The Falklands War - 25 years ago

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2 April 1982 - Argentine Forces occupy the Falkland islands

At midnight Argentina puts Operation Rosario into action by bringing ships into position off the Islands;

Governor Hunt advises Islanders that Galtieri has rejected Reagan's intervention, and declares a State of Emergency at 3.25am;

Argentine special forces land at Mullet Creek at 4.30am, more troops land at York Bay at 5.30am, and by 6am are engaged in battle with the Royal Marines - 3 Argentines are killed;

The main Argentine landing force begins disembarking at Stanley at 8am, by which time the airstrip is cleared and the 25th Regiment flies in;

Governor Hunt orders the surrender at 9.15am - by now the whole town other than Government House is under Argentine control;

Galtieri hails the "recovery" of the Malvinas, saying Argentina had been left no option other than military action, while Carrington tells Parliament "Port Stanley is now occupied by Argentine military forces";

During the afternoon Governor Hunt (dressed in full regalia), other Foreign Office officials and the captured Royal Marines are forcibly evacuated by the Argentines to Montevideo;

Brigadier General Mario Menendez is appointed governor of 'Islas Malvinas' and Dependenciesz;

Stanley renamed 'Puerto Argentino';

Argentines radio news of the surrender around Grytviken at 10.30am;

Royal Marines on South Georgia attack the Argentine forces at 12.30pm but after inflicting heavy damage surrender to a far-superior force at 2.30pm;

Britain orders Argentine diplomats out of the country;

Bank of England freezes Argentine assets in Britain;

Emergency cabinet meeting approves the sending of the task force to liberate the Islands;

MPs are recalled for a special Saturday sitting of the House of Commons (first since Suez);

9 navy ships on exercise in the Mediterranean sail south;

Britain's UN ambassador Sir Anthony Parsons puts a draft resolution to the Security Council condemning the hostilities and demanding immediate Argentine withdrawal from the Islands


Argentine Marines of the 2nd Marine Battalion outside Government House following the capture and occuapation of Port Stanley
on 2 April 1982 [Source: IWM]

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3rd April 1982

UN Security Council passes Resolution 502 by 10 votes to 1 (with 4 abstentions) demanding immediate Argentine withdrawal from the Islands - Argentina refuses to comply;

Labour party leader Michael Foot backs the decision to send the task force;

Emergency session of House of Commons endorses the decision to send the task force but attacks the British Government for not foreseeing the Argentine attack;

The first RAF elements of the task force deploy to Ascension Island;

Argentina reinforces its troops on South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands;

52 schoolchildren are evacuated from Stanley in a convoy of 18 landrovers

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4th April 1982

British submarine Conqueror sails from Faslane;

Argentines occupy Goose Green and Darwin;

Lighthousekeeper and radio ham Reg Silvey makes radio contact with the UK and continues clandestine broadcasts throughout the occupation

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5th April 1982

Aircraft carriers Hermes and Invincible sail from Portsmouth with other ships;

Carrington resigns and is replaced as Foreign Secretary by Francis Pym;

Junior Foreign Office Ministers Richard Luce and Humphrey Atkins resign

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7th April 1982

Reagan approves Haig peace mission;

British Government announces it will impose a 200-mile exclusion zone around the Islands on 26 April;

Liner Canberra is requisitioned at Southampton upon her return from a world cruise;

Britain freezes $1.4 billion in Argentine assets held in British banks

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8th April 1982

Haig and his team arrive in London

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9th April 1982

3 Commando Brigade sail from Southampton aboard Canberra;

European Economic Community approve economic sanctions against Argentina (Ireland and Italy veto)

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10th April 1982

Haig arrives in Buenos Aires;

EEC sanctions against Argentina come into effect (against the wishes of Italy and Ireland)

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12th April 1982

200 mile maritime exclusion zone around the Islands declared by Britain to prevent Argentine reinforcements and supplies reaching the Islands from the mainland;

British submarine Spartan arrives on station off Stanley;

Haig returns to London

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14th April 1982

Argentine fleet leaves Puerto Belgrano;

Haig returns to Washington to brief Reagan;

Squadron of ships carrying Royal Marines and special forces sent to retake South Georgia rendezvous with Endurance;

Expatriate Chief Secretary Dick Baker is deported by the Argentines

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15th April 1982

British destroyer group takes up holding position in mid-Atlantic;

Haig returns to Buenos Aires

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17th April 1982

Admiral Sir John Fieldhouse chairs conference at Ascension Island with Admiral Sandy Woodward and 3 Commando Brigade which sets out detailed plans for the retaking of the Islands by force;

The main task force sails south from Ascension Island;

Haig presents Argentine junta with 5-point plan;

Argentine service councils debate Haig's proposals

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18th April 1982

Argentine aircraft carrier Veinticinco de Mayo returns to port with engine trouble

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19th April 1982

Argentina rejects Haig's plan unless Britain agrees to transfer sovereignty by 31 December 1982 and allow Argentine nationals to settle in the Islands;

EEC foreign ministers declare support for Britain

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20th April 1982

British War Cabinet orders repossession of Islands;

Canberra arrives at Ascension Island