#OTD 3 Commando Brigade leave Portsmouth for the #Falklands aboard SS Canberra.

A section of BBC News from 9th April 1982: the Soviet Union describe the UK’s task force as "an immediate threat to international peace"

Fascinating to watch, the rest can be found here:

A CIA brief from 9th April states "the Argentines are reportedly lengthening the air strip in Port Stanley to accommodate A-4, MIRAGE, PUCARA, and C-130 aircraft and reinforcing the island with additional troops and air defence equipment"

ITN News at Ten from 9th April 1982. Full headlines here:

#OTD 10th April 1982, the European Economic Community approved trade sanctions on Argentina, to come into force on the 16th.

New York Times piece from that day found here: https://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/11/world/europeans-ending-argentine-imports-in-falkland-crisis.html

BBC News headlines from the day

U.S. Secretary of State Alexander Haig arrives in Buenos Aires to continues mediation talks.

His arrival coincided with tens of thousands of Argentinians gathering at the Plaza de Mayo to show their support for President Leopoldo Galtieri.

Falklands #OTD 11th April.

HMS Splendid and HMS Spartan arrive inside the 200 mile Maritime Exclusion Zone (MEZ). They subsequently site Argentine activity, but are ordered not to engage to ensure their presence remains secret.

Quick word on the MEZ.

Covered a circle of radius 200 nautical miles (370 km) from the centre of the Falkland Islands.

The British government stated that all aircraft and vessels inside the zone "will be regarded as hostile and are liable to be dealt with accordingly".

That said, the government made clear that activity anywhere in the South Atlantic would also be responded to.

This was particularly important when on April 22 an unmarked Argentine Air Force Boeing 707 flew over HMS Hermes.

Harriers were scrambled and the 707 turned back.

Archive story on that here: https://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/22/world/argentine-plane-is-reported-to-circle-british-fleet.html

Interview on BBC radio on 11th April, Foreign Secretary Francis Pym is asked whether Argentine vessels will be sunk if found within the exclusion zone.

Pym replies "That is the position"

HMS Antrim leaves Ascension Island en route for South Georgia with M Company 42 Commando on board.

Antrim was the flagship of Operation Paraquet, the mission to recapture South Georgia. More on that another day....

U.S. Secretary of State sends a telegram to London urging Thatcher not to escalate until she’s seen Argentina’s proposals.

"Confrontation must be avoided at all costs until you have been able to consider this draft proposal"

"Some progress has been made"

Thatcher was typically robust with her response.

"Argentina is the aggressor, and is still trying to build up the occupying force in the Falklands. The Argentine Government has had plenty of warning".

#OTD Falklands 12 April 1982.

Haig returns to London to continue shuttle diplomacy.

On his arrival he receives info from Washington that there are 34 Soviet fishing vessels around the Falklands that are providing intelligence to the Soviet Union. This would force the US hand.

He also receives a phone call from Buenos Aires telling him not to return unless the UK concedes.

Shuttle diplomacy at this stage seems hopeless, but Haig maintains that he’s keen to continue.

"The talks have been exceedingly difficult, but some progress has been made" he says.

Thatcher receives a letter from her Japanese counterpart Zenko Suzuki, who says "We strongly hope that the withdrawal of the Argentine forces will be promptly realized"

Also on this day, the submarine HMS Spartan arrives 'on station' just off Port Stanley

The BBC New headlines from the day

Excellent update from Keith Graves, the BBC’s Diplomatic Correspondent. Definitely watch it all.

The UK’s "message to the Argentine’s is the same: get out, or be put out".

Falklands #OTD 13 April

Few quick things:
-New Zealand bans all Argentine imports
-Negotiations between Alexander Haig and Thatcher continue
-Planning meeting at the Ministry of Defence to discuss Op Paraquet (recapture the island of South Georgia)

The Director of Brazil’s National Intelligence Service General Medeiros meets with the British Ambassador to Brazil George Harding (pictured).

Medeiros describes the Argentine invasion as "completely crazy and incomprehensible".

At a meeting of the OAS Permanent Council, the Venezuelan representative states that Argentina has a "total right" to defend its territory.

He adds that the Security Council's Resolution 502 is biased against Argentina.

@ChathamHouse doc on this: https://www.jstor.org/stable/40395423?socuuid=fcfdc4fb-462e-4b0c-bebe-858bb1c20927&socplat=twitter

Not a particularly busy day.

