The Argentine Navy A-4Qs vs the HMS Ardent, 21th May 1982:
In the morning Douglas A-4Q from the 2th escuadrilla Aeronaval de Ataque ( 2 squadron of naval attack.) flown by LT Benito Rótolo (3-a-306, first), Carlos Lecour (3-A-305, second) and Roberto Sylvester (3-A-301, thirst) launch his bombs over the HMS Ardent. One of the bomb launched by Carlos Lecour impact in the ship fuel depot starting a big fire. The british response was hard but the aircraft return to the continent without damage.
The second was comprised by the pilots J.C Arca, the capt corvette A. Philippi ad the leutenant Marquez.
Jose Cesar Arca remembers:
“Teorically we should keep a distance of 19 seconds between the aircraft to avoid any posible fragment from the leading aircraft proyectiles , however in the last Kilometers to target the Surface to Air missiles menace and the tracers from the warships cannons desorganizated the formation and I ended up just 1 seconds behind Philippi, I saw the 4 bombs separating from his plane the metal fins opened correctly ( Snakeyes 227 kg) one hit the stern of the ship and caused a hell of explosion and smoke, I penetrate this and dropped my bombs , latter I hear the voice of Marquez- Very good sir, one in the stern ¡¡
We evade the ship turning sharply to the left , I think that no more than 20 seconds passed when I hear the voice of Marquez again- Sea Harries 3 o Clock”
Few seconds later Marquez aircraft took a full burst of 30 mm Aden cannon and explode giving no chance to the pilot. Phillippi try to evade the british Fighter but his aircraft is also hit and he had to eject , minutes later landed unhurt in the coast and retuned to the argentines lines walking.
J.C Arca (left) A Philippi. (right), picture taken in 1986
Arca was probably fliying the hardest Mcdonell Doglas in existence and is attacked twice taking hits in both wings and the fuselage. With a serious damage a without hidraulics Arca tough is done.
However the Sea Harries disingage ( probably due of lack of fuel) an the argentine try to make a landing in the Pt Argentino airstrip.
The response from ground Control:
“I can see the sky trough the holes in your aircraft, none of the undercarriage wheels in the the right position, you better go to the bay and eject”
The pilot did so but the A-4 did not go down and remain circling around putting in danger some houses and pilot alike.
“Is like the A-4 was mad because I had to leave it”
Finally the Oerlikon batteries open fire and finished the career of that stuborn aircraft. Arca was rescued from the sea by an Army helicopter belonging to the 601th batallion.
Mortally wounded the HMS Ardent Ardent stopped in the shallow waters of Grantham Sound, the fires in her stern out of control. The Rothersay-class Yarmouth then came alongside to take off survivors. Ardent continued to burn throughout the night, accompanied by the occasional explosion, until she sank the following morning, with only her foremast remaining above the water. The last man to leave was her Commander, Cdr. Alan West, who was subsequently awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, and served as First Sea Lord from 2002-2006.
