Why did Thatcher Sink the Belgrano?

ARA General Belgrano, a cruiser, sank with the loss of 323 lives on 2 May 1982, after Thatcher gave the order to attack it when it sailed near a 200-mile exclusion zone the British had declared around the Falkland Islands.

Was the Belgrano a warship?

The cruiser which was now listing badly to port was a 44-year-old American-built warship that had survived the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. In 1951, it had been sold to Argentina and renamed the ARA General Belgrano. It would not see out 1982 and survive the Falklands War.

How many ships did Argentina sink?

Or so went the thinking in Argentina. Neither of the combatants was prepared for a winter war in the far south Atlantic, and the sudden, unexpected conflict, though brief, was both improvised and lethal: In just two months of hostilities, 891 men died, 132 aircraft were lost, and 11 ships were sunk.

What ship sank in the Falklands War?

It’s been four decades since navy ship HMS Sheffield sank during the Falklands War. The Royal Navy warship was struck by an Argentine missile on May 4 1982, and later sank on May 10 in 1982.

Was sinking the Belgrano a war crime?

It was one of the most bitter controversies of the Falklands war: the sinking of the ageing Argentine cruiser the General Belgrano, with the loss of 323 lives by a British submarine as it steamed out of the British maritime exclusion zone. It was regarded by some as a war crime.

Who fired the torpedo that sank the Belgrano?

THE naval officer responsible for co-ordinating the torpedo attack which sank the General Belgrano during the Falklands War said he had no regrets. Vice admiral Sir Tim McClement was second-in-command of the submarine HMS Conqueror which fired the torpedoes at the Argentinian warship, causing the loss of 323 lives.

How many ships did the Royal Navy lost in the Falklands?

Britain lost five ships and 256 lives in the fight to regain the Falklands, and Argentina lost its only cruiser and 750 lives. Humiliated in the Falklands War, the Argentine military was swept from power in 1983, and civilian rule was restored.

Has General Belgrano been found?

In 2003 a search team aboard Seacor Lenga, crewed by Argentine and British veterans, was sponsored by National Geographic to find the sunken cruiser but failed to locate the ship. The area where General Belgrano sank, that was not found, is classified as a War Grave under Argentine Congress Law 25.546.

How many ships did Argentina use in the Falklands War?

Argentina’s naval fleet Argentine’s core fleet at the start of the Falklands conflict was comprised of six destroyers (two of them Type 42s), three corvettes, one cruiser, one ex-Royal Navy Colossus-Class carrier (the former HMS Venerable) and two submarines (one a modern Type 209, the other a WWII vintage Guppy-type).

How many British planes were shot down in Falklands?

All told, the Falkland Islands campaign took the lives of 255 British troops and three civilians. The Royal Navy and RAF lost 34 aircraft. Yet the Falklands remain part of the British Empire.

How many ships did Argentina lost in the Falklands War?

After several weeks of fighting, the large Argentine garrison at Stanley surrendered on June 14, effectively ending the conflict. Britain lost five ships and 256 lives in the fight to regain the Falklands, and Argentina lost its only cruiser and 750 lives.

Was the Belgrano a war crime?

Did any Harriers get shot down in the Falklands?

The best tribute to the Harrier’s capability lies in the fact that during the entire Falklands campaign only nine Harriers were lost, five shot down by ground fire and four due to accidents. None were shot down in air-to-air combat.

What did Manuel Belgrano do for Argentina?

Manuel José Joaquín del Corazón de Jesús Belgrano y González (3 June 1770 – 20 June 1820), usually referred to as Manuel Belgrano ( Spanish pronunciation: [mãˈnwel βelˈɣɾano] ), was an Argentine economist, lawyer, politician, and military leader. He took part in the Argentine Wars of Independence and created the Flag of Argentina.

What happened to the Belgrano ship?

In less than 30 minutes, the order was given to abandon ship, and Belgrano sank, taking 323 souls with her. In those frantic minutes, as sailors tried desperately to navigate the smoke and fires, 30-year-old Lieutenant Martín Sgut took command of a lifeboat and lowered it into the water.

Did General Belgrano’s initial probe in the direction of the British?

However, while General Belgrano ’s initial probe was in the direction of the British task force, it is extremely unlikely that any British surface ship would have wandered into her patrol area. Having virtually no anti-air or anti-submarine capability, her ability to decisively affect the battle was extremely low.

Was the sinking of the General Belgrano legal?

The sinking of the General Belgrano remains controversial, mostly in Argentina and on the British left. The Argentine Navy and the captain of the Belgrano, however, have maintained that the sinking was legal.