0 00:00:02,170 --> 00:00:04,370 I'm the one. 1 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:11,160 In April, nineteen eighty two. 2 00:00:11,860 --> 00:00:18,460 An invasion by Argentina provoked one of the most ambitious military undertakings in British history. 3 00:00:20,540 --> 00:00:28,660 Britain sent a naval task force and 15000 men to fight for a small group of islands on the edge of the Antarctica. 4 00:00:30,030 --> 00:00:35,030 Britain was at war with Argentina, but the odds were spectacularly uneven. 5 00:00:36,670 --> 00:00:44,710 Look at the challenges that faced the British struggling to fight 8000 miles from home, while the Argentinians were fighting on their own doorstep. 6 00:00:48,220 --> 00:00:54,300 They had to fight up here in freezing conditions, on exposed hilltops and across wide open ground. 7 00:00:56,570 --> 00:01:01,930 All experts have, the British troops use darkness to their advantage against a well defended enemy. 8 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:10,200 It was one of the most improbable conflicts ever. 9 00:01:10,780 --> 00:01:18,260 More than 30000 men went to war over a group of baron and wind swept islands that were home to envy. 2000 people. 10 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:22,240 This is the story of the battle for the forklands. 11 00:01:38,780 --> 00:01:39,700 I don't know. 12 00:01:45,290 --> 00:01:46,610 I'm going. 13 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:50,040 No, 14 00:01:55,360 --> 00:02:03,800 This may look like a sleepy little seaside town somewhere in the British Isles. In fact, the United Kingdom is 8000 miles away. 15 00:02:07,860 --> 00:02:09,460 These are the Forkland islands. 16 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:17,360 A remote British territory in the south Atlantic, the nearest mainland is Argentina, just 400 miles to the west. 17 00:02:20,190 --> 00:02:26,510 Life for the two and a half thousand people who live here is isolated, hardy and undisturbed. 18 00:02:27,930 --> 00:02:36,410 In April, nineteen eighty two, all that changed when these islands became the setting for the last invasion of British territory. 19 00:02:41,500 --> 00:02:48,140 On April the second, nineteen eighty two, about one hundred Argentinian marines landed here on the forklands. 20 00:02:49,990 --> 00:02:52,430 Objective to capture the capital. Stanley. 21 00:02:54,360 --> 00:03:02,920 They were the advanced party. There were 2000 more men on their way, but the job of these marines was to seize the town and force the British governor of the islands to surrender. 22 00:03:04,350 --> 00:03:09,230 Soon, the extraordinary news of the Argentinian invasion hit bulletins across the world. 23 00:03:14,930 --> 00:03:15,050 Oh, 24 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:23,680 The Falkland Islands, the British colony in the South Atlantic has fallen, but that's what Argentina is saying. 25 00:03:27,870 --> 00:03:34,190 It claims its marines went ashore as a spearhead this morning to capture key targets, including the capital, port Stanley. 26 00:03:35,580 --> 00:03:35,700 Great. 27 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:47,760 The islands were offended by just sixty nine royal marines, and the invading Argentinians and their hundreds overwhelmed this tiny force. 28 00:03:48,350 --> 00:03:52,830 They moved up here and surrounded Government House, demanding the surrender of the Forkland Islands. 29 00:03:56,000 --> 00:04:01,080 As Argentinian armoured vehicles rolled towards Government House, a firefight broke out. 30 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:07,840 Trapped inside the British Governor, rex Hunt broadcast the fine message on the local radio station. 31 00:04:09,290 --> 00:04:16,090 So not as well as truly pinned down, but they not try to attack. I'm not surrendering to the body arches at middle. 32 00:04:18,750 --> 00:04:25,790 The invasion of the forklands transformed a long running dispute between Britain and Argentina into a major international crisis. 33 00:04:30,380 --> 00:04:30,500 Right. 34 00:04:35,450 --> 00:04:38,930 For two centuries, both countries have claimed the Balkans. 35 00:04:39,820 --> 00:04:46,660 The Argentinians did control the islands for nearly a decade, until 1833, when the British expelled them. 36 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:55,320 Britain has governed the forklands ever since. The Argentinians call the islands the male Venus, and they tried to persuade the British to give them up. 37 00:05:03,250 --> 00:05:07,690 Britain had long considered handing over this small relic of empire to Argentina. 38 00:05:08,550 --> 00:05:12,750 But the Falkland Islanders like their British identity and didn't want to give it up. 39 00:05:14,220 --> 00:05:20,060 It became clear to the British government that overriding the wishes of the islanders was out of the question. 40 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:24,200 The people here wanted the islands to say British sovereign territory. 41 00:05:25,010 --> 00:05:28,330 This made agreement between Britain and Argentina almost impossible. 42 00:05:29,250 --> 00:05:34,850 Talks gotten nowhere, and the future of the Forton islands remained in an easy deadlock. 43 00:05:37,730 --> 00:05:42,890 But in Nineteen eighty one, a new military government seized power in Argentina. 44 00:05:44,110 --> 00:05:44,230 I 45 00:05:45,530 --> 00:05:48,970 At his head was the army commander, general Leopoldo Galtierri. 46 00:05:49,970 --> 00:05:54,290 His regime was a rule of terror, and the countrys economy was collapsing. 47 00:05:55,140 --> 00:05:59,300 He badly needed to find a cause that would win his government's popularity. 48 00:06:05,610 --> 00:06:09,490 There was one issue, galtier knew his people cared passionately about. 49 00:06:10,130 --> 00:06:18,570 They claimed to the forker violence, galzierri will unite the Argentinian nation by seizing the fork of violence from Britain by force. 50 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:22,040 It looked like the perfect answer to his problems. 51 00:06:26,260 --> 00:06:33,260 And on April second, nineteen eighty two, galtier's reposession of the Forklands was going exactly to plan. 52 00:06:39,310 --> 00:06:46,390 Within hours of landing, hundreds of Argentinian troops were all over Stanley. They had even seized the radio station. 