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In the 74 days of fighting that followed, 655 Argentine and 255 British servicemen lost their lives, as did three Falkland Islanders.

In the 74 days of fighting that followed, 655 Argentine and 255 British servicemen lost their lives, as did three Falkland Islanders.

==Sea War==

==Air attacks==

 

As the Royal Navy sailed south to its staging area at Ascension Island, it was shadowed by Boeing 707s from the [[Argentinian Air Force]]. On 25 April, British helicopters sank the submarine ARA Santa Fe near South Georgia shortly before Royal Marine Commandos under Major Guy Sheridan from 42 Commando captured the island. Five days later, British air attacks against the Argentinian air bases  began with the ''"Black Buck"'' raids by [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF) Vulcan bombers flying from Ascension. These saw the British Sea Harriers also strike the airbase at Port Stanley, Goose Green and defending anti-aircraft artillery batteries. That same day Argentinian fighter-bombers attacked various targets, losing four aircraft shot down. As the British fighter pilots had been armed with the latest Sidewinder missiles, the Argentinian Canberra bombers were forced to fly from the mainland under the cover of darkness, which limited their effectiveness throughout the conflict

 

==Naval operations==

While cruising west of the Falklands on 2 May, the submarine HMS Conqueror spotted the cruiser ARA General Belgrano. Conqueror fired three torpedoes, hitting hitting the Belgrano twice and sinking it. This attack led to the Argentinian Navy, including the aircraft carrier ARA Veinticinco de Mayo, returning to port for the rest of the war. Two days later, Admiral [[Jorge Isaac Anaya]] had his revenge when an Exocet anti-ship missile, launched from an Argentinian Fleet Air Arm Super Étendard fighter-bomber, struck HMS Sheffield setting it ablaze, killing 20 and wounding 63 British sailors in the process.<ref>"The missile struck fuel tanks amidships, killing 20 members of crew and wounding another 63." Task Force, Jon Parker, Hachette, 2013</ref>Having been ordered forward to serve as a radar picket, the British destroyer was hit amidships and the resulting explosion severed its high-pressure fire main. After attempts to stop the fire failed, the ship was abandoned.

While cruising west of the Falklands on 2 May, the submarine HMS Conqueror spotted the cruiser ARA General Belgrano. Conqueror fired three torpedoes, hitting hitting the Belgrano twice and sinking it. This attack led to the Argentinian Navy, including the aircraft carrier ARA Veinticinco de Mayo, returning to port for the rest of the war. Two days later, Admiral [[Jorge Isaac Anaya]] had his revenge when an Exocet anti-ship missile, launched from an Argentinian Fleet Air Arm Super Étendard fighter-bomber, struck HMS Sheffield setting it ablaze, killing 20 and wounding 63 British sailors in the process.<ref>"The missile struck fuel tanks amidships, killing 20 members of crew and wounding another 63." Task Force, Jon Parker, Hachette, 2013</ref>Having been ordered forward to serve as a radar picket, the British destroyer was hit amidships and the resulting explosion severed its high-pressure fire main. After attempts to stop the fire failed, the ship was abandoned.

==San Carlos==

==British Landings (San Carlos)==

On the night of 20/21 May, the British Amphibious Task Group under the command of Commodore [[Michael Clapp]] moved into Falkland Sound and began landing Brigadier [[Julian Thompson]]'s 3rd Commando Brigade at San Carlos Water on the northwest coast of East Falkland. The landings had been preceded by a Special Air Service (SAS) raid on Pebble Island's airfield and Darwin Hill. When the landings had finished, approximately 5,000 Paratroopers and Royal Marine Commandos had been put ashore. Over the next week, the ships supporting the British landings were hit hard by low-flying Argentine fighter-bombers. The sound was soon dubbed ''"Bomb Alley"'' as HMS Ardent (21 May), HMS Antelope (23 May), and HMS Coventry (25 May) all sustained hits and were sunk, as was MV Atlantic Conveyor (25 May) with a cargo of Wessex transport helicopters and BV-202 all-terrain vehicles.

On the night of 20/21 May, the British Amphibious Task Group under the command of Commodore [[Michael Clapp]] moved into Falkland Sound and began landing Brigadier [[Julian Thompson]]'s 3rd Commando Brigade at San Carlos Water on the northwest coast of East Falkland. The landings had been preceded by a Special Air Service (SAS) raid on Pebble Island's airfield and Darwin Hill. When the landings had finished, approximately 5,000 Paratroopers and Royal Marine Commandos had been put ashore. Over the next week, the ships supporting the British landings were hit hard by low-flying Argentine fighter-bombers. The sound was soon dubbed ''"Bomb Alley"'' as HMS Ardent (21 May), HMS Antelope (23 May), and HMS Coventry (25 May) all sustained hits and were sunk, as was MV Atlantic Conveyor (25 May) with a cargo of Wessex transport helicopters and BV-202 all-terrain vehicles.