Falkland War 1982 Timeline

March 1982

 2nd The Argentine foreign minister says that Argentina reserves the right to 'employ other means' if Great Britain keeps refusing to cede sovereignty.

6th Hercules aircraft operated by Argentine military airline LADE, supposedly on a mail run to an Antarctic base, lands at Stanley Airport, falsely claiming a fuel leak, and carrying several senior Argentine officers whom the local commandant very unwisely takes on a tour of Stanley and its environs.

8th Mrs. Thatcher asks the Foreign Office and Ministry of Defence for contingency plans in case of an Argentine blockade or invasion of the Islands.

19th Davidoff sends 40 workmen on naval vessel Bahia Buen Suceso to dismantle Leith whaling station on South Georgia. The workmen fail to ask permission to land from the British Antarctic Survey base at Grytviken and upon arrival hoist the Argentine flag.

20th Mrs. Thatcher sends Endurance (a survey ship, and the only permanent British presence in the South Atlantic) with 24 Royal Marines from Stanley to South Georgia.

23rd Bahia Buen Suceso and 30 workmen sail from Leith.

24th Endurance arrives at Grytviken. Argentine naval vessel Bahia Paraiso puts a large quantity of stores ashore at Leith together with a marine detachment.

26th The Argentine government says it will give all necessary protection to the remaining workmen on South Georgia. The Argentine navy set out on scheduled manoeuvres with the Uruguayan fleet.

27th Argentine missile boats Drummond and Granville sail south to join Bahia Paraiso.

28th Argentina restates its claim to the Falkland Islands and Dependencies, telling Great Britain there will be no negotiations on South Georgia. It cancels leave for military and diplomatic personnel, sends stores and equipment to the naval bases of Puerto Belgrano and Comodoro Rivadavia, and begins overflights of Stanley. Five Argentine warships are sighted near South Georgia. Great Britain begins contingency planning for the sending of a task force to the Islands.

29th Mrs. Thatcher orders 3 nuclear submarines south to the Islands. Royal Fleet Auxiliary Fort Austin sails south to provide support for Endurance. A new Royal Marine detachment arrive Stanley aboard research ship John Biscoe.

31st A British intelligence source warns that the Argentine fleet is at sea heading towards the Islands.