h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

An excellent precis covering a massive range, well done

If I could be picky though:

1) We do not have Carriers at the moment. We have "Through Deck Cruisers". Following the scrapping of the plans to build CVA01 & CVA02 in the sixties, the only way the Admiralty could secure funding was by downsizing drastically. Ark Royal, Invincible and Illustrious are far smaller than conventional carriers. Maybe worth pointing out that the RN continued to innovate post war with the invention of steam catapults, flight deck geometry, the ski-ramp, gas turbines etc. Also Ark Royal et al are powered in part by the same engines as concorde.

2) Hiroshima was 6th August surely?

3) The initial fleet did not divert to South Georgia in 1982. This was a sideshow driven by politics.

4) "Worried about the vulnerability of the fleet to air attack, Woodward gave the order to sink any Argentine ships outside of territorial waters". Hmm. Over simplifying a little. Woodward was worried about a possible pincer movement between Belgrano & her two Type 42 escorts in the South and the "25 De Mayo" carrier force in the North. Belgrano was sunk because Conqueror happened to be on station.

5) "The first Exocet was launched on 4 May and failed to explode, but drove straight through the hull of HMS Sheffield,". I agree that the missile did not actually explode, but the rocket fuel caught fire, causing a massive blaze. Sheffield was salvageable if she could be docked quickly, but a storm blew up & she sank.

6) Maybe worth pointing out that Sea Dart was/is primarily an anti aircraft missile and performed well outside its envelope in tackling missiles.

7) "Al Quaeda's Taliban" ??????? That will have a few people spluttering The Taleban government provided shelter to Al Quaeda, but that was about it.

8) I think Russia and China would dispute the RN being the second most powerful navy.

9) By "the patrol force in the North Atlantic", I can only assume you are referring to our guardships based around Belize in the Caribbean.

10) Lastly, I was 17 when I joined the RN in 1983. Your 22 year service contract starts when you are 18, but you can join at 17 years and 6 months.

These points aside, I thoroughly enjoyed the piece. Thank you

Sorry - I forgot to subscribe to the Entry and I missed all the threads attached to it

I'll post some corrections on <./>FeedbackEditorial</.> and let you know.

Or even <./>Feedback-Editorial</.>

And done - F47997?thread=3759278

One wee niggle, AFAIK Sea Dart was designed primarily as an anti-aircraft missile. That it coped so well with missiles was a bit of a surprise.

Ok, I've reworded it

Sorry to be such a pedant

I really do like the article you know

I know, but I'm a bit of a perfectionist, which means that pedants cause me much lost sleep.