: Inskip, Ian . Ordeal by Exocet: HMS Glamorgan and the Falklands War 1982 . 2012 . Frontline Books . Chatham . 978-1-84832-131-1.