TORPEDO EVASION. 1982 war.
On 1 May 82 #submarine @Armada_Arg ARA San Luis was within the MARIA patrol area, north of the #Falklands #Malvinas. It had already launched a SST-4 #torpedo at a surface contact some distance away, while detecting a lot of activity on the surface.
Unknown to LCDR Fernando Azcueta, commander of ARA San Luis, its position was known to the @RoyalNavy and a SAG, composed of frigates HMS Brilliant and HMS Yarmouth, had been organised to hunt it down. This SAG would be joined by 3 Sea King HAS.5 helicopters from 826 NAS.
At 1200, after many helicopter noises, detonations and sonar pinging, what no one wanted to hear was heard, as the sonarist, WO Ernesto Errecalde, shouted "Torpedo splash in the water". A helicopter (possibly one of HMS Brilliant's Lynx HAS.2s) had dropped a homing torpedo.
Azcueta: "I ordered Flank speed (max power) in a manoeuvre called battery for battery. This means opposing the torpedo's battery to the ship's battery, in the hope that the torpedo will exhaust its energy before it reaches the sub". The submarine started to cavitate.
Meanwhile the signal ejector operator, Corporal Gonzalez, launched the bubble-makers to distract the torpedo (known as Alka-Seltzer in the @Armada_Arg ) After ejecting two decoys (the San Luis carried a stock of 24), Azcueta ordered to stop engines and fall to port.
However, while completing this manoeuvre, the sonarman reported something that paralysed everyone: "Torpedo near the stern". At that moment, the torpedo was clearly heard by the entire crew: "We heard it as if it were a motorbike engine, but underwater". All prepared to death.
However, ten seconds later, the sonarist reported: "Torpedo passed to the other side". The enemy weapon had lost them.
Azcueta, without options, decided to settle on the bottom, which San Luis did at 1625. He was in shallow water (about 50 metres) a few miles north of the islands. The explosions were getting further and further away.
The war had just begun.
They had survived to fight another day
Personally, I know of no other case (after WW2) where a submarine has evaded an ASW torpedo in a combat situation. My respects to Fernando Azcueta, CO #submarine ARA San Luis
#torpedo #ASW #Falklands #Malvinas #submarine
Note: local time used in the story, time in map is ZULU
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