The Atlantic Conveyor was a British merchant navy ship that was requisitioned during the Falklands War and sunk by an Exocet missile. Owned by Cunard, the 14,950 tonne roll-on, roll-off container ship was built along with six other container ships each named Atlantic and flown under different national flags for different companies. In most seafaring countries, the merchant marine (or merchant navy) is a fleet of ships used for commerce that sometimes complements the navy. ... The Falklands War or the Malvinas War (Spanish: Guerra de las Malvinas), was an armed conflict between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands (also known in Spanish as the Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, between March and June of 1982. ... The Exocet is a French-built anti-ship missile made in various versions capable of being launched from surface ships and boats, submarines, and airplanes. ... The Cunard Line is the British cruise line that operates the RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) and RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2) cruise ships. ... RORO is an acronym for Roll On/Roll Off; a type of ferry that carries wheeled cargo such as automobiles, trailers or railway carriages. ... Container ship Rita being loaded at Copenhagen; note crew standing on deck, and stacks of containers on shore. ...

Along with its sister ship, Atlantic Causeway, the Atlantic Conveyor was requisitioned by the Ministry of Defence at the beginning of the Falklands War through the STUFT system (Ships Taken Up From Trade). The ships were to be used to carry supplies for the British Task Force sent by the British government to retake the Falkland Islands from Argentine occupation. Sailing for Ascension Island on 25 April 1982, the ship carried a cargo of six Wessex helicopters from No. 848 Squadron FAA and five RAF HC.1 Chinooks from No. 18 Squadron RAF. At Ascension, she picked up eight Fleet Air Arm Sea Harriers (809 Squadron) and six RAF Harrier GR.3 jump jets, while one Chinook was removed for maintenance, and then set sail for the South Atlantic. On arrival off the Falklands in mid-May, the Harriers were off-loaded to the carriers; the GR.3s going to HMS Hermes while the Sea Harriers were divided amongst the existing squadrons on Hermes and HMS Invincible. The Ministry of Defence building, Whitehall, Westminster, London The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and the headquarters of the UK military. ... The Falklands War or the Malvinas War (Spanish: Guerra de las Malvinas), was an armed conflict between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands (also known in Spanish as the Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, between March and June of 1982. ... Ascension Island from space, December 1990 Ascension Island is an island in the South Atlantic Ocean, and includes tiny satellite islands and rocks such as Boatswain Bird Island, Boatswain Bird Rock (East), White Rocks (South), and Tartar Rock (West, at the shore of Georgetown). ... April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (116th in leap years). ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Museum exhibit Westland Wessex The Westland Wessex is a turbine-powered version of the Sikorsky S-58 Choctaw, developed under license by Westland Aircraft, initially for the Royal Navy, but later for the RAF. The Wessex was built at Westlands factory at Yeovil in Somerset. ... The Royal Air Force (often abbreviated to RAF) is the air force branch of the British Armed Forces. ... The Royal Air Force is the second largest operator of the Boeing CH-47 Chinook of the 16 nations which use the type. ... No. ... The Fleet Air Arm is the operational group of the Royal Navy responsible for the operation of the aircraft on board their ships. ... See also Hawker Siddeley Harrier The BAE Systems Harrier FA2 is the latest development of the Sea Harrier fighter/attack aircraft which entered service with the Royal Navy in April 1980. ... See also BAE Sea Harrier The Hawker Siddeley Harrier and the AV-8A are the first generation of the Harrier series, a successful close-support and reconnaissance fighter aircraft with V/STOL capabilities. ... For other uses, see Atlantic (disambiguation) The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of its surface. ... The second HMS Hermes (R12) was a Centaur-class aircraft carrier, the last of the postwar conventional aircraft carriers commissioned into the Royal Navy. ... The sixth and current HMS Invincible (R05) is a light aircraft carrier, the lead ship of three in her class. ...

On May 25, 1982 the Atlantic Conveyor was hit by an Exocet missile fired by an Argentine Super Étendard jet fighter and sank later that day. It is unclear whether the missile's warhead detonated—the Exocet that sank HMS Sheffield had failed to explode—but the ship was set alight by the impact of the missile and the unburnt rocket fuel. All the helicopters but two (one Chinook, callsign Bravo November, and one Wessex, which were airborne at the time) were destroyed in the fire. The loss of these helicopters meant that British troops had to march across the Falklands to capture Stanley. What was more devastating than the loss of the helicopters, according to Andy McNab in his book "Bravo Two Zero", was the loss of all the Task Force's Mars bars. May 25 is the 145th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (146th in leap years). ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Exocet is a French-built anti-ship missile made in various versions capable of being launched from surface ships and boats, submarines, and airplanes. ... The Dassault Super Étendard is a French carrier-borne strike fighter in service with the French and Argentine Navy. ... HMS Sheffield (D80) was the second Royal Navy ship to bear the name Sheffield, after the city of Sheffield in Yorkshire. ... From the air Stanley, someties incorrectly referred to as Port Stanley, is the capital and only town in the Falkland Islands, located on the isle of East Falkland. ... Andy McNab (born December, 1959) is a British former soldier turned novelist. ... The Mars Bar is the name of two different candy bars manufactured by Mars Incorporated. ...

Twelve men died upon the Atlantic Conveyor, including the vessel's commander, Captain Ian North, who was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. The ship was the first British merchant vessel lost at sea to enemy fire since World War II. The Distinguished Service Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Royal Navy (United Kingdom), and formerly also to officers of the navies of other Commonwealth countries, for gallant or distinguished conduct during enemy actions. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atom bomb. ...

The ship's replacement was built in Japan.

Further reading

• Charles Drought - N. P. 1840 The Loss of the Atlantic Conveyor (2003) ISBN 1901231410