Tomorrow there would be debate in the House of Commons, accompanied by more task force progress.

More on that tomorrow.

Oh, and one last thing.

Found this picture today - if anyone has any details please let me know.

Obviously Portsmouth. Not sure which ship.

Maroon berets so probably Paras?

Falklands #OTD 14 April 1982: time for an Ascension Islands update.

Without Ascension, and specifically Wideawake Airfield, the operation to retake the Falklands would not have been a success.

It served two purposes: logistic support for the ships AND a base for RAF aircraft.

For those interested, there’s an excellent @thinkdefence piece on some of this https://www.thinkdefence.co.uk/ascension-island-1982-falklands-conflict/

As ships started to arrive, Ascension was used to move supplies between ships and from the airfield to ships.

Air transport to and from Ascension was provided by VC-10, C-130’s and even a number of ex-RAF Belfast’s chartered from Heavy Lift Cargo Airlines.

Supplies were also flown in via USAF C-5 Galaxy, including (secret at the time) new air-to-air AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles for the Harriers.

The US "moved us to the head of the queue" for missile delivery - Rear Admiral Woodward.

"The special relationship was alive and well".

12 RAF C-130 Hercules had flown to Ascension via Gibraltar and Dakar on 3rd April, bringing stores and personnel that allowed the base to be established.

It was hardly ideal: one runway, no parallel taxiways, only one jetty for ships.

Two shops, both run by NAAFI.

HMS Hermes and two of her escorts HMS Broadsword and HMS Yarmouth at Ascension.

The fuel storage facility on Ascension was controlled by the US.

On 13 April the US agreed that British forces could use 950,000 gallons of the 12.5 million gallons stored on the island

Sappers from the Royal Engineers built a pipeline to connect the fuel farm to the airfield.

The station commander at RAF Marham Group Captain Price became the senior officer on Ascension.

Security at Ascension was vital, although the few residents were reportedly keen to help British troops on the island.

It was kept fairly secret at the time, but the Task Force waited days at Ascension. Canberra stayed for two weeks.

Ships had sailed so hurriedly that all none of the equipment was organised.

The number of personnel on the island increased to just under 1,000, of whom around 120 were Navy, 60 were British Army, and 800 were RAF.

This was too many for the island’s fresh water supply, so bottled water had to be flown out.

Cargo planes were arriving at a rate of 8 per day, and stores were poorly labeled in the hurry to get them south.

As a result, D Squadron 22 SAS helped themselves to special ammunition and weapons belonging to 3 Commando Brigade, which they thought was just lying around.

Troops trained on the island too - in one day, a 3 Para platoon fired 37 year’s worth of training rounds....

Soldiers also had to learn landing craft assaults.

Here’s 2 Para in fashionable orange lifejacks conducting a hasty landing craft 101 lesson.

They would later be first ashore at San Carlos....

Each unit also had an afternoon on the beach

(Having also swum in the sea at Ascension, I can confirm it’s as nice as it looks)

In preparation of expected combat losses (in reality not a single one was lost through air to air combat), a ship was needed to transport Harriers south.

#OTD 14 April the SS Atlantic Conveyor was requisitioned to carry extra Harriers.

In 10 days, the ship was converted to carry Harriers, helicopters, munitions and vehicles.

14 April: Margaret Thatcher makes a speech to the House of Commons (audio in full here https://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/110948 )

"We seek, and shall continue to seek, a diplomatic solution".

[But] "diplomatic efforts are more likely to succeed if they are backed by military strength".

She announces "HMS Intrepid is being recommissioned for operational service. She will significantly add to the amphibious capability of the task force now entering the South Atlantic, which already contains her sister ship HMS Fearless".

Falklands #OTD 15 April 1982.

US President Ronald Regan speaks to President Galtieri in a phone call.

He then reports back to Thatcher: "General Galtieri reaffirmed to me his desire to avoid conflict with your country".

"He said that the advance of your fleet and the blockade of the islands were making his situation difficult".

Shuttle diplomacy was continuing through Secretary of State Alexander Haig.

Argentina submits proposals to the US Embassy in Buenos Aires:

1) Withdrawal of forces from FKL
2)Royal Navy to retreat 3,000 nautical miles from FKL
3)to carry out "decolonisation" of FKL, to be complete by 31 December 1982
4) in interim, Argentine appointed governor

The crucial bit of this document: "The Argentine flag shall continue to fly over the Islands"

That wasn’t going to be acceptable to the UK