Editing Sandy Woodward (section)

==Naval career==
On graduation from the Royal Naval College Dartmouth Woodward joined the [[Royal Navy]] in 1946.<ref name=debrett>Debrett's People of Today 1994</ref> He became a [[submarine]]r in 1954, and was promoted to lieutenant that May.<ref name=debrett/><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=40568|page=4819|date=23 August 1955}}</ref> In 1960 he passed the Royal Navy's rigorous [[Submarine Command Course]] known as ''The Perisher'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.navy.mil/navydata/cno/n87/usw/issue_18/perisher.htm |title=Perisher Submarine Command Training in the Royal Navy |work=JOC David Nagle, USN |publisher=United States Navy |access-date=5 August 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131018024859/http://www.navy.mil/navydata/cno/n87/usw/issue_18/perisher.htm |archive-date=18 October 2013 }}</ref> and received his first command, the [[British T-class submarine|T-class]] submarine [[HMS Tireless (P327)|HMS ''Tireless'']].<ref name=debrett/> Promoted to lieutenant-commander in May 1962,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=42704|page=4778|date=15 June 1962}}</ref> he then commanded [[HMS Grampus (S04)|HMS ''Grampus'']]<ref name=debrett/> before becoming the second in command of the nuclear fleet submarine [[HMS Valiant (S102)|HMS ''Valiant'']].<ref name=debrett/> In 1967, he was promoted to [[commander]] and became the Instructor (known as  ''Teacher'') of The Perisher Course. He took command of [[HMS Warspite (S103)|HMS ''Warspite'']] in December 1969.<ref name=debrett/> He was promoted to the rank of [[Captain (naval)|captain]] in 1972.<ref name=debrett/> In 1974, he became Captain of Submarine Training and in 1976 he took command of [[HMS Sheffield (D80)|HMS ''Sheffield'']].<ref name=debrett/>

He became Head of Naval Plans in the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] in 1978.<ref name=debrett/> In July 1981, he was promoted to [[rear admiral]] and appointed as [[Flag Officer First Flotilla]].<ref name=debrett/>

===Falklands War===
In 1982, he commanded [[HMS Hermes (R12)|HMS ''Hermes'']] aircraft carrier group, Task Group 317.8, in the [[Falklands War]].<ref name=debrett/> The Commander-in-Chief Fleet [[John Fieldhouse, Baron Fieldhouse|Admiral Sir John Fieldhouse]], served as the Task Force commander, CTF-317. The task group containing the amphibious ships which launched the invasion TG 317.0 was commanded by Commodore [[Michael Clapp]], with Task Group 317.1 being the landing force itself.

He worked out the timetable for the campaign, starting from the end and working to the start. Knowing that the Argentine forces had to be defeated before the [[Southern Hemisphere]] winter made conditions too bad, he set a latest date by which the land forces had to be ashore, that in turn set a latest date by which control of the air had to be achieved, and so on.<ref>Woodward, Sandy; One Hundred Days</ref>

He was based aboard the Hermes. He left the detailed management of the air war to the Hermes' operations room whilst he kept an eye on it from his own operations room. According to 801 squadron's commander account, he was a submarines' man and, probably influenced by the 800 squadron aboard the Hermes, had no accurate knowledge of the performances of the radar of the Sea Harrier. All this would be detrimental in part to the air defense of the Task Group.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ward |first=Nigel David |title=Sea harrier over the Falklands |date=2001 |publisher=Cassell |isbn=978-0-304-35542-6 |edition=Paperback ed., reprint |series=Cassell military paperbacks |location=London |pages=xxxiv-xxv}}</ref>

Possibly the best known single incident was the [[Sinking of the ARA General Belgrano|sinking of the ARA ''General Belgrano'']]. He knew that ''General Belgrano'', and particularly her [[Exocet]]-armed escorts, were a threat to the task force and he ordered that she be sunk.<ref>{{cite news| author = Ted Jeory | title = 'The Navy's fighting admiral' Falkland Islands commander, Sandy Woodward dies aged 81| quote =  "It's very simple. There was the Belgrano and two destroyers armed with Exocet missiles milling around in the southern ocean." "I know from experience that while they were within 200 miles of our ships, they could have us overnight. So I wanted them removed, didn’t I?” | newspaper = Daily Express | date = 5 August 2013 | url = http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/419814/The-Navy-s-fighting-admiral-Falkland-Islands-commander-Sandy-Woodward-dies-aged-81 | access-date = 5 August 2013 }}</ref> Admiral Sir [[George Zambellas]] credited "Woodward's inspirational leadership and tactical acumen ... [as] a major factor in shaping the success of the British forces in the South Atlantic".<ref>{{cite news |title=Falklands War admiral Sandy Woodward dies aged 81 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23575534 | publisher=BBC News | date=5 August 2013}}</ref>

Woodward was knighted for his services in the conflict.<ref name="LG 8 October 1982"/> He wrote a book entitled ''One Hundred Days'', co-authored by [[Patrick Robinson (author)|Patrick Robinson]], describing his Falklands experiences.

===Later career===
In 1983, Woodward was appointed [[Commodore Submarine Service|Flag Officer Submarines]] and [[NATO]] Commander Submarines Eastern Atlantic.<ref name=debrett/> In 1984, he was promoted to [[vice admiral]], and in 1985 he was [[Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff|Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Commitments)]].<ref name=debrett/> In 1987, he was promoted to [[admiral]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Falklands War Admiral Sandy Woodward Obituary |url=https://hmsardent.org/legacy-news-pre2021/news/falklands-war-admiral-sandy-woodward-obituary |access-date=2023-03-05 |website=HMS Ardent Association |language=en-GB}}</ref> That year he also served, as [[Commander-in-Chief, Naval Home Command (Royal Navy)|Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command]]<ref name=debrett/> and Flag [[Aide-de-Camp]] to the [[Elizabeth II|Queen]]. Woodward retired in 1989.