Officers ‘mesmerised by missiles’

The anti-air warfare officer was having a coffee in the mess room and his assistant was visiting the toilet.

Some of the crew were bored and the ship was not fully prepared. The radar was not working. Officers were mesmerised by the incoming Exocets and did not warn the crew or the captain.

The ship did not go into action stations, did not fire anti-missile chaff to try to divert the Exocets and did not turn towards them to narrow its profile.

Weapons were unloaded and unmanned. No attempt was made to shoot down the missiles.

There were critical deficiencies in firefighting equipment.

Attempts to put out the fire ‘lacked cohesion’ and were ‘unco-ordinated’.

Escape hatches were too narrow for men wearing breathing apparatus.