How did HMS Sheffield sink?

HMS Sheffield was a Type 42 guided missile destroyer and the second Royal Navy ship to be named after the city of Sheffield in Yorkshire. She was struck and heavily damaged by an Exocet air-launched anti-ship missile from an Argentine Super Étendard aircraft on 4 May 1982 and foundered while under tow on 10 May 1982.

How many British soldiers were killed in the Falklands War?

255 British military personnel
The conflict lasted 74 days and ended with an Argentine surrender on 14 June, returning the islands to British control. In total, 649 Argentine military personnel, 255 British military personnel, and three Falkland Islanders died during the hostilities.

When did the crew of the HMS Sheffield die?

Crew Of Sheffield HMS Twenty crew members of the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Sheffield (D80) died when it was hit by an Argentinian air strike. The attack took place on 4 May, 1982, at the height of the Falklands War in the South Atlantic.

When did the HMS Sheffield sink in the Falklands?

The attack took place on 4 May, 1982, at the height of the Falklands War in the South Atlantic. The ship sank on 10 May, the first British Navy vessel lost since the Second World War. The 20 people who died were mainly on duty in the ship’s galley at the time the missiles hit.

How many people died in the sinking of the Sheffield?

The fire on board the Sheffield burned for two days. Six days after the attack, according to the official account, the ship sank while being towed. The Guardian has learned that it may have been scuttled. Only one body was recovered from the vessel.

How did HMS Sheffield deal with the Exocet threat?

Despite intelligence briefings that identified an Exocet attack by Super Étendards as possible, Sheffield had assessed the Exocet threat as overrated for the previous two days, and disregarded another as a false alarm. As the Type 965 could not detect low-flying aircraft, the two incoming enemy aircraft were not detected flying at 98 feet (30 m).