ARGENTINA
Light Aircraft Carrier ARA Veinticinco de Mayo (V-2)
The ARA Veinticinco de Mayo (V-2) (POMA) was a light aircraft carrier belonging to the Colossus class that served in the Argentine Navy between 1969 and 1997.She previously served in the Royal Netherlands Navy between 1949 and 1969 as HRMS Karel Doorman (R81) and the British Royal Navy between 1945 and 1949 as HMS Venerable (R63).
During Operation Rosario, the ARA Veinticinco de Mayo served as the flagship of Task Force 20 (FT-20), responsible for scouting ahead of the amphibious force using its S-2 Trackers aircraft and, if necessary, providing air support with the aircraft. A-4Q Skyhawk.The Embarked Aeronaval Group was formed with three A-4Q Skyhawk aircraft from the 3rd Aeronaval Hunting and Attack Squadron (EA33), five S-2E Tracker from the Aeronaval Antisubmarine Squadron (EA2S), three SA316 Alouette III helicopters from the 1 .ª Aeronaval Helicopter Squadron (EAH1) and an SH-3 Sea King from the 2nd Aeronaval Helicopter Squadron (EAH2).Subsequently, the ship would be assigned to Task Force 79 (FT-79) made up of 4 battle groups (FT-79.1, FT-79.2, FT-79.3 and FT-79.4), who would respond to the planned British counterattack by launching a pincer attack from the north and south, but by then the ship was already in great need of maintenance and was unable to reach its maximum speed, with the operational speed limited to 18 knots (33.3 kilometers per hour) and requiring a wind minimum of 22 knots (40.7 kilometers per hour) to be able to launch their planes due to the inability of the boilers to supply steam with sufficient pressure.
On May 1, 1982, after the attack by the British fleet on Puerto Argentino/Port Stanley, the Argentine Navy launched the response plan of the FT-79, the ARA Veinticinco de Mayo at the head of the FT-79.1 escorted by the destroyer ARA Santísima Trinidad (D-2) that would provide anti-air/anti-submarine escort and the tanker Campo Duran were to launch a diversionary attack from 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) north of the British Task Force while the TF- 79.3 led by the cruiser ARA General Belgrano was to attack from the south, masking its movement with the islands, 6 A-4Q Skyhawk aircraft were enlisted but the attack had to be aborted at the last minute due to lack of wind.
After the sinking of the cruiser ARA General Belgrano, the lead ship of the TF-79.3, the Argentine Navy decided to withdraw the aircraft carrier from the conflict zone due to the threat of British submarines, not carrying out any more relevant operations for the rest of the war, limiting itself to the escort of coastal naval traffic, always remaining in shallow waters to avoid nuclear submarines.
