April 2, 1982 · Falkland Islands Theater
April 2, 1982
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.
Commanders