Timeline of the Falklands War

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Location of the Falkland Islands

Timeline of the Falklands War between Great Britain and Argentina around the Falkland Islands :

prehistory

Sea areas of the Falkland Islands

(see also History of the Falkland Islands )

Until 1800 (discovery, first settlements)

19th century (British occupation, Argentine protests, U.S. influence)

  • 1810: Buenos Aires declares itself autonomous.
  • 1816: Buenos Aires declares its independence.
  • 1820: The United Provinces on La Plata lay claim to the Malvinas.
  • 1820: Americans drive British whalers from East Falkland at the request of Argentina .
  • 1823: The United Provinces on La Plata allow private investors to settle around Louis Vernet.
  • 1831: US warships destroy the Louis Vernet settlement. The United States declared the islands to be no man's land and called Argentina-supported settlements "pirate nests" .
  • 1833: The British occupy the archipelago against Argentine protests. The US does not object. Since then there have been diplomatic efforts by Buenos Aires to (re) regain control of the archipelago.
  • 1837: Establishment of a British colonial administration.
  • 1843: Port Stanley is founded .
  • 1849: Treaty between Great Britain and the United Provinces at La Plata, in which "all differences" are resolved.
  • 1859: Spain recognizes the independence of the United Provinces on La Plata, but does not comment on the Falkland Islands / Malwinen.
  • 1862: Establishment of the Republic of Argentina.

20th century (further course up to the war)

  • 1914–1918 ( First World War ):
  • 1925:
    • Argentina is now laying claim to South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands as well.
  • 1939–1945 ( Second World War ):
    • The islands serve as a strategic base for the British to control the South Atlantic . Japan is planning an occupation.
  • 1960s:
    • UN resolution calling for a solution in the interests of the islands' inhabitants. Residents always vote in favor of the United Kingdom.
  • 1966:
    • "Private Argentine invasion" by a Peronist group on Stanley airfield.
  • 1971:
    • Relaxation. Cooperation agreements, including the use of hospitals and schools on the Argentine mainland, are regulated.
  • 1976/1977:
  • 1980– March 1982:
    • Positive discussions about the future of the archipelago.
  • 1981:

The Falklands War 1982

March (beginning of the crisis)

Margaret Thatcher
  • 1st March:
    • the Argentine Foreign Ministry has issued a communiqué indicating that if negotiations on sovereignty over the Falkland Islands fail, it will take steps to safeguard its interests.
  • 19th March:
    • the Argentine supply ship ARA Bahia Buen Suceso lands in Leith on South Georgia without a permit, a group of metal workers who hoist the Argentine flag. British scientists observing the process report this to Port Stanley.
  • March, 20th:
    • Britain protests against the violation of its sovereignty
  • March 21st:
    • The Argentine transport ship ARA Bahia Paraíso receives orders to land a group of soldiers in Leith. Bahia Buen Suceso leaves South Georgia with the metal workers.
  • March 23:
    • The British patrol ship HMS Endurance was ordered to call at Grytviken in South Georgia with 24 marines on board .
    • The British research station in Grytviken reports that Argentine soldiers are still in Leith.
    • Britain protests again against the violation of its sovereignty.
    • The Argentine junta decides to land troops in the Falkland Islands to regain sovereignty of Argentina.
  • 28th March:
    • The Argentine fleet leaves its bases for the Falkland Islands.
  • March 29th:
    • The British government decides to send nuclear submarines to the South Atlantic.
    • Some of the British ships taking part in the “Springtrain” maneuver in the Atlantic were ordered to load live ammunition in Gibraltar and accelerated to the South Atlantic.
  • March 31:
    • British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher asked the President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, to make it clear to the Argentine President that Britain would not accept an occupation of the Falkland Islands.
    • The Governor of the Falkland Islands, Sir Hunt, warns the residents of the islands of an impending invasion by Argentina with a radio address.