53 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:52,840 Just a minute, and if you take the gun out of my back, I'm gonna transmit it, you if you take the gun away, 54 00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:57,080 The governor, rex Hunt had little choice but to surrender. 55 00:06:58,660 --> 00:07:05,740 He broadcast a final message to the islanders from Government House, we've come to the last message I am to give you. I wish you. 56 00:07:07,250 --> 00:07:11,690 Luck, uh and, uh, rest as short the British will be back. 57 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:21,120 The governor and the royal marines were escorted off the islands and sent back to Britain. The civilians were left wondering what would happen next. 58 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:27,920 We heard these tremendous bangs on the back door, and there were shouts for us to come out. 59 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:37,240 We had to go out and sit in the yard, and this Argentine was there with a machine gun trained on us. Mom thought we were going to be shot. 60 00:07:39,780 --> 00:07:44,860 8000 miles from Britain, the islanders were left unprotected and isolated. 61 00:07:48,090 --> 00:07:48,570 Bye, bye. 62 00:07:55,130 --> 00:07:58,490 The news of the British surrender hit Weiders Aris that afternoon. 63 00:07:59,450 --> 00:08:07,090 200000 Argentinians poured into the main square wildly applauding the liberation of the Eastlas. Melvina. 64 00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:09,800 Galtier's plan had worked. 65 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:16,120 As the crowd celebrated, galteria was confident that Britain would not react. 66 00:08:16,930 --> 00:08:22,810 He assumed that because the distant forklands was hardly a vital British interest, britain would not fight for them. 67 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:26,640 But Galiari was making one crucial era. 68 00:08:27,740 --> 00:08:33,060 He'd seriously underestimated Britain's Prime Minister, margaret Thatcher. 69 00:08:35,230 --> 00:08:40,990 In nineteen eighty two, britains first female Prime minister was governing a country in trouble. 70 00:08:41,780 --> 00:08:49,340 Britain was in recession, unemployment had just passed the three million mark and had been some of the worst rioting of the twentieth century. 71 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:57,640 But Sancho was a formidable character, she knew that to hesitate could spell doom for her unpopular government. 72 00:08:58,850 --> 00:09:03,370 She summoned Parliament and gave a defiant response to Argentina's invasion. 73 00:09:05,360 --> 00:09:08,080 We are here because for the first time, for many years, 74 00:09:09,220 --> 00:09:12,940 British sovereign territory has been invaded by a foreign power. 75 00:09:13,700 --> 00:09:20,460 The government has now decided that a large task force will sail as soon as all preparations are complete. 76 00:09:21,670 --> 00:09:29,070 HMS Invincible will be in the lead and will leave port on Monday. 77 00:09:34,010 --> 00:09:34,130 Hello, 78 00:09:39,380 --> 00:09:44,100 And so in the spring of Nineteen eighty two, a British task force said, sail. 79 00:09:45,450 --> 00:09:51,170 Ahead lay an eight thousand mile journey across the Atlantic Ocean to the Forkland Island. 80 00:09:54,630 --> 00:10:00,550 In all, 93 ships would sail to the falcons. A hastily gathered feet of warships. 81 00:10:01,430 --> 00:10:04,190 Fly ships and even cruise liners like the Kiwi, too. 82 00:10:05,940 --> 00:10:09,820 At the heart of a freight were two aircraft carriers. H-M is invincible. 83 00:10:10,740 --> 00:10:17,580 An HMS Hermes, hermes was the flanction and home to the Task force commander Rear Admiral Sandy Woodman. 84 00:10:20,350 --> 00:10:23,590 Woodward's fleet would take three weeks to reach the Forklands. 85 00:10:25,580 --> 00:10:33,980 During that time, britain would try for a diplomatic solution, but if that failed, the task force would have to go to war when it got there. 86 00:10:39,510 --> 00:10:40,910 By April of seventeenth. 87 00:10:41,850 --> 00:10:46,370 The first wave of the task force had sailed right down into the South Atlantic. 88 00:10:47,070 --> 00:10:51,230 And was just off a central island that there is British base to the Forklands. 89 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:56,760 There were still another 3500 miles to the fork and island themselves. 90 00:10:58,230 --> 00:11:02,590 The ships were in two groups to the south was Woodwood's naval fleet. 91 00:11:03,310 --> 00:11:04,510 This was the advanced party. 92 00:11:05,210 --> 00:11:12,850 Made up of two aircraft carriers and fighting ships that put battle for the control of the air and the sea around the fork and island. 93 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:21,040 Once they had gained their superiority, then the men carried in the second group of ships put launching amphibious landing. 94 00:11:22,150 --> 00:11:27,150 The only way to win back the falcons would be to have troops fighting on the ground. There. 95 00:11:29,580 --> 00:11:35,660 As the fleet sailed south, united Nations and US diplomats tried for a peaceful settlement. 96 00:11:36,670 --> 00:11:43,830 That's by April the thirtieth, any hope of a diplomatic solution evaporated. Neither side would back down. 97 00:11:45,730 --> 00:11:52,890 Neither Britain nor Argentina had officially declared war, but now war seemed inevitable. 98 00:11:56,830 --> 00:12:05,390 The Argentinian garrison of these islands watched the British military response their invasion with growing concern. The race was now on to get organized and resupplied. 99 00:12:06,450 --> 00:12:07,050 The British arrived. 100 00:12:09,330 --> 00:12:10,850 c a n t e r 101 00:12:11,870 --> 00:12:17,910 The Argentinian army did have some professional soldiers, but the majority of its men were young conscripts. 102 00:12:18,910 --> 00:12:27,230 To strengthen its forces, the army recalled reservists, more experienced men who could stiffen the ranks of those who just begun their military service. 