April
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MAY
1st May Saturday
Haig peace mission ends in failure. United States backs Britain with offer of military supplies, and sanctions against Argentina.
Major General Jeremy Moore appointed land deputy to C-in-C fleet.
SBS and
SAS patrols land on the Falklands.
Eleven RAF Victor tanker aircraft supporting lone
Vulcan bomber by night, with Royal Navy Sea Harriers at dawn, pound airfields and installations at Stanley and Goose Green.
First air-to-air combats: Three Argentine aircraft shot down, plus two others damaged. No British losses.
HMS
Arrow damaged.
Cunard's flagship,
QE 2 is requisitioned as a troop ship.
2nd May Sunday
Argentine cruiser General Belgrano sunk by torpedoes fired from nuclear submarine HMS
Conqueror.
BAS Survey team and two photographers leave in HMS Antrim and RFA
Tidespring for Ascension.
Russian spy trawler sighted off Ascension.
3rd May Monday
Two Lynx from HMS
Coventry and HMS
Glasgow attack 2 patrol craft and sink the Alferez Sobral.
4th May Tuesday
Sea Harrier shot down attacking Goose Green airfield.
Killed in Action: Lt N Taylor
HMS
Sheffield hit by an Exocet missile.
Killed in Action:
Lt Cdr D I Balfour ,
PO D R Briggs, DSM ,
CA D Cope ,
WEA A C Eggington ,
Sub Lt R C Emly ,
PO R Fagan ,
Ck N A Goodall ,
LMEM A J Knowles ,
L/man Lai C K ,
L/Ck T Marshall ,
PO A R Norman ,
Ck D E Osborne ,
WEA K R F Sullivan ,
Ck A C Swallow ,
CWMech M Till ,
WEM B J Wallis ,
L/Ck A K Wellstead ,
MAA B Welsh ,
Ck K J Williams ,
Lt Cdr J S Woodhead DSC
5th May Wednesday
Eight RAF Harriers of
No 1(F) Squadron arrive on Ascension.
6th May Thursday
Peace efforts led by Peru end in failure.
Two Royal Navy Sea Harriers are lost over the South Atlantic at night in bad weather.
Killed in Action:
Lt W A Curtis ,
Lt Cdr J E Eyton-Jones
Argonaut Group leaves Ascension.
7th May Friday
New peace initiative is launched by United Nations secretary-general, Javier Perez de Cuellar.
Britain widens war zone to within 12 nautical miles of Argentina's coast.
mv Norland, carrying 2 PARA, arrives at Ascension to join Amphibious Task Group.
8th May Saturday
Newly extended Exclusion Zone enforced.
First long range air supply drops to Task Force in South Atlantic.
9th May Sunday
Narwal, an Argentine fishing vessel being used as spy ship, is bombed and strafed by two Royal Navy Sea Harriers, then boarded and sunk.
An Argentine helicopter is shot down by a missile from a British warship.
Military positions around Port Stanley bombarded by British warships.
RFA Sir Bedivere leaves Ascension.
10th May Monday
HMS
Sheffield sinks while under tow to safe anchorage in South Georgia.
Bristol Group leaves UK.
11th May Tuesday
HMS Alacrity sinks supply ship Isla de Los Estados, and continues through Falkland Sound checking for mines.
Argentine Puma shot down.
HM Hospital Ship Uganda arrives off the Falklands and establishes a 'Red Cross Box' with Argentine counterpart, Bahia Paraiso.
12th May Wednesday
United Nations peace talks reported to be making progress.
QE 2 sails from Southampton with 5 Infantry Brigade embarked.
Two Argentine Skyhawk fighter bombers escorting flights into the Falklands are shot down, two others shot down elsewhere.
HMS
Glasgow damaged by a bomb which fails to explode.
A Sea King ditches.
HMS
Cardiff, which was on patrol in the Persian Gulf, leaves Gibraltar for South Atlantic.
Patrolling Nimrod sights Argentine Boeing 707.
3 Commando Brigade Operation Order for landing issued.
HMHS Uganda receives first casualties.
13th May Thursday
Brigadier Thompson, Commander 3 Commando Brigade RM, holds Orders Group meeting in HMS Fearless.
Five minesweeping trawlers leave Ascension.
14th May Friday
'Active Service' declared.
Sir Anthony Parsons, Britain's envoy at the United Nations, and Sir Nicholas Henderson, Britain's ambassador to the United States, fly home from UN peace negotiations for urgent talks with Mrs Thatcher.
