The Falklands War

In 1982, Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands and the unthinkable happened - Britain went to war. The Islands (known as the "Malvinas" in Argentina), located 300 miles east of Argentina in the South Atlantic, had been a British colony since 1833, but Argentina still expressed a claim to them.

The Argentine military invaded the islands in April. Three days later a British Task Force set sail to retake the islands, steaming 8,000 miles to the war zone.

Fierce air and sea battles took place before British troops landed on East Falkland at the end of May. After an important victory at Goose Green, British troops surrounded Port Stanley. On June 14, British troops recaptured Port Stanley, capital of the Falkland Islands, after its Argentine garrison surrendered. The 10 week war was over - It had cost a thousand lives.

HMS Sheffield was destroyed by Exocet missiles, to the disbelief of the Admiralty. Two days earlier the Argentinian cruiser Belgrano had been sunk by British torpedoes. Within twelve weeks, the Falklands had been recaptured and were back under British rule.

British ships lost during the Falklands Campaign: 

HMS Sheffield - 4th May  HMS Ardent - 21st May  HMS Antelope - 23rd May
HMS Coventry- 25th May  SS Atlantic Conveyor - 25th May  RFA Sir Galahad - 8th June