N a v a l O r d e r o f t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s – S a n F r a n c i s c o C o m m a n d e r y Mission: History Studiorum Historiam Praemium Est

2 April 2001 HHHHHH Volume 3, Number 4 1801: Nelson Defeats Danes

Nelson’s squadron sails to meet the Danish Line in the King’s of the enemy line, the next ship would sail one ship further, and Deep off Copenhagen. In the plan developed with his captains, so on. All of the Danish ships save the last one would come un- the lead ship would anchor opposite an opponent near the center der fire from more than one English ship, some from many.

During the Napoleonic era some interest to do so. That has been the the wars they seek to prevent. 200 political treaties were entered lot of treaties since biblical times and Thus it was with the treaty that into between and among European remains so today. formed the Second League of Armed nations, all aimed at preserving the Some historians argue, with the Neutrality, signed by Russia, Prussia, peace or assisting an ally in resisting benefit of the hindsight that attends Sweden and Denmark in December aggression by an enemy. Every one their calling, that treaties, apart from 1800. Intended to challenge claims of them was abrogated by one of the those for commercial or administra- of the British Admiralty to the right parties when it was in its national tive purposes, are as dangerous as of its naval captains to board and (Continued on page 2) Page 2 M i s s i o n : Hi s to r y 2 April 2001 Joining Danes, Russians With French Could End British M astery of Sea

(Continued from page 1) search for contraband any vessel bound for France, this treaty resulted within four months in the ruin of the Danish fleet and denied to France the possibility of a coalition to oppose England. While Napoleon expressed his pleas- ure with the armed neutrality pact, Eng- land viewed it with alarm, for the com- bined navies of Russia and Denmark, joined with that of France, could end its mastery of the seas. To the English, the Royal Navy was the only barrier to an invasion by Bonaparte. The Danish fleet lay at Copenhagen, some two dozen ships most of which were arranged in a line in a deep water channel called the King’s Deep. This channel was separated from the citadel by an un-navigable sand bar and from the Øersund (sound) by a shoal called the Middle Ground. The Danes were convinced there was insufficient room in the King’s Deep for more than one line of ships. At the northeast end of the Danish line was the Trekroner Fort, a 66-gun battery built in open water. The English selected carefully the ships of a fleet that would punish the Danes. There would be the majestic ships of the line, of course – 98-gun three-deckers capable of dealing with any enemy afloat – but their deep draughts would keep them from dealing young wife, who would today be called other 12. Parker was under orders to go with the defenses of Copenhagen or the a “trophy wife,” but was referred to to Copenhagen, demand that the Danes Danish fleet. For this, two-decker ves- throughout the fleet as “batter pudding.” withdraw from the League of Neutrality, sels carrying between 54 and 74 guns Moreover, Nelson had been in the Medi- and, if rebuffed, destroy the Danish fleet. would be used., supplemented by other terranean for years and was accustomed The British reached the west coast of shallow-draft ships that in the event to its warmth – the Baltic, an area he had Jutland on the 17th and then sailed were not used. Among these latter were not visited since he had been a junior around the Skaggerak, into the Kattegat gun barges, to be used for bombardment captain, presented a bleak prospect. Nel- and southward through the narrow strait of Copenhagen, should it be a necessary son suspected that the Admiralty was that separates Swedish Hälsingborg from inducement to withdrawal from the bent on separating him from Lady Danish Helsingör (Hamlet’s Elsinore). Armed Neutrality treaty. Emma Hamilton, with whom he had South of this strait, the British were fired Admiral Sir Hyde Parker was placed returned from the Mediterranean, in the on without effect by the guns of Kron- in charge of the force, and under him company of Sir Edward Hamilton. He borg Castle. At about noon on 30 March, was Vice Admiral, the Viscount Horatio was justified. Parker anchored near the island of Hven, Nelson, hero of the Nile. On 12 March 1801, Parker hoisted his five miles north of Copenhagen. Nelson