In 1967, the Amarda Nacional Argentina (ANA) - the Argentine Navy - made enquiries as to the possibility of acquiring HMS Hermes, but while Britain deliberated, the ANA struck a deal with the Dutch to purchase HMNLS Karel Doorman, the former war time British carrier, HMS Venerable. As the renamed ARA 25 de Mayo - after the country’s Independence Day - sailed through the Channel en route to its new home, Hawker test pilot, John Farley, took part in an elaborate marketing ploy, to encourage Argentina to place orders for the new Harrier jump jet, by landing one on the flight deck! The ANA Admirals, however, opted for second hand McDonnell Douglas A4 Skyhawks from the US, for a 1/10 of the cost of the Harrier.
The Skyhawk, which first flew in 1954, was a relatively common US Navy aircraft export of the postwar era. Due to its small size, it could be operated from the older, smaller World War II-era aircraft carriers still used by many smaller navies during the 1960s, and so a perfect match for the former HMS Venerable. These older ships were often unable to accommodate newer navy fighters such as the F-4 Phantom or F-8 Crusader, which were faster and more capable than the A-4, but significantly larger and heavier than older naval fighters.
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| Airfix 1:72 A-4Q Skyhawk |
It is somewhat ironic that during the 1982 Falklands War, HMS Hermes was to be the flagship of the British Task Force on its 8,000 mile mission to recapture the Falkland Islands from the Argentines, and the aircraft it carried were none other than the Harrier jump jet. The aircraft carrier, ARA 25 de Mayo, meanwhile, provided the Argentines with a convenient platform from which to launch their A4 Skyhawk fighter bombers against the British Fleet.
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| Argentine A-4Q Skyhawk aboard aircraft carrier, ARA 25 de Mayo |
On ARA 25 de Mayo, one of the Skyhawk squadron’s flights, 3 Escuadrilla, was organised into two units of 3, rostered into watches. On 2nd May, Captain de Corberta Alberto Philippi’s unit of 3 pale grey Skyhawks were fitted with low-drag 500lb Mk.82 Snake Eye retarded bombs, chalked on one was the name of its intended recipient: HMS INVINCIBLE. When the time came, however, there was too little wind, nor power in 25 de Mayo’s old catapult, to launch the aircraft with their full bomb load and extra fuel. At that very same time, British concern over a possible Battle of Midway type attack on its carrier force, if they were to get caught in the pincer movement being seemingly being played out by 25 de Mayo, in the south, and the light cruiser, ARA General Belgrano, from the north, led the British government to make the morally difficult decision to sink the cruiser with a couple of torpedos from the nuclear submarine, HMS Conqueror. This great old war time cruiser, which as USS Phoenix had survived the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, had served with the Argentine navy for over 30 years. Its sinking sent such fearsome ripples through the military leadership, that the following day, the Argentine fleet was recalled. 25 de Mayo would take no part in the war, while Philippi’s Skyhawks returned to their base on the mainland and would now have twice the distance to cover to reach the British Task Force.
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| Chalked on one [bomb] was the name of its intended recipient: HMS INVINCIBLE |
After a number of false alarms, on 21st May, after confirmed reports of the British landings, Philippi was to finally lead his 3 Skyhawks on their first action over the Falkland Islands. The target was a frigate, HMS Ardent, that had detatched from the main concentration of British ships and was thought to be operating as a radar picket ship, directing Sea Harriers (SHAR), on Combat Air Patrol (CAP), to intercept Argentine jets and keep them away from the landing force. Flying in, just feet above the sea, HMS Ardent was spotted by the three Argentine fighter bombers. Armed with Oerlikon Cannon, HMS Ardent fired a volley of 20mm shells, kicking up water ahead of Philippi’s lead Skyhawk. As HMS Ardent swung her 4.5 inch gun turret around, Philippi returned fire with his 20mm Colt cannon mounted beneath the cockpit. Jamming after just a few rounds, he pulled up to 300 feet to commence his bombing run, any lower and the bombs’ fuzes wouldn’t arm. The Snake Eye bomb load was released and landed with direct hits on the stern of the ship. Over his shoulder, Philippi got a clear view of HMS Ardent ablaze, with thick oily smoke rising from the mortally wounded frigate. At least one of the other Skyhawks released bombs which added to the inferno, before the three pale grey Skyhawks pealed away, returning in the direction they had come.
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| HMS Ardent ablaze |
Unbeknown to them, however, they had been spotted. First by a couple of SHARs on CAP from HMS Invincible who, being out of range, vectored in another pair of SHARs from HMS Hermes. Philippi had just started to relax, believing they were in the clear, when his wingman called out. The pilots jettisoned their drop tanks and bomb racks hoping to secure what little speed they could to evade the pursuing SHARs. With the SHARs having comparable performance and carrying the new and improved Sidewinder 9L, there was very little Philippi could do but pull eject handle, as the tail of his Skyhawk erupted under the exploding force of the heatseeking missile. At 480 knots, 130 knots over the safe speed to eject, it was amazing that Philippi survived the ordeal as, extracting himself from ejector seat and parachute, he safely swam the short distance to the shore.
It was not long before his wingman had the second Harrier on his six, but for reasons which became clear later, the Sidewinders would not fire. Switching to the ADEN 30mm cannon slung beneath the SHAR, all 240 rounds were released in a 2.5 second burst ripping holes across the Skyhawk’s wings. Despite losing electronics, hydraulics, oxygen supply and port landing gear, the rugged little Skyhawk miraculously remained airborne but with no way to land, the pilot had to eject over the sea to be later rescued.
The third Skyhawk was suffered in a similar fate, when again Sidewinders failed to engage, the SHAR pilot switched to guns and striking the Skyhawk in the fuselage, this time it exploded, leaving little recognisable wreckage from the resulting fireball.
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| Airfix 1:72 A-4Q Skyhawk |
3 Escuadrilla’s, first day of action may have seen the success in the destruction of one British ship, but with the loss of 40% of their available airframes and potentially a third of their pilots, the cost was high. As the day closed, the mainland had no news of the state of any survivors and the Super Étendard pilots of 2 Escuadrilla, sharing the same base, were now more eager than ever to seek revenge. All they needed was a confirmed target for their Exocet missiles, something they got 4 days later, when they hit the Atlantic Conveyor.
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| 3 Escuadrilla A-4Q Skyhawk with a 2 Escuadrilla Super Étendard in the hanger |
During the 1982 Falklands War, Argentina deployed 48 Skyhawk warplanes (26 A-4B, 12 A-4C and 10 A-4Q aircraft). Armed with unguided bombs and lacking any electronic or missile self-defense, Argentine Air Force Skyhawks sank the Type 42 destroyer Coventry and inflicted a variety of damage on several others: Type 21 frigate Antelope (subsequently sunk during attempted disposal of unexploded bombs), RFA Sir Galahad (subsequently scuttled as a war grave), Type 42 Glasgow, Leander-class frigate Argonaut, Type 22 frigate Broadsword, and RFA Sir Tristram. Argentine Navy A-4Qs, flying from Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego naval air station, also played a role in the bombing attacks against British ships, destroying the Type 21 Ardent.
In all, 22 Skyhawks (10 A-4Bs, nine A-4Cs, and three A-4Qs) were lost to all causes in the six-week-long war. These losses included eight to British Sea Harriers, seven to ship-launched surface-to-air missiles, four to ground-launched surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft fire (including one to "friendly fire"), and three to crashes.
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