List of Royal Navy vessels active in 1982

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

• Centaur-class – Hermes.
• Invincible-class – Invincible, Illustrious,[Note 1] & Ark Royal.[Note 2]

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 – Bristol.
• Type 42 – Sheffield, Birmingham, Newcastle, Glasgow, Exeter, Southampton, Liverpool, Cardiff, Coventry & Manchester (commissioned in December 1982) and four more fitting-out/in-build as of end-1982.
• County-class – Antrim, Glamorgan & Fife.

The destroyers Bristol, Sheffield, Coventry,[4] Exeter, Cardiff, Glasgow, Antrim & Glamorgan were all present in the South Atlantic during the Falklands War.[2][3][5]

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,[Note 3] & Beaver[Note 3] + 2 planned.
• Type 21 – Amazon, Antelope, Active, Ambuscade, Arrow, Alacrity, Ardent & Avenger.
• Leander-class (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
• Rothesay-class – Yarmouth, Lowestoft,[Note 4] Brighton, Rothesay, Londonderry,[Note 4] Falmouth, Berwick^Stand-by Squadron, Plymouth, & Rhyl.
• Whitby-class – 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-class – Fearless & Intrepid.
• Round Table-class 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

• Abdiel.[Note 5]
• Hunt-class – Brecon, Ledbury, Cattistock, Cottesmore, Brocklesby, Middleton, Chiddingfold, Dulverton & Hurworth.
• Wilton.[Note 6]
• Ton-class -
  • Mine Hunters: Bilderston, Brereton, Brinton, Bronington, 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.
• Venturer-class – St. David & Venturer.
• Ley-class – Aveley.
• Ham-class – Dittisham, Flintham & Thornham.

Ice Patrol Ship

• Endurance

Offshore Patrol Vessels

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

Submarine Service

• Resolution-class - Resolution, Renown, Repulse, Revenge
• Trafalgar-class - Five fitting out/in build as of December 1982
• Swiftsure-class - Swiftsure, Sovereign, Superb, Sceptre, Spartan, Splendid
• Valiant-class - Valiant, Warspite
• Churchill-class - Churchill, Conqueror, Courageous
• Oberon-class - 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

1. Commissioned whilst underway on 20 June 1982.
2. In Build, launched 2 June 1982.
3. In Build.
4. Trials Ship.
5. Exercise Minelayer.
6. prototype Coastal Minesweeper/hunter.

References

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