April 2, 1982 · Falkland Islands Theater

In the early hours of April 2, 1982, Argentine special forces and marines landed near Stanley, the capital of the Falkland Islands. A small garrison of Royal Marines — Naval Party 8901 — put up fierce resistance, killing several Argentine commandos before Governor Rex Hunt ordered a ceasefire to prevent further bloodshed. Hunt was expelled, the Union Jack was hauled down, and Argentina declared sovereignty over what it called the Islas Malvinas. The swift seizure shocked the world and triggered a British military response of extraordinary ambition.

April 25, 1982 · South Georgia Theater

British forces — combining elements of the SAS, SBS, and Royal Marines from HMS Antrim, Brilliant, and Plymouth — launched Operation Paraquet to retake South Georgia. An initial SAS insertion onto the Fortuna Glacier nearly ended in disaster when two Wessex helicopters crashed in blizzard conditions. On April 25, HMS Antrim's Wessex disabled the Argentine submarine Santa Fe with depth charges as it lay alongside Grytviken, and a scratch force of marines and special forces stormed ashore. Argentine commander Alfredo Astiz surrendered without further resistance.

May 2, 1982 · South Atlantic Theater

The nuclear-powered submarine HMS Conqueror tracked the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano — a veteran of Pearl Harbor as USS Phoenix — for over 30 hours before receiving orders to attack. Despite the Belgrano being outside the 200-mile Total Exclusion Zone and apparently sailing westward away from the islands, the British War Cabinet authorised the sinking. Two Mk8 torpedoes struck the cruiser, which went down in 20 minutes, taking 323 of her 1,093 crew to their deaths in the freezing South Atlantic. It remains the largest single loss of life in the entire conflict.

May 4, 1982 · South Atlantic Theater

Two Argentine Super Étendard naval strike jets, each carrying a single AM39 Exocet anti-ship missile refuelled by a KC-130 tanker, descended below radar level and fired their weapons at long range. HMS Sheffield, a Type 42 destroyer, had her electronic warfare systems switched off to avoid interfering with satellite communications when the missile struck. The Exocet failed to detonate its warhead fully, but its burning rocket fuel ignited fires that could not be controlled, and Sheffield was abandoned. She sank six days later while under tow.

May 21, 1982 · San Carlos Water, Falkland Islands Theater

Operation Sutton landed some 4,000 British troops at San Carlos Water on East Falkland in darkness and relative surprise. Argentine aircraft responded throughout the day with repeated, extraordinarily courageous low-level attacks that sank HMS Ardent and later damaged or sank HMS Antelope and HMS Coventry. The narrow waters of San Carlos — quickly dubbed 'Bomb Alley' — became a fierce air-sea battle. Despite their losses, Argentine pilots frequently failed to arm their bombs on time for such low-level releases, and hundreds of bombs simply passed through ships without detonating. The beachhead held.

May 25, 1982 · Falkland Sound / North Falklands Theater

May 25 was Argentina's national day, and the Argentine air force mounted its most ambitious attacks. HMS Coventry, operating as a radar picket to protect the San Carlos beachhead, was struck by three 1,000-lb bombs dropped by A-4 Skyhawks in a devastating low-level run; she capsized in minutes, killing 19 of her crew. Within hours, a Super Étendard fired an Exocet that struck the Atlantic Conveyor — a merchant container ship converted to carry helicopters and vital logistic supplies — killing 12 and destroying three Chinook and six Wessex helicopters. The loss of the Chinooks forced the British infantry to 'yomp' across the island on foot.

May 28–29, 1982 · East Falkland Theater

The 2nd Battalion Parachute Regiment attacked the Argentine garrison at Darwin and Goose Green across open, featureless terrain in the dark of a South Atlantic winter night. The battle was fiercely contested over 14 hours; Argentine defenders — reinforced to roughly 1,200 men against 450 paratroopers — used artillery and well-prepared positions. Lieutenant Colonel Herbert 'H' Jones was killed charging a machine-gun position that had pinned down his men near Darwin; he was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross. His successor, Major Chris Keeble, accepted the garrison's surrender on May 29.

June 11–12, 1982 · East Falkland, Stanley perimeter Theater

The 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment attacked Mount Longdon — a craggy ridge of rocks and Argentine bunkers — in a night assault on June 11. The approach march was silent until a mine detonated and triggered intense Argentine fire. For hours, paratroopers fought bunker to bunker in brutal close-quarters combat under Argentine artillery and sniper fire. Sergeant Ian McKay was killed leading a charge against a machine-gun position threatening his platoon; he was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross. By dawn on June 12, Mount Longdon was in British hands.

June 13–14, 1982 · East Falkland, Stanley perimeter Theater

The 2nd Battalion Scots Guards assaulted Mount Tumbledown while the 1st/7th Gurkha Rifles simultaneously attacked Mount William. Tumbledown was held by Argentina's elite 5th Marine Infantry Battalion — professional soldiers, not conscripts — who fought with exceptional determination. After a diversionary attack, the Scots Guards' left flanking company fought through the rocky ridgeline for several hours in bitter close combat. By first light on June 14, both peaks had fallen, and Stanley lay open below. Argentine resistance crumbled as the Gurkhas' fearsome reputation had preceded them.

June 14, 1982 · Stanley, Falkland Islands Theater

With British forces on every ridge overlooking Stanley, Argentine commander General Menéndez entered negotiations with British Major General Jeremy Moore. At 9:00 pm local time on June 14, Menéndez signed the instrument of surrender. Some 11,313 Argentine soldiers laid down their arms — far more than British intelligence had estimated — and were held as prisoners of war before repatriation. The British flag was raised over the Government House in Stanley, and the liberation of the Falkland Islands was complete.