Falklands 40: Headlines from The News, Portsmouth, on April 28, 1982

Nott’s Stand Angers ‘Yard, run-down proposals unchanged.

Portsmouth civic and union leaders are furious at Defence Secretary John Nott’s refusal to give ground over his plans to run down the Dockyard.

Despite the evidence of the Dockyard’s magnificent efforts to get the Falklands task force to sea so quickly, Mr Nott remains intransigent - a lonely figure at the helm, steering for rocks which will wreck Britain’s surface fleet capacity and essential Dockyard support.

Conservative MPs fighting to save the ‘Yard claim to see a glimmer of hope in the guarded nature of Mr Nott’s words in the Commons yesterday.

The Defence Secretary, confirming a freeze on redundancies at Portsmouth and Chatham in the immediate future, said: ‘Our general strategy on the future of the dockyards must remain unchanged.’

The Portsmouth North MP (Mr Peter Griffiths) said: ‘It would be premature to assume the whole programme of reductions in the Dockyard is to be reversed.

‘If we want to obtain a change in the attitude of the Defence Ministry it will be brought about only by continued pressure and persuasion. The News Keep the Fleet campaign must be maintained at full throttle.’

It is clearly going to take intensive pressure to persuade Mr Nott that the Falklands crisis and Britain’s maritime needs must result in a rethink of maritime policy.

The Defence Secretary admitted that he had learned three lessons from the emergency - the need to have combat stocks in store; sufficient fuel; and the ability to use civilian assets.

He conceded that the Defence White Paper, although completed, would have to be amended in the light of lessons learned from the crisis.

Junta studies peace plans

Argentina was today believed to be studying a last-ditch plan to solve the Falklands crisis amid growing reports that a British assault on the islands was imminent, if not under way.

Some British newspapers said that an advance party of Marines was already on the islands, seeking possible landing sites. But this was denied by Argentina’s ruling military junta.

At Westminster - where invasion rumours were rife last night - MPs were awaiting a government announcement on the latest position.

The Ministry of Defence has imposed a news blackout on movements of the massive task-force poised to begin its bid to recapture the islands.

Keep out or else: warning

A 200-mile air and sea “total exclusion zone” is to be set up around the Falkland Islands by the British task-force, the Defence Ministry announced today.

Any ship or aircraft, military or civil, found within the zone will be regarded as hostile and liable to attack by British forces, said a ministry spokesman in London.

The zone will be set up at 1100 hours G.M.T. on Friday, and will be similar to the maritime exclusion zone established by Britain at the start of the Falklands crisis.

Last but exciting site dive

For Prince Charles, so keenly interested in the Mary Rose project, today’s dive down to the wreck on the Solent seabed, may be one of the most exciting.

Although it was his last underwater view of the Tudor warship before the historic lift later this year, Prince Charles was seeing many parts of the wreck for the first time.

Thanks to more excavation work, the Prince was able to dive under the stern and look up at the planking and the chain plate rigging assembly on the vessel’s hull.