Events
Book Signing
Local author Wing Commander Mike Fonfe will be visiting our shop on
Saturday 13th May 2023 from 12pm onwards
to sign copies of his new book:
The Falklands Guns
The Oerlikon twin 35mm anti-aircraft gun was the one weapon in the
Argentine armoury which had a major impact on the British air campaign
during the Falklands Conflict in 1982. Indeed, General Mario Benjamin
Men ndez, transient Argentine Governor of Las Islas Malvinas, proudly
boasted that: The anti-aircraft gunners were the only Argentine forces
on the Malvinas not to be beaten directly by the British and can take
pride in being the first and the last to fire on the enemy.'Following
the Argentine surrender, what were then the latest of these Swiss-built
all-weather Skyguard radar-directed guns, which had been purchased by
the Argentine Government for 30 million, were recovered from the
Falklands' battlefields by a young squadron leader who recognised their
value to the RAF for airfield defence. That officer, Michael Fonf , was
then handed the task of creating two Royal Auxiliary Air Force Regiment
squadrons from scratch to operate the guns.
This story of the Falkland Guns begins with an account of the experiences of three Argentine anti-aircraft artillery units during the Falklands War, drawing in part on many original Argentine documents the enemy gunners left behind, being unable to take them with them as prisoners of war. Comparisons are drawn with the inferior British equivalents by the gunners who had to man them and the obvious benefits the capture of the new Oerlikons would be to the RAF. After successfully incorporating Nos.
2729 and 2890 Squadrons into the RAF Regiment's structure - which included women in combat roles for the first time - Michael Fonf was promoted to Wing Commander. He was then handed responsibility for all RAF ground-based air defence weapons during the long years of the Cold War.
This story of the Falkland Guns begins with an account of the experiences of three Argentine anti-aircraft artillery units during the Falklands War, drawing in part on many original Argentine documents the enemy gunners left behind, being unable to take them with them as prisoners of war. Comparisons are drawn with the inferior British equivalents by the gunners who had to man them and the obvious benefits the capture of the new Oerlikons would be to the RAF. After successfully incorporating Nos.
2729 and 2890 Squadrons into the RAF Regiment's structure - which included women in combat roles for the first time - Michael Fonf was promoted to Wing Commander. He was then handed responsibility for all RAF ground-based air defence weapons during the long years of the Cold War.