103 00:12:29,720 --> 00:12:34,080 My commanding officer came on the radio at four o'clock in the morning and told me to wake up all the men. 104 00:12:35,390 --> 00:12:40,350 We had to be in a Malvina in thirty six hours. You could see that the soldiers felt very proud. 105 00:12:43,040 --> 00:12:49,400 By the end of April, there were 13000 Argentinian troops on the islands, and with them their new commander. 106 00:12:53,870 --> 00:12:57,030 The man in charge was Brigadier General Mario Menendez. 107 00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:03,760 Benendes was a tough soldier who'd made his name fighting rebels in remote parts of Argentina. 108 00:13:05,010 --> 00:13:13,330 He was quickly sworn in as the new governor of the Forklands. His first task was to prepare his defenses. 109 00:13:17,690 --> 00:13:20,330 Strategically, but then does his position was strong? 110 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:25,400 As you can see, the forks of islands are about 400 miles from Argentina. 111 00:13:26,700 --> 00:13:31,340 That put the islands just within range of Argentina's Air Force, based on the mainland. 112 00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:38,400 The main two islands are west and east, forkland. 113 00:13:39,350 --> 00:13:45,670 Each around fifty miles from end to end, manende's position, 2000 of his men on West Forkland. 114 00:13:46,820 --> 00:13:54,020 1000 men here at Goose Green and about 10000 in the hills to the west of standing. 115 00:14:02,940 --> 00:14:06,060 These hills were the Argentinian's last line of defense. 116 00:14:07,730 --> 00:14:11,210 But Menendez hoped his grand troops wouldn't have to fight at all. 117 00:14:12,530 --> 00:14:19,650 He planned to neutralize the British task force out at sea before they had a chance to set foot on land. 118 00:14:25,830 --> 00:14:26,710 I can. 119 00:14:29,530 --> 00:14:35,410 The Argentinian Air Force was well trained and could launch high performance fighter bombers from bases on the mainland. 120 00:14:36,370 --> 00:14:39,610 These aircraft could attack the task force once they were within range. 121 00:14:41,620 --> 00:14:48,860 Against this force, the British could only take as many fighters as they could fit on their two aircraft carriers. That was just thirty four planes. 122 00:14:49,670 --> 00:14:52,910 Thirty four against nearly one hundred Argentinian fighters. 123 00:14:53,640 --> 00:15:01,520 This small force was supposed to gain air superiority, protect the British fleet and prepare the way for the amphibious landings. All this. 124 00:15:02,510 --> 00:15:09,470 Fine flight decks of the two carriers as they plowed through the heaving South Atlantic seas. It was an enormous challenge. 125 00:15:13,540 --> 00:15:16,900 On the first of May, nineteen eighty two, the battle for the Forklands began. 126 00:15:18,060 --> 00:15:20,860 The first clash between Britain and Argentina was in the air. 127 00:15:24,950 --> 00:15:33,030 But despite being the underdog, the British immediately showed they were forced to be reckoned with. There was one thing that the Argentinians hadn't expected. 128 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:40,840 Britain s latest acquisition, the Sea Harry. 129 00:15:51,820 --> 00:15:54,660 What's required to get it off this tiny deck? Whoa? 130 00:16:03,310 --> 00:16:07,590 This aircraft was brand new, untested in combat, when it was sent to the forecast. 131 00:16:15,150 --> 00:16:19,230 Unique in its ability to take off and land vertically and operate from short runways. 132 00:16:20,070 --> 00:16:23,390 Carrier quickly proved it was versatile and extremely reliable. 133 00:16:32,430 --> 00:16:34,350 Carrier had another killer advantage. 134 00:16:38,220 --> 00:16:42,980 It was armed with the latest air to air heat seeking missile called Side Winder. 135 00:16:43,980 --> 00:16:49,620 Four Argentinian aircraft were shot down on the first day by Sinewyder. Another fifteen would follow. 136 00:16:54,900 --> 00:16:57,180 British seemed to be smashing the Argentinian airport. 137 00:16:58,050 --> 00:17:02,530 But they could only maintain their advantage in the air while their ships below remain safe. 138 00:17:13,700 --> 00:17:18,220 The most important ships in any naval task force are the aircraft carriers. 139 00:17:21,900 --> 00:17:25,500 If the carriers are lost, so too are their vital aircraft. 140 00:17:27,290 --> 00:17:31,810 The two aircraft carriers in the forklands had to be protected at all costs. 141 00:17:32,900 --> 00:17:39,700 And although the action continued in the skies, the focus of the battle shifted to the rough seas of the South Atlantic. 142 00:17:44,790 --> 00:17:50,310 On the first of May, woodwood's main task course was one hundred miles northeast of the Portlands. 143 00:17:51,500 --> 00:17:58,420 The British government had declared a two hundred mile exclusion zone around the island and said it would attack anyone entering it. 144 00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:04,800 Up here to the northwest, a custom of Argentinian warships was approaching. 145 00:18:05,950 --> 00:18:11,230 Among them, the Argentinian flagship, the aircraft carrier, begin to sinkko de Mayo. 146 00:18:12,740 --> 00:18:16,460 She carried aircraft that would soon be within close range of the British fleet. 147 00:18:17,450 --> 00:18:23,090 But even more menacing, the British reckoned, was another group of ships to the south of the four. 148 00:18:24,280 --> 00:18:32,000 A cruiser, the General Bill Grano and two destroyers, which the British believe were armed with lethal exosset missiles. 149 00:18:33,330 --> 00:18:37,850 These missiles could sink the British aircraft carriers if they got within range. 150 00:18:39,530 --> 00:18:46,570 The Royal Navy could not afford to risk an exocet attack on its vital carriers, the loss of even one carrier. 151 00:18:47,580 --> 00:18:55,300 And her combat aircraft could mean defeat without both, the British task force would have to withdraw from the fight completely. 152 00:18:56,390 --> 00:19:00,870 The Argentineans appeared to be threatening a pincer movement against the British fleet. 153 00:19:01,660 --> 00:19:06,900 The carrier of the vientisingo de Mayo from the north, and the bell grano group from the south. 154 00:19:08,270 --> 00:19:12,590 The Belgrana group was being tracked by a submerged British submarine, the Conqueror. 