The Sailor
18-01-2008, 04:04
HMS Antelope (F170) was a Type 21 frigate of the Royal Navy that participated in the Falklands War. Her keel was laid down March 23, 1971 by Vosper Thornycroft in Woolston, Southampton, England. She was commissioned July 17, 1975.
Falklands War duty
On May 23, 1982, while Antelope was on air defence duty at the entrance to San Carlos Water, protecting a beachhead established two days earlier, she came under attack by Argentine A-4 Skyhawk jets.
Two 1100-pound bombs struck the ship on the Starboard side, killing one crewman, Steward Mark R. Stephens.
After initial damage control efforts, Antelope proceeded to more sheltered waters so that two EOD technicians from the Royal Corps of Engineers could come aboard and attempt to defuse the bombs. On the fourth attempt to defuse one of the bombs, a time-delay device detonated the weapon, killing Staff Sergeant James Prescott and severely injuring Warrant Officer Phillips, the other member of the EOD team. The ship was torn open from water line to funnel, with the blast starting major fires in both engine rooms which spread very quickly. The starboard fire main was fractured, the ship lost all electrical power, and the commanding officer, Commander Nick Tobin, gave the order to abandon ship. Tobin was the last person to leave the ship, and about five minutes after his departure, the missile magazines began exploding.
Explosions continued throughout the night, and the following day Antelope was found to be still afloat, but her keel had broken and her superstructure melted into a heap of twisted metal. Antelope broke in half and sank that day.
TV and stills pictures of Antelope's demise became one of the defining images of the Falklands War and appear repeatedly in histories of the event.
The casualties could have been much higher. The ship's company were very lucky to escape.
The famous photo below of the magazine blowing.
Falklands War duty
On May 23, 1982, while Antelope was on air defence duty at the entrance to San Carlos Water, protecting a beachhead established two days earlier, she came under attack by Argentine A-4 Skyhawk jets.
Two 1100-pound bombs struck the ship on the Starboard side, killing one crewman, Steward Mark R. Stephens.
After initial damage control efforts, Antelope proceeded to more sheltered waters so that two EOD technicians from the Royal Corps of Engineers could come aboard and attempt to defuse the bombs. On the fourth attempt to defuse one of the bombs, a time-delay device detonated the weapon, killing Staff Sergeant James Prescott and severely injuring Warrant Officer Phillips, the other member of the EOD team. The ship was torn open from water line to funnel, with the blast starting major fires in both engine rooms which spread very quickly. The starboard fire main was fractured, the ship lost all electrical power, and the commanding officer, Commander Nick Tobin, gave the order to abandon ship. Tobin was the last person to leave the ship, and about five minutes after his departure, the missile magazines began exploding.
Explosions continued throughout the night, and the following day Antelope was found to be still afloat, but her keel had broken and her superstructure melted into a heap of twisted metal. Antelope broke in half and sank that day.
TV and stills pictures of Antelope's demise became one of the defining images of the Falklands War and appear repeatedly in histories of the event.
The casualties could have been much higher. The ship's company were very lucky to escape.
The famous photo below of the magazine blowing.