--- title: "This British sub hoisted its own Jolly Roger after sinking an Argentine cruiser" description: "The HMS Conquerer is the only nuclear-powered submarine to engage an enemy with torpedoes. In a sea engagement during the Falklands War in the 1980s, two of the three shots fired at an Argentine cruiser hit home. Her hull pierces,…" date: "2021-08-14" modified: "2021-08-15" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-trending/this-british-sub-hoisted-its-own-jolly-roger-after-sinking-an-argentine-cruiser/" categories: - "History" - "Ships" - "Tactical" - "War History" --- # This British sub hoisted its own Jolly Roger after sinking an Argentine cruiser ![]() The HMS Conquerer is the only nuclear-powered submarine to engage an enemy with torpedoes. In a sea engagement during the Falklands War in the 1980s, two of the three shots fired at an Argentine cruiser hit home. Her hull pierces, the General Belgrano began listing and her captain called for the crew to abandon ship [within 20 minutes](). --- In line with Royal Navy tradition, the Conquerer flew a Jolly Roger – a pirate flag – to note her victory at sea. ![]() *HMS Conqueror arriving back from the Falklands in 1982. (Reddit)* Submarines were considered "underhand, unfair and damned un-English," by Sir Arthur Wilson, who was First Sea Lord when subs were introduced to the Royal Navy. Hs even threatened to [hang all sub crews as pirates]() during wartime. The insult stuck. When the HMS E9 sunk a German cruiser during WWI — the Royal Navy's first submarine victory — its commander had a Jolly Roger made and it flew from the periscope as the sub sailed back to port. The pirate flag soon became the official emblem of Britain's silent service. ![]() *The British submarine HMS Utmost showing off their Jolly Roger in February 1942. The markings on the flag indicate the boat's achievements: nine ships torpedoed (including one warship), eight 'cloak and dagger' operations, one target destroyed by gunfire, and one at-sea rescue. (Imperial War Museum)* The 1982 sinking of the Argentine General Belgrano was only the second instance of a submarine sinking a surface ship since the end of World War II. ![]() *The General Belgrano listing as all hands abandon ship. (Imperial War Museum)* Argentinian sailors reported a "fireball" shooting up through the ship, which means it was not cleared for action. If the crew was ready for a fight, ideally, the ship's doors and hatches would have been sealed to keep out fire and water, [author Larry Bond wrote in his book "Crash Dive,"]() which covers the incident. ![]() *The Conqueror's Jolly Roger, featuring an atom for being the only nuclear sub with a kill, crossed torpedoes for the torpedo kill, a dagger indicating a cloak-and-dagger operation, and the outline of a cruiser for what kind of ship was sunk. (Royal Navy Submarine Museum)* The Royal Navy's Cmdr. Chris Wreford-Brown, the captain of the Conqueror, later said of the sinking: "The Royal Navy spent 13 years preparing me for such an occasion. It would have been regarded as extremely dreary if I had fouled it up." Ships from Argentina and neighboring Chile rescued 772 men over the next two days. The attack killed 321 sailors and two civilians. The Argentine Navy returned to port and was largely out of the rest of the war. ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()