155 00:19:14,510 --> 00:19:20,390 Conquerors captain feared that if the Bell Grano turned north, it would move into these shallow waters. 156 00:19:21,390 --> 00:19:26,030 The conqueror would struggle to track the ship in the shallow water and risk losing sight of it. 157 00:19:26,770 --> 00:19:32,850 The bill runner might then head for the British fleet and put the task force in grave danger. 158 00:19:35,030 --> 00:19:43,390 Beneath the waves, conquerors commanding officer saw that the Bill Grano was steering an erratic course just outside the exclusion zone. 159 00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:52,120 The situation was so critical that the Prime minister herself was consulted. She gave the order to attack. 160 00:19:53,410 --> 00:19:55,170 The conqueror launched its torpedoes. 161 00:20:06,140 --> 00:20:06,260 Uh, 162 00:20:09,860 --> 00:20:15,220 There were masses of injured men, most of them had been burned, and there were men covered in oil. 163 00:20:17,150 --> 00:20:22,790 When I got to my life draft, ask a sail to come with me again and look for the people that were missing, including the commander. 164 00:20:24,990 --> 00:20:25,270 We think that. 165 00:20:27,450 --> 00:20:30,730 Within forty five minutes, the Belgrano had sunk. 166 00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:38,400 Immediately, the entire Argentinian navy, fearful of further submarine attacks, turned round and headed. 167 00:20:40,050 --> 00:20:45,890 The British had scored a huge military success, and Galtier's plan seemed to be faltering. 168 00:20:47,090 --> 00:20:51,210 But he was still able to unleash the weapon the British feared most. 169 00:20:55,770 --> 00:20:59,890 The Argentinians had recently bought five air launched Exo sets. 170 00:21:00,780 --> 00:21:06,420 These half ton missiles could seek out and destroy a ship from over thirty miles away. 171 00:21:08,950 --> 00:21:09,070 You. 172 00:21:12,470 --> 00:21:20,350 On the morning of the fourth of May, two Argentinian strike aircraft, each armed the next asset, took off from the mainland. 173 00:21:23,010 --> 00:21:29,170 On that particular day in nineteen eighty two, woodwood posted three ships like this as his front line of effect. 174 00:21:29,830 --> 00:21:37,950 They were destroyers, hms Coventry, HMS Glasgow and Hms Sheffield. They were armed with anti aircraft missiles. 175 00:21:38,930 --> 00:21:45,530 These ships could shoot down aircraft, but they were unreliable against low altitude targets like excess. 176 00:21:47,220 --> 00:21:50,380 That morning, things had been relatively quiet for the British task. 177 00:21:58,830 --> 00:22:00,270 Then just before two o'clock. 178 00:22:01,440 --> 00:22:05,280 Argentina aircraft were picked up by the radar room on board HLS, glasgow. 179 00:22:07,350 --> 00:22:07,550 The strength. 180 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:15,760 Girls go immediately, and an urgent warning to all the other ships and went to full action stations herself. 181 00:22:23,550 --> 00:22:28,710 Twenty miles away on board Hms Chefing. The scene couldn't have been more. 182 00:22:31,690 --> 00:22:36,450 Here, the ox room wasn't fully manned, and only part of the message from the Glasgow was picked up. 183 00:22:37,210 --> 00:22:42,370 It was worse than that at that exact moment, HMS Cheffield was using its satellite quickly, 184 00:22:42,910 --> 00:22:50,030 Send a message back to Britain, and that blocked its radar. The Sheffield couldn't see the Argentinian aircraft approaching. 185 00:22:51,310 --> 00:22:53,030 I've got now, I'm turning in behind for Britain. 186 00:22:58,870 --> 00:23:03,670 Back on the girls go two fast moving dots, possible, exosite missiles. 187 00:23:04,460 --> 00:23:08,860 Suddenly appeared on the radar screen and were closing in Its 700 miles an hour. 188 00:23:10,790 --> 00:23:13,390 Right now, and not only stop, five pounds, fifty. 189 00:23:14,630 --> 00:23:22,230 With a mixture of relief and horror, the captain of the Glasgow realized that the missiles were headed not for them. 190 00:23:23,410 --> 00:23:24,250 Straight for the Sheffield. 191 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:37,600 H, MS, sheffield was the first British ship to be destroyed by enemy action. 192 00:23:38,110 --> 00:23:45,270 Since the Second World War, of the 281 men aboard, twenty were killed and twenty six were wounded. 193 00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:53,840 Blood had now been shed on both sides of the conflict. 194 00:24:07,610 --> 00:24:07,730 Hello, 195 00:24:11,610 --> 00:24:15,050 By mid May, the South Atlantic winter was closing in. 196 00:24:16,090 --> 00:24:21,410 Some harriers had been lost in combat, and now the bad weather was beginning to hinder the pilots. 197 00:24:23,280 --> 00:24:30,560 The success of the British plan relied on having complete control of the air to provide cover for landing the ground troops. 198 00:24:31,520 --> 00:24:35,280 But the British didn't have that cover, and now time was running out. 199 00:24:36,720 --> 00:24:40,120 It was politically unthinkable to abandon the operation. Now. 200 00:24:41,030 --> 00:24:47,190 They would have to take the huge risk of putting in the ground troops without total air cover. 201 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:06,120 Of the eighteenth of May. 202 00:25:06,870 --> 00:25:11,350 The second wave of ships, including ferries and the cruise liner the Canbron. 203 00:25:12,130 --> 00:25:16,730 Arrived just off the forktons. On board was the Amphibious landing Force. 204 00:25:18,310 --> 00:25:22,670 3000 men were a mixture of Royal Marine commanders and army paratroopers. 205 00:25:24,220 --> 00:25:26,500 And they were led by Brigadier Julian Thompson. 206 00:25:27,680 --> 00:25:33,320 Thompson was an experience commander, he knew that his troops were vulnerable without air superiority. 207 00:25:34,230 --> 00:25:37,630 But the pressure of time meant the landings had to go ahead. 208 00:25:39,440 --> 00:25:44,600 The British had looked at all the landing side options on both West and East Forkland. 209 00:25:45,530 --> 00:25:50,450 Since Stanley over here was their ultimate target, it made sense to land here on East Forkland. 