April (Argentine invasion and British and Argentine war preparations)

Alexander Haig
Dassault Super Étendard
Westland Lynx
The Queen Elizabeth 2 was also used as a troop transport
  • April 1st:
    • The first British submarines leave their bases in Great Britain for the South Atlantic.
  • 2nd of April:
    • Argentine marines land in East Falkland and, after a brief battle, take Port Stanley. The British garrison surrenders. A little over 900 men are landed during the day.
    • Victory crowds celebrate waving flags in the Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires.
    • The British cabinet decides to send a naval formation.
    • The British Admiral Woodward leaves Gibraltar with a fleet for the South Atlantic.
  • 3rd of April:
    • The Argentine President Galtieri proclaims the recovery of the Malvinas in the Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires.
    • Argentine landing in South Georgia and capture of the islands after a brief skirmish against the defeated British.
    • The United Nations Security Council calls for the immediate withdrawal of Argentine troops, but calls on both sides to find a peaceful solution.
    • The ten foreign ministers of the EC condemn the Argentine attack and decide on embargo measures against the aggressor .
    • Start of the Argentine Airlift to the Falkland Islands.
    • The first RAF transport aircraft land on the Atlantic island of Ascension , which is to serve as a British forward base.
  • 4. April:
  • April 5th:
    • The two British aircraft carriers HMS Hermes and HMS Invincible are leaving Portsmouth for the South Atlantic together with several escort ships.
    • The Argentine junta decides to station strong troops on the Malwinen.
  • April 6th:
    • The American Secretary of State Alexander Haig offers the two parties to the conflict his services as a mediator.
    • The first British ships arrive at Ascension; the landing ship HMS Fearless leaves Great Britain with troops on board.
  • 7th of April:
    • Great Britain declares a zone of 200 nautical miles around the disputed archipelago as a military exclusion zone. According to the statement, from April 12, all Argentine war and support ships in the zone will be attacked.
    • US President Reagan agrees to a mediation mission from Secretary of State Haig.
    • unofficial US support for Great Britain, etc. a. by passing on satellite images and intelligence results from the CIA
    • General Mario Menéndez becomes the Argentine governor of the Malvines.
  • April 8th:
    • The Argentine junta ordered the convocation of the 1962 class.
    • Argentina declares a 200 nm zone in front of its own coasts and around the Malwinen / Falkland Islands as a South Atlantic area of ​​operation.
    • The US Secretary of State Alexander Haig tries until April 30th to mediate through his "shuttle diplomacy" and to prevent a war. On the advice of his Defense Minister Caspar Weinberger , US President Ronald Reagan ultimately decides to take a position in favor of Great Britain.
  • 9th April:
    • The first merchant ships requisitioned by the British government, including the Canberra , leave ports in Britain with troops and supplies on board.
  • April 14th:
    • The British House of Commons approves military measures against Argentina in a special session.
  • April 15:
    • The Argentine fleet leaves its bases and sails into the waters around the Malwinen, but remains outside the exclusion zone declared by the British.
  • April 19th:
  • April 21:
    • The part of the British fleet assigned to South Georgia reaches its destination.
    • The capital of the Falkland Islands / Malwinen is renamed by Argentina from Port Stanley to Puerto Argentino.
  • April 23:
    • The first British special forces are deployed in South Georgia, but have to be withdrawn due to a snow storm.
    • Great Britain informs Argentina via the Swiss embassy in Buenos Aires that Argentine fighter planes or warships can also be attacked outside the exclusion zone if they pose a threat to the British armed forces.
  • April 25th:
    • The first British naval formation reaches the 200-mile exclusion zone around the Falkland Islands / Malwinen.
    • The Argentine submarine Santa Fe is badly damaged by unguided rockets from a Westland Lynx helicopter off the coast of South Georgia and has to be abandoned on Grytviken Beach .
    • The Argentine garrison on South Georgia surrenders almost without resistance.
  • 26th of April:
    • Other parts of the British fleet, consisting of the frigates Ariadne , Avenger , Aurora and Leander, leave the English port of Plymouth together with the support and transport ships Bayleaf , British Avor , Nordland and Europic Ferry .
    • After adding more troops, Argentina reorganized the defense of the archipelago. Under Military Governor Menéndez there are now three army brigade staffs (III. Brigade: General Parada, IX. Brigade: General Vom, X. Brigade: General Yoffre (Joffre)) as well as one staff each in the brigade rank of the Navy and Air Force (Admiral Otero and General Castellanos ).
  • April 28th:
    • Meanwhile, the Argentine armed forces on the Falkland Islands / Malwinen have increased to 12,630 men. The majority (7,000) are stationed in Port Stanley.
  • April 29th:
  • April, 30th:
    • Great Britain declares the total sea and air blockade in a 200 nautical mile radius around the Falkland Islands / Malwinen from 13:00  CET .
    • Argentina is putting its troops on high alert.

