"Go find him and bring me back his hat": the Royal Navy's anti-submarine campaign in the Falklands/Malvinas War - no. 21

When the Task Force of the Royal Navy started its southbound voyage, as the second major act during the Falklands/Malvinas War of 1982, its commanders assessed the Argentine submarines as the greatest threat.Even if limited in total size and scope, this threat was so conditioning that the conclusion was that it had to be neutralised at the earliest possible moment in time, otherwise no victory would have been possible.The British believed that the Argentines would wait for them in the waters of the war zone with two modern and dangerous German-made Type-209 submarines, and a modified US-built submarine dating back to the Second World War.After locating and engaging ARA Santa Fe during Operation Paraquet, the recapture of South Georgia/Georgias del Sur, the Royal Navy Task Force detected and tracked multiple sonar contacts over the following days and weeks of the Falklands/Malvinas war.

Indeed, they ultimately fired no fewer than 31 torpedoes, 49 depth-charges and 21 mortar salvoes at these.Go Find Him and Bring Me Back His Hat is the story of the crews of 22 warships, submarines, anti-submarine-warfare helicopters, and Nimrod submarine-hunter aircraft, their intensive and advanced training, and combat experiences.

This story draws on interviews and official Argentine and British records to tell a story that has never been told before and is richly illustrated with rare photographs and specially commissioned artworks and maps.