210 00:25:51,570 --> 00:25:59,170 They plumped for this natural harbor here at San Carlos Bay. It will be out of range of enemy artillery. 211 00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:05,360 And was only very likely defended, a great advantage for any amphibious landing. 212 00:26:06,340 --> 00:26:13,620 And here I am, with San Carlos Bay behind me, and that's the entrance over there, that's where the British landing force came in. 213 00:26:14,790 --> 00:26:20,750 These hills also offered Thompson's man and ships some protection against low level air attacks. 214 00:26:21,750 --> 00:26:24,150 But there was one problem with this landing site. 215 00:26:24,990 --> 00:26:31,990 It was a long way from San Carlos, here, across the spot where Thompson knew the decisive battle would be fought. 216 00:26:32,740 --> 00:26:40,460 Here in the strongly defended mountains, just west of standing between the two was fifty miles of difficult country. 217 00:26:41,820 --> 00:26:49,020 Thomson plan to move his landing force right across the island with a shipment of helicopters that were due to arrive any day. 218 00:26:49,980 --> 00:26:55,140 But now the priority was to gateies men on dry land as soon as possible. 219 00:27:01,310 --> 00:27:06,470 In the early hours of the twenty first of May, 3000 British troops headed for the landing beaches. 220 00:27:08,430 --> 00:27:15,350 Each man carried his rifle ammunition and enough rations for two days. This was the moment they'd been waiting for for weeks. 221 00:27:38,570 --> 00:27:43,290 Once ashore, the British troops made their way up into the hills and dug themselves into strong position. 222 00:27:46,320 --> 00:27:52,960 One unit, the second battalion of the Parachute Regiment, known as Two Power, were based up here on the Sussex mountains overlooking the bay. 223 00:27:55,470 --> 00:28:01,710 It was just a question of time before the Argentinians arrived. The men braced themselves for an air attack. 224 00:28:03,450 --> 00:28:06,850 Then at 10:30, all hell broke loose. 225 00:28:15,300 --> 00:28:19,780 The Kenyan Hai kavans sent in wave after wave of their fighter bombers from the mainland. 226 00:28:24,360 --> 00:28:28,560 Five hours, these aircrafts bombed, and the fleet sitting in the bay. 227 00:28:34,650 --> 00:28:39,410 Surrounding hills made it almost impossible for a ship's radars to detect the enemy aircraft. 228 00:28:40,460 --> 00:28:44,940 So the British were unable to get to a fix on the attacking planes until it was too late. 229 00:28:46,870 --> 00:28:47,830 So we're not. 230 00:28:49,630 --> 00:28:53,910 From these positions up here, the Paris had a grandstand view of the action in the bay. 231 00:28:54,850 --> 00:28:59,650 All their supplies for the land campaign were still being unloaded from those ships coming under attack. 232 00:29:00,360 --> 00:29:04,400 The powers had to watch helplessly as their lifeline was under fire. 233 00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:13,400 By the end of the day, five British warships were hit, and one ship, hms Ardent was sinking. 234 00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:20,240 And the attacks continued on the next day. 235 00:29:23,910 --> 00:29:24,030 I 236 00:29:27,110 --> 00:29:33,470 The British had positioned anti aircraft missiles around the bay, but it would be days before these delicate units were operational. 237 00:29:43,720 --> 00:29:51,160 On the water, the men had resorted to strapping machine guns onto the ship's rails in a desperate attempt to hit the low flying Argentinian jet. 238 00:29:53,330 --> 00:29:59,450 More conventional anti aircraft guns, some operated by sailors as young as seventeen, did score a few successes. 239 00:30:02,470 --> 00:30:07,150 But all these efforts did little to blunt the relentless onslaught of the Argentinian air Force. 240 00:30:14,130 --> 00:30:19,210 Ships unloading vital suppliers for the land campaign made easy targets. 241 00:30:20,090 --> 00:30:26,850 On May, the twenty third Hms Antelope, just out there, was the next vessel to take a fatal hit. 242 00:30:32,110 --> 00:30:37,110 We watched with lumps in our throats until upgrades with fire, and finally sunk. 243 00:30:39,320 --> 00:30:44,840 She was all escort, and everybody felt a great loss, as she was more than just a ship to us. 244 00:30:48,460 --> 00:30:49,260 And we're not. 245 00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:58,760 In four days, eight British ships were damaged and two sunk during these attacks, twenty five men died. 246 00:30:59,500 --> 00:31:00,020 And many more. 247 00:31:00,610 --> 00:31:09,090 Were injured while the British were reeling from the attacks. In San Carlos water. The Argentinians were celebrating their triumphs. 248 00:31:11,220 --> 00:31:11,340 Uh, 249 00:31:17,700 --> 00:31:21,420 On the twenty fifth of May, it was Argentina's national day. 250 00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:23,560 A day of patriotic ceremony. 251 00:31:24,680 --> 00:31:31,800 And after the successes of their air campaign, menendes and his troops in the forklands had even more reason to celebrate. 252 00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:34,560 You are. 253 00:31:37,990 --> 00:31:39,070 But it wasn't over yet. 254 00:31:39,860 --> 00:31:47,060 The Argentinian Air Force was preparing another raid that would hit the British land campaign, where it really hurts. 255 00:31:50,420 --> 00:31:54,860 A massive container ship, the Atlantic Conveyor, had just arrived from Britain. 256 00:31:55,960 --> 00:32:04,640 She was loaded with thousands of tons of supplies, but more importantly, the helicopters needed by the British forces to get them to Stanley. 257 00:32:05,750 --> 00:32:08,110 She was preparing to go into San Carlos that night. 258 00:32:09,230 --> 00:32:15,030 At 3:36 pm on the twenty fifth of May two, argentina aircraft. 259 00:32:15,950 --> 00:32:20,750 Flying from the mainland, picked up the British carrier Group just off East Forkland. 260 00:32:22,690 --> 00:32:25,090 Once in range, they release their excess. 261 00:32:28,220 --> 00:32:35,100 Missiles locked on to two frigates, the ships fired up metal foil to confuse the missiles, radar. 262 00:32:36,140 --> 00:32:44,140 And the exorcets veered away, but then they found another target, the defenseless Atlantic. 