Frigate blasts target

This was the front-page news on May 11, 1982, as the Falklands conflict intensified.

A Royal Navy frigate, ‘in company with other ships’, last night shelled a surface vessel inside the Falkland Sound - the stretch of water separating the two main disputed islands, it was understood today.

Whitehall sources said that the 2,815-ton frigate opened fire on the vessel and, within minutes, a large explosion in the area of the target was seen.

The sources could not give any details of the identity of the target vessel although it is known that several Argentine patrol craft were trapped in

Port Stanley Harbour when the 200-mile exclusion zone was declared.

Officially, the Defence Ministry would go no further than a statement which said: ‘A report has been received from the task force that, during the night, a surface vessel has been engaged with gunfire by one of H.M. ships close to the Falkland Islands.

‘Following the engagement a loud explosion was reported in the vicinity of the target.’

The Argentine occupation forces appear to be trying to maintain contact between their garrisons on East and West Falkland.On West Falkland there are 1,000 Argentine troops. On East Falkland 1,000 are based near Darwin, and a further 4,000 of the better-trained forces around Port Stanley.