May (beginning of the reconquest)

Handley Page HP80 Victor
Avro 698 Vulcan
Hermes
Invincible
Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR 3 of the RAF
SA-330 Puma
Learjet
British landing areas
Mirage 5 dagger
  • 1st of May:
    • Recapture will begin early in the morning with a long-range air strike by British Vulcan bombers on the runway at Port Stanley Airport ( Black Buck 1 ). The subsequent attacks by carrier-supported Sea Harrier vertical take-off planes on the airport also primarily affect the runway, which is only partially destroyed. At least three Argentine soldiers are killed.
    • British frigates shell Argentine positions around Port Stanley with their 114 mm on-board guns .
    • Around 4 p.m. the first aerial battles took place , in which an Argentine Mirage III was shot down by a Sea Harrier . The pilot can save himself with the ejection seat. A damaged Mirage III attempting to make an emergency landing at Port Stanley airfield is accidentally shot down by its own air defense, killing the pilot.
    • Around 4:30 p.m., a total of twelve Argentine Mirage 5 daggers attacked the British landing fleet , focusing primarily on the frigates Alacrity , Arrow and the destroyer Glamorgan , which are used for air defense in front of San Carlos Bay in Falklandsund. A dagger is shot down over West Falkland and the pilot is killed.
    • At 5:45 p.m., an Argentine Canberra is shot down by a Sea Harrier with Sidewinder missiles. The crew can jump off but are not rescued.
    • During the night, the Argentine fleet decided to attack the British aircraft carriers, but this had to be stopped the next morning due to the bad weather. The combat group around the cruiser General Belgrano is also involved in this operation .
  • 2.May:
    • The British nuclear submarine HMS Conqueror torpedoed the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano about 30 nautical miles outside the British exclusion zone. 323 sailors are killed. The survivors are rescued many hours later by Argentine and Chilean naval units. As a result, the Argentine naval forces are permanently ordered back to the ports.
    • The next morning the English tabloid The Sun commented on the sinkings and the hundredfold deaths of the seamen with the headline Gotcha . (English slang : gotcha = have you! )
  • May 3rd:
    • British helicopters (Westland Lynx) sink the Argentine patrol ship Alferez Sobral with Sea Skua missiles .
  • May 4th:
    • The British long-range Black Buck 2 bombing misses the runway at Stanley Airport.
    • Two Argentine Super Etendards attack the destroyer Sheffield, advanced by the British , with Exocet missiles, damaging it so badly that it has to be abandoned. 20 seafarers are killed, 18 injured. The injured are evacuated to the aircraft carrier Hermes by helicopter . The remaining 242 men will be picked up by the frigate Arrow . The abandoned ship is sunk by the British on May 10th.
    • A Sea Harrier from the flagship of the British fleet, the aircraft carrier Hermes is on Goose Green by 35mm - Flak shot down, killing the pilot.
  • 5th of May:
    • According to the Argentine representation: a torpedo hit by a submarine on the British aircraft carrier Invincible , whereby the torpedo was not detonated.
  • May 6th:
    • Two Sea Harriers on the Invincible crash in bad weather, probably from a collision. The two pilots cannot be saved.
  • May 7th:
    • The UK government extends the sea / air blockade. All Argentine planes and ships found more than twelve nautical miles off the Argentine coast are considered hostile.
  • 8th of May:
    • Out of 20 Sea Harriers , three have now been lost.
    • The Argentine "espionage trawler " Narwhal is sunk 100 km north of the Falkland Islands / Malwinen by two Harrier . 24 men are captured and a sailor is killed in the attack.
