If its between the QM2 and the QE2, I wonder which ship would go into the war zone

[ 09-03-2004: Message edited by: Keitaro ]

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Originally posted by Keitaro:
If its between the QM2 and the QE2, I wonder which ship would go into the war zone

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Once again the British Government would not risk losing a ship named after the current British monarch.

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:

Once again the British Government would not risk losing a ship named after the current British monarch.

I wonder if the British Government can now commandeer a ship like the QE2, that is owned by am American company. At the time, of course it was not.

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Originally posted by Cambodge:
If I remember the footage on TV at the time, it was an "exocet" missile that was launched at Canberra, from, I believe an Argentine aircraft.

The footage shows the missile being shot down. Exocets were quite successfully used by the Argentine forces and they nailed the "Atlantic Conveyor" and the troopship "Sir Galahad" (I believe that was the name) with heavy casualties, among others.

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The first ship hit by an exocet missile in the Falklands war was HMS Sheffield which was burnt out by the ensuing fire. The missile was fired from a Douglas A4.

Trivia Question: What was the original name of the Argentinian cruiser General Belgrano that was sunk by a British submarine (HMS Conqueror, I believe) earlier in the conflict and what was unique about her?

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Originally posted by Linerrich:
I sailed on CANBERRA the year after the Falklands War, and the P.& O. crew members were justly proud of their service. The favorite slogan during that time was "CANBERRA cruises where QE2 refuses!"

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Originally posted by Brian_O:

The first ship hit by an exocet missile in the Falklands war was HMS Sheffield which was burnt out by the ensuing fire. The missile was fired from a Douglas A4.

Trivia Question: What was the original name of the Argentinian cruiser General Belgrano that was sunk by a British submarine (HMS Conqueror, I believe) earlier in the conflict and what was unique about her?

Brian

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Originally posted by Ocean Liners:
Here's a link to Sinking of General Belgrano

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Nice report, but it does not answer either part of the trivia question.

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Originally posted by Brian_O:

Nice report, but it does not answer either part of the trivia question.

Brian

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I just wanted to point following article; The General Belgrano-at 13,645 tons Argentina's second largest warship-was purchased from the United States Navy in 1951.

As answer to your trivia

She was built as USS Phoenix (CL-46), the sixth of the Brooklyn-class light cruisers, in New Jersey by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation starting in 1935, and launched in March 1938. She was decommissioned from the US Navy (USN) in July 1946, and sold with another of her class to Argentina in October 1951, for $7.8 million. She was renamed the 17 de Octubre, but following the 1955 overthrow of Presidente 1956 the vessel was named the General Belgrano (C-4) after General Manuel Belgrano, who had fought for Argentine independence in 1816.

The General Belgrano was the first ship ever sunk by a nuclear-powered submarine in wartime

[ 09-04-2004: Message edited by: Ocean Liners ]

During the Falklands War, the BELGRANO had the dubious distinction of being the first vessel sunk by a nuclear submarine in wartime history.

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Originally posted by Ocean Liners:

As answer to your trivia

She was built as USS Phoenix (CL-46)....

The General Belgrano was the first ship ever sunk by a nuclear-powered submarine in wartime

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Correct name.

Lots of ships have been sunk by submarines and the fact that this one had a nuclear power plant doesn't really make it unique, nor does the fact that it was a wire-guided torpedo. Sunk by a submarine is sunk by a submarine. Nice try though.

At least on US TV, there were no expressed indications of reluctantance to risk the ship because of the name, just that it was too significant an asset (and target) to put in that particular version of harm's way.

QE2 arrived safely back in England on June 11 and work immediately began on refitting her for commercial service."

So really she wasn't there very long. It doesn't say how many troops she carried either.

I still have some cuttings of flemish newspapers with pics of Canberra triumphantly returning from the falklands

By coincidence, that summer our family had holiday in England, a tour of the South, and of course the newspapers were still ful of it.

We passed Southampton, which i found a disappointment. We couldn't visit the harbor, but I still remember the excitement on seeing the funnels of both Canberra and QE2 looming above the town, driving towards the city.

Was the PHOENIX' uniqueness the fact that she was a Pearl Harbor attack survivor?

If not, what?

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Originally posted by Brian_O:

The first ship hit by an exocet missile in the Falklands war was HMS Sheffield which was burnt out by the ensuing fire. The missile was fired from a Douglas A4.

Trivia Question: What was the original name of the Argentinian cruiser General Belgrano that was sunk by a British submarine (HMS Conqueror, I believe) earlier in the conflict and what was unique about her?

Brian

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HMS SHEFIELD was hit by an AM39 (that did not exploded) fired from a Super Etendard.
This was HMS ARDENT and HMS ANTELOPE that were attacked (and sunk) by Skyhawks with bombs.

To my knowledge, Argentinian A4P have never been equiped to carry and fire AM39.