National Geographic "Belgrano"

[nikimcbee]

I saw this was on tonight, I'm going to check it out.
TV: Wednesday, December 27, 10:30pm-12am

National Geographic Specials

"The Sinking of the Warship Belgrano" - This program goes in search of the ARA General Belgrano, the Argentine warship carrying 300 sailors sunk in 1982 by a British submarine during the Falklands War.

:hmm:

[Linton]

The programme you mention was originally shown on C4 over here in the UK.When I bought the dvd i was a surprised that it had been slightly edited to remove the sequence showing part of the launch of an RN submarine.This was because the original showed the pump-jet.
it was disappointing that they did not find the Belgrano

[badhat17]

Originally Posted by Linton

it was disappointing that they did not find the Belgrano

I feel a spoiler warning may have been appropriate before that line.

I have watched this and I don't remember seeing the scene you mention with the pumpjet shown, think it was on the National Geographic chanel when I watched it. Don't suppose you recorded the C4 showing then ?
Only a few more months and it will be 25 years since the day.

[Melonfish]

does it include anything about the controversy of the conquorer returning to port flying the jolly roger?
the commander of the boat got slated for that, but to be fair he was following naval tradition.

btw did you know they used a pre-wwII design torpedo so sink the belgrano? they had the new tigerfish eals but they were unrealiable so they fired the standard type VIII's which had been around since 1925! of the three eals fired two struck the belgrano one on the bow almost breaking it off (but internal bulkheads held) and the second hit in the aft machine room detonating after penetrating the hull and blowing out a rec room and two mess halls (hence the 300 casualties)
the third torpedo actually struck one of the destroyers tasked with the belgrano although it failed to detonate.

in 1982 3 shots and 3 hits with non homing torpedo's designed in 1925? that was some good plotting.
pete

[Linton]

The flying of the joly roger is mentioned and is dismisssed by one of the former offiicers of the submarine.
I did not video the programme on C4 as i thought the dvd would not have been edited.
Perhaps next year we will see Chris Wreford-Brown give an interview.

[Eyebiter]

Watched this show last night on public TV. Amazed there 770survivors considering the freezing sea conditions at the time of the sinking, and the fact that rescue operations didn't start until 24 hours after the cruiser sank.