did not rejoice in his assign- flag in HMS London and sailed from During that afternoon, Parker, Nelson ment. He had served under Parker before Yarmouth with 26 ships of the line, and Rear Admiral Thomas Graves stud- and had not been impressed by the eld- seven frigates and 23 smaller vessels. It ied the Danish position. Nelson, despair- erly admiral’s character or resolution. was not an overwhelming force, for in ing of Parker leading the fleet into a Parker was 20 years Nelson’s senior and addition to Denmark’s 28 warships, Rus- fight, offered to take ten of the smaller very wealthy. He had also taken a very sia had 48 in the Baltic and Sweden an- ships of the line into the King’s Deep to (Continued on page 4) 2 April 2001 M i s s i o n : Hi s to r y Page 3 1982: Argentine Attempt to Seize Falkland Islands Fails British Reaffirm Ancient Claim to Distant Colony; Enem y Dictator Toppled

When, on the morning of 2 April 1982, Argentine soldiers landed by heli- copter near Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands, it was the beginning of an unde- clared war between Great Britain and Argentina, but it wasn’t the landing that started the war. Argentina had for more than a century and a half chafed at the view of a British colony close to its shores, and claimed the Falklands as Histories of Argentina, written by English navigator John Davis may have theirs, calling them Islas las Malvinas Argentine scholars, claim that Estêvão been the first person to sight the islands (and how they got that curious name will Gómez, Portuguese captain of the ship in 1592 [emphasis added], but adds that be revealed as we go on). San Antonio on Magellan’s expedition, the Dutchman Sebald de Weerdt made Argentina claimed the islands on the sighted the islands in 1522. But Gomez the first undisputed sighting around basis that Argentina was a former colony had mutinied shortly after Magellan en- 1600. Everyone agrees that the English of Spain and so were the islands. Great tered the straits that now bear his name captain John Strong made the first land- Britain claimed the islands on the basis and had sailed home to Seville. Gomez ing in the islands in 1690, and named the of discovery, settlement and conquest, had reported that the straits were but a sound between the two islands after Vis- hard arguments to argue against. Much bay and did not mention the islands. count Falkland. But Strong didn’t set up of the argument centered on who found Gomez left no written record. camp – that did not happen until the them first. The Encylopaedia Britannica says the French navigator Louis-Antoine de Bou- gainville founded a small settlement on the east island in 1764 and the British settled the west island a year later. The French set up a fishing business on their island and brought workers from the areas of Brittany and Normandy around St. Malo to run it. They infor- mally named the islands after their home, calling them the Iles Malouines. In 1767, when the Spanish bought out the French, they adopted the name which in Spanish became Islas las Malvinas. Three years later, in 1770, the Spanish directed the British to leave the west island. A Captain Hunt, the officer in charge of the very small British garrison, responded as only an Englishman could: I have received your letters by the officer, acquainting me that these islands and coasts thereof belong to the King of Spain, your Master. In return I am to acquaint you that the said islands belong to His Britannic Majesty, My Master, by right of discovery as well as settlement and that the subject of no other power whatever can have any right to be settled in the said islands without leave from His Britannic Majesty or taking oaths of alle- The Royal Navy sent to the Falklands a task force as strong as the entire Argentine navy, giance and submitting themselves to His which was kept bottled up in port throughout the conflict. Here, one guided missile de- stroyer and three frigates steam in the South Atlantic. Majesty’s Government as subjects of the Crown of Great Britain. (Continued on page 7) Page 4 M i s s i o n : Hi s to r y 2 April 2001

The battle is not yet fully joined, as Nelson’s line continues to unfold the Danish ships had been enlisted a day or two before the clash. against the Danes. In the days before the battle, patriotic fervor had As Danish men fell in battle, more volunteers went directly from the gripped Copenhagen, and at least 25 percent of the men manning streets to the guns.

