page_title: HMS Glasgow (D88)
section_title: Falklands War
hierarchical_section_title: HMS Glasgow (D88) / Operational history / Falklands War
caption_attribution_description: English: Attack on HMS Brilliant (F90) and HMS Glasgow (D88) on 12 May 1982: Lt Gavazzi's Douglas A-4P Skyhawk attacking HMS Glasgow.
context_page_description: HMS Glasgow was a Type 42 destroyer of the Royal Navy. The last of the Batch 1 Type 42 destroyers, Glasgow was commissioned in 1979. The destroyer fought during the Falklands War, and on 12 May 1982 was damaged by a bomb from an Argentine A-4 Skyhawk. Glasgow was part of the Royal Navy’s 3rd Destroyer Squadron along with HMS York, HMS Edinburgh and HMS Liverpool. The 3rd Destroyer Squadron was based in Rosyth during the 1980s and early 1990s before being moved to Portsmouth when Rosyth Dockyard was privatised and re-purposed. The destroyer was decommissioned in 2005 and was broken up for scrap in 2009.
context_section_description: Glasgow was among the five Type 42 destroyers which were part of the Task Force sent to retake the Falkland Islands after invasion by Argentina on 2 April 1982. Armed with the Sea Dart long range anti-aircraft missile system, Glasgow along with her sister ships, Sheffield and Coventry were among the first ships to arrive in a 200-nautical-mile (370 km; 230 mi) exclusion zone imposed by the British around the islands.
  Glasgow was deployed towards the South Atlantic direct from Gibraltar, where 18 Royal Navy frigates and destroyers were taking part in "Exercise Spring Train". On Friday 2 April 1982, 8 of the frigates and destroyers (Antrim, Arrow, Brilliant, Coventry, Glamorgan, Glasgow, Plymouth and Sheffield) were ordered by CINCFLEET (Commander-in-Chief Fleet) to "store ship" ready to sail south. The stores, fuel and ammunition required for full operational readiness came from a combination of sources, but mostly from the other ships already in Gibraltar at that time. Using a 'buddy ship' replenishment approach, Gibraltar harbour buzzed with activity as the ships with less suitable sensor and weapon suites went alongside the deploying ships to transfer stores and ammunition, either by hand or using helicopter VERTREP (Vertical Replenishment). There were also a number of crew exchanges between the ships deploying and ships returning to the U.K. i.e. juniors under 17.5 years or crew with other compassionate / operational situations.
  Glasgow saw early action in the war when, on 2 May, her Lynx helicopter severely damaged the Argentine naval vessel Alferez Sobral. On 4 May, Glasgow detected an Exocet missile fired at the Task Force and warned the fleet. However Sheffield failed to receive the warning and was hit, later sinking. Down to two Type 42s (Exeter and Cardiff would not arrive until the end of May), Glasgow and Coventry were left as the long-range defence of the fleet.
  Following the loss of Sheffield, a new air defence tactic was devised to try to maximise the task group's remaining assets. The two remaining Type 42 destroyers paired up with the two Type 22 frigates (a pairing unofficially termed Type 64). The pairs were then deployed much further ahead of the main force in an effort to draw attacking aircraft away from the carrier groups. The idea was that if Sea Dart was unable to neutralise the threat, the short-range Sea Wolf advanced point-defence missile fitted to the frigates could be used. Coventry was paired with Broadsword and Glasgow paired with Brilliant. The 42-22 combo created a long-range (30 n.miles), short-range guided missile capability along with shore bombardment or NGS (Naval Gunfire Support) using the type 42's 4.5-inch guns (range 26 n.miles).
  This ‘picketing’ tactic was effective in drawing Argentine aircraft attacks away from the carrier groups and moderately effective in drawing them away from San Carlos Bay. The pairs would take turns positioning themselves closer to the islands and making a nuisance of themselves by shelling Argentinean positions and then waiting for the aircraft to come.
  On 12 May, Glasgow and the Type 22 frigate Brilliant were on a "42-22" combo around 15 miles south west of Port Stanley. At 11:00 Glasgow was carrying out shore bombardment of Argentinean positions. Then later in the afternoon a wave of four A-4B Skyhawk jets of Grupo 5 attacked. Glasgow's Sea Dart system and 4.5 inch Mk.8 gun both failed, but Brilliant's Sea Wolf shot down 1st Lt Oscar Bustos (C-246) and Lt Jorge Ibarlucea (C-208), whilst Lt Mario Nivoli (C-206) crashed into the sea evading debris. All three pilots died in the action but were posthumously promoted.
  Despite the losses in the first wave, a second wave of Grupo 5 Skyhawks attacked, but Brilliant's Sea Wolf failed and the jets each released three bombs. One bomb from Skyhawk (C-248) piloted by Lt Fausto Gavazzi damaged Glasgow, passing clean through the aft engine room without exploding. It damaged fuel systems and disabled the two Tyne cruising engines. A third wave of aircraft was detected but they did not engage the ships. On his return 
caption: Lt Gavazzi's A-4 attacking HMS Glasgow - Photo taken from HMS Brilliant's flight deck 12 May 1982
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