Man who sunk Belgrano to retire

The Hearld Express ^ | 6/23/2010 | The Hearld Express

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

The South Devon man who sunk the Argentine navy cruiser General Belgrano with the loss of 323 lives in the 1982 Falklands War is to retire as Paignton Zoo's manager and administrator.

Chris Wreford-Brown who was Commander of the Royal Navy nuclear submarine HMS Conqueror when it went to the South Atlantic to reclaim the Falkland Islands and gave the order to fire the fateful torpedoes which sank the cruiser, has worked at the zoo for 15 years.

In a career spanning 30 years Mr Wreford-Brown, who lives in the South Brent area, commanded the frigate HMS Cornwall, the diesel sub HMS Opossum and the nuclear subs HMS Valiant and HMS Conqueror.

He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for the 90-day patrol in the Falklands campaign.

He retired from the Royal Navy in 1995 and began work at Paignton Zoo. He is now due to retire in August.

Mr Wreford-Brown has always declined to discuss the operation publicly but in 2002 he gave an interview for a TV programme on the history of submarines.

In the interview he said he was sad that the sinking had to happen, but it was one of the consequences of war, and he was thinking of vessel versus vessel rather than of the individual.

The British Government had imposed a 200-mile total exclusion zone around the islands and any ship entering it would be fired upon.

Admiral Sandy Woodward, in command of the Task Force, said warships could not be allowed to come close enough to the exclusion zone and fire into it without some response.

He asked for permission to change the rules of engagement and was given the order to attack the Belgrano and its escort ships.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

The ship was due to be retired and sent back to the US for a war memorial before the breakout of hostilities.I cant remember her name during service in the US Navy.Anyone remember?

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

USS Phoenix

[LeoWindhorse]

USS Phoenix CL-46

she survived Pearl Harbor

[OldDeckHand]

I'm not positive, but I think that was the last ship sunk by a torpedo before the latest sinking of the SK ship a few months ago. Although, there might have been a sinking of an Iraqi or Iranian ship by torpedo during their long war.

I also think that was the first time (and perhaps only time) a nuclear sub had loosed torpedo in combat.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

Thank you

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

You are welcome!

:)

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

Right,She was to be put on display at Pearl if I remember correctly.Shame that didnt happen.

[gandalftb]

My father was a member of the USS Phoenix' Marine detachment in WWII. The Sunday morning it was sunk, before the Belgrano was named as the USS Phoenix, I showed my Dad a picture of the ship sinking. He recognized the superstructure and said, that's the Phoenix, I was on it at Pearl Harbor.

That's the only time he fully described the desparate and grim fighting of that day.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

You must be very proud of you father’s service to this country.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

and his role in history

[gandalftb]

It took a lot of years to understand his detachment from family and society. He had also been at Guadalcanal and Saipan. The incredible suffering of the Marines in the S Pacific I don't think has any equal in terms of the years and severity of the fighting.

I am very proud of what he survived, and can only hope that my patriotism is in some small way a legacy of him.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

You should extermely proud of him. We are proud of him of his service to this country and defending this country.

:)