Timeline May

May 1982

Saturday 1st

  • Haig peace mission ends in failure.
  • SBS and SAS patrols land on the Falklands.
  • Vulcan bomber and Sea Harriers attack airfields at Stanley and Goose Green.
  • First air-to-air combats: Three Argentine aircraft shot down, plus two others damaged.
  • HMS Arrow damaged.

Sunday 2nd

  • Argentine cruiser General Belgrano sunk by HMS Conqueror.

Monday 3rd

  • Two Lynx from HMS Coventry and HMS Glasgow attack 2 patrol craft and sink the Alferez Sobral.

Tuesday 4th

  • Sea Harrier shot down attacking Goose Green airfield, 1 lost.
    Killed in Action:
    Lt N Taylor

Wednesday 5th

Thursday 6th

  • Peace efforts led by Peru ends in failure.
  • Argonaut Group leaves Ascension.
  • Two Sea Harriers lost over the South Atlantic, 2 lost.
    Killed in Action:
    Lt W A Curtis
    Lt Cdr J E Eyton-Jones

Friday 7th

  • Peace initiative is launched by United Nations.
  • Britain widens war zone to within 12 nautical miles of Argentina’s coast.
  • MV Norland, carrying 2 PARA, arrives at Ascension to join Amphibious Task Group.

Saturday 8th

  • Newly extended Exclusion Zone enforced.

Sunday 9th

  • Argentine spy ship, is bombed and strafed, then boarded and sunk.
  • Argentine helicopter is shot down by a British warship missile.
  • Argentine military positions around Port Stanley bombarded by British warships.
  • RFA Sir Bedivere leaves Ascension.

Monday 10th

  • HMS Sheffield sinks while under tow to safe anchorage in South Georgia.
  • Bristol Group leaves UK.

Tuesday 11th

  • HMS Alacrity sinks supply ship Isla de Los Estados, and sails through Falkland Sound checking for mines.
  • Argentine Puma shot down.
  • HM Hospital Ship Uganda and Argentine counterpart Bahia Paraiso establishes a ‘Red Cross Box’ off the Falklands.

Wednesday 12th

  • QE 2 sails from Southampton with 5 Infantry Brigade embarked.
  • Four Argentine Skyhawk fighter bombers shot down.
  • HMS Glasgow damaged by a bomb which fails to explode.
  • Sea King ditches.
  • HMS Cardiff, leaves Gibraltar for South Atlantic.
  • HMHS Uganda receives first casualties.

Thursday 13th

  • 11th Mine Countermeasures Squadron – requisitioned Hull trawlers HMS Cordella, HMS Farnella, HMS Junella, HMS Northella, and HMS Pict leave Ascension.

Friday 14th

  • ‘Active Service’ declared.

Saturday 15th

  • SAS land on Pebble Island
  • SBS land in Grantham Sound.

Sunday 16th

  • Bombardment of military installations in the Falklands by British warships.
  • Argentine supply vessels damaged by Sea Harriers in Falkland Sound.
  • Argentine merchant ship, bombed and strafed in Port King Bay and a supply vessel moored close to Fox Bay settlement is strafed.

Monday 17th

  • EEC renews sanctions against Argentina for another week.
  • Argentine Air Force Commander warns that British task force will receive ‘massive attack’ if it sails within range of Argentine weapons.

Tuesday 18th

  • Hopes fade for a successful outcome to United Nations peace negotiations.

Wednesday 19th

Thursday 20th

  • Sea King helicopter crashes on a beach near Punta Arenas in Chile. Crew of three burn their machine and go into hiding, later surrendering and repatriated.

Friday 21st

  • D-DAY – From 02:00 Task Force lands several thousand troops at San Carlos Water, 50 miles west of Port Stanley.
  • Diversionary attacks on Goose Green.
  • RAF Harrier shot down by SAM, injured pilot ejects and taken prisoner-of-war.
  • Two Gazelles shot down by small arms fire near Port San Carlos, 3 lost.
    Killed in Action:
    Sgt A P Evans
    Lt K D Francis
    L/Cpl B P Giffin
  • HMS Brilliant, HMS Broadsword and HMS Antrim damaged, HMS Antrim left with two unexploded bombs in her engine room.
  • Seventeen Argentine aircraft and four helicopters shot down.

Saturday 22nd

  • Field Hospital established at Ajax Bay.

Sunday 23rd

  • Bridgehead consolidated with 5,000 troops dug in.
  • Eight Argentine aircraft destroyed.
  • HMS Antelope badly damaged and set on fire during air attack in Falkland Sound 2 lost.
    Killed in Action:
    Std M R Stephens
    Sgt J Prescott – CGM
  • Ship blazes white hot and is abandoned by her 175 crew.
  • Sea Harrier crashes into sea shortly after night take-off, 1 lost.
    Killed in Action:
    Lt Cdr G W J Batt – DSC

Monday 24th

  • Eight EEC nations vote to continue trade boycott of Argentina.
  • Nine more Argentine aircraft shot down.

Tuesday 25th

Wednesday 26th

  • UN adopts Resolution 505.
  • 2 PARA start advance on Goose Green.

Thursday 27th

Friday 28th

  • Scout helicopter in support of 2 PARA shot down by two Pucaras, 1 lost.
    Killed in Action:
    Lt R J Nunn – DFC

Saturday 29th

  • Argentine forces surrender at Goose Green, up to 1,400 taken prisoner.
  • Argentine Hercules transport aircraft drops bombs on MV British Wye, 400 miles north of South Georgia. No damage.

Sunday 30th

  • Royal Marines advancing towards Port Stanley capture Douglas Settlement and Teal Inlet.
  • Argentine air attacks resume on Task Force.

Monday 31st

  • UN Secretary General presents new peace plan.
  • Argentine Special Forces attacked at Top Malo House.
  • Task force troops reach Mount Kent, 12 miles west of Port Stanley.
  • Argentine aircraft attack British ships with bombs and missiles but are beaten off without damage or casualties.
  • Two Skyhawk aircraft shot down.
  • MV Atlantic Conveyor, devastated by Exocet missile on May 25, sinks under tow.