The Falkland Islands and South Atlantic
THE 1982 CONFLICT, Falkland Islands On March 19th Argentine salvage workers raised the Argentine flags on South Georgia. On April 2nd 1982 Argentine troops invaded the Falkland Islands in an attempt to make good their claim for sovereignty which had been consistently rejected since their eviction from the islands by the British in 1833. This was chiefly a political exercise; the military junta led by Galtieri was under economic pressure and being criticised for human rights abuses. The junta believed that recovery of the islands would unite the country in a patriotic fervor. The small garrison of British marines in Stanley were quickly overcome; they had orders not to inflict any British casualties and this was obeyed although they suffered some losses to their own units. 10,000 Argentine troops occupied the islands by the end of April and many were conscripts. They had little shelter, poor rations and clothing to face the fast approaching winter. The British government under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher responded by declaring a 200 mile (320km) radius war zone around the islands and assembled a task force with two aircraft carriers HMS Hermes and HMS Invincible, and two requisitioned cruise ships Canberra and Queen Elizabeth 2. Ascension Island became an important halfway stepping- stone for the operation. Most Latin American countries sympathised with Argentina except Chile who remained neutral and who were themselves in a dispute with Argentina about islands in the Beagle channel. This probably encouraged Argentina to keep many of her elite troops closer home. Most European countries supported Britain and USA came down on her side allowing the use of Ascension. On April 25th a smaller British force retook South Georgia, capturing an old submarine. On May 2nd the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano (obsolete and bought from the USA at the end of WW2) was sunk outside the war zone by a British nuclear-powered submarine. This was a controversial event that forced most of the Argentine navy to stay in port and use their Air Force. Their aircraft were older US and French fighter-bombers but their effectiveness was a testimony to their pilots skill. The Argentine Navy also acquired a few new French Super Etendard attack aircraft armed with the latest Exocet anti- ship missiles which proved deadly. The British depended on their two aircraft carriers and short range Sea Harrier naval jets with air-to-air missiles. Destroyers and frigates went ahead of the fleet to give it some protection. On May 4th the Argentines hit and sank the Sheffield with an Exocet missile. The Argentines lost a good many planes and the British made an amphibious landing near Port San Carlos to make an overland attack on Stanley where the Argentines were centralised and there was the air-strip. The Argentine Air Force kept up its deadly attacks on the British fleet, sinking the Atlantic Conveyor, a container ship with helicopters, and at Bluff Cove near Fitzroy the Sir Galahad and Tristram were hit when they were disembarking troops causing catastrophic damage and loss of life. A British military hospital was set up at Ajax Bay, an old meat refrigiration plant, and both British and Argentine injured personel were treated equally there. From the landing at the beachhead at Port San Carlos the British Infantry marched through tough conditions to Darwin and Goosegreen where after days of hard fighting they recaptured the two settlements. Outside Stanley the British took the high ridges in the surrounding area blockading the town. The Argentine commander surrendered on 14 June 1982. 650 Argentine lives had been lost-about half of these with the sinking of the General Belgrano. Argentina’s junta was discredited and civilian rule was restored in 1983. 255 British died in the conflict. The victory in the South Atlantic returned Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative party to power in the 1983 election.

THE 1982 CONFLICT

  • san-carlos-bomb-alley
 On March 19th Argentine salvage workers raised the Argentine flags on South Georgia. On April 2nd 1982 Argentine troops invaded the Falkland Islands in an attempt to make good their claim for sovereignty which had been consistently rejected since their eviction from the islands by the British in 1833. This was chiefly a political exercise; the military junta led by Galtieri was under economic pressure and being criticised for human rights abuses. The junta believed that recovery of the islands would unite the country in a patriotic fervor. The small garrison of British marines in Stanley were quickly overcome; they had orders not to inflict any British casualties and this was obeyed although they suffered some losses to their own units. 10,000 Argentine troops occupied the islands by the end of April and many were conscripts. They had little shelter, poor rations and clothing to face the fast approaching winter.

The British government under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher responded by declaring a 200 mile (320km) radius war zone around the islands and assembled a task force with two aircraft carriers HMS Hermes and HMS Invincible, and two requisitioned cruise ships Canberra and Queen Elizabeth 2. Ascension Island became an important halfway stepping- stone for the operation. Most Latin American countries sympathised with Argentina except Chile who remained neutral and who were themselves in a dispute with Argentina about islands in the Beagle channel. This probably encouraged Argentina to keep many of her elite troops closer home. Most European countries supported Britain and USA came down on her side allowing the use of Ascension.
On April 25th a smaller British force retook South Georgia, capturing an old submarine. On May 2nd the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano (obsolete and bought from the USA at the end of WW2) was sunk outside the war zone by a British nuclear-powered submarine. This was a controversial event that forced most of the Argentine navy to stay in port and use their Air Force. Their aircraft were older US and French fighter-bombers but their effectiveness was a testimony to their pilots skill. The Argentine Navy also acquired a few new French Super Etendard attack aircraft armed with the latest Exocet anti- ship missiles which proved deadly.
The British depended on their two aircraft carriers and short range Sea Harrier naval jets with air-to-air missiles. Destroyers and frigates went ahead of the fleet to give it some protection. On May 4th the Argentines hit and sank the Sheffield with an Exocet missile.
The Argentines lost a good many planes and the British made an amphibious landing near Port San Carlos to make an overland attack on Stanley where the Argentines were centralised and there was the air-strip. The Argentine Air Force kept up its deadly attacks on the British fleet, sinking the Atlantic Conveyor, a container ship with helicopters, and at Bluff Cove near Fitzroy the Sir Galahad and Tristram were hit when they were disembarking troops causing catastrophic damage and loss of life. A British military hospital was set up at Ajax Bay, an old meat refrigiration plant, and both British and Argentine injured personel were treated equally there.
From the landing at the beachhead at Port San Carlos the British Infantry marched through tough conditions to Darwin and Goosegreen where after days of hard fighting they recaptured the two settlements. Outside Stanley the British took the high ridges in the surrounding area blockading the town. The Argentine commander surrendered on 14 June 1982.
650 Argentine lives had been lost-about half of these with the sinking of the General Belgrano.
Argentina’s junta was discredited and civilian rule was restored in 1983.
255 British died in the conflict. The victory in the South Atlantic returned Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative party to power in the 1983 election.

Sources include: various

Photographic credits: Unknown- hope you don't mind, Ailsa Heathman
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