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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.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.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.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.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.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.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.
South Atlantic Medal Association (82)