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APRIL
1st April Thursday
2nd April Friday
Argentina invades the Falkland Islands.
3 Commando Brigade put on alert.
UN Security Council adopts Resolution 502 ordering Argentina to withdraw.
3rd April Saturday
RN ships on Exercise SPRINGTRAIN under command of
Rear Admiral Woodward ordered south from Gibraltar.
Emergency session of the House of Commons.
More...
4th April Sunday
United Nations condemns invasion.
South Georgia captured by Argentine forces.
3 Commando Brigade reinforced by 3 PARA and other Army units.
More...
5th April Monday
Lord Carrington resigns as Foreign Secretary.
HM Ships
Hermes and
Invincible depart Portsmouth.
HMSs
Alacrity and
Antelope, and RFAs Olmeda, Pearleaf and Resource make unannounced departures from other ports.
First Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft arrive on Ascension Island.
More...
6th April Tuesday
Francis Pym appointed Foreign Secretary.
US Secretary of State, Alexander Haig, begins peace shuttle.
HMS Fearless departs Portsmouth.
More...
7th April Wednesday
Britain declares 200 mile exclusion zone around Falkland Islands.
Canberra arrives at Southampton for conversion and to embark stores and troops.
8th April Thursday
HM Ships
Broadsword and
Yarmouth depart Gibraltar.
9th April Friday
Canberra, with 40 and 42 Commando RM, and 3 PARA embarked, and
Elk, with 2000 tons of ammunition, depart Southampton.
10th April Saturday
EEC bans imports from Argentina in support of Britain.
Antrim Group arrives off Ascension.
11th April Sunday
Antrim Group departs Ascension with M Coy 42 Commando embarked.
12th April Monday
13th April Tuesday
14th April Wednesday
Intelligence assessment puts Argentine strength on Falklands at 7,000 men.
Brilliant Group leaves Ascension.
Rear Admiral Woodward leaves Ascension in
HMS Glamorgan, with HM Ships
Alacrity,
Broadsword and
Yarmouth.
HMS Endurance joins Antrim Group and heads for South Georgia.
15th April Thursday
16th April Friday
Main Task Force departs Ascension.
HMS Hermes arrives Ascension.
Admiral Woodward flies to HMS Fearless for talks with
Commodore Clapp and Brigadier Thompson.
Wideawake airfield on Ascension busiest in world that day.
17th April Saturday
C-in-C Fleet,
Admiral Fieldhouse, and
Major General Moore fly to
Ascension to brief
Admiral Woodward,
Commodore Clapp and
Brigadier Thompson.
18th April Sunday
Hermes Group leaves Ascension.
Six RAF
Victor tanker aircraft arrive
Ascension.
19th April Monday
Newly-converted
HM Hospital Ship Uganda departs Gibraltar.
20th April Tuesday
Canberra arrives Ascension.
21st April Wednesday
Antrim Group arrives off South Georgia and begins reconnaissance.
22nd April Thursday
Two Wessex helicopters recovering special forces lost during abortive landing on South Georgia glacier. All rescued under atrocious weather conditions by
HMS Antrim's Wessex.
23rd April Friday
A Sea King helicopter from
HMS Hermes crashes into the sea after dark.
Killed in Action:
PO K S Casey
24th April Saturday
Atlantic Conveyor completes fitting of helicopter decks at Devonport.
HMS Brilliant joins Antrim Group off South Georgia.
25th April Sunday
Argentine submarine Santa Fe damaged by helicopter attacks off South Georgia.
RM and SAS assault on Grytviken; South Georgia recaptured.
HMS Intrepid,
Atlantic Conveyor and
Europic Ferry depart for the South Atlantic.
26th April Monday
27th April Tuesday
Norland, with 2 PARA embarked, and
RFA Sir Bedivere sail from UK.
28th April Wednesday
Antrim Group departs South Georgia leaving
HMS Endurance on patrol.
29th April Thursday
Major General Moore flies to
Ascension to brief
Commodore Clapp and
Brigadier Thompson.
HM Hospital Ship
Uganda leaves Ascension.
30th April Friday
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