ARGENTINIAN SHIPS
Plate 1
Britain’s nightmare scenario; Super Étendards on ARA Vinticinco de Mayo’s deck after the war. Had this scenario been possible in April to June 1982, British naval tactics would have been different. Steam rises from the catapult and the left-hand jet is performing a touch-and-go. Luis Rosendo/Heritage Images / Alamy Stock Photo.
Plate 2
The Argentine aircraft carrier, ARA Veinticinco de Mayo in a photograph taken before the war. Image obtained from the internet. The photographer may be Ennio Chiecchio.
Plate 3
The patrol vessel, Islas Malvinas, after capture by the British. She was the sister ship of the Río Iguaza. She is shown alongside HMS Cardiff after the war. She was taken into British service and renamed HMS Tiger. The multi-colour camouflage scheme is shown to good effect. Wikimedia Commons: Ken Griffiths, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Plate 4
The Argentine navy operated three Sumner-class destroyers. All were equipped with four Exocet box launchers, two on each side (between the funnels). Each ship also had a helicopter landing pad but no hanger. At 34 knots, they were very fast. Luis Rosendo/Heritage Images / Alamy Stock Photo.
Plate 5
ARA General Belgrano, revealing her length and three forward gun turrets, each with three 6-inch guns. Note that the 2nd turret is superfiring. Photographer not reported.
Plate 6
The Argentine destroyer ARA Hércules. She was almost identical to British Type-42 destroyers except for the addition of two Exocet missile launchers per side (arrows). Photographer not reported.
Plate 7
ARA Almirante Irízar (Q-5), an Argentine icebreaker. She was involved in the initial invasion of the Falklands on 2 April 1982. Her extensive helicopter facilities were used to transport troops ashore. Photographer Manuel Mohedano Torres.