15th May Saturday
SAS land by helicopter in Pebble Island off the northern tip of West Falkland, and destroy 11 aircraft on a grass landing strip, plus an ammunition store.
SBS land in Grantham Sound.
16th May Sunday
British ambassadors return to the USA.
Bombardment of military installations in the Falklands by British warships continues.
Two Argentine supply vessels damaged by Sea Harriers in Falkland Sound.
A third Argentine merchant ship, Rio Carcarana, is bombed and strafed in Port King Bay and a supply vessel moored close to Fox Bay settlement is strafed.
17th May Monday
EEC renews sanctions against Argentina for another week: Italy and Ireland lift them altogether.
Argentine Air Force commander Brigadier Lami Dozo warns that British task force will receive 'massive attack' if it sails within range of Argentine weapons.
18th May Tuesday
Hopes fade for a successful outcome to United Nations peace negotiations.
19th May Wednesday
Cabinet approval given for landings.
British troop-carrying helicopter ditches at night between ships in the Task Force, 21 lost.
Killed in Action:
Special Air Service:
Cpl R E Armstrong ,
Sgt J L Arthy ,
WO M Atkinson ,
Cpl W J Begley ,
Sgt P A Bunker ,
Cpl R A Burns ,
Sgt P P Currass QGM ,
Sgt S A I Davidson ,
WO L Gallagher BEM ,
Sgt W C Hatton QGM ,
Sgt W J Hughes ,
Sgt P Jones ,
L/Cpl P N Lightfoot ,
Cpl M V McHugh ,
Cpl J Newton ,
S/Sgt P O'Connor ,
Cpl S J G Sykes ,
Cpl E T Walpole
Royal Navy:
Cpl M D Love DSM
Royal Signals:
Cpl D F McCormack
Royal Air Force:
Flt Lt G W Hawkins
Substantial bombardment of military targets south of Port Stanley and in East Falkland by British warships and Sea Harriers.
20th May Thursday
Royal Navy Sea King helicopter from HMS Invincible crashes on a beach near Punta Arenas in Chile. Crew of three burn their machine and go into hiding, later surrendering and being repatriated.
21st May Friday
D-DAY - From 02:00 Task Force lands several thousand troops at San Carlos Water, 50 miles west of Port Stanley.
Deployment: 40 Commando RM - San Carlos;
45 Commando RM - Ajax Bay;
2 PARA - Sussex Mountains;
3 PARA - Port San Carlos;
42 Commando RM - initially held in reserve.
Diversionary attacks on Goose Green.
Two Royal Marine Gazelles shot down by small arms fire near Port San Carlos.
Killed in Action:
Sgt A P Evans ,
Lt K D Francis ,
L/Cpl B P Giffin
RAF Harrier shot down by SAM, injured pilot ejects and taken prisoner-of-war.
HMS
Ardent abandoned after fierce air attack on British invasion force in Falkland Sound.
Killed in Action:
AB D K Armstrong ,
Lt Cdr R W Banfield ,
AB A R Barr ,
PO P Brouard ,
Ck R J S Dunkerley ,
L/Ck M P Foote ,
MEM S N Ford ,
Std S Hanson ,
AB S K Hayward ,
AB S Heyes ,
WEM S J Lawson ,
MEM A R Leighton ,
AEM A McAuley ,
LS M S Mullen ,
Lt B Murphy ,
LPTI G T Nelson ,
PO A K Palmer ,
Ck J R Roberts ,
Lt Cdr J M Sephton DSC ,
LMEM S J White ,
LMEM G Whitford ,
MEM G S Williams
HMS
Argonaut attacked and bombed in Falkland Sound.
Killed in Action:
AB I M Boldy ,
AB M J Stuart ,
HMS Brilliant, HMS Broadsword and HMS Antrim also damaged, Antrim left with two unexploded bombs in her engine room.
Seventeen Argentine aircraft and four helicopters are shot down.
22nd May Saturday
Field Hospital established at Ajax Bay.
23rd May Sunday
Bridgehead consolidated with 5,000 troops dug in.
HMS Antelope badly damaged and set on fire during air attack in Falkland Sound.
Killed in Action:
Std M R Stephens
Bomb disposal expert killed while attempting to defuse bomb in HMS Antelope. Ship blazes white hot and is abandoned by her 175 crew.