263 00:32:54,560 --> 00:32:59,800 Fire ripped through the ship, and all nine helicopters still on board were destroyed. 264 00:33:03,350 --> 00:33:07,950 Thompson was relying on them to carry his men across East Falkland to stand it. 265 00:33:08,940 --> 00:33:12,900 At one stroke, most of his transport had now disappeared. 266 00:33:17,920 --> 00:33:21,240 Margaret Sasha wanted Stanley back in British hands quickly. 267 00:33:22,320 --> 00:33:25,480 But the main British force was still fifty miles away. 268 00:33:31,320 --> 00:33:35,280 With no helicopters, the only way for the troops to get there was to walk. 269 00:33:37,510 --> 00:33:41,750 The Marines called it yumping, and this was to be one of the classic yunks of all time. 270 00:33:47,920 --> 00:33:51,400 Men carried up to 120 pounds of kit on their backs. 271 00:33:52,270 --> 00:33:55,950 Through very uneven ground, and with the rain lashing down. 272 00:33:59,290 --> 00:34:02,090 The men had four days of hard marching ahead of them. 273 00:34:07,980 --> 00:34:10,740 And at the end of this slug, they would have to fight a battle. 274 00:34:12,920 --> 00:34:16,640 The British main force of 2000 men run the move to Stanley. 275 00:34:17,540 --> 00:34:22,060 But one unit of around 500 men was going in a completely different direction. 276 00:34:26,830 --> 00:34:30,310 Two power weren't heading east towards Stanley, they were heading south. 277 00:34:31,070 --> 00:34:37,670 Towards a settlement that was heavily garrisoned by Argentinian troops. They had been ordered to win a quick and morale boosting victory. 278 00:34:38,610 --> 00:34:44,410 But the battle at lay ahead of them wouldn't go as planned. The name of the settlement was Goose Green. 279 00:34:57,520 --> 00:35:02,000 The Argentinians had a base at Goose Screen because of its strategic importance. 280 00:35:02,860 --> 00:35:06,940 It's on a narrow strip of land, just five miles long by a mile wide. 281 00:35:09,070 --> 00:35:09,190 What. 282 00:35:11,590 --> 00:35:17,630 So the Argentinians had stationed an infantry regiment here, centered around a small, grassy airstrip. 283 00:35:18,590 --> 00:35:24,310 This is Goose Green Settlement, and San Carlos is beyond those mountains, way over the distance. There. 284 00:35:25,450 --> 00:35:27,130 Here's Goose Green on the map case. 285 00:35:28,170 --> 00:35:35,610 Aware of the British landing at San Carlos, the Argentinians reinforced their garrison here at Goose Screen, fearing an attack from the North. 286 00:35:36,590 --> 00:35:39,710 Ready for a British assault. Olemaker Dona was wait. 287 00:35:41,720 --> 00:35:47,920 The man in command of two PARA was Colonel H. Jones, known as H to his men. 288 00:35:48,540 --> 00:35:52,500 He was brave but impulsive, and he believed in leading from the front. 289 00:35:53,700 --> 00:35:58,460 Jones knew Goose Green would be a formidable target, and he drew up a detailed battle plan. 290 00:36:00,900 --> 00:36:05,260 The grand at Goose Green was wide open and featureless, offering little protection. 291 00:36:06,310 --> 00:36:11,550 Jones's objectives were the airstrip and the settlement of Goose Green held by the Argentinians. 292 00:36:13,120 --> 00:36:20,520 Two powers fitted to several companies, they would fight their way south in the dark and then close in on the airfield. 293 00:36:21,560 --> 00:36:24,080 Then they would take the settlement in daylight. 294 00:36:25,460 --> 00:36:32,900 But the Argentinians held a strong position on the high ground of Darwin Hill. They were protected by mine fields in front. 295 00:36:33,970 --> 00:36:37,370 And supporting artillery back behind the airfield. 296 00:36:39,360 --> 00:36:39,480 Yeah. 297 00:36:40,720 --> 00:36:47,480 Ten thirty that night, the British began the attack. One company, about one hundred men move rapidly up here, on the left. 298 00:36:48,290 --> 00:36:50,290 Clearing out any enemy positions that came across. 299 00:36:57,140 --> 00:36:57,260 Uh, 300 00:37:01,470 --> 00:37:05,990 Two power, making good progress until they reach this spot from the north side of Darwin Hill. 301 00:37:06,780 --> 00:37:11,180 This was the point at which Colonel H. Jones's plan started to go badly wrong. 302 00:37:12,270 --> 00:37:16,870 One company were pinned down there by fire from well placed machine guns up on the hill. 303 00:37:17,660 --> 00:37:23,940 It was rapidly becoming clear there were more Argentinians than they had thought, and what's more Their will to fight were strong. 304 00:37:26,840 --> 00:37:33,160 Then the sun began to rise, and light flooded across Goose Green, illuminating the men on the wide open battlefield. 305 00:37:34,290 --> 00:37:41,770 The men of two power on the low ground were completely exposed to Argentinian fire and couldn't advance. Somebody had to do something. 306 00:37:43,240 --> 00:37:48,280 It was time for Colonel H. Jones to do what he thought he did best, lead from the front. 307 00:37:49,130 --> 00:37:54,290 He identified an isolated Argentinian position just up there. He thought he could take out on his own. 308 00:37:55,180 --> 00:38:02,420 Clutching his sub machine gun, he charged up the hill, but immediately, withering fire broke out from this hill up there, other Argentinian positions. 309 00:38:02,920 --> 00:38:11,360 He was seen to fall over, but he got back up and kept charging. Then he was shot in the back and collapsed, mortally wounded, only meters away from his target. 310 00:38:16,980 --> 00:38:19,060 This memorial marks where Jones fell. 311 00:38:22,120 --> 00:38:27,840 As their commanding officer lay dying, it now fell to the second in command, major Chris Keyboard, to lead the men. 312 00:38:29,010 --> 00:38:35,370 Two powers were pinned down out in the open, and they were still a mile short of their objective, the airstrip at Goose Green. 313 00:38:38,360 --> 00:38:40,320 This was two parallels positions. 314 00:38:41,340 --> 00:38:47,420 This is where they were pinned up by heavy fire coming from the Argentinians dug in along this ridge. 315 00:38:48,990 --> 00:38:56,070 People decided that rather than risk more losses, he'd bring heavy fire down on the Argentinian defenses on the ridge. 316 00:38:57,900 --> 00:39:04,540 While this was happening, two of his other companies moved around to the west to bring pressure on the Argentinians flank. 