The Official History of the Falklands, Vol 2: The 1982 Falklands War and it's Aftermath (Cabinet Office Series of Official Histories)

888 Pages·2005·5.05 MB·english

by  Sir Lawrence Freedman

THE OFFICIAL HISTORY OF THE
FALKLANDS CAMPAIGN
Volume II: War And Diplomacy
In the second volume of The Official History of the Falklands Campaign, Sir Lawrence
Freedman provides a detailed and authoritative account of one of the most extraordinary
periods in recent British political history and a vivid portrayal of a government at war.
After the shock of the Argentine invasion of the Falklands in April 1982, Margaret
Thatcher faced the crisis that came to define her premiership as she determined to recover
the Islands. The book covers all aspects of the campaign—economic and diplomatic as
well as military—and demonstrates the extent of the gamble that the Government took.
There are important accounts of the tensions in relations with the United States, concerns
among the military commanders about the risks they were expected to take, the problems
of dealing with the media and the attempts to reach a negotiated settlement. War and
Diplomacy describes in dramatic detail events such as the sinking of the Belgrano, the
battle of Goose Green and the final push to Stanley. Attention is also paid to the
aftermath of the war, including the various enquiries, and the eventual restoration of
diplomatic relations with Argentina.
Sir Lawrence Freedman is Professor of War Studies at King’s College London
where he is currently Vice-Principal. He has written extensively on military strategy, cold
war history and contemporary conflict and is a regular newspaper columnist.
WHITEHALL HISTORIES:
GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL HISTORY
SERIES ISSN: 1474–8398
The Government Official History series began in 1919 with wartime histories, and the
peacetime series was inaugurated in 1966 by Harold Wilson. The aim of the series is to
produce major histories in their own right, compiled by historians eminent in the field,
who are afforded free access to all relevant material in the official archives. The Histories
also provide a trusted secondary source for other historians and researchers while the
official records are not in the public domain. The main criteria for selection of topics are
that the histories should record important episodes or themes of British history while the
official records can still be supplemented by the recollections of key players; and that
they should be of general interest, and, preferably, involve the records of more than one
government department.
THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY
Vol. I: The Rise and Fall of a National Strategy, 1945–1963
Alan S.Milward
SECRET FLOTILLAS
Vol. I: Clandestine Sea Operations to Brittany, 1940–1944
Vol. II: Clandestine Sea Operations in the Mediterranean, North Africa and the Adriatic,
1940–1944
Sir Brooks Richards
SOE IN FRANCE
M.R.D.Foot
THE OFFICIAL HISTORY OF THE FALKLANDS CAMPAIGN
Vol. I: The Origins of the Falklands War
Vol. II: War and Diplomacy
Sir Lawrence Freedman
THE OFFICIAL HISTORY OF THE
FALKLANDS CAMPAIGN
Volume II: War and Diplomacy
Sir Lawrence Freedman

LONDON AND NEW YORK
First published 2005 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
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ISBN 0-203-50785-1 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN 0-203-60728-7 (Adobe e-Reader Format)
ISBN 0-7146-5206-7 (Print Edition) (Volume I)
ISBN 0-7146-5207-5 (Print Edition) (Volume II)
ISBN 0-415-36431-0 (Print Edition) (set)
CONTENTS

Illustrations ix
Abbreviations xi
Introduction xvii
Acknowledgements xxiv
Timings xxv

1
SECTION ONE

1 AT WAR 3
2 RESPONSE 13
3 RESOLUTION 502 33
4 THE TASK FORCE 40
5 FIRST ASSESSMENTS 57
6 RULES OF ENGAGEMENT 70
7 NON-MILITARY PRESSURE 76
8 AGAINST BRITAIN 87

99
SECTION TWO

9 OPTIONS FOR A SETTLEMENT 101
10 HAIG’S FIRST VISIT 108
11 HAIG’S SECOND VISIT 121
12 THE HAIG MISSION CONCLUDES 142
13 AFTER HAIG 152

162
SECTION THREE

14 OPERATION SUTTON 164
15 THREATS TO THE TASK FORCE 181
16 RETAKING SOUTH GEORGIA 188
17 PARAQUET IN TROUBLE 200
18 THE BATTLE FOR SOUTH GEORGIA 208
19 THE CARRIER ISSUE 218
20 HOSTILITIES 229
21 THE SINKING OF THE BELGRANO 242
22 SHEFFIELD 252

269
SECTION FOUR

23 THE PERUVIAN INITIATIVE 271
24 BACK TO THE UN 285
25 THE UN MEDIATION 293

323
SECTION FIVE

26 AMERICAN SUPPORT 325
27 CHILE 334
28 THE INFORMATION WAR 342
355
SECTION SIX

29 ENFORCING THE EXCLUSION ZONE 357
30 THE AIR THREAT 366
31 TO SUTTON 378
32 THE LANDING 393
33 BOMB ALLEY 403

418
SECTION SEVEN

34 INTERNATIONAL OPINION 420
35 FINAL DIPLOMACY 436

459
SECTION EIGHT

36 THE CHANGING MILITARY BALANCE 461
37 GOOSE GREEN 468
38 3 COMMANDO BRIGADE 494
39 FITZROY AND BLUFF COVE 505
40 TAKING THE HIGH GROUND 523
41 THE FINAL BATTLE 540
42 SURRENDER 555
43 AFTER VICTORY 564

574
SECTION NINE

44 FORTRESS FALKLANDS 576
45 NEGOTIATIONS 591
46 DIPLOMATIC FISHING 604

613
SECTION TEN

47 THE FRANKS REPORT 615
48 LESSONS 621
49 THE BELGRANO CONTROVERSY 633

ENVOI 642

644
APPENDICES

DRAFT AGREEMENTS 646
BRITISH UNITS IN THE FALKLANDS WAR 659
CASUALTIES 667
EQUIPMENT LOSSES 674
BRITISH GALLANTRY AWARDS 678
Notes 684
Bibliography 714
Index 718
ILLUSTRATIONS
MAPS

1 The Falklands xxv

2 Battle for Stanley 5
3 South Georgia 8
4 The Logistics effort 41
5 Retaking of South Georgia 209
6 The sinking of the Belgrano 247
7 Landing at San Carlos 394
8 Loss of British ships 404
9 Goose Green 485
10 Movement of 3 Commando Brigade 498
11 Movement of 5 Infantry Brigade 507
12 Mount Longdon 532
13 Two Sisters 535
14 Mount Harriet 538
15 Tumbledown 547