Falklands War

Falklands War
Conflict	Falklands War
Caption	Map of the Falkland Islands
Date	2 April – 14 June 1982
Place	Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and surrounding South Atlantic and Southern Ocean
Result	British victory
Combatant1	United Kingdom
Combatant2	Argentina
Commander1	Margaret Thatcher, Sir Terence Lewin, Sir John Fieldhouse, Jeremy Moore
Commander2	Leopoldo Galtieri, Jorge Anaya, Ernesto Horacio Crespo, Mario Menéndez
Strength1	Task force: ~28,000 troops
Strength2	Garrison: ~11,000–12,000 troops
Casualties1	255 killed, 775 wounded, 115 captured
Casualties2	649 killed, 1,657 wounded, 11,313 captured

Falklands War. The Falklands War was a ten-week undeclared war between the United Kingdom and Argentina over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its dependency South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. The conflict began on 2 April 1982 with the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands and ended on 14 June 1982 with the surrender of Argentine forces in the capital, Stanley. The war resulted in the deaths of 907 military personnel and three civilian Falkland Islanders.

Background

The dispute over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, known in Argentina as the Islas Malvinas, dates back centuries, with both nations claiming historical and legal rights. The United Nations had encouraged negotiations between London and Buenos Aires, but progress was slow. In Argentina, the ruling military junta, led by General Leopoldo Galtieri, faced severe economic crisis and growing public discontent. The junta, which included Admiral Jorge Anaya, saw the invasion as a means to rally nationalist support and divert attention from domestic problems. British assessments, including those from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, considered an invasion unlikely, leading to a minimal defensive presence, exemplified by the small detachment of Royal Marines aboard the ice patrol ship HMS Endurance (A171).

Invasion and initial response

On 2 April 1982, Argentine forces launched Operation Rosario, a amphibious assault on the islands. A small force of Royal Marines under Governor Sir Rex Hunt offered brief resistance before surrendering. The Argentine military swiftly occupied Stanley and installed a military governor, General Mario Menéndez. Simultaneously, Argentine forces seized the remote island of South Georgia. The United Nations Security Council swiftly passed United Nations Security Council Resolution 502, demanding an immediate Argentine withdrawal. British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her War Cabinet authorized the assembly of a naval task force to retake the territories, a decision supported by the Leader of the Opposition, Michael Foot.

British task force and naval operations

The United Kingdom assembled a large naval task force, centered on the aircraft carriers HMS Hermes and HMS Invincible. Commanded by Admiral Sir John Fieldhouse from Northwood Headquarters, the fleet included destroyers like HMS Sheffield, frigates, and troop ships carrying the British Army's 3 Commando Brigade and 5 Infantry Brigade. The Royal Navy established a Total Exclusion Zone around the islands. Key early actions included the recapture of South Georgia by forces under Major Guy Sheridan and the controversial sinking of the Argentine cruiser ARA General Belgrano by the submarine HMS Conqueror.

Land campaign

The British land campaign began with amphibious landings at San Carlos Water on 21 May, led by Brigadier Julian Thompson. Following the landings, British forces advanced eastward across the islands. Key battles included the hard-fought victory at Goose Green, where Lieutenant Colonel H. Jones was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. The main thrust involved the Battle of Mount Longdon, the Battle of Two Sisters, and the Battle of Mount Tumbledown, where units like the 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment and the Scots Guards engaged entrenched Argentine Army regiments. The campaign culminated in the Battle of Wireless Ridge and the final assault on the defenses of Stanley.

Air and sea battles

The war featured intense air and naval combat. The Argentine Air Force and Argentine Naval Aviation, operating from the mainland, launched daring attacks using Super Étendard aircraft armed with Exocet missiles and A-4 Skyhawks. They sank several British ships, including HMS Sheffield, HMS Ardent, and HMS Coventry, and the requisitioned container ship Atlantic Conveyor. The Royal Air Force operated Avro Vulcan bombers on long-range Operation Black Buck raids on Stanley Airport and deployed Harrier GR.3 jump jets from the carriers, which achieved considerable success against Argentine aircraft. The naval conflict also included the sinking of the ARA General Belgrano.

Aftermath and legacy

The conflict ended with the formal surrender of Argentine forces in the Falkland Islands on 14 June 1982. The defeat severely discredited the Argentine military junta, leading to the fall of Leopoldo Galtieri and a return to civilian rule with the election of Raúl Alfonsín. In the United Kingdom, the victory bolstered the government of Margaret Thatcher and was followed by widespread commemorations and the institution of the South Atlantic Medal. Militarily, it led to major reviews and modernization in the Royal Navy and British Army. Diplomatically, the sovereignty dispute remains unresolved, though the islands' defense is reinforced, and their right to self-determination is consistently upheld by the British government.

Category:Falklands War Category:Wars involving Argentina Category:Wars involving the United Kingdom Category:1982 in the Falkland Islands