Invasion of South Georgia

Last updated

Battle of Grytviken
Part of the Falklands War
Overview of Battle of Grytviken 3rd April 1982.jpg
Grytviken, 3 April 1982
Date3 April 1982 (1982-04-03)
Location
Grytviken, South Georgia Island
Result Argentine victory
Belligerents
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina
Commanders and leaders
Lt. Keith Mills  (POW) Carlos Trombetta
Strength
  • 22 marines
  • 1 survey ship
  • 60 marines
  • 1 corvette
  • 1 survey ship
  • 2 helicopters
Casualties and losses
  • 1 wounded
  • 22 captured
  • 3 killed
  • 9 wounded
  • 1 corvette damaged
  • 1 helicopter shot down

The invasion of South Georgia, also known as the Battle of Grytviken or Operation Georgias, [1] took place on 3 April 1982, when Argentine Navy forces seized control of the east coast of South Georgia after overpowering a small group of Royal Marines at Grytviken. Though outnumbered, the Royal Marines shot down a helicopter and hit the Argentine corvette ARA Guerrico several times before being forced to surrender. It was one of the first episodes of the Falklands War, immediately succeeding the invasion on the Falkland Islands the day before.

Contents

The operation had been prepared on 19 March, when a group of Argentine civilian scrap metal workers arrived at Leith Harbour on board the transport ship ARA Bahía Buen Suceso without the required landing clearance and then raised the Argentine flag. The scrap workers had been infiltrated by Argentine marines posing as civilian scientists. [2] [3]

Prelude

South Georgia SG-Settlements.png
South Georgia

The only British presence at Leith on 19 March was a British Antarctic Survey (BAS) team, whose leader Trefor Edwards handed a message from London to the commander of Buen Suceso, captain Briatore, demanding the removal of the Argentine flag and the departure of the party. At the same time, the Argentine crew had to report to the top BAS commander in Grytviken, Steve Martin. Briatore replied that the mission had the approval of the British embassy in Buenos Aires. [4]

Eventually, the Argentine captain ordered the lowering of the flag, but failed to report to Grytviken. The BAS commander sent a message to the Governor of the Falkland Islands, Rex Hunt (South Georgia being run as a dependency of the Falklands). After consulting London, Hunt was instructed to dispatch HMS Endurance to South Georgia with a detachment of 22 Royal Marines. [5] [6]

ARA Almirante Irizar, first Argentine Navy ship to arrive at Grytviken in December 1981 Q5ARAAlmiranteIrizar.jpg
ARA Almirante Irízar, first Argentine Navy ship to arrive at Grytviken in December 1981

The reason for the landing of scrap metal workmen at Leith was a 1978 contract between a company owned by the Argentine businessman, Constantino Davidoff, and the British company Christian Salvesen for the removal of an abandoned whaling station on the island. [7] [8] Aware of the contract, the Argentine Navy conceived of a plan to hijack Davidoff's business in South Georgia, in order to establish an undercover base on the disputed territory. The action was code named Operation Alpha. [9]

There had been already two other Argentine trips to South Georgia: in December 1981, on board the Argentine icebreaker ARA Almirante Irízar, when Davidoff made an inventory of the facilities; [10] and in February 1982, when an alleged commercial rival of Davidoff, bank employee Adrian Marchessi, made an unannounced visit to Leith. Marchessi assessed Leith facilities on board the Panamanian registered yacht Caiman, which had sailed out of Mar del Plata. [11] He later reported himself to Grytviken, claiming that he was part of Davidoff's scheme and giving the British authorities details of the December inspection and even of early Argentine trips during the 1970s. [12]

The failure of the Argentines to comply with the diplomatic formalities prompted Britain to opt for a small-scale intervention. In the meantime, a formal protest was issued by the British embassy in Buenos Aires. The Argentine Foreign Minister's response appeared to defuse the crisis; the note asserted that the Buen Suceso would soon be leaving, and that the mission had no official sanction at all. [13] By the morning of 22 March Buen Suceso left Leith harbour. However, in the afternoon, a BAS observation post detected the presence of Argentine personnel and passed the information to London. In consequence, the Foreign Office chose to order HMS Endurance to evacuate any Argentine personnel remaining in South Georgia. [14]

