A day-by-day timeline of the Falklands Confl ict
FALKLANDS 30
Friday 2
Friday April 2:
alls for avoidance of force, x Hunt is warned that a full submarines HMS Spartan and tlantic.
The Argentine invasion, Operation Rosario, begins, with the fi rst forces landing at 0430, just over an hour after Rex Hunt declares a state of emergency. Royal Marines kill at least one invader, but as more enemy forces land by sea and air, Rex Hunt orders the surrender of British forces at 0925 local time. Brig Gen Mario Menendez is appointed Governor of Islas Malvinas, and the islands’ capital Stanley is renamed Puerto Argentino, by the Junta in Buenos Aires. Nine RN warships on exercise near Gibraltar are ordered south and an emergency cabinet meeting in London approves the deployment of a task force. 3 Commando Brigade RM brought to 72 hours notice to move, and 3 Para added to the list.
Saturday 3
Saturday April 3:
Parliament endorses deployment of task force to ‘restore British administration’ to the Falklands (Operation Corporate).
Sunday 4
9 Friday April 9 (Good Friday):
Haig meets Prime Minister at the start of his shuttle ith the Argentine Junta is ut by April 19 the initiative
The bulk of 3 Commando Brigade sail from Southampton on board Canberra (below) as the European Economic Community approve economic sanctions against Argentina.
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d appointed Falklands nder.
17 Saturday April 17:
Conference between senior offi cers on Ascension Island decides detailed plan to liberate the Falklands. HMS Invincible and Fearless arrive at Ascension, a day after the HMS Hermes group.
18 Sunday April 18:
British Carrier Battle Group leaves Ascension Island for the South Atlantic as ships of the Amphibious Landing Group gather at Ascension to follow on later.
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alklands waters as General he Argentine Junta, visits the
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25 Sunday April 25:
Operation Paraquet sees Argentine submarine Santa Fe beached after being attacked by Wessex (HMS Antrim), Wasp (Plymouth and Endurance) and Lynx (HMS Brilliant) helicopters. Argentine forces at Grytviken surrender, those at Leith formally follow suit on Monday April 26. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher later interrupts journalists’ questions on the next stage of Operation Corporate and says: “Just rejoice at that news and congratulate our forces and the Marines... Rejoice!”.
30 Friday April 30: Ascension Island in preparation
Total Exclusion Zone (TEZ) around the Falklands, applicable to any aircraft or shipping supporting the Argentine cause, is activated. Haig’s shuttle diplomacy ends. Admiral Sandy Woodward’s Carrier Battle Group approaches the TEZ.
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