317 00:39:05,960 --> 00:39:10,880 Slowly, two PARA pushed forward as Argentinian fighter bombers hit them from the air. 318 00:39:12,370 --> 00:39:16,690 Then their luck turned, and they got their first air support of the fight. 319 00:39:17,570 --> 00:39:23,450 Two harriers swept over the battle and dropped cluster bombs on the Argentinian artillery position. 320 00:39:24,870 --> 00:39:31,590 After fourteen hours of intense fighting, the pair's steady progress saw them closing in on the Argentinean. 321 00:39:32,980 --> 00:39:36,340 But they take it a lot of casualties, and they were utterly exhausted. 322 00:39:39,580 --> 00:39:46,460 That night, cable decided on a cunning ploy to try and bluff the Argentinians into an early surrender. 323 00:39:47,620 --> 00:39:50,580 He sent a letter to the Argentinian commander. 324 00:39:51,690 --> 00:39:56,250 In a highly confident tone, he demanded an Argentarian surrender. 325 00:39:56,960 --> 00:40:04,880 And warned them that he would bombard them heavily and hold them responsible for any civilian casualties. If they went on fighting. 326 00:40:06,480 --> 00:40:11,480 Amazingly, the gamble worked. The Argentinians agreed to surrender. 327 00:40:16,880 --> 00:40:21,160 The next day, the powers were astonished to see over 900 Argentinians. 328 00:40:21,840 --> 00:40:27,280 Nearly twice their own number, and nearly three times more than they had expected. Lay down their weapons. 329 00:40:29,560 --> 00:40:29,680 Singer. 330 00:40:40,300 --> 00:40:42,980 After six weeks on the Argentinian occupation, 331 00:40:43,550 --> 00:40:48,190 Goose Green was back in British hands, and the soldiers of two power were heroes. 332 00:40:49,430 --> 00:40:52,510 But the battle for this tiny place had come at a huge cost. 333 00:40:56,100 --> 00:40:59,620 The Senate internal job. Captain good. 334 00:41:01,230 --> 00:41:03,910 Captain James, the second party. 335 00:41:05,370 --> 00:41:06,490 Come from a heart. Mother. 336 00:41:08,880 --> 00:41:13,840 More than seventy soldiers were dead, sixteen British and over fifty Argentinians. 337 00:41:17,320 --> 00:41:17,880 One problem. 338 00:41:20,620 --> 00:41:28,540 What had begun as a quick raid to seize back the airstrip and liberate the community had turned into a bloody battle in the struggle for the Forkland Island. 339 00:41:31,100 --> 00:41:36,140 The British had won the first round of their land campaign against all the odds. 340 00:41:37,230 --> 00:41:40,790 But ahead of them still was the battle to regain standing. 341 00:41:48,450 --> 00:41:50,730 While two Para had been fighting at Goose Screen. 342 00:41:51,530 --> 00:41:56,530 The main British force had crossed the island and was now just twelve miles from the capital. 343 00:41:57,650 --> 00:42:05,730 But the soldiers knew they faced a tough fight between them and Stanley, you've got taste, stanley, and most of us know, with the rain, 344 00:42:07,570 --> 00:42:13,930 Got to get it done fast, so the only way to do it get in there, do you have any feelings of apprehension, them, oh yes, 345 00:42:16,540 --> 00:42:16,660 Sure, 346 00:42:19,030 --> 00:42:25,030 Everything seemed to be going to plan, but then the British campaign suffered a massive blow. 347 00:42:26,630 --> 00:42:30,950 What followed was the largest, single British loss of life in the war. 348 00:42:39,040 --> 00:42:45,520 Just a few miles away from the troops, two landing ships, sir Galahad and Sir Tristram were anchored just off this bay. 349 00:42:46,690 --> 00:42:51,450 They were packed with nearly 500 troops, reinforcements for the assault, understanding. 350 00:42:52,300 --> 00:43:00,100 These ships should have been offloaded under cover of darkness, but a series of delays and misunderstandings meant they were still here when the sun came up. 351 00:43:01,570 --> 00:43:05,450 The Argentinians spotted the ships and called in their air force from the mainland. 352 00:43:07,440 --> 00:43:11,520 Two Argentinian fighter bombers swept in on a deadly bombing run. 353 00:43:15,150 --> 00:43:19,910 They caught both ships in broad daylight packed with troops and ammunition. 354 00:43:31,480 --> 00:43:35,920 Forty nine men were killed and a further 115 injured in the disaster. 355 00:43:39,510 --> 00:43:40,990 Oh my god, 356 00:43:46,620 --> 00:43:51,060 But this British tragedy was a significant barral boost for the Argentarians. 357 00:43:52,650 --> 00:43:59,290 Menendez was told that 900 British had died, and he now expected a slackening in the British momentum. 358 00:44:01,460 --> 00:44:02,780 But he was in for a rude shock. 359 00:44:05,860 --> 00:44:14,900 Nine days after the landings of San Carlos, a senior commander, major General Jeremy More took overall control of the British land campaign. 360 00:44:16,280 --> 00:44:23,800 Undeterred by the Argentinian air attacks, more moved around 9000 troops into position near the hills surrounding Stanley. 361 00:44:25,640 --> 00:44:30,280 The battle of Stanley was about to begin. Here's Mount Kent where we are now. 362 00:44:31,300 --> 00:44:35,860 Heavy Argentinian forces lay between more here and the capital. 363 00:44:36,860 --> 00:44:40,620 He will attack in two stages on two separate nights. 364 00:44:41,890 --> 00:44:48,570 On the first night, his offensive would sweep from north to south, a three pronged attack on the Argentinians. 365 00:44:49,770 --> 00:44:55,370 More planned to take this outer ring of hills, the largest of which was Mount Longden in the north. Here. 366 00:44:56,780 --> 00:45:03,460 On the second night, the British will assault another ring of hills nearer Stanley, sent it here on Mount Tumble down. 367 00:45:05,020 --> 00:45:07,820 Success would leave them just two miles from Stanley. 368 00:45:12,990 --> 00:45:20,510 The first targets were the Argentinian troops dug in all over Mount London. Mount London is a natural fortress. 369 00:45:21,890 --> 00:45:30,690 Over 500 feet at its highest point, it dominates the surrounding, more land. For the British forces, this was a dangerous place to a. 370 00:45:32,040 --> 00:45:38,720 After their experiences at Goose Green, they didn't want their troops court advancing in the open terrain in daylight. 371 00:45:39,780 --> 00:45:45,660 So they made a key decision. All the battles to retake Stanley would be fought at night. 372 00:45:50,710 --> 00:45:52,870 Night fighting is a highly effective strategy. 