HMS Endurance at Mar del Plata naval base, during her trip to the Falklands in February 1982 HMS-Endurance-MDQ-1982.jpg
HMS Endurance at Mar del Plata naval base, during her trip to the Falklands in February 1982

The British moves met with a series of Argentine countermeasures: the corvettes ARA Drummond and ARA Granville were deployed between the Falklands and South Georgia, which would have allowed them to intercept Endurance and remove any Argentine personnel on board. In addition, upon arrival at Leith, Endurance found the Antarctic Survey ship ARA Bahía Paraíso at anchor. This vessel landed a party of 10 naval commandos picked up from South Orkney Islands. [15]

Facing the potential for military action, the Foreign Office sought some sort of compromise. Lord Carrington proposed to his counterpart, Nicanor Costa Méndez, to indulge the workers presence at Leith, given the proper documentation, which could include the stamping of temporary permissions instead of passports, a concession crucial to the Argentine position. The Argentine intention, however, was that the arrival of any of its citizens to South Georgia should follow the procedures agreed on the communications treaty of 1971. Governor Rex Hunt strongly rejected this extension of the agreement, valid only for the Falklands jurisdiction, and raised his concerns to the British government. Costa Mendez left things in limbo; both countries were then on the brink of conflict. [16] [17]

Battle

2 April

Shortly before the Argentine landings on the Falklands, Bahía Paraíso and Endurance were playing a cat-and-mouse game around South Georgia, until 31 March, when the ships lost track of each other. The British plan was that Martin would be in charge until the Argentine forces showed any hostile intentions. If that occurred, Acting Lieutenant Keith Mills, the most senior officer of the Royal Marines party, would take command. A marine under the command of Mills was Robert Charles Ashton, who donated his equipment used in the Battle to the South Georgia Museum in 2013. [18] Mills received a radio message from HMS Endurance relaying instructions from London that he should make only a token resistance to any Argentine violation of British territory. It was reported that he replied "sod that, I'll make their eyes water", [19] although Mills later stated the story was not true. On 2 April, Captain Alfredo Astiz (a leading figure during the Dirty War, whose extradition was requested by France for human rights violations) announced to the Argentine party in Leith that Argentina had taken over the Falklands. [6]

Meanwhile, the Argentine navy ordered the corvette ARA Guerrico to join Bahía Paraíso at Leith, equipped with two helicopters and carrying 40 marines, along with Astiz's team. The aim was the capture of Grytviken. The group would be called Grupo de Tareas 60.1, under the command of Captain Trombetta, on board Bahía Paraíso. [20]

After learning of the fall of Stanley, Mills took urgent measures: his men fortified the beach at King Edward Point, near the entrance of the bay with wire and landmines, and prepared defences around the BAS buildings. Endurance, some miles offshore, would provide communication between the small British detachment and London. The new rules of engagement authorized Mills to "fire in self defence, after warning". A later statement from the British government instructed the marines to "not resist beyond the point where lives might be lost to no avail." [21]

On the other side, the Argentine plans for 2 April in South Georgia were thwarted by poor weather. These plans consisted in the landing of Astiz's special forces on Hope Point, near Grytviken, to secure the arrival of the bulk of the land forces, carried by helicopter. Guerrico would provide naval fire support outside the bay. But the arrival of the corvette was delayed by a storm, so a new course of action was decided for the next day. [22]

According to the new plan, the first landing would be led by Guerrico's Alouette helicopter, followed by three waves of marines on a Puma from Bahia Paraiso. After sending a radio message demanding that the British surrender, Trombetta would order Guerrico to make a thrust into Grytviken harbor, right in front of King Edward Point. The Argentine rules of engagement authorized the corvette to fire her weapons only at request of the landing parties. Astiz's men would remain in the rearguard on board Bahia Paraiso. All the forces involved should avoid enemy casualties as long as possible. [22] Official British historian Lawrence Freedman believes that Trombetta made these provisions thinking he was dealing only with the BAS team. [23]

