Osprey Men-at-Arms 250 : Argentine Forces in the Falklands

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 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. Nicholas van der Bijl examines the Argentine forces that battled for control of this remote British outpost, accompanied by illustrations by Paul Hannon.

Contents

• The Ground War
• Naval & Marine Units
• Army Units
• Combat Support
• Logistic Support
• Air Force
• The Plates