LOCATION: SOUTH ATLANTIC
DATE/TIME: 21 APRIL 1982, 00:00:00
Argentina had long claimed South Georgia as a dependency of the Falklands. The opportunity to exercise this claim was provided in early 1982 by an Argentine businessman who was contracted to clear away scrap whaling material littering parts of the island.
Although there is no conclusive evidence the Argentine Government deliberately planned what followed, the illegal entry to South Georgia lead to invasion. The Argentine fleet transport Bahia Buen Suceso arrived at Leith on Friday 19 March and started operations without observing the usual formalities of reporting first to the island's Magistrate. The ship was later spotted with the Argentine flag flying, and refused to obtain proper authorisation. On 3 April a battle erupted between 22 British marines on the island and 100 Argentine marines and the frigate ARA Guerrico. The Royal marines, trapped and having convincingly defended British sovereignty, surrendered after a short but intense battle.
On the morning of 21 April, a British Task Group, consisting of the destroyer Antrim, frigate Plymouth, ice patrol ship Endurance, and RFA Tidespring, arrived off South Georgia.
Wednesday 21 April:
00:00:00: Operation Paraquat - the recapture of South Georgia, is set in motion under great secrecy. The Task Group heads toward South Georgia to take up position about 50nm north east of the island. The submarine HMS Conqueror has already been on patrol for two days looking for Argentine ships.
12:00:00: A SAS observation post is set up on the Fortuna glacier near Leith. The men are flown in using the three available Wessex'.
Thursday 22 April:
01:00:00: HMS Endurance is detached from the Task Group and sails towards Hound Bay to insert a SBS team.
06:00:00: The SBS troops land from HMS Endurance by Gemini assault craft near Hound Bay and move towards Grytviken. After unloading, HMS Endurance does not leave but instead stays close to the coast among the ice.
11:00:00: The SAS team on the Fortuna glacier is subjected to Antarctic weather conditions and requests evacuation. However a first attempt to pick them up by three Wessex helicopters fails.
13:30:00: A second attempt to pick up the SAS team is made, using the two Wessex' on HMS Tidespring.
16:30:00: Both of HMS Tidespring's helicopters crash in appalling weather conditions, amazingly with no casualties, and HMS Antrim's single Wessex flies in to rescue the seventeen stranded men.
17:00:00: HMS Brilliant is detached from the Carrier Task Force with her two Lynx' and is ordered to join up with the Task Group to replace HMS Tidespring's two Wessex helicopters lost during SpecOps.
20:00:00: A Nimrod from Ascension makes a radar reconnaissance flight off the South Georgian coast.
21:00:00: HMS Antrim leaves the Task Group and sails towards Leith to insert a SAS team.
23:00:00: Five Gemini assault craft carrying the SAS team set out from HMS Antrim and head for Leith. By Friday morning the SAS men are in position. HMS Antrim then leaves the coast and joins up with the other Task Group ships.
Friday 23 April:
03:00:00: Radio intercepts suggests the Argentine submarine Santa Fe is heading for South Georgia. Due to the underwater threat all Task Group ships except HMS Endurance are ordered to retreat 200nm out to sea.
22:00:00: A Nimrod from Ascension makes a second radar reconnaissance flight off the South Georgian coast.
Saturday 24 April:
08:00:00: Stopped by glacier ice, the SBS men lay up near Sorling Valley. HMS Endurance's helicopters pick them up and bring them back to the ship.
16:00:00: HMS Antrim, HMS Plymouth and HMS Brilliant are ordered to sail back to South Georgia to deal with the submarine threat, leaving HMS Tidespring some 200nm behind in comparative safety. The ships' helicopters prepare to hunt down the submarine Santa Fe, and are armed with Mk11 depth charges (Wessex), Mk46 torpedoes (Lynx) and AS.12 missiles (Wasp).
Sunday 25 April:
06:00:00: The three warships plus HMS Endurance take up position 40nm off Grytviken. A depth charge-armed Wessex starts looking for the Santa Fe. The submarine has left Grytviken early this morning and is most likely sailing on the surface, so you can use radar to help localise her. When spotted, she is attacked with Mk11 depth charges, Mk46 torpedoes and AS.12 missiles.
11:00:00: With the damaged Santa Fe's return to Grytviken and the potential Argentine defenders now numbering some 140, a decision is made to land whatever force that can be mustered without waiting for the bulk of marines to arrive on HMS Tidespring. A company of 75 men is being assembled from the SAS, SBS and Royal Marines.
13:35:00: HMS Antrim and HMS Plymouth lay down a 4.5inch gun barrage all around the Argentine positions at King Edward Point.
13:50:00: The first wave of the ad hoc force is landed by HMS Antrim's Wessex and HMS Brilliant's two Lynx' near the whaling station at Grytviken.
15:35:00: The second wave lands by helicopter.
17:05:00: As the British forces advance towards the Argentines, white flags are hoisted and they surrender without a shot being fired.
Monday 26 April:
06:00:00: The small detachment of Argentine Marines at Leith is contacted by radio but refuses to surrender. HMS Plymouth and HMS Endurance sail off to Leith.
07:00:00: With the arrival of British warships, the Argentine Marines at Leath give in. South Georgia is back in British hands. No British troops have been lost in the operation.
08:00:00: Scenario end.
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