Deep Dive
Shownotes Transcript
It's the early morning of the 21st of May 1982. Huddled in landing craft, British Marines and paratroopers are about to hit the beach. It's the first step to retaking the Falkland Islands, a scrap of British territory on the far side of the world that had been all but forgotten, before being seized by Argentina seven weeks before. The first British units land without a shot being fired. Hopes rise that they're going to achieve complete surprise over the Argentinians, but the relief doesn't last long.
At 9.25, just after dawn, nine Argentinian Air Force dagger jets scream over the rough bowl of hills surrounding San Carlos water, which is crammed with British ships. For the rest of the day, showing great skill and bravery, the Argentine pilots launch wave after wave of attacks. It seems impossible that their bombs won't hit the cruise liner-turned-troop ship Canberra, which, at more than 40,000 tons, towers over the rest of the ships like a great white whale.
But miraculously, it survives. Others are not so lucky. As the Antarctic night descends, the harbour is choked with smoke from burning British ships. Six warships have been hit and one, the frigate HMS Ardent, sent to the bottom.
But all the troops are ashore, the Rapier missile air defence batteries are being set up and the British Expeditionary Force is ready to start the most daunting challenge the military has faced since the Second World War.