When the battle came, a full quarter of No. 2 (also a 64-gun battery). The Aga- Nelson Would Take the Danes manning their ships had less memnon to anchor abreast of No. 1. Bel- than a week’s service. lona, Elephant, Ganges, Monarch, Defi- 12 Ships into Battle The British sailors were battle- ance, Russell, Polyphemus, to take their hardened veterans, with no less patriot- station and anchor as is prescribed by the following arrangement. Against Dane’s 18 ism that their adversaries. And their gun- nery was superb. But Nelson’s task was It is apparent that, by the time Nel- son’s squadron was in place, all the Dan- (Continued from page 2) formidable, nonetheless. With just 12 ish ships save the first in line would attack the enemy. Eventually, Parker ships under his command, he was to have been fired on by a moving target. agreed and added two ships to Nelson’s destroy or capture 18 ships, all under the The wind had shifted so that it was di- squadron. He would stand off the harbor cover of a 66-gun battery. It was also his rectly behind the British and there is mouth in his heavier ships to cut off any own idea. little doubt that Nelson saw the similar- Danish ships making for sea. The Dan- Between 9:45 and 10:15 a.m. on 2 ity with the shoals of Aboukir but here ish navy, under the command of Captain April 1801, Nelson, his flag in HMS there was no pilot to guide him and three Olfert Fischer, had placed 18 ships in a Elephant, headed for the King’s Deep. of his ships ran aground, weakening his line extending southwest from the Trek- His captains knew where they were go- force. roner Battery, a position that would ing – Nelson’s orders, as always, were The first shot was fired at around guard Copenhagen from an approach explicit and had been given with the full 10:30 a.m. and soon there was heavy from that quarter. agreement of his “band of brothers.” cannonading, one side against the other. Nelson, however, was convinced that Here is one paragraph: Though many of the Danish guns were the best way to attack was from that di- These ships are to fire in passing onto manned by “sailors” recruited only days, rection, but his problem was getting au- their stations: Edgar, Ardent, Glatton, or even hours, before the battle, they did thorization to start. The Danes were well Isis, Agamemnon are to lead in succes- sion. The Edgar to anchor abreast of No. not need knowledge of the sea to man aware of the British presence and there 5, (a 64-gun ship made into a floating their guns and gave almost as good as was great activity in Copenhagen. Patri- battery). The Ardent to pass the Edgar, they got from the experienced English otic fervor gripped the city and volun- and anchor abreast of No. 6 and 7. The gunners. Remarking on a shot that went teers flocked to naval service. Defenses Glatton to pass the Ardent, and anchor through Elephant’s rigging, Nelson said were built and the ships were equipped. abreast of No. 9 (another 64 turned into a battery). The Isis to anchor abreast of to his flag captain “It is warm work, and 2 April 2001 M i s s i o n : Hi s to r y Page 5

In this Nicholas Pocock painting, the two lines are fully engaged. them unconcerned about sails or rigging. The Danes gave as good Many of the Danish ships had been converted to floating batteries, as they got, and the issue was far from settled when Nelson bluffed with additional guns mounted, and their captains were able to fight the Crown Prince into surrender. this day may be the last to any of us at a Random House): art reported, said: "You know, Foley, I moment – but, mark you, I would not be On the quarterdeck of the Elephant have only one eye – I have a right to be elsewhere for thousands.” But he rued Lieutenant Langford, turning his tele- blind sometimes" and then with the the circumstances that deprived him of scope on the distant flagship, saw the archness peculiar to his character, putting signal through the smoke, and called to the glass to his blind eye, he exclaimed, one of the greatest of British advantages "I really do not see the signal!" – superior seamanship. He later wrote Nelson that she was flying the signal to discontinue the action. The admiral ap- Nelson knew he had the battle won, “Here was no maneuvering; it was peared not to have heard and when the but his squadron was still in a dangerous downright fighting.” But after two hours, lieutenant shouted again, called back situation, squeezed between the Danish the Danish line began to crumble, as irritably: "Mr. Langford, I told you to line and the shoals of the Middle some ships had surrendered and two look out on the Danish commodore and