Argentine soldiers from the war for the Malvinas/Falklands Islands

The Malvinas War or South Atlantic War (in English, Falklands War) was an armed conflict between the Argentine Republic and the United Kingdom that took place in the Malvinas, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands. The war took place between April 2, the day of the Argentine landing on the islands, and June 14, 1982, the date of Argentina's surrender, which led to the recovery of the three archipelagos by the United Kingdom.

Sergeant, Amphibious Command, Governor's House, Falkland Islands, April 2, 1982.

The cause was the fight for sovereignty over these southern archipelagos, taken by force in 1833 and dominated since then by the United Kingdom, something never accepted by Argentina, which continues to claim them as an integral and indivisible part of its territory; In fact, it considers that they are illegally occupied by an invading power and includes them as part of its province of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and the South Atlantic Islands. The final cost of the war in human lives was 649 Argentine soldiers, 255 British and 3 island civilians.

Argentine Commando, belonging to the 601st Company, Malvinas Islands, May 1982.

Operation Rosario consisted of a series of actions of increasing intensity aimed at the Argentine recovery of the Malvinas, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, which would be achieved in the opposite direction, beginning in the most discreet manner possible and culminating with the taking of the Malvinas Islands archipelago and its capital, Puerto Argentino/Stanley, through a direct assault. After the conquest of the islands, it was planned to militarily occupy the Chilean islands south of the Beagle Channel to solve the Beagle Conflict. That fact meant that Chile did not support Argentina in the conflict and did support the British, unlike the other countries in the region.

Corporal of the Argentine Air Force, Malvinas Islands, May 1982.

On April 2, 1982, around 5,000 troops under the command of General Mario Benjamín Menéndez landed in Stanley, the capital of the Falkland Islands, since renamed Puerto Argentino. The forty-nine English marines that made up the small garrison in charge of guarding the archipelago were captured and transferred to Montevideo along with Governor Rex Hunt. General Menéndez took over as governor of the Malvinas.

Lieutenant Alfredo Astiz, South Georgia, Malvinas, April 1982.

On April 25, British forces recaptured South Georgia. At the beginning of May, after the deployment of the bulk of its forces in the area, RAF (British Air Force) planes began to attack Argentine positions, especially the landing strip of Stanley (Puerto Argentino, former Puerto Soledad). ). Although the British failed to expel the Argentine air and naval forces, the nuclear submarine Conqueror caused the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano to sink, killing 368 men. Next, an Exocet missile launched by Argentine aviation sank a British destroyer, HMS Sheffield.

Brigadier General Luis Castellano, Commander of the IX Air Brigade, April 1982.

The British prepared for an amphibious landing on Greater Malvina (one of the largest islands in the archipelago), a rather difficult military operation. Special forces reconnoitered the island to determine the positions of the Argentine troops and identify the most appropriate places for landing. Meanwhile, diplomatic activity continued, and once again, the Argentine government refused to contemplate the possibility of a military withdrawal if it was not guaranteed that direct negotiations would lead to a transfer of sovereignty.

Soldier with FN MAG machine gun, 12th Infantry Reg., Goose Green, May 28, 1982.

On May 21, a few days after the UN efforts concluded without any progress, British troops landed in San Carlos (on Soledad Island). The landing was carried out successfully, but during the following days air attacks against British ships that were trying to land supplies ashore did not cease. Three warships and a merchant ship, the Atlantic Conveyor, were sunk, several helicopters were lost and numerous Argentine planes were shot down.

Argentine Infantry Soldier, Malvinas Islands, April 1982.

The main combat on land, after the landing, occurred on May 28, when a British contingent of 600 men defeated a larger Argentine garrison at Goose Green (in the South Malvina), after a tough confrontation. The British advanced towards the main Argentine garrison which was located in the capital, Port Stanley (Puerto Argentino), and on June 8 their greatest disaster occurred, when the transport ship Sir Galahad was destroyed by Argentine aircraft at Port Fitzroy.

Doctor, 5th Marine Battalion, Malvinas Islands, June 1982.

Little by little, using combined artillery and infantry attacks to put an end to intermittent Argentine resistance, the British took the highlands surrounding Stanley (Puerto Argentino). On June 14, the Argentine garrison, under the orders of General Menéndez, surrendered. The Military Junta that controlled power in Argentina resigned shortly after the defeat. The islands were fortified by the British, maintaining their colony character, although their inhabitants were granted full British citizenship.