May

June

Index

• Argentina invades the Falkland Islands.
• 3 Commando Brigade put on alert.
• UN Security Council adopts Resolution 502 ordering Argentina to withdraw.

• RN ships on Exercise SPRINGTRAIN under command of Rear Admiral Woodward ordered south from Gibraltar.
• Emergency session of the House of Commons.
• More...

• United Nations condemns invasion.
• South Georgia captured by Argentine forces.
• 3 Commando Brigade reinforced by 3 PARA and other Army units.
• More...

• Lord Carrington resigns as Foreign Secretary.
• HM Ships Hermes and Invincible depart Portsmouth.
• HM Ships Alacrity and Antelope, and RFAs Olmeda, Pearleaf and Resource make unannounced departures from other ports.
• First Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft arrive on Ascension Island.
• More...

• Francis Pym appointed Foreign Secretary.
• US Secretary of State, Alexander Haig, begins peace shuttle.
• HMS Fearless departs Portsmouth.
• More...

• Britain declares 200 mile exclusion zone around Falkland Islands.
• Canberra arrives at Southampton for conversion and to embark stores and troops.

• HM Ships Broadsword and Yarmouth depart Gibraltar.

• Canberra, with 40 and 42 Commando RM, and 3 PARA embarked, and Elk, with 2000 tons of ammunition, depart Southampton.

• EEC bans imports from Argentina in support of Britain.
• Antrim Group arrives off Ascension.

• Antrim Group departs Ascension with M Coy 42 Commando embarked.

• Intelligence assessment puts Argentine strength on Falklands at 7,000 men.
• Brilliant Group leaves Ascension.
• Rear Admiral Woodward leaves Ascension in HMS Glamorgan, with HM Ships Alacrity, Broadsword and Yarmouth.
• HMS Endurance joins Antrim Group and heads for South Georgia.

• Main Task Force departs Ascension.
• HMS Hermes arrives Ascension.
• Admiral Woodward flies to HMS Fearless for talks with Commodore Clapp and Brigadier Thompson.
• Wideawake airfield on Ascension busiest in world that day.

• C-in-C Fleet, Admiral Fieldhouse, and Major General Moore fly to Ascension to brief Admiral Woodward, Commodore Clapp and Brigadier Thompson.

• Hermes Group leaves Ascension.
• Six RAF Victor tanker aircraft arrive Ascension.

• Newly-converted HM Hospital Ship Uganda departs Gibraltar.

• Canberra arrives Ascension.

• Antrim Group arrives off South Georgia and begins reconnaissance.

• Two Wessex helicopters recovering special forces lost during abortive landing on South Georgia glacier. All rescued under atrocious weather conditions by HMS Antrim's Wessex.

• A Sea King helicopter from HMS Hermes crashes into the sea after dark.
  Killed in Action: PO K S Casey

• Atlantic Conveyor completes fitting of helicopter decks at Devonport.
• HMS Brilliant joins Antrim Group off South Georgia.

• Argentine submarine Santa Fe damaged by helicopter attacks off South Georgia.
• RM and SAS assault on Grytviken; South Georgia recaptured.
• HMS Intrepid, Atlantic Conveyor and Europic Ferry depart for the South Atlantic.

• Norland, with 2 PARA embarked, and RFA Sir Bedivere sail from UK.

• Antrim Group departs South Georgia leaving HMS Endurance on patrol.

• Major General Moore flies to Ascension to brief Commodore Clapp and Brigadier Thompson.
• HM Hospital Ship Uganda leaves Ascension.