Ground. He also knew he needed a vic- were pounded out of action. let me know when he surrendered; keep tory, for with the wind behind him the To Sir Hyde Parker, viewing the fight your eye fixed on him." only way out of the King’s Deep was from the quarterdeck of London, things At this, the dutiful Langford asked a past the Trekroner Battery with its 66 did not appear to be going well at all. question that could not be ignored: should he repeat the Commander-in- big guns. Nelson said he would make short work Chief's signal to the other ships? "No, Here it is well to remember that Nel- of the Danes, completing the job in acknowledge it," snapped Nelson, then son’s objective of destroying the Danish about an hour. After two and one-half asked whether his own signal for "close fleet was only part of the British mis- hours, Parker could see no progress action" was still hoisted. Being told it sion. The overall objective of forcing the through the smoke of battle. Through his was he ordered: "Mind you keep it so." Danes to abandon the Treaty of Armed glass, he could see signals requesting Then, walking to and fro nervously Neutrality might require placing the gun assistance flying from the three ships working the stump of his right arm, he barges near to Copenhagen, and a lot of which had run aground. It was fully in stopped by Colonel Stewart and said, Danish vessels, many of which had sur- keeping with the irresolute commander’s "Do you know what's shown on board of the Commander in Chief? No. 39!" rendered, were in the way. character that he should order the signal Asked what that meant, he replied, Nelson saw another way out, and “Discontinue the action” to be hoisted. "Why, to leave off action! Now damn me hoisted a white flag of truce, indicating What followed was the most famous if I do!" he wanted to communicate with the Dan- incident in history where disobedience Then, he turned to Captain Thomas ish Captain Fischer. To his opposite, he of an order led to victory. Foley, who had commanded HMS Goli- wrote: This is how Tom Pocock describes ath at The Battle of The Nile and was To the brothers of the Englishmen, the the incident in Horatio Nelson (1987, now Nelson’s flag captain, and as Stew- Danes, Lord Nelson has directions to (Continued on page 6) Page 6 M i s s i o n : Hi s to r y 2 April 2001 Crown Prince Frederick Takes the Bait 1909: 90 Degrees North; Peary Reaches the Pole View from Shore Appalling; on shore to treat with the Crown Prince. Frederick had only then learned of the On 6 April 1909, Commander Robert Nelson’s Offer to Spare assassination on 23 March of the Rus- E. Peary became the first man to plant sian Czar, Paul I, who had been the force his toes on the North Pole. He had only Danish Sailors Ends Battle behind the Armed Neutrality pact. Be- two to plant, having lost the other eight (Continued from page 5) lieving that treaty was doomed without to frostbite on previous attempts to reach spare Denmark, when no longer resisting; the Czar’s 48 warships, Frederick agreed the pole. but if firing is continued on the part of to withdraw from the League. An armi- The 52-year-old Peary had with him Denmark, Lord Nelson will be obliged to stice was negotiated and signed on 9 Matthew Alexander Henson, a gentle- set fire to all floating batteries he has April. man of color who over an 18-year period taken, without having the power of sav- The British government confirmed had accompanied Peary on seven pre- ing the brave Danes who have defended Nelson’s arrangements and he eventually them. returned home a hero. But he had diffi- Though written in the heat of battle, culty leaving Copenhagen. As soon as he the note bore Nelson’s seal, as if he were returned to his flagship, he set to work sitting at his desk at home. Throughout moving his squadron out of the king’s his life, he claimed the message was Deep. His own Elephant, as well as De- written out of a desire to spare the Dan- fiance, went aground almost under Trek- ish sailors, but it was a bluff, and an roner’s guns, and Désirée, going to the English God was dealing the cards. aid of two ships that had grounded ear- When Nelson’s messenger reached lier, got into difficulties herself. It was shore, he delivered the note not to good for Nelson that he had secured the Fischer but to the Danish Crown Prince armistice. With Denmark neutralized, Parker still had Sweden and Russia to deal with, so the British fleet searched for the Swedish navy, finding it moored across the mouth of the harbor at Carlskrona. Parker arrived off the port on 20 April and was assured by the Swedish Admiral Commander Robert E. Peary