Osprey Men-at-Arms 133 : Battle for the Falklands (1) : Land Forces

The Falkland Islands and their dependency of South Georgia are a group of rocky, barren islands in the south-west corner of the South Atlantic Ocean. They have a population of about 1,800 souls, 1,000 of them living in the little 'capital' of Stanley and the remainder scattered around the heavily indented coasts in isolated, more or less self-sufficient sheep-farming settlements. In early 1982 the announcement of the imminent withdrawal of the Royal Navy's ice patrol ship HMS Endurance, and various other marks of apparent inattention, prompted the current military Junta in Buenos Aires to suppose that a military grab would be allowed to succeed without more than token resistance. Such an adventure was attractive as a distraction for the Argentine public at a time of soaring inflation and political unease. On the night of 1/2 April 1982, the Junta led by Gen. Leopoldo Galtieri made its move. On 3 April British Prime Minister Mrs. Margaret Thatcher faced an appalled and furious House of Commons to announce that Argentine armed forces had landed on British sovereign territory; had captured the men of Royal Marine detachment NP8901; had run up the Argentine flag at Government House; and had declared the islands and their population to be Argentine. William Fowler details the land forces of the Falklands War with numerous photographs and eight full page colour plates by Michael Chappell accompanied by eight pages of commentaries on uniforms. The companion books are Men-at-Arms 134 : Battle for the Falklands (2) : Naval Forces and Men-at-Arms 135 : Battle for the Falklands (3) : Air Forces.

Contents

• Introduction
• Chronology
• The Invasion
• The Task Force and its Opponents
• South Georgia and Pebble Island
• San Carlos and After
• Conclusion
• The Plates