  • May 9:
    • Argentine air operations involving twelve A4 Skyhawk and five Mirage 5 Dagger . Because of the bad weather, the targets are not found; two Skyhawk fly in the fog against a mountainside on the island of South Jason (off West Falkland). Both pilots find their deaths.
  • 12th of May:
    • A total of eight Argentine Skyhawks attack the destroyer Glasgow and the frigate Brilliant with bombs that bombard Argentine positions near Stanley. Three attackers are destroyed by the ships' anti-aircraft defenses , and another Skyhawk flies over the Argentine airfield in Goose Green on its way home and is accidentally shot down by its own air defense. Four pilots are killed. The Glasgow is hit by a bomb that does not go off. Nobody is injured in the process, but the ship, which is completely penetrated, must then be withdrawn.
  • May 15th:
    • A British commando lands on Pebble Island and destroys the makeshift airfield there, destroying five Pucará and another six aircraft. During the subsequent bombardment by British destroyers, an ammunition depot is destroyed and the airfield (temporarily) made unusable.
  • May 19th:
    • Crash of a fully occupied British Sea King helicopter that was supposed to move SAS commandos from one ship to another. Only part of the inmates can be saved (22 dead).
  • May 20th:
    • Attempt to drop British commandos on Tierra del Fuego fails. Because of bad weather, the helicopter has to make an emergency landing in Chile. Their target was the Super Etendard equipped with "Exocet" missiles , which are stationed at the Rio Grande airfield.
  • May 21:
    • At 6:30 a.m., British troops initiate the main landing in San Carlos Bay, 80 km west of Port Stanley, without artillery preparation. Simultaneously there are mock landings at Goose Green and Foxbay and various artillery attacks on other targets in the vicinity of Stanley.
    • An Argentine Puma helicopter is put out of action by the Harrier GR 3 .
    • A Sea Harrier is believed to be shot down by a blowpipe missile over Port Howard . The pilot can leave the aircraft with the ejector seat and is injured in an Argentinean prisoner of war .
    • A Pucará is shot down near Darwin by Sea Harrier using a 30 mm on-board weapon . The pilot can exit the aircraft with the ejection seat and survive.
    • Eight Argentine Skyhawk attack the Ardent frigate off San Carlos Bay. Two Skyhawk are shot down by Sea Harrier . Both pilots die.
    • Six Argentine Skyhawk attack the frigate Argonaut in extreme low-altitude flight . The ship is hit, but the bombs do not go off. The destruction is enough to exclude the ship from the further course of the war.
    • A total of ten Argentine daggers attack the British escort ships off San Carlos Bay in three waves. The frigates Ardent and Broadsword , with Ardent badly damaged and the Broadsword slightly damaged and several sailors killed. Four daggers are shot down by Sea Harrier . All pilots can save themselves with the ejection seat.
    • Three Skyhawk land direct hits on the damaged Ardent . 22 seafarers are killed, 30 injured and the helicopter destroyed. On the return flight, the Skyhawks are attacked by Sea Harrier and completely destroyed. Two of the Argentine pilots are rescued, one dies.
  • May 22:
    • The British beachhead , against which Argentine forces are not counter-attacking, extends to the surrounding hills, where Rapier missiles are installed for anti-aircraft purposes. A total of 3,500 men have landed in the bay.
    • The extremely bad weather prevents further aerial operations on both sides.
  • 23. May:
    • In the course of the day, a total of eight Skyhawk attacked the British frigate Antelope in two waves at extremely low levels and under heavy defensive fire and scored two hits, which did not ignite because the pilots attacked too low due to the British air defense. The ship is evacuated. When the bombs were defused on May 24th, one of the bombs exploded, killing one of the two demolition masters and igniting the ship, which, when the flames reached the ammunition magazine, exploded and sank.
    • A Sea Harrier of Hermes crashes. The pilot dies.
    • A dagger is shot down by a Sea Harrier with Sidewinder missiles over Pebble Island . The pilot is killed.
  • May 24th:
    • A total of 14 Skyhawk and ten Dagger attack the British landing fleet in San Carlos Bay in several waves. The landing ships Sir Bedivere , Sir Lancelot and Sir Galahad are hit, but the detonators set for an attack from a great height do not detonate. Three daggers are shot down by Harriers and a Skyhawk from the ships' defensive fire. Two Argentine pilots are killed.
    • At the end of the day, the total Argentine casualties amounted to 400 deaths, a submarine, a cruiser, several smaller surface units and 16 aircraft.
  • May 25 (Argentine National Day ):
    • In the course of the day, a total of 14 Skyhawk , four Dagger and two Learjets as radar control aircraft attack the frigate Broadsword and the destroyer Coventry with bombs. The frigate is badly damaged. The destroyer takes three direct hits and sinks. 19 seafarers are killed, 25 injured. Three Skyhawk are shot down. One pilot is killed, one captured, the third remains missing.
    • Two Super Etendard attack the British aircraft carrier group, but their radar-controlled Exocet missiles "only" hit the container ship Atlantic Conveyor , which was supposed to bring more helicopters to San Carlos during the night, and sink it. Twelve British sailors are killed.
  • May 27th:
    • During the night the British troops begin to leave the bridgehead. Your destinations are Port Darwin and Port Stanley. Ship artillery and air strikes support the operation. Due to the loss of the heavy transport helicopters that were on the Atlantic Conveyor , the British have to march on foot, which is made more difficult for them by the boggy terrain.
    • A Sea Harrier is shot down by Argentine anti-aircraft guns over Goose Green. The pilot can save himself.
    • A total of 18 Skyhawk attack targets in San Carlos Bay in four waves with moderate success as the bombs do not detonate. A Skyhawk is destroyed by the air defense. The pilot can parachute and is recovered alive a few days later.
  • 28th of May:
    • Black Buck 4 fails in the approach phase.
    • After a hard and bloody fight 600 British paratroopers take Goose Green. About 50 Argentines are killed in the fight. The British lose 17 men. Around 1,000 Argentinians surrender.
  • May 29th:
    • A Sea Harrier slips off the deck of the Invincible in heavy seas and falls into the sea. The pilot is saved.
  • 30th May:
    • According to the Argentine representation, two Super Etendard with the last remaining Exocet and four Skyhawk attack the British aircraft carrier Invincible successfully. Two Skyhawk are lost to air defense. The pilots are killed. The Argentines assume a hit on the aircraft carrier, which the British deny.
    • A Harrier GR 3 is damaged by machine gun fire in an attack on Port Stanley airfield and crashes on the return flight. The pilot can be saved.
  • 31. May:
    • Black Buck 5 tries to use radar-guided Shrike missiles to attack the large radar systems on Mount Two Sisters (west of Port Stanley). The attack failed, but the fact that the Argentine radar system was shut down because of the attack was used by a Harrier GR 3 for a surprise attack on Port Stanley airport.
    • On the night of June 1, the British land another brigade (around 3,500 men) in the Bay of San Carlos.