Palmquist that his country was ready to paratory expeditions, four Eskimos and come to terms. Parker was then replaced 40 dogs. Their journey had taken them by Nelson who set sail for Revel, and a 413 nautical miles across the frozen Arc- showdown with the Russians, but three tic Ocean from the tip of Greenland, days after leaving Carlskrona received which they had identified. They found word that the new Czar, Alexander I, along the way a 35-ton meteorite now had ordered his fleet to abstain from displayed in the Museum of Natural His- hostilities. The League of Armed Neu- tory. By searching through holes in the trality had proved less durable than the ice, they established that no land mass paper upon which it was written. existed under the polar cap. M:H For the next six years, the small king- dom of Denmark struggled to maintain its neutrality between Great Britain, with the remnants of the French. This which controlled the North Sea, and time, the British sent a massive fleet A photograph of a full figure of Lord Nel- Russia, which controlled the Baltic, under Admiral Lord James Gambier, son, the centerpiece of the Nelson gallery while all the time becoming neither with 27,000 troops embarked. Nelson at the Royal Naval Museum. friendly with France nor sufficiently was gone, having lost his life in his vic- unfriendly to invite invasion by Bona- tory at Trafalgar in 1805, but Gambier Frederick, who had been observing the parte. Generally, the Danes favored Na- was a distinguished officer, having battle and from his vantage point saw poleon, but he was too ardent a suitor so served under Lord Richard Howe at the only wreckage in the Danish line. they refused his repeated urging that Glorious First of June in 1794. Using the Without consulting Fischer, who they join his league. troops to lay siege to Copenhagen, Gam- knew the true situation and believed the After the 1807 Peace of Tilsit, an- bier forced the Danish General Peymann British might punish his forces but could other short-lived treaty, Napoleon sent to sue for a truce on 5 September 1807. not break them, the Crown Prince ac- Denmark a message insisting upon the On 7 September, a convention was cepted the cease fire. The action sput- complete exclusion of British trade and signed and Gambier sailed for England – tered on until 3:15, when Nelson went the cooperation of its newly rebuilt navy with the Danish fleet. M:H 2 April 2001 M i s s i o n : Hi s to r y Page 7 Portugal, Spain, Britain, France, even U.S., have Roles in Falklands’ History Argentine school children were taught proved immensely popular. Galtieri was No Nation was Quite Sure that the Islas las Malvinas had been sto- once again a hero and there were mas- W hether it Wanted Islands len through “imperialistic arrogance” sive outbursts of solidarity on the streets and were rightfully Argentina’s. of Buenos Aires. Argentina eventually (Continued from page 3) In 1964 and 1965 the United Nations placed more than 10,000 troops on the The Spanish departed, but returned in debated the Falklands “situation,” the Falklands. much greater strength and forced the discussions ending in an agreement be- The United Nations, of course, wrung British from their settlement, but the tween the two countries to attempt to its hands, and the United States tried to British returned a year later under threat find a peaceful solution to the issue. mollify both sides with Secretary of of war. This return was short-lived, how- Those deliberations were still dragging State Alexander Haig shuttling between ever, as the settlement was not economi- on in 1982. Washington, London and Buenos Aires. cally viable, and the British withdrew in When Argentine President Juan D. The British quietly prepared to retake the 1774. The Spanish persevered until 1811 Perón died in 1974, his third wife, Isabel islands. when the possibility of loss of its New Martínez Perón, who had been vice On 25 April, a British commando World colonies directed its attention president, succeeded him. She was de- force retook South Georgia without fir- elsewhere. Among the colonies lost was posed by a military junta in 1976. By ing a shot and the Argentine commander Argentina, which declared its independ- 1981, Argentina’s economy was in a on the island, Alfredo Astiz, signed a ence in 1816. shambles. The rate of inflation was more surrender document on board HMS Ply- In 1820, the Argentines proclaimed than 600 percent, gross domestic product mouth. The Argentine military code con- their sovereignty over the Islas las was down 11.4 percent, manufacturing tains this passage: Malvinas but waited eight years