3 April

At 10:30 GMT, as the weather improved, Bahia Paraiso demanded the surrender of Grytviken. The message intimated that Rex Hunt had surrendered not only the Falklands, but also its dependencies, which was untrue. [6] Lt Mills copied and forwarded the message to HMS Endurance, with the intention of buying time. At the same time, he invited the BAS personnel to take cover inside the local church. By then, the Alouette was overflying Grytviken and Guerrico was making her first entrance into the cove. [24]

According to Mayorga, Captain Carlos Alfonso, commander of Guerrico, hesitated whether or not to expose the corvette in such narrow waters. Mayorga also supports Freedman's speculation about Trombetta's wrong assumptions regarding British military presence around the harbour, citing an official report. Trombetta also had some reservations about the combat readiness of the warship [25] since she had been in dry dock just days before departing from her home base at Puerto Belgrano. [26]

Helicopter shot down

Remains of an Argentine Puma Helicopter which crashed in bad weather during Falklands War.jpg
Remains of an Argentine Puma

The Puma landed a first group of 15 Argentine marines on King Edward point at 11:41, on the opposite side from Shackleton House, where the Royal Marines were entrenched. By then, Guerrico knew that the general area of deployment of the Royal Marines was on the northern shore of the cove's mouth.

The second wave of marines took off from Bahia Paraiso deck on board the Puma at 11:47. The commander of the Argentine group already inland, Lieutenant Luna, requested via Guerrico—he had no direct communication with Bahia Paraiso—that the second wave should be equipped with 60 mm mortars, but the party was already in flight. The landing was to take place to the east of Luna's position, well within the view of the British detachment. [27]

The helicopter was spotted by Mills and his men and met by intense automatic fire. The pilot was able to cross the bay and crash-land on its southern bank. Two men were killed and four wounded. At the same time, Luna's troops started their march towards Shackleton House, but the marines pinned them down with heavy gunfire. [6] Therefore, Luna asked Guerrico for fire support.

ARA Guerrico

ARA Guerrico in 2005 ARAGuerricoP32 (cropped).jpg
ARA Guerrico in 2005

The corvette then carried out her second thrust into the cove, and at 11:55 opened fire. To her commander's disappointment, the 20 mm guns jammed after the first shot, and the 40 mm mounting after firing just six rounds. The 100 mm gun became useless after the first shot. Completely exposed, the warship had no other choice but to go ahead in order to put about. At 11:59, the corvette was hit by small arms fire and at least one anti-tank rocket. [28]

According to Mills, his party opened fire from a distance of 550 metres (1,800 ft). The shooting killed one seaman and injured five others, damaging electrical cables, the 40 mm gun, one Exocet launcher and the 100 mm mounting. All Argentine sources acknowledge that more than 200 small arms rounds hit the corvette. [29] In the meantime, Lieutenant Busson's Alouette had been ferrying more Argentine Marines ashore, out of range of the British weapons. [6]

While the battered Guerrico steered out of the bay, the Argentine troops resumed the exchange of fire with Mills' marines. Corporal Nige Peters was hit twice in the arm. [6] Once she was out of range, Guerrico reopened fire with her 100 mm main gun, now back in service. [30] This convinced Mills that things were over, and he ordered his marines to cease fire. [6] This happened at 12:48 according to Mayorga. [30] Mills approached the Argentine positions waving a white coat, and surrendered, [6] "after achieving his aim of compelling the Argentine troops to use military force." [30] [31] Mills and his men were taken in custody by Astiz's group, who had been left in reserve during the battle. [6] Endurance dispatched one of her helicopters to Cumberland Bay. The aircraft landed there, and spotted an Argentine corvette and a transport ship inside the cove, but found no signs of fighting. Endurance remained in South Georgia waters until 5 April. [31]

