Falklands/Malvinas War

On 2 April 1982, Argentina invaded the Falkland/Malvinas Islands, a remote British colony in the South Atlantic. The Argentinian amphibious operation, Operación Rosario, led to a brief, but bitter war.

Argentina's military junta under Lieutenant-General Leopoldo Fortunato Galtieri hoped to restore its support at a time of economic crisis, by reclaiming sovereignty of the islands. It said it had inherited them from Spain in 1810 and they were close to South America.

Great Britain, which had ruled the islands for 150 years, quickly chose to fight. British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said the 1,800 Falklanders were "of British tradition and stock". A naval task force was sent to reclaim the islands, 8,000 miles away.

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

Sea War

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.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

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.

Goose Green, Mount Kent, & Fitzroy

Brigadier Julian Thompson began pushing his men south, planning to secure the western side of the island before moving east to Port Stanley. On 28 May, 600 British Paratroopers from Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert Jones's 2nd Parachute Battalion attacked over 1,000 Argentinians from Lieutenant-Colonel Ítalo Ángel Piaggi's Task Force Mercedes dug in around Darwin and Goose Green, ultimately forcing them to surrender. Leading a platoon charge, Jones was killed on Darwin Hill and later received the Victoria Cross posthumously. A few days later, British Special Forces defeated Argentine Special Forces on Mount Kent. In early June, an additional 5,000 British troops under Brigadier Tony Wilson arrived and command shifted to Major-General Jeremy Moore. While the Scots Guards and Welsh Guards were establishing their beachhead at Bluff Cove and Fitzroy, two troopships, Sir Tristram and Sir Galahad, were attacked killing 56 and wounding 200.

Fall of Port Stanley

After consolidating his position, Moore began the assault on Port Stanley. British troops launched simultaneous assaults on the high ground surrounding the town on the night of 11 June. After heavy fighting, they succeeded in capturing their objectives. The attacks continued two nights later, and British units took the town's last natural lines of defense at Wireless Ridge and Mount Tumbledown. Encircled on land and blockaded at sea, the Argentine commander, Brigadier-General Mario Benjamin Menéndez, realized his situation was hopeless and surrendered his 10,000 men on 14 June, effectively ending the conflict.

Aftermath

In Argentina, the defeat led to the removal of Galtieri three days after the fall of Port Stanley. His downfall spelled the end for the military junta that had been ruling the country and paved the way for the restoration of democracy. For Britain, the victory provided a much needed boost to its national confidence, reaffirmed its international position, and assured victory for the Thatcher Government in the 1983 elections.

The settlement that ended the conflict called for a return to status quo ante bellum. Despite its defeat, Argentina still claims the Falklands and South Georgia. During the war, Britain suffered 258 killed and 777 wounded. In addition, 2 destroyers, 2 frigates, 2 auxiliary vessels and 1 super tanker were sunk. For Argentina, the Falklands War cost 649 killed, 1,068 wounded, and 11,313 captured. In addition, the Argentinian Navy lost a submarine, a cruiser, and 75 fixed-wing aircraft.