Henry Leach Biography

The Falklands emergency tests the surface-fleet capabilities that Leach had defended against major reductions proposed in the 1981 defence review.

The need to land forces on the islands vindicates Leach's earlier opposition to disposing of key amphibious ships such as Fearless and Intrepid.

Supports a command arrangement in which Rear Admiral Sandy Woodward directs the carrier battle group at sea while Leach remains the Navy's professional head in Britain.

Is credited as the senior naval leader who conceived the expeditionary response capable of reversing the Argentine occupation.

As First Sea Lord, becomes a central figure in mobilizing the expeditionary force that sails to recover the Falklands.

The success of the South Atlantic expedition establishes Leach as one of the senior admirals most closely associated with the Royal Navy's Falklands victory.

The force set in motion by the British response ultimately involves 127 ships: 43 Royal Navy vessels, 22 Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships, and 62 merchant ships.

Works at service-chief level with Commander-in-Chief Fleet Admiral John Fieldhouse, who becomes the overall Task Force Commander.

The task force depends on HMS Hermes even though the carrier had been expected to leave Royal Navy service under earlier defence plans.

The successful use of carrier aviation in the Falklands helps secure the future of HMS Invincible, whose retention Leach had strongly supported.

The campaign demonstrates the importance of carrier aviation capabilities that Leach had resisted seeing reduced before the Falklands crisis.

Directs the Royal Navy at service-chief level throughout the Falklands campaign as First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff.

Commits a very large share of available Royal Navy strength to Operation Corporate despite the distance, logistical demands, and threat from Argentine forces.

After the islands are recovered, continues during the remainder of his First Sea Lord tenure to oppose renewed reductions in Royal Navy capability.

Forms part of the senior naval leadership alongside Terence Lewin, John Fieldhouse, and Sandy Woodward during the campaign.

The expedition Leach helps set in motion ultimately involves 127 ships, including Royal Navy, Royal Fleet Auxiliary, and merchant vessels.

Serves in the senior Defence Staff structure in Whitehall while the fleet conducts Operation Corporate in the South Atlantic.

Includes 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines in the force package required to recover the Falkland Islands.

Chooses to take his naval assessment directly to ministers rather than leave the issue with the acting Chief of the Defence Staff.

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Sir Henry Leach advises a crisis meeting headed by Margaret Thatcher that Britain could and should send a task force if the islands are invaded.

Explains that the former aircraft carrier Ark Royal is no longer available and that the new carrier of that name will not be ready for years.

Acts during the crisis while Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Terence Lewin is returning from an official visit to New Zealand.

Goes to find Defence Secretary John Nott after deciding that the government's current operational advice understates what the Navy can do.

Telephones Commander-in-Chief Fleet Admiral John Fieldhouse to establish the readiness of the fleet before pressing the case for a South Atlantic operation.

Arrives at the Falklands crisis meeting in full naval uniform after returning from a Portsmouth engagement, making a conspicuous intervention in the discussion.

Includes the assault ship HMS Fearless among the amphibious capabilities needed for a force capable of retaking the islands.

Identifies HMS Hermes as one of the two aircraft carriers required for the expeditionary force being assembled for the South Atlantic.

Includes the assault ship HMS Intrepid among the amphibious capabilities required for the projected South Atlantic campaign.

Identifies HMS Invincible as one of the two aircraft carriers required to provide air cover for the projected Falklands operation.

Follows John Nott to the House of Commons and seeks admission to the ministerial meeting considering the Falklands crisis.

Reviews intelligence material indicating that an Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands is becoming imminent.

Argues that failing to respond effectively to the seizure of the islands would seriously diminish Britain's international credibility.

Warns that mounting the operation will require a major national effort extending beyond the ships immediately available to the Royal Navy.

Concludes that if Argentina occupies the islands the Royal Navy should be used to recover them rather than accept the occupation as irreversible.

Finds the operational advice circulating in the Ministry of Defence excessively pessimistic about Britain's ability to respond to an Argentine occupation.

Describes the proposed attempt to recover the Falklands as an operation involving considerable risk but judges that the risk should be taken.

Includes Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships as an essential part of the fuel, stores, transport, and replenishment system for the task force.

Calls for all operational Sea Harriers that can be made available to support the carrier force sent toward the Falklands.

Explains that the force would require about three weeks, rather than a few days, to reach the South Atlantic operating area.

Plans to draw heavily on the operational surface fleet to provide escorts and combat power for the South Atlantic force.

Receives Margaret Thatcher's authority to begin assembling the naval task force after giving his assessment of the operation's feasibility.

Advises that a naval task force can be mobilized to sail within roughly 48 hours despite the scale of the emergency.

Judges that the Falklands can still be recovered using the two available small aircraft carriers to provide naval air cover.

As the Royal Navy mobilizes for the Falklands campaign, the nuclear-powered submarine HMS Conqueror sails from Faslane before the main carrier force departs.

Requests merchant shipping support for Operation Corporate because the Royal Navy alone does not possess enough transport capacity for the rapid deployment.

The naval plan Leach advocates depends on requisitioned civilian vessels to carry substantial elements of the landing force toward the South Atlantic.

Recognizes that the fleet requires civilian shipping to move troops, equipment, supplies, and specialist support over the long South Atlantic route.

Supports the rapid use of ships taken up from trade to augment Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary capacity for the Falklands campaign.

The merchant-shipping mobilization requested under Leach's naval response helps bring SS Canberra into Operation Corporate as a major troop transport.

Accompanies Margaret Thatcher to a Cabinet meeting and presents the naval case for a determined response to the Argentine seizure.

Receives strong Cabinet support after explaining the Navy's ability and determination to mount a South Atlantic operation.

Leach sends orders to a Royal Navy force carrying out exercises in the Mediterranean to prepare to sail south.

Following the Argentine invasion, Cabinet approval is given for formation of a task force to retake the islands, implementing the naval response Leach had advocated.

The aircraft carriers HMS Hermes and HMS Invincible leave Portsmouth with escorts as leading elements of the task force whose mobilization Leach had urged.

Remains First Sea Lord when British forces complete the recovery of the Falkland Islands in June 1982.

Retires from active service later in 1982 after the Falklands victory and is promoted to Admiral of the Fleet.