Aftermath

The corvette Guerrico, which had lost 50% of her firepower due to combat damage, left Grytviken along with Bahia Paraiso at 03:15 of 4 April, bound for Rio Grande. [32] She spent three days in dry dock for repairs. [33] The marines were disarmed and taken on board Bahia Paraiso, ferried to Rio Grande and then airlifted to Montevideo. [6]

Marine Andrew Michael Lee later said he and the other British prisoners were treated well and there was a feeling of respect between the two sides: "They bore us no malice. They did understand the job we did. They were Marines, like ourselves." [34] They eventually returned to the United Kingdom on 20 April. Some British BAS members working in remote areas continued their activities undeterred until the British reconquest. Wildlife film maker Cindy Buxton and her assistant were evacuated by a helicopter from HMS Endurance on 30 April. [35] She would later reveal that Royal Navy personnel had given her and fellow journalist Annie Price a pistol and that both women had been trained how to use it. [36] The Argentine Navy left a detachment of 55 marines on the island. The 39 scrap metal workers also remained in Leith. [31] South Georgia was retaken by British forces on 25 April 1982, during Operation Paraquet. [37]

In 2013, Michael Poole, seeking reconciliation for his role in shooting down the Puma helicopter, contacted Víctor Ibáñez, president of the Asociación Veteranos Defensores de Malvinas (Veterans' Association of Malvinas Defenders, known as Avedema). Ibáñez, a former marine corporal that fought against Lieutenant Mills's platoon, welcomed Poole with open arms, and he explained, "We're both soldiers, men of honour and knew how to accept the role each one played." [38]

Decorations and honours

The television series The Crown depicts the landing in March of the scrap metal workers on Port Leith and the raise of the Argentine flag. [42] [43]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ "Operación Georgias, por el Comandante del submarino "Santa Fe"". histarmar.com.ar (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  2. ↑ "infiltrated on board, pretending to be scientists, were members of an Argentine naval special forces unit" Nick van der Bijl, Nine Battles to Stanley, London, Leo Cooper p. 8 as reported in Lawrence Freedman, The Official History of the Falklands Campaign: Vol I The Origins of the Falklands War
  3. ↑ "Bahia Buen Suceso set sail for South Georgia on 11 March carrying Argentine Marines" Rowland White, Vulcan 607, London, Bantam Press, p. 30
  4. ↑ Freedman-Gamba, p. 81
  5. ↑ Freedman-Gamba, p. 85
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Britain Small Wars Archived 2007-10-14 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ "Scrap dealer who accidentally set off the Falklands War". BBC. 3 April 2010. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  8. ↑ Freedman-Gamba, p. 74.
  9. ↑ Freedman-Gamba, p. 75.
  10. ↑ Freedman-Gamba, p. 76.
  11. ↑ Insight Team Sunday Times, p. 67.
  12. ↑ Freedman, p. 172.
  13. ↑ Freedman-Gamba, p. 86
  14. ↑ Freedman-Gamba, pp. 87–88.
  15. ↑ Freedman, pp. 183–84
  16. ↑ Freedman-Gamba, pp. 98–99
  17. ↑ Freedman, p. 187.
  18. ↑ "April 2022: Clothing worn during the 1982 conflict". South Georgia Museum. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  19. ↑ de Bruxelles, Simon (24 April 2014). "Falklands hero to sell his medal for bravery". The Times. Times Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  20. ↑ Mayorga, p. 94.
  21. ↑ Freedman, pp. 11–13.
  22. 1 2 Mayorga, p. 97.
  23. ↑ "Apparently under the missapprenhension at this point that, in the absence of Endurance, he was dealing only with the civilian BAS party, Trombetta ordered the corvette Guerrico to close to shore, sent his Alouette helicopter to recconoitre, and loaded the first group of Marines into his other helicopter, a Puma." Freedman, p. 13.
  24. ↑ Freedman, pp. 13–14
  25. ↑ Mayorga, p. 98
  26. ↑ Mayorga, p. 48
  27. ↑ Mayorga, pp. 99–100.
  28. ↑ Mayorga, p. 100.
  29. ↑ Malvinas: Georgias del Sur Archived 14 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  30. 1 2 3 Mayorga, p. 101.
  31. 1 2 3 Freedman, p. 14.
  32. ↑ Mayorga, p. 102
  33. ↑ www.globalsecurity.org
  34. ↑ Outnumbered Marines faced hopeless mission, Manchester Evening News, 13 August 2007
  35. ↑ Buxton, C.; Price, A. (1983). Survival South Atlantic. London: Granada. ISBN   0-246-12087-8.
  36. ↑ "2 Britons Describe Stay on m S. Georgia, London Daily Telegraph, 15 May 1982". Archived from the original on 7 December 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  37. ↑ Freedman, p. 222
  38. ↑ "Malvinas: el increíble reencuentro entre un veterano argentino y un británico". Archived from the original on 5 January 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  39. 1 2 "No. 48999". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 June 1982. pp. 7421–22.
  40. ↑ "No. 49134". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 October 1982. p. 12856.
  41. ↑ Decreto nacional 577/83 - Condecoraciones al personal que ha intervenido en el conflicto armado con el Reino Unido por la recuperación de las Islas Malvinas, Georgias del Sur y Sandwich del Sur (in Spanish)
  42. ↑ "Here's What Really Happened in the Falklands War, as Seen in 'The Crown'". Popular Mechanics. 4 December 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  43. ↑ Rodger, Paul (4 September 2019). "Netflix transforms Scottish harbour into Falklands to film The Crown". The Scotsman . Retrieved 30 November 2023.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands</span> British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI) is a British Overseas Territory in the southern Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote and inhospitable collection of islands, consisting of South Georgia and a chain of smaller islands known as the South Sandwich Islands. South Georgia is 165 kilometres (103 mi) long and 35 kilometres (22 mi) wide and is by far the largest island in the territory. The South Sandwich Islands lie about 700 kilometres (430 mi) southeast of South Georgia. The territory's total land area is 3,903 km2 (1,507 sq mi). The Falkland Islands are about 1,300 kilometres (810 mi) west from its nearest point.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grytviken</span> Place in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, United Kingdom

