Reply to: Well done to all that contributed.

[BA to the Stars]

You first. What damage did the Vulcan bombers do during the falklands ?

There is also the fact that the RAF proved that they could launch a long range bombing mission and that if need be the Vulcans could be used against the Argentine mainland.

That could have ruffled a few feathers in the high command

[M_B]

Well to be fair the thread is really about a great piece of technology. It got side tracked into the war, mostly because of me, sorry !

[Fishface]

oh please... its over - 26 years ago.

It was a hollow victory bit like when England beats Lichtenstien at football.

The Argentines had part-time 18 year old conscripts from the Amazon and 50 year old ships and incompetant generals.

The UK had professional soldiers, nuclear powered submarines and all the american tech at hand, air bases in Chile, Ascension.

I just think the triumphalism about the Falklands really devalues what the British Army acheived in the Normandy landings and the battle of Arnhem etc.

And I do not mean to disparage any soldiers who were caught up in the conflict and I am glad it had the knock-on effect of diposing the fascist military junta there.

[M_B]

You sir, are full of sh!te.

Henceforth relegated to my "Ignore because he's a clueless fuqwit" list.

I see. So because I rebuffed your 'argument', I am 'full of sh!te'.

A sore loser if ever I have seen one.

[Churchill]

Then again, there was mention of Thatcher getting the idea of using a Polaris on Buenos Aires....

I thought that was just a rumour.
(and the fact that the military top brass "let" her have the Belgrano as a "consolation prize" instead.)

[Churchill]

I remember reading about it a few years ago and whilst I can't find a great deal using google, this source does suggest they did infact fake some damage.

"The photographs showed another bomb crater on Port Stanley airfield runway. This had been created by the Argentine Air Force unit who had begun to simulate bomb craters using bulldozers to build piles of mud which could be removed at night allowing aircraft to land."

from

Navy news

However the point is that the Vulcans were tasked with taking out the runway, but they didn't. The argument about the later raid preventing the expansion of the airfield is somewhat valid, expect that the Argentinians had no real desire to do so.

You sir, are full of sh!te.

Henceforth relegated to my "Ignore because he's a clueless fuqwit" list.

[M_B]

Then again, had they been dropping what they were designed to be dropping, accuracy didn't matter a lot...

Well yes, there is that.

[M_B]

So this bit you posted earlier was complete bollocks, was it?

I remember reading about it a few years ago and whilst I can't find a great deal using google, this source does suggest they did infact fake some damage.

"The photographs showed another bomb crater on Port Stanley airfield runway. This had been created by the Argentine Air Force unit who had begun to simulate bomb craters using bulldozers to build piles of mud which could be removed at night allowing aircraft to land."

from

Navy news

However the point is that the Vulcans were tasked with taking out the runway, but they didn't. The argument about the later raid preventing the expansion of the airfield is somewhat valid, except that the Argentinians had no real desire to do so.

[Moscow Mule]

Then again, had they been dropping what they were designed to be dropping, accuracy didn't matter a lot...

F you Argies, if we can't have it, neither can you...

[Churchill]

I like Vulcans

Half-breed!

[Churchill]

The Argentinians faked the damage to the airfield. The Vulcan bombers did not do any damage that prevented normal air operations from the airfield. It was the Harriers air superiority that prevented that and the inability of the Argentinians to extend the runway to permit Skyhawks and Mirages to use the airfield.

So this bit you posted earlier was complete bollocks, was it?

[Moscow Mule]

From the horses mouth (so to speak).

http://www.raf.mod.uk/falklands/bb1.html

[M_B]

This Linky details the Black Buck raids.

Is it school holiday time again?

The (6) Black Buck raids resulted in placing one of 21 bombs onto the runway creating a crater that was repaired within a day.

Normal air operations were not ceased.

Christ that was really poor - From your pomp and bluster I was expecting a better effort in terms of stating that strategically they forced the argentinians to consider that the bombers might bomb the mainland and so their air force was forced to keep fighters in defence for that purpose, but no such luck. Or even the effect it had on troops, but again no.

Yes they were great missions and strategically beneficial, but they failed in regard to taking out their targets.

[Churchill]

You first. What damage did the Vulcan bombers do during the falklands ?

This Linky details the Black Buck raids.

Is it school holiday time again?

[ratewhore]

Fantastic book, also read it this year.
Must remember to pass it on to my brother, he's just come out of the Air Force and spent the last 12 years at RAF Waddington.

Doing what? I may know him...