Argentine Victory

All times local (GMT -4)

Operation Rosario
2 April 

by which time the airstrip is cleared and the 25th Regiment flies in. 80 Royal Marines and 40 FIDF are taken prisoner. 22 Royal Marines are taken prisoner.
 * 04:30 Argentine special forces land at Mullet Creek.Operation_Rosario.jpg
 * 05:30 More troops land at Yorke Bay.
 * 06:00 Battle with the Royal Marines. 1 Argentinian is killed.
 * 08:00 The main Argentine landing force begins disembarking at Stanley
 * 09:15 British forces on the Falkland Islands surrender.
 * 12:30 Battle with the Royal Marines on South Georgia.
 * 14:30 British forces on Grytviken, South Georgia surrender.

3 April

Argentinian forces start to extend Stanley runway in order to be able to deploy jets.

5 April

6 Pucaras land at Goose Green airfield.

29 April

6 A-4Cs, and 4 Mirage Daggers land at Stanley.

The Empire strikes back
4 April
 * Nuclear submarine, HMS Conqueror, departs Faslane for South Atlantic.

5 April


 * Two aircraft carriers, HMS Hemes and HMS Invincible sail from Portsmouth.

7 April
 * Canberra requisitioned as a troops ship
 * British government declares 200 mile exclusion zone around the Falklands.

9 April
 * Canberra sails with 3 Commando on board.

12 April
 * Submarine, HMS Spartan takes up position of Stanley.

14 April
 * Argentinian fleet departs Peuto Belgrano.

17 April
 * Main British task force sails from Ascention Island.

20 April
 * British cabinet orders retaking of the Falkland Islands.
 * Canberra arrives at Ascention Island.

23 April
 * Britain warns that any Argentinian ships or aircraft, military or civilian, which are considered a threat to the task force will be destroyed.

29 April
 * Task force arrives at the exclusion zone.

30 April
 * Exclusion zone is decared to be a total exclusion zone.

2 May
 * 15:57 ARA General Bengrano (ex USS Pheonix) attacked by HMS Conqueror, a nuclear submarine, which fired three Mark 24 Tigerfish homing torpedoes all of which hit the Belgano within the armored belt. Two torpedoes failed to explode and the other one hit the anti torpedo bulge and caused little damage. Belgrano’s two escort destroyers two destroyers, ARA Piedra Buena and ARA Bouchard (both also ex-USN vessels) started to drop depth charges but HMS Conqueror escaped undamaged.

4 May
 * 07:50 HMS Sheffield detected by Argentine Naval Aviation Lockheed SP-2H Neptune (2-P-112) patrol aircraft.


 * 09:45 Two Super Etendards, both armed with Exocets took off from Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego.


 * 10:35 The Neptune climbs to 1,170 m (3,840 ft) and confirms contact.


 * 10:45 Both Super Etendards climb to 160m (520 ft) and make contact. The co-ordinates are programed and they return to low level.


 * 11:04 AM39 Exocets released from 20 to 30 miles (32 to 48 km) away from their targets. The first missile hit about 2.5m (8 ft) above the waterline, exploded in the engine room and set fuel tanks on fire. The second missile missed.
 * 11:15 The fires raged out of control and the ship was abandoned. 20 Men are missing presumed dead. Heavy seas meant that water was coming in through the hole as the ship rolled.


 * 14:30 HMS Sheffield rolls over and sinks.