to go output had dropped about 30 percent and A soldier will be condemned to prison there. In 1828, the governor of Buenos real wages had fallen by almost 20 per- for three to five years if, in combat with a Aires, Juan Manuel de Rosas, implanted cent. Public dissent arising from the eco- foreign enemy, he surrenders without a military governor named Vernet, a nomic chaos resulted in harsh repres- having exhausted his supply of ammuni- small garrison and a few settlers on the sion, and thousands of people simply tion or without having lost two-thirds of islands. The governor, as is the way with disappeared. Growing unrest threatened the men under his command. South American satraps, soon fancied to topple the military dictatorship of The British also attacked and disabled himself more powerful than he was and General Leopoldo Galtieri. the Argentine submarine Santa Fe, and a arrested three American sealers when To divert public attention from the task force was at sea, bound for the Falk- they anchored in the sound. internal problems of his country and in lands. In 1831, Captain Silas Duncan, a hero hope of restoring the popularity of his On 30 April, the U.S., which had of the 1814 Battle of Lake Champlain, in regime, Galtieri decided to play the sought not to offend either friend, termi- USS Lexington investigated the capture Falklands card, seizing on the resent- nated Haig’s efforts and President of the three American sealing vessels ment of the people over British occupa- Ronald Reagan declared support for and sought to protect American interests. tion of the islands – a resentment bred of Britain and instituted economic sanc- He did so by laying waste to the Argen- generations of indoctrination. As it tions against Argentina. tine settlement and driving Vernet and would turn out, once again a South Though the Royal Navy had strength the settlers into the hills. Hearing of this, American satrap overplayed his hand. in ships, it had only the Sea Harriers on the British became concerned that the An invasion was planned to take HMS Hermes and HMS Invincible plus Americans might claim the islands and place in 1982, either on the revolution a further 22 RAF Harriers to face a well dispatched a force to reclaim the Falk- anniversary which was 25 May or on 9 trained Argentine air force with 68 A-4 lands. Vernet and the Argentines were July, Argentina’s independence day. Skyhawk and 43 Mirage and Israeli-built removed to the mainland in an operation Because internal unrest was growing Dagger aircraft. The navy knew it would that required the expenditure of no gun- intolerable, supported by mass union come under attack. powder. It took 50 years, but by 1885 a demonstrations in late March, the inva- On 2 May, the submarine HMS Con- British settlement of about 1,800 was sion date was moved forward. queror sank the Argentine cruiser Gen- self-supporting. In 1892, the Falkland On 2 April 1982, the Argentine navy eral Belgrano and 400 of her crew were Islands were granted colonial status. landed thousands of troops on the Falk- lost, but two days later the British de- For the next 90 years, through two lands and soon suppressed a small garri- stroyer HMS Sheffield was hit by an world wars that touched the Falkland son of Royal Marines who fought Exocet missile fired at long range by an Islands only briefly in 1914 when a Brit- bravely until British Governor Rex Hunt Argentine bomber. The missile pene- ish squadron avenged the Royal Navy’s ordered them to lay down their arms. trated the ship’s hull above the waterline embarrassment at Coronel by sinking The governor and Marines were flown to and then exploded, killing 22 sailors and Germany’s Scharnhorst and Gneisenau Montevideo in Uruguay. The following starting a major fire amidships that even- (see Mission: History, 6 Dec 1999), the day, Argentine troops seized the islands tually caused Sheffield to sink on 10 Falklands remained a quiet British out- of South Georgia and the South Sand- May. post, populated by fewer than 2,000 wich Group, 1,000 miles east of the On 7 May, the UN entered the picture Britons. And for all of those 90 years, Falklands. In Argentina, the invasions with attempts to negotiate a peace. (Continued on page 8) Page 8 M i s s i o n : Hi s to r y 2 April 2001 Air Inferiority Costs British Six Ships; Control of Sea Averts M uch Loss of Life