Killed in Action:
Sgt J Prescott CGM
Sea Harrier crashes into sea shortly after night take-off from HMS Hermes.
Killed in Action:
Lt Cdr G W J Batt DSC
Eight Argentine aircraft destroyed.
24th May Monday
Eight EEC nations vote to continue trade boycott of Argentina.
Nine more Argentine aircraft shot down.
25th May Tuesday
UN Security Council debate ends.
Destroyer HMS
Coventry and the Cunard container ship, Atlantic Conveyor, lost during intensive air attacks as Argentine Nation celebrates independence day.
Killed in Action:
HMS Coventry:
MEM F O Armes ,
CWEA J D L Caddy ,
MEA P B Callus ,
A/PO S R Dawson ,
WEM J K Dobson ,
PO M G Fowler ,
WEM I P Hall ,
Lt R R Heath ,
L/man Kye B K ,
WEM D J A Ozbirn ,
Lt Cdr G S Robinson-Moltke ,
LRO B J Still ,
MEA G L J Stockwell ,
WEA D A Strickland ,
AB A D Sunderland ,
MEM S Tonkin ,
Ck I Turnbull ,
WEA P P White ,
WEA I R Williams
ss Atlantic Conveyor:
AEM A J Anslow ,
Seaman Chan C S ,
Bosun J B Dobson ,
CPO E Flanagan ,
Mech F Foulkes ,
Std D R S Hawkins ,
RO R Hoole ,
Mech J Hughes ,
Seaman Ng P ,
Capt I H North DSC ,
LAEM D Pryce ,
Mech E N Vickers
Five Argentine aircraft destroyed.
26th May Wednesday
UN adopts Resolution 505.
2 PARA start advance on Goose Green.
27th May Thursday
263 survivors from HMS
Sheffield arrive home in UK.
Large
SAS patrol flies to Mount Kent.
Shore facilities in San Carlos bridgehead attacked for the first time, leaving 2 UXBs in Field Hospital: 2 Argentine aircraft destroyed.
Killed in Action:
Commando Logistics Regiment:
Mne C Davison
45 Commando, RM:
Mne P D Callan ,
Sgt R Enefer ,
Cpl K Evans ,
Mne P B McKay ,
Mne D Wilson
40 Commando, RM:
Mne S G McAndrews
Royal Engineers:
Spr P K Gandhi
28th May Friday
Port Darwin settlement and Goose Green airstrip attacked by 2 PARA.
Killed in Action:
Parachute Regiment:
Lt J A Barry ,
L/Cpl G D Bingley MM ,
L/Cpl A Cork ,
Capt C Dent ,
Pte S J Dixon ,
Pte M W Fletcher ,
Cpl D Hardman ,
Pte M Holman-Smith ,
Pte S Illingsworth DCM ,
Lt Col H Jones VC OBE ,
Pte T Mechan ,
Cpl S N Prior ,
L/Cpl N R Smith ,
Cpl P S Sullivan ,
Capt D A Wood
Royal Engineers:
Cpl M Melia
RM Scout helicopter in support of 2 PARA shot down by two Pucaras.
Killed in Action:
Lt R Nunn DFC
29th May Saturday
Pope John Paul II begins long-scheduled visit to Britain.
Argentine forces surrender at Goose Green, up to 1,400 taken prisoner.
All 67 wounded from 2 PARA survive and are flown out to HMHS Uganda.
Argentine Hercules transport aircraft drops bombs on mv
British Wye, 400 miles north of South Georgia. No damage.
30th May Sunday
The men who died freeing Port Darwin and Goose Green are buried together in a mass grave on the hill above the Field Hospital at Ajax Bay.
Royal Marines advancing towards Port Stanley capture Douglas Settlement and Teal Inlet.
Maj. Gen. Moore arrives in Falklands.
Argentine air attacks resume on Task Force.
RAF Harrier damaged by ground fire during attack on Stanley, ditches at sea, pilot rescued.
31st May Monday
UN Secretary General presents new peace plan.
Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre (RM) attack Argentine Special Forces at Top Malo House.
Task force troops reach Mount Kent, 12 miles west of Port Stanley.
Argentine aircraft attack British ships with bombs and missiles but are beaten off without damage or casualties.
Two Skyhawk aircraft shot down.
mv Atlantic Conveyor, devastated by Exocet missile on May 25, sinks under tow.
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