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Thread: Use of the L42 in the Falklands Conflict

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  1. #11
    Contributing Member Gil Boyd's Avatar
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    Hi Ron,
    The numbers below were those L42 war scales as issued to trained snipers in each Battalion and for information non were left at home!!!:

    6 with 2 PARA
    6 with 3 PARA
    6 with 1/7TH Gurkha Rifles
    6 with 40 Commando
    6 with 42 Commando
    6 with 45 Commando
    6 with 2 Scots Guards
    6 with 1 Welsh Guards

    All units under the banner of 3 Commando Brigade.
    In terms of IWS, here are two photos one mounted on a GPMG 2 Scots on the top of Tumbledown and the other a shot for prosterity 40 Commando use. Hope that helps
    Last edited by Gil Boyd; 01-29-2018 at 05:46 AM.
    'Tonight my men and I have been through hell and back again, but the look on your faces when we let you out of the hall - we'd do it all again tomorrow.' Major Chris Keeble's words to Goose Green villagers on 29th May 1982 - 2 PARA

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  4. #12
    Contributing Member Gil Boyd's Avatar
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    Here is an image of one of the 1/7th Gurkhas zeroing his L42 on Ascension before leaving for the Falkland Islands which I have.
    Last edited by Badger; 01-29-2018 at 12:47 PM.
    'Tonight my men and I have been through hell and back again, but the look on your faces when we let you out of the hall - we'd do it all again tomorrow.' Major Chris Keeble's words to Goose Green villagers on 29th May 1982 - 2 PARA

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    Legacy Member ArtioZen's Avatar
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    I am surprised that somebody has not bought up the walking / talking tree (ghillie suit) incident / legend. If it is true the counter sniping would have been with an L42. Anybody help me with this? I would have to dig through archives to find where it was written up last...memory is fading..

  8. #14
    Legacy Member 55recce's Avatar
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    The walking bush incident is from A Soldier's Song by Ken Lukowiak from 2 Para. One of my favourite military books ever. It was retold by Martin Pegler in his Out of Nowhere book.

    I am far from expert but have read widely on the Falklands. Although this is a generalization most combat occurred at night at relatively short ranges. Essentially the Britishicon "advanced to contact" as stealthily as possible to get close to Argentinian fixed defensive positions and then win through surprise and aggression.

    I have come across a few photos of L42 armed soldiers but definitely no S&B. There are very few descriptions of the L42 being used. The above being a notable exception. The only 2 other mentions I can recall are of rounds being fired at the A69 class frigate Guerrico during the defence of South Georgia. See Operation Paraquat by Roger Perkins. There is also an account of an L42 being chucked in a stream in favour of a captured FAL but I have been unable to find the original source and find this an unlikely story anyway....

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    Contributing Member Gil Boyd's Avatar
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    55Recce,

    Yes rounds were placed carefully through the "Captains" window on the frigade, which is a true story, fired by the Commando sniper on SG.
    The story of the L42 being chucked into a river to exchange it for FAL was started by someone on this site if I remember correctly, who had heard it from someone, and proved to be atotal fable.
    There was (is) no way, a Britishicon soldier, regardless of unit, would cast his personal weapon aside, for that of an enemies. He may use it, but he certainly would keep his own issued weapon.
    With every conflict come tales of Dumbledore and Harry Potter..............and that was one!!
    'Tonight my men and I have been through hell and back again, but the look on your faces when we let you out of the hall - we'd do it all again tomorrow.' Major Chris Keeble's words to Goose Green villagers on 29th May 1982 - 2 PARA

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    Legacy Member chosenman's Avatar
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    I’m currently working on a book about a century of Britishicon military sniping and in the course of my researching all manner of items I have spoken with many people, a great many of whom were snipers back in the day. An item I was keen to get to the bottom of is the SF bracket for mounting the S&B scope on the L42. When the L96 ran into trouble 14 maintenance advisory group carried out a feasibility study of mounting the S&B on both the L42 and L39 and for the L42 modified two no32 brackets and had two commercially manufactured brackets produced. They recommended the use of the L13A1 S&B regardless.
    Prior to this the SAS produced their own bracket of which ITDU were completely unaware of and is available today in very small numbers of which all are unpainted for service. I spoke with a forma SAS sniper who recalls the brackets and he says they were never anything other than a trials and development item.
    I have encountered two brackets identical to the SAS brackets that were painted black and do indeed look like they have had a service life but having spoken with a number of RM’s and SBS I can not find anyone who recalls them. I would suggest the L13 did not serve a single day on the L42.

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    Contributing Member 30Three's Avatar
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    Thank you all for a very interesting thread. The wealth of knowledge shared on this forum is first grade stuff; much appreciated.

  16. #19
    Legacy Member 55recce's Avatar
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    I am pretty sure the L42 dumped in the stream story did not originate in this thread. I think I read it in a book somewhere before joining this forum. As I recall the rationale was a fogged up scope and a bolt action rifle being pretty much useless in the close quarter night battles that almost exclusively dominated the Falklands campaign. The story went on to say that the person responsible acquired an Argentinian FAL and found the full auto option to be very useful (as did a few others).

    I have been unable to find this story again as it only occupied a few lines and I have about 90 books on the Falklands war. Still seems pretty unlikely to me, but it does seem that at least a couple of people here must have read the same book at some time....

  17. #20
    Contributing Member Gil Boyd's Avatar
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    The snipers were all issued SMG's as their secondary weapon, so not sure why you would want to hang yourself on completion of the task, having slung your L42 away. Each Battalions HQ formation would have taken it in and given him a spare SLR if it was wrecked, otherwise the one I have now used by 2 SCOTS and written off at the time would never have made it back to the UKicon for a full service!
    'Tonight my men and I have been through hell and back again, but the look on your faces when we let you out of the hall - we'd do it all again tomorrow.' Major Chris Keeble's words to Goose Green villagers on 29th May 1982 - 2 PARA

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