Grytviken is a hamlet on South Georgia in the South Atlantic and formerly a whaling station and the largest settlement on the island. It is located at the head of King Edward Cove within the larger Cumberland East Bay, considered the best harbour on the island. The location's name, meaning "pot bay", was coined in 1902 by the Swedish Antarctic Expedition and documented by the surveyor Johan Gunnar Andersson, after the expedition found old English try pots used to render seal oil at the site. Settlement was re-established on 16 November 1904 by Norwegian Antarctic explorer Carl Anton Larsen on the long-used site of former whaling settlements.

This article describes the composition and actions of the Argentine naval forces in the Falklands War. For a list of naval forces from the United Kingdom, see British naval forces in the Falklands War.

ARA <i>Santa Fe</i> (S-21) Balao Guppy II class submarine of the Argentine Navy

ARA Santa Fe was an Argentine Balao-class submarine that was lost during the Falklands War. Built by the US during the Second World War, the ship operated in the United States Navy as USS Catfish (SS-339) until 1971 when she was transferred to the Argentine Navy. She served until 1982 when she was captured by the British at South Georgia after being seriously damaged and subsequently sank along a pier, with just her conning tower (sail) visible above the waterline. The submarine was raised, towed out of the bay and scuttled in deep water in 1985.

Alfredo Ignacio Astiz is a convicted war criminal and former Argentine military commander, intelligence officer, and naval commando who served in the Argentine Navy during the military dictatorship of Jorge Rafael Videla during the Proceso de Reorganización Nacional (1976–1983). He was known as El Ángel Rubio de la Muerte, and had a reputation as a torturer. He was discharged from the military in 1998 after defending his actions in a press interview.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corbeta Uruguay base</span> Former Argentine military outpost in the South Sandwich Islands (1976–1982)

Corbeta Uruguay base was an Argentine military outpost established in November 1976 on Thule Island, Southern Thule, in the South Sandwich Islands. It was vacated and mostly demolished in 1982 following Britain's victory against Argentina in the Falklands War.

