Amphibious Assault Falklands: The Battle of San Carlos Water

by Michael Clapp, Ewen Southby-Tailyour

A British Naval commander’s eyewitness account of the 1982 war in the South Atlantic.   Since he was in charge of the amphibious operations in the Falklands War, it goes without saying that there is no one better qualified to tell the story of that aspect of the campaign than Commodore Michael Clapp. Here he describes, with considerable candor, some of the problems met in a Navy racing to war and finding it necessary to recreate a largely abandoned operational technique in a somewhat ad hoc fashion. During the time it took to “go south,” some sense of order was imposed and a not very well defined command structure evolved, this was not done without generating a certain amount of friction. He tells of why San Carlos Water was chosen for the assault and the subsequent inshore operations. Michael Clapp and his small staff made their stand and can claim a major role in the defeat of the Argentine Air and Land Forces.  

Genres: History, Military Fiction

546 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2007

Reviews

[Mac McCormick III · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amphibious Assault Falklands: The Battle of San Carlos Water by Commodore Michael Clapp tells the story of the amphibious operations of the Falklands War. It very much feels like a rebuttal of criticisms leveled at Clapp in particular and to a lesser extent Julian Thompson and Jeremy Moore. This should not be the first book you read about the Falklands; I would not suggest this book if you haven't already read about and have some general knowledge of the Falklands war, because the book assumes that you are already familiar with it. There is a lot more to amphibious warfare than sailing up to a foreign shore and depositing troops on a beach; this book presents the realities that make it so difficult.

It focuses not on the foreign policy leading up to the war or the battles on the islands, but rather how the campaign was organized, how the men and equipment were sent to the Falklands, how they were landed on the Falklands, and how they were supplied and supported once there. Clapp looks at the doctrine of amphibious warfare and how prepared the Royal Navy was for it prior to war given their duties within NATO. He explores the command structure that was put into place and the difficulties that structure created and fostered. He explains how men and equipment were put en route to the Falklands as quickly as they were, the problems that created, and how the problems were sorted out (and explains how some problems never were sorted out). He describes and justifies the decision making process that resulted in the selection of San Carlos Water as the landing location. Finally, in great detail, he explains how the troops were landed and supplied and how they were supported. A lot of space is given to the attack on the Sir Galahad, detailing how and why it happened.

Amphibious Assault Falklands is not an exciting book. It isn't a general reading book, it's more of a book for military history enthusiasts. It does have a tendency to get dry and bogged down, but it's hard to avoid when you get into some of the details that Clapp does. At the end of the day, this book is about doctrinal, logistical, and command structure issues. Many readers may find this dull, but understanding the three are key to understanding how such an operation like the amphibious assault on the Falklands works.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this as a special gift and souvenir of my daughter’s research trip to the Falkland Islands and what a great choice it was. I actually read it while working with the US Navy and US Marines on the design and development of an amphibious warfare training exercise. It was the perfect reading choice for that period as time and again, the book and the real world moved in parallel with discussions of AOA, the linkages between subordinate, coequal, and superior commands, ship-based aviation operations and their constraints.
Michael Clapp was the commander of the amphibious ships that brought the landing force of mixed Royal Marines and British army troops to the Falklands and successfully landed them to recapture the islands from the invading Argentine force.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incisive Look at War Logistics

Clapp gives us a candid look at the challenges of assembling an amphibious force and then using it land ground forces on distant shores and keep them supplied and providing them with gunfire support and anti-aircraft defence.

[Andrew Corsini · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic and detailed read for anyone interested in naval warfare or history in general. This book ought to be the first and final word on the Falklands conflict

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book. Read it based on a recommendation from a Dutch Naval Officer I worked with. He said he thought it should be read by "Every naval officer." I am a Marine so I decided to give it a go. Clapp gives the reader an excellent perspective of how a Naval Force goes to war, after being caught off guard, and still prevails. He very clearly explains to the reader how a lot of luck, technology, toughness, and professionalism eventually leads to the overall success of the British military.
Readers should know that Clapp writes from the perspective of one of the junior most leaders in the bigger picture of how the Falklands were won. That is to say that while he as one of the key leaders making things happen for the Brits, he was one of the junior most in those positions, and it occasionally comes across that way in the book, not the detriment of the story.
I just recently finished this book and now will read Julian Thompson's "No Picnic" so that I can also get the other side of the story, from the land perspective. I'd recommend that to others as well, even thought I haven't done it yet, but plan on it.