[GandalfTheGrey]

Basically from my limited knowledge on the subject, Britain came in with a naval invasion force with inadequate air cover. Argentinian planes began to blow the ships out of the water - the invasion force was threatened. By a combination of luck and help from the French, the naval force survived mostly intact - and the retake of the Falklands proceeded successfully. How close were the Argentinians from crippling the British naval force and thereby preventing the retake of the Falklands? What were the main factors that 'saved' the British?

[Thunderhawk]

What were the main factors that 'saved' the British?

Lack of anti-sub weapons by the Argentines, and over estimating British ability.


Im not sure if all the British navy ships had that aluminium weakness.

[Truth-a-naut]

The Argentinians lacks ASW equipment?

The Falklands war is quite interesting. Would Argetina have risked actually escalating the war by wiping out the Brit invasion fleet in the first place? It seemed like it was all half-hearted; they never really used their exocets all that much.

[Potemkin]

The Falklands war is quite interesting. Would Argetina have risked actually escalating the war by wiping out the Brit invasion fleet in the first place? It seemed like it was all half-hearted; they never really used their exocets all that much.

Britain could easily have lost the Falklands War. The outcome of the ground war was never in doubt, but the British fleet was very vulnerable.

And yeah, there was something almost fatalistic and half-hearted about the Argentinian efforts. They actually hadn't planned it all, but just sort of stumbled into it. I don't think they believed the Brits would actually send a fleet to retake the islands. By the time they realised Britain would fight, it was too late to back down.

[Thunderhawk]

The Argentinians lacks ASW equipment?

If you mean anti-sub, then I would say apparantly yes.
If you meant anti-ship, then I would say no.

[Ombrageux]

One or two well-placed exocets is all it would take.. And that would have been the last we would have heard of Iron Mags..

[Potemkin]

One or two well-placed exocets is all it would take.. And that would have been the last we would have heard of Iron Mags..

French-made Exocets.

But yeah, Britain could easily have lost this one. And that would have finished Thatcher politically. People forget just how unpopular Thatcher's government was back in 1982, domestically. The Falklands victory saved her.

[Ombrageux]

France incidentally provided the UK with countermeasures to those exocets, which had that not been done, would have greatly increased the chances of hit on key British vessels and defeat. It represented something of a sacrifice, given how it hurt sales of the missiles. Who would buy exocets in the knowledge that the French might give ways of making them ineffective to your enemies?

[Arthur2sheds_Jackson]

DumbTeen wrote

France incidentally provided the UK with countermeasures to those exocets, which had that not been done, would have greatly increased the chances of hit on key British vessels and defeat. It represented something of a sacrifice, given how it hurt sales of the missiles. Who would buy exocets in the knowledge that the French might give ways of making them ineffective to your enemies?

Awww that's a really nice story of how noble the French were in providing us with them codes, at such a high cost to themselves.

For an alternative view of these events look at this:

Thatcher 'threatened to nuke Argentina'

* Jon Henley in Paris
* The Guardian,
* Tuesday November 22 2005
* Article history

Margaret Thatcher forced François Mitterrand to give her the codes to disable Argentina's deadly French-made missiles during the Falklands war by threatening to launch a nuclear warhead against Buenos Aires, according to a book.

Rendez-vous - the psychoanalysis of François Mitterrand, by Ali Magoudi, who met the late French president up to twice a week in secrecy at his Paris practice from 1982 to 1984, also reveals that Mr Mitterrand believed he would get his "revenge" by building a tunnel under the Channel which would forever destroy Britain's island status.

The book, to be published on Friday, is one of several on France's first Socialist president to mark the 10th anniversary of his death on January 8 1996. Despite a now tarnished reputation, he remains a source of fascination for the French in general and the left in particular. Rendez-vous provides revealing insights into the man's mysterious character, complicated past, paranoia and power complex, but nothing as titillating as his remarks on the former British prime minister.

"Excuse me. I had a difference to settle with the Iron Lady. That Thatcher, what an impossible woman!" the president said as he arrived, more than 45 minutes late, on May 7 1982. "With her four nuclear submarines in the south Atlantic, she's threatening to unleash an atomic weapon against Argentina if I don't provide her with the secret codes that will make the missiles we sold the Argentinians deaf and blind." He reminded Mr Magoudi that on May 4 an Exocet missile had struck HMS Sheffield. "To make matters worse, it was fired from a Super-Etendard jet," he said. "All the matériel was French!"

In words that the psychoanalyst has sworn to the publisher, Meren Sell, are genuine, the president continued: "She's livid. She blames me personally for this new Trafalgar ... I was obliged to give in. She's got them now, the codes."

Mr Mitterrand - who once described Mrs Thatcher as "the eyes of Caligula and the mouth of Marilyn Monroe" - went on: "One cannot win against the insular syndrome of an unbridled Englishwoman. Provoke a nuclear war for a few islands inhabited by three sheep as hairy as they are freezing! But it's a good job I gave way. Otherwise, I assure you, the Lady's metallic finger would have hit the button."

France, he insisted, would have the last word. "I'll build a tunnel under the Channel. I'll succeed where Napoleon III failed. And do you know why she'll accept my tunnel? I'll flatter her shopkeeper's spirit. I'll tell her it won't cost the Crown a penny."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/no ... oks.france

[Ombrageux]

arthur - All I wrote was true, I think if you look at my other posts I am not biased pro-French or blind to their failings. I don't know the reasons Mitterrand helped Thatcher, but it did help Britain, and did hurt parts of the French arms industry.

[Piano Red]

Basically from my limited knowledge on the subject, Britain came in with a naval invasion force with inadequate air cover.

Well...one thing to consider is the carriers.

Hermes was due to be sold to India when the Falklands happened as was one of the Invincibles due to be sold to Australia.

The RN was lucky to get the amount cover they deployed with in the first place.

How close were the Argentinians from crippling the British naval force and thereby preventing the retake of the Falklands?

At the on set of the conflict?

It was pretty damn evenly matched.

All the Argentinians needed to do was either sink or incapacitate the two carriers and the RN would've had no choice but to withdraw.

What were the main factors that 'saved' the British?

A combination of good tactics, training, a decisive amount of initiative in getting the British combat troops to shore despite several setbacks (like having the Amphibious Landing Dock sunk). Not to mention a shipment of AIM-9 Sidewinders from the US at the last second which were used to utterly decimate the Argentinian Air Force whenever they sortied.

[stalker]

Another interesting question. What will happen if Argentina tries to take the Falklands today?

[Decky]

They would be labeled as a "terrorist state" whatever that is Britain would ask for help from the U.S.A who would reply with several rude words and Britain would lose they have to acept that they can't invade huge areas of the world symoltainiously like they used to.

[Oxymoron]

At least not With Marines who surrender at first site of the enemy and then thank the their gracious hosts for their release.

[Ombrageux]

symoltainiously

There's a word.

[hannu]

Another interesting question. What will happen if Argentina tries to take the Falklands today?

Nothing, which is what should happened nearly thirty years ago.

Thatcher had actually done a deal to let Argentina have them back before the War.

[Thompson_NCL]

Britain won't surrender the Falklands. Gibraltar is much more likely to be given back to Spain than the Falklands going back to Argentina.

[hannu]

^^ Thatcher was perfectly happy to hand the Falklands back.http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2005/jun/28/falklands.past

What's changed?

[Potemkin]

What's changed? Lots of dead bodies in 1982.

[hannu]

What's changed? Lots of dead bodies in 1982.

No problem if handled correctly.