History
The Atlantic Conveyor was a 14,950 ton roll-on, roll-off container ship owned by Cunard. She was built along with six other container ships, each named Atlantic and sailing under different national flags for different companies.
Along with her sister ship, Atlantic Causeway, the Atlantic Conveyor was requisitioned by the Ministry of Defence at the beginning of the Falklands War through the STUFT system (Ships Taken Up From Trade). Due to the short timescales, the decision that the ship was not "a high-value unit" and a controversy over whether arming auxiliaries was legal, Atlantic Conveyor was not fitted with either an active or a passive defence system.
The ships were used to carry supplies for the Royal Navy Task Force sent by the British government to retake the Falkland Islands from Argentine occupation. Sailing for Ascension Island on 25 April 1982, Atlantic Conveyor carried a cargo of six Wessex helicopters from 848 Naval Air Squadron and five RAF HC.1 Chinooks from No. 18 Squadron RAF. At Ascension, she picked up eight Fleet Air Arm Sea Harriers (809 Squadron) and six RAF Harrier GR.3 jump jets.
One Chinook of B flight No. 18 Squadron RAF left the Atlantic Conveyor to support operations on Ascension. With the aircraft stored she then set sail for the South Atlantic. On arrival off the Falklands in mid-May, all of the Harriers were off-loaded to the carriers; the GR.3s going to HMS Hermes while the Sea Harriers were divided amongst the existing squadrons on Hermes and HMS Invincible.
On 25 May 1982 (the same day as the loss of HMS Coventry) the Atlantic Conveyor was hit by two AM39 Air Launched Exocet missiles fired by a two Argentine Navy Super Étendard jet fighters. The mission was lead by, Corvette Captain Roberto Curilovic, (call sign 'Tito') flying Super Etendard 0753/3-A-203, and his wingman, Warship Lieutenant Julio Barraza, (call sign 'Leo') flying in 0754/3-A-204.
Both Exocets struck the Atlantic Conveyor on the port quarter of the ship. Some sources assert that the warheads exploded after penetrating the ship's hull., others do not . Due to the presence of both fuel and ammunition that were stored below deck, the incendiry effect as a result of unburnt propellant from the missiles was the cause an uncontrollable fire. When the fire had burnt out, the ship was boarded but nothing was recovered. With the Atlantic Conveyor under tow by the requisitioned Tug Irishman, it sank in the early morning of 28 May 1982. All the helicopters but one Chinook, callsign Bravo November, were destroyed in the fire. The loss of these helicopters meant that British troops had to march across the Falklands to recapture Stanley.
Twelve men died in the Atlantic Conveyor, including the ship's master, Captain Ian North, who was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC). The ship was the first British merchant vessel lost at sea to enemy fire since World War II.
The ship's replacement was built on Tyneside.
Piloting a Sea King helicopter of 820 Naval Air Squadron, Prince Andrew (then second in line to the throne) was first to lift off survivors.
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