Page 39 - Le Operazioni Interforze e Multinazionali nella Storia Militare - ACTA Tomo II

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ActA
The Map Library
Requests were coming in for a wide variety of geographic products. One unforeseen
difficulty was that the collection over this area was in a small number of map presses in
the Library, and if somebody was using a drawer, those above and below could not be
opened. A major refilling exercise had to be undertaken so that more than one person
at a time could get access to the mapping. Much of the material needed didn’t exist
even as library copies and a major collection effort started. Staff were asked to contact
universities and commercial companies who might have useful material and then
despatched to collect it, an exercise not always without risk. Military Survey’s library
was on the opposite side of a busy road to the DOS offices and during this period staff
frequently risked life and limb running between the two offices. The risk was not only
from the traffic. The Antarctic collection in DOS was managed by a formidable lady of
the old school, who had several members of Military Survey quaking in their boots. On
one occasion a young girl required to carry a particularly large and fragile sheet across
the busy ‘A’ road was told: “Be careful! I don’t care about you but don’t lose the map!”

Rationalisation of Products
Towards the end of April it became necessary to rationalise the variety of products
over Stanley and to ensure that a suitable map for planning the final assault was available.
DOS was requested to compile a 1:12,500 map of Stanley to a standard specification,
using plots provided by the Hydrographic Office and aerial photos taken between 1976
and 1982 by the helicopter of HMS Endurance. Initially two sheets over Stanley were
produced and then four more sheets further west were completed in May. The hydro
plots did not cover the whole area required and some of the 1:50,000 series was enlarged
to fill in the gap. This led to a very apparent join of the two sources. This product
reached units in time for the final assault and proved invaluable for subsequent explosive
ordnance disposal.
Trying to operate off four JOG sheets was very difficult so the sheets were joined to
produce a single sheet over the Islands (GSGS 5455). This made for an impressively big
map, beloved of senior officers. As Major Chris Keeble (acting CO of 2 Para) recalled:
“Brig Wilson arrived in my HQ carrying the biggest map I had ever seen, covered in
large Chinagraph arrows. He outlined a plan…!” The map served as the base for creating
an updated topographic map on which roads, tracks, bridges and installations identified
from the air photos taken by HMS Endurance could be printed in magenta. A second
version was also produced with terrain assessments for cross country movement, based
on information from the Royal Marines and Falkland Islanders. This became known as
the RE Briefing Map and was one of the most useful and sought after products provided.
The need for scales larger than 1:50,000 was identified early on. Defence Intelligence
wanted a 1:25,000 product for assessing the Argentinean deployment around Stanley.
A new survey was impossible, so the 1:50,000 mapping was enlarged and reproduced
on new sheet lines over the required areas and overprinted with updated information.
CINCFLEET also liked the product and on the 27 April requested sheets over Fox Bay,
Port Howard, Port San Carlos, Darwin/Goose Green - two days later Pebble Island was