(Continued from page 7) Those efforts were largely ignored by the combatants and on 9 May two Brit- ish Sea Harriers sank the Argentine trawler Narwal. On 11 May, the frigate HMS Alacrity dispatched to the bottom Isla de los Estados, an Argentine supply ship. On the 12th, Queen Elizabeth II sailed from Southampton with 3,500 men including the Welsh Guards, the Gurkhas and elements of the Household Cavalry equipped with light tanks. On the same day, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said a peaceful solution seemed unlikely. She later rejected a peace pro- posal presented on the 18th by UN Sec- A single 500-pound bomb penetrated the deck of HMS Antelope and exploded in her en- retary General Perez de Cuellar. gine room. Absence of air superiority cost the Royal Navy dearly. Twelve four-man teams of British Special Forces made a successful raid on in both the United Kingdom and the task Guards – were killed. Despite the air Pebble Island on the night of 14 May, force. assault and inadequate resources to com- demolishing radar installations, destroy- The air attacks against the British task bat it, the buildup continued. On the ing 11 airplanes on the ground and blow- force were costly to the Argentine air 11th, one of the destroyers engaged in ing up an ammunition dump. This as- force, and the beachhead around San shore bombardment, HMS Glamorgan, sault diverted the attention of the Argen- Carlos remained secure. On 28 May, a was hit by a land-launched Exocet mis- tines sufficiently to allow the British force of 600 men of the 2nd Parachute sile, killing 13 of her crew. task force to move toward Falklands Regiment took Darwin and Goose Green On 13 June, British troops supported Sound unobserved. On the night of 20- in what many say was the longest and by artillery took Tumbledown Mountain, 21 May, heavy British air strikes again toughest fight of the war. The unit’s Wireless Ridge and Sapper Hill. The occupied the Argentines while the Brit- commander, Lieutenant Colonel Herbert British now had the high ground sur- ish fleet sailed into the sound. Royal Jones, was killed in the battle and was rounding port Stanley. On the morning Marine commandos routed the Argen- posthumously awarded the Victoria of the 14th, Argentine forces were seen tine garrison and established a beach- Cross. Of the 1,600 defenders, 200 were to be retreating from their defensive po- head around San Carlos. During the day, killed and 1,400 surrendered. sitions and moving into the town of Port about 1,000 troops came ashore and pre- Through the last days of May, the Stanley. At 2100 local time, General pared to move southward toward Dar- British prepared to assault the main Ar- Mario Menendez surrendered his win and Goose Green before pushing gentine positions around Port Stanley. 10,000-man force to the commander of east toward Port Stanley. By the 31st, the city was surrounded. the British ground forces. M:H Argentina’s response to the landing Bad weather for the first week in June was a ferocious air attack on the ships in gave the British a break from the Argen- How to Get in Touch the sound, which British tars soon tine air force and prevented the Royal Mission: History has been asked to provide named “bomb alley.” On 21 May, the Navy from participating in an attack on an address for reader communications. E-mail frigate HMS Ardent was sunk by a bomb Port Stanley. Both sides got a breather, may be sent to this address: from a Mirage fighter-bomber, at the but in New York, Britain vetoed a Pana- [email protected] cost of nine Argentine aircraft shot manian-Spanish cease fire resolution in Mail may be sent by conventional post to: the UN Security Council. Ric Teague down. Two days later, another frigate, 2239 Wellesley Street HMS Antelope, was sunk by a 500- The weather cleared on 8 June and Palo Alto, CA 94306 pound bomb that exploded in her engine Argentine aircraft pounded a British Submissions are not encouraged because of room. The cost to Argentina was 10 air- landing area about 20 miles south of Port constraints on the time available for editing. If Stanley. Men and equipment of the 5th such are sent, they should be sent as e-mail craft shot down. On the 25th, HMS Cov- attachments in Microsoft Word 6.0 or as type- entry, a destroyer, was sunk and MV Infantry Brigade were being put ashore written copy, double-spaced, accompanied by a Atlantic Conveyor was hit by an Exocet when they and the logistic landing ships 3½-inch diskette containing the submission in missile and had to be abandoned. The Sir Galahad and Sir Tristram were at- Microsoft Word 6.0 for Windows. tacked. Both ships were badly damaged Quite welcome are suggestions of events for container ship sank three days later. As coverage. Please offer suggestions two months these losses mounted, there was concern and 59 soldiers – 43 from the Welsh ahead of the anniversary of an event.