Her Part in The Falklands War
After taking on stores at Glen Douglas and Plymouth, Regent sailed from Plymouth on 19 April 1982, arriving in the Total Exclusion Zone (TEZ) on 8 May. She spent much of her time with the Carrier Group, replenishing ships in the group, night and day.
Surviving at least one Exocet attack, the most publicized was on May 25th, Argentina's National Day. She was heading towards Falkland Sound, in the middle of a 'RAS' (Replenishment at Sea) with the Atlantic Conveyor, when an 'Air Raid Warning Red' sounded, and the two ships immediately executed an emergency breakaway. It was a matter of minutes afterwards that the Atlantic Conveyor was struck by one, or possibly two, Exocet missiles. 'Chaff' launched from several ships confused the Exocet(s), and it (they) locked onto the biggest target available on their new course.
RFA Regent arrived back in the UK at Rosyth on 15 September, after 148 days at sea, and replenishing most of the ships in the RN at least once. She had sailed more than 35,000 nautical miles.
Read more about this topic: RFA Regent (A486)
Famous quotes containing the words part, falklands and/or war:
“But that a joy past joy calls out on me,
It were a grief, so brief to part with thee.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“If we were doing this in the Falklands they would love it. It’s part of our heritage. The British have always been fighting wars.”
—British soccer fan. quoted in Independent (London, Dec. 23, 1988)
“There are two things which will always be very difficult for a democratic nation: to start a war and to end it.”
—Alexis de Tocqueville (1805–1859)