June (end of war and British victory)

C-130 Hercules
Enclosure of Port Stanley
Argentine prisoners of war
  • June 1st:
    • An Argentine transport plane of the type C-130 Hercules is shot down by Harriern north of Pebble Island . All seven crew members are killed.
    • A Harrier is shot down south of Port Stanley by an Argentine Roland air defense unit. The pilot can be saved.
  • 3rd of June:
    • Black Buck 6 successfully uses AGM-45 Shrike anti-radar missiles against Argentine air defense positions in Port Stanley, but has to make an emergency landing in Brazil due to technical problems and is interned .
    • 11,500 Argentine soldiers are now trapped in Port Stanley.
  • 8th June:
    • Until June 8th and beyond, the Argentine C130 Hercules manage to break through the air blockade and to supply the trapped troops with supplies.
    • A Harrier is damaged in an emergency landing in Port San Carlos. The pilot remains unharmed.
    • British troops are brought by ship from San Carlos to Port Pleasant / Fitzroy.
    • Several Mirage IIIs and six daggers attack the British landing forces near San Carlos, struck by the frigate Plymouth . A little later, five Skyhawk bomb the landing ships Sir Tristram and Sir Galahad in Port Pleasant / Fitzroy. The two dropships are hit, killing 48 men. In the evening the landing craft LCU F4 of the Fearless is sunk in Choiseul Sound by three Skyhawk , which are shot down by Harrier shortly afterwards . All three pilots are killed.
  • June 12:
    • Black Buck 7 completes the series of ranged attacks.
    • British ground forces begin the offensive on Port Stanley.
    • The first line of defense, 12 to 15 km from Port Stanley, is breached.
  • 14th June:
    • British troops enter Port Stanley.
    • The Argentine Brigadier General Mario Menéndez has to accept the surrender of the Argentine forces in the Falkland Islands.
    • Since then , June 14 has been referred to as Liberation Day in the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands and is celebrated as a national holiday.
  • June 18: General Galtieri resigns.
  • 20th June:
    • The captured Argentine troops are brought to Argentina by British ships.
    • British units occupy the South Sandwich Islands.
    • The British government unilaterally declares the war over.

Further course and consequences of the war

Raúl Alfonsín
  • 1982:
    • During the United Nations General Assembly on October 3rd, Argentina insists on its claims to the islands. The claims have not been given up to this day.
    • In October, Great Britain stationed Phantom F-4 fighters in the Falkland Islands.
    • Argentina presented a motion to the UN General Assembly on November 4th calling for further negotiations on the future of the islands. The motion is supported by the US, which means a defeat for British diplomacy.
  • 1983:
    • At the end of January, Britain granted the Argentine government a £ 170 million loan .
    • Two warships for Argentina are completed and delivered at British shipyards.
    • Margaret Thatcher is re-elected because of the British victory, among other things.
    • General Galtieri's successor, Reynaldo Bignone, has to initiate democratization as a result of mass protests. Raúl Alfonsín is elected President.
  • 1990:
    • Resumption of diplomatic relations between the adversaries
  • 1998:
    • President Carlos Menem is the first Argentine head of state to visit Britain since the war. There is a general agreement that one does not want to solve the Falklands conflict militarily in any case.
  • 2002:
    • 1,700 British soldiers are stationed in the Falkland Islands.
  • 2003:
    • After the British government had to admit that ships used in the Falklands War had nuclear weapons on board, Argentine President Néstor Kirchner asked for an apology, which British Prime Minister Tony Blair refused.

References and comments

  1. ↑ this point is vehemently denied by both the United States and Great Britain
  2. ↑ Since, according to the UN resolution, Argentina and not Great Britain is the aggressor, this does not violate the principles of the OAS or the Monroe Doctrine
  3. ↑ Before that, Stanley was named in the Argentine media since April 2nd in sequence: Port Stanley, Puerto Stanley, Puerto Rivero, Puerto de la Isla Soledad, Puerto de las Islas Malvinas. It was only with Government Decree No. 757 of April 21, 1982 Port Stanley is referred to as Puerto Argentino.
  4. ↑ an Argentine submarine is being pursued by British frigates for a long time near the Falkland Islands (i.e. at a greater distance from the carrier group)
  5. ↑ actually a fishing trawler, which is on the way on behalf of the Argentine Navy. On board are members of the Navy, extensive radar and various electronic eavesdropping and jamming systems for electronic countermeasures .
  6. ↑ Shortly after the helicopter lifts off, a large seabird gets into the tail rotor
  7. ↑ The aircraft carrier later returns to Great Britain undamaged
  8. ↑ a very large part of the equipment for the ships ordered before the war came from foreign companies who threatened to sue the British government for financial compensation if the ships were not completed