ARA <i>Bahía Buen Suceso</i>

ARA Bahía Buen Suceso (B-6) was a Bahía Aguirre-class 5,000-ton fleet transport that served in the Argentine Navy from 1950 to 1982. She took part in the Falklands War as a logistics ship tasked with resupplying the Argentine garrisons scattered around the Falkland Islands. Captured by British forces on 15 June after running aground at Fox Bay, she sank in deep waters while being used as target practice by the Royal Navy on 21 October 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Paraquet</span> British military operation to recapture South Georgia in April 1982

Operation Paraquet was the code name for the British military operation to recapture the island of South Georgia from Argentine military control in April 1982 at the start of the Falklands War.

HMS <i>Endurance</i> (1967) Royal Navy vessel

HMS Endurance was a Royal Navy ice patrol vessel that served from 1967 to 1991. She came to public notice when she was involved in the Falklands War of 1982. The final surrender of the war, in the South Sandwich Islands, took place aboard Endurance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands</span>

The history of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is relatively recent. When European explorers discovered the islands, they were uninhabited, and their hostile climate, mountainous terrain, and remoteness made subsequent settlement difficult. Due to these conditions, human activity in the islands has largely consisted of sealing, whaling, and scientific surveys and research, interrupted by World War II and the Falklands War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leith Harbour</span> Place in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, United Kingdom

Leith Harbour, also known as Port Leith, was a whaling station on the northeast coast of South Georgia, established and operated by Christian Salvesen Ltd, Edinburgh. The station was in operation from 1909 until 1965. It was the largest of seven whaling stations, situated near the mouth of Stromness Bay.

There were many events leading to the 1982 Falklands War between the United Kingdom and Argentina over possession of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia.

<i>Drummond</i>-class corvette

The Drummond class are three corvettes designed and built in France based on the A69 D'Estienne d'Orves-class avisos. The ships were commissioned in the Argentine Navy between 1978 and 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Falkland Islands Dependencies</span> Constitutional arrangement regarding the administration of various British dependencies

The Falkland Islands Dependencies was the constitutional arrangement from 1843 until 1985 for administering the various British territories in Sub-Antarctica and Antarctica which were governed from the Falkland Islands and its capital Stanley.

Captain Keith Paul Mills, DSC is a British Royal Marines officer who commanded the defence of South Georgia against the 1982 Argentine invasion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands sovereignty dispute</span>

British sovereignty of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is disputed by Argentina. The United Kingdom claimed South Georgia in 1775, annexed the islands in 1908, and has exercised de facto control with the exception of a brief period during the Falklands War in 1982, when the islands were partially controlled by Argentina. The dispute started in 1927 when Argentina claimed sovereignty over South Georgia, and subsequently expanded in scope with Argentina claiming the South Sandwich Islands in 1938. The islands have no indigenous population, and currently only have about 30 inhabitants.

ARA <i>Guerrico</i> Drummond-class corvette of the Argentine Navy

ARA Guerrico (P-32) is a Drummond-class corvette of the Argentine Navy. She is the first vessel to be named after Rear Admiral Martín Guerrico who fought in the 19th century Paraguayan War.

ARA <i>Granville</i> (P-33) Drummond-class corvette of the Argentine Navy

ARA Granville (P-33) is a Drummond-class corvette of the Argentine Navy named after Guillermo Enrique Granville, who fought in the 1827 Battle of Juncal against Brazil.

ARA <i>Bahía Paraíso</i>

ARA Bahía Paraíso was an Argentine Navy auxiliary ship that sank in 1989, 2 miles (3.2 km) from Palmer Station at Arthur Harbor, Antarctica, resulting in a 170,000 US gal oil spill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Falklands Naval Station</span>

The Falklands Naval Station was the main base of the naval component of Argentina in the Falklands Islands, during the South Atlantic conflict of 1982.

References

54°17′6.86″S36°29′56.62″W / 54.2852389°S 36.4990611°W / -54.2852389; -36.4990611

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.