The Puerto Argentino Airbase, that was the target of many missions, was never hit, not even once.
The Argentines used a trick against the Brits. Argentines put "mountains" of dirt on the sequence of the bombs would make, so that satellite or recc planes would see that they have made the runway out of service. But when they saw the Pucaras, that took off from P.A., they went back and bombed... but we did the same again.
I know it must be difficult for you to believe.....
And the Vulcans, they said that was better if they were shot down here that if they had to pay the fuel for them to go back to the junk yard... cause they were very near the end of their lifes
That's interesting, what I want to know of how much of it is myth, and how much of it is truth. It's a good tactic, but don't you think a good image analysist would see the difference between a pile of dirt and a bomb crater? It may have caused some confusion, but these people can see the difference between a truck loaded with just some pipes and a truck loaded with missile containers. And how easy are bomb craters of misses to disguise. Also, you have to know how many bombs were dropped, if 20 were dropped and you can 30 piles of dirt, it's a bit suspicious don't you think. At least, they must have thought something was wrong the second time. I can see this tactic work in WWII, but in 1982....
And as you say, it was the target of many missions, so it's not that they thought it was destroyed. The story might be true, I can believe it, but I doubt that it a very effective tactic.
The other thing you say is just nonsense, maybe some public or media said that as a matter of showing how close it was to retirement, but the crew is more worth than the fuel, no air force would ever consider such a thing, not to mention the political effect of having one of your heavy bombers shot down or crashed on a combat mission. There's also the loss of sensitive equipment. If fuel was really that big a problem, they would have removed equipment and ditched them from Ascension island, don't you think.
Please don't be offended, any war has its myths. Some tactics that are said to have been used a lot and with great effect, often are myths based on a single mission with limited success, if not failure, but with a lot of bravery and wit. I am sure Alyster knows quite a few of these kind of stories from WWII.
What other myths/stories are there for the Falklands War?
Back to Index
Move to Top 