373 00:45:54,030 --> 00:45:59,270 Every soldier in the British forces has to be as good at fighting in the dark as in daylight. 374 00:46:00,250 --> 00:46:03,930 I joined the British Army on a training exercise, and to experience what it's like. 375 00:46:11,000 --> 00:46:16,160 The attack began with flares and machine gunfire, once we've crept as close as we could in the pitch dark. 376 00:46:17,150 --> 00:46:20,030 It's incredibly easy, and it's actually quite beliildering, just. 377 00:46:21,060 --> 00:46:27,700 Moving around in these positions very difficult, you're way down by your equipment, those people tripping over, falling in the frozen stream. 378 00:46:28,740 --> 00:46:34,100 Turning ankles this, the enemy is not the only challenge in this dark and difficult to rein. 379 00:46:38,520 --> 00:46:43,640 Despite how hard it is to operate in the dark, it's imperative that the attacking troops don't get pinned down. 380 00:46:46,110 --> 00:46:54,110 At the moment the most important, we've got to keep up the momentum, keep up speed, I guess keep the enemy off balance. 381 00:46:55,610 --> 00:46:55,730 Yeah. 382 00:47:03,320 --> 00:47:03,440 Jack. 383 00:47:06,050 --> 00:47:09,690 We're about to go over this, this rise now and interesting. The commander here. 384 00:47:10,610 --> 00:47:15,810 Constantly telling everyone what's going on in the rest of the battlefield, even though it's only fifty or one hundred meters away. 385 00:47:16,260 --> 00:47:24,420 It's very confusing, and we can just hear firing and lots of shouting, so he's constantly going now and telling everyone what stage you're at, trying to keep everything going to play. 386 00:47:28,170 --> 00:47:35,130 For the British troops on the forkland, keep into the plan, and maintaining momentum would be the key to their success when fighting at night. 387 00:47:43,220 --> 00:47:45,020 At eight PM on the eleventh of June. 388 00:47:45,680 --> 00:47:48,440 The British forces began their attack on Mount Longden. 389 00:47:55,560 --> 00:48:02,240 But three power, who were spearheading the advance, found themselves trapped in a bewildering maze of steep sided alleyways. 390 00:48:09,120 --> 00:48:10,240 These narrow galleys here. 391 00:48:11,160 --> 00:48:19,360 Channel for men into the killing grounds, the Argentinian machine gunners and snipers up above. Then grenades were rolled down in amongst them, one officer. 392 00:48:20,230 --> 00:48:22,230 Compared it to, like being stuck in a bowling alley. 393 00:48:24,880 --> 00:48:31,040 The grenades, they were just bouncing down the side of the rock face. We thought there were rocks falling till the first one exploded. 394 00:48:34,240 --> 00:48:37,000 Despite mounting casualties, the men pushed forward. 395 00:48:37,980 --> 00:48:46,100 One sergeant in Makai dashed off a slope and knocked out a stubborn Argentinian position. He was killed, but later awarded the Victoria Cross. 396 00:48:52,110 --> 00:48:55,470 For seven hours, the British forces battled their way up Mount London. 397 00:48:58,520 --> 00:49:02,040 Their assault was just too forceful for the Argentinians to hold off. 398 00:49:03,940 --> 00:49:11,180 So desperate were the Argentinians to smash the British attack, that Manendes risked his own men's lives. 399 00:49:12,100 --> 00:49:18,260 By ordering his own artillery to bring down fire on their own positions here on Mount London, 400 00:49:22,320 --> 00:49:28,080 But it didn't do any good. By six thirty a M, the British had captured the mountain. 401 00:49:39,840 --> 00:49:43,760 As day broke, the British brought in the dead and injured from both sides. 402 00:49:44,950 --> 00:49:51,070 Most of the Argentinian casualties and prisoners were conscript soldiers, young men drafted into the army. 403 00:49:53,370 --> 00:49:59,330 While these soldiers had fought well, many of them were worn down by the conditions before the battle had begun. 404 00:50:02,290 --> 00:50:08,690 Some of them were even captured in their positions like this one, huddled up in their sleeping bags trying to escape the battle. 405 00:50:09,570 --> 00:50:09,690 Cold. 406 00:50:11,300 --> 00:50:13,460 I am tired, cold, unhappy. 407 00:50:14,680 --> 00:50:20,000 I swear that I can't take it any more, even though this is my duty as a man and a soldier of the fatherland. 408 00:50:21,970 --> 00:50:29,650 Although this had been a bloody battle for both sides, the British attacks had taken all the high ground they'd planned to on the first night. 409 00:50:30,590 --> 00:50:33,710 But another night's fighting still lay ahead. 410 00:50:34,540 --> 00:50:40,700 Of the remaining mountains that had to be captured on the second night. By far the most vital. 411 00:50:41,550 --> 00:50:48,350 That one over there, let's tumble down the last major obstacle between the British and standard. 412 00:50:50,230 --> 00:50:56,870 The men charged with recapturing, tumble down with a second battalion of the Scots Guards just eight weeks earlier. 413 00:50:57,220 --> 00:51:00,340 They've been on ceremonial duties, like guarding Buckingham Palace. 414 00:51:01,630 --> 00:51:08,590 This would be the first experience of war for many of them, and they now had to confront perhaps the toughest target of the campaign. 415 00:51:10,440 --> 00:51:11,320 I need to. 416 00:51:14,570 --> 00:51:17,530 The Argentinians lost, tumble down. They lost Stanley. 417 00:51:21,170 --> 00:51:24,530 So they put their best men up here, the elite Fifth Marines. 418 00:51:28,730 --> 00:51:34,810 700 heavily armed crack troops were dug into the protected positions in the caves and rocks high in the mountains. 419 00:51:40,530 --> 00:51:47,050 These Argentinian marines had been trained to fight at night, and they outnumbered the attacking British forces by almost two to one. 420 00:51:48,560 --> 00:51:54,760 The Argentinians were confident they could hold the British off as soon as darkness fell, the fighting began. 421 00:51:59,540 --> 00:52:00,500 I was murdered. 422 00:52:01,500 --> 00:52:10,060 We were coming under water fire, machine gun fire, sniper fire, you name it was coming towards us. Well, it's what was the scene unexpected? 423 00:52:11,190 --> 00:52:17,270 And I was unexpected. You cannot really describe it. Nobody could describe enough of not being no. 424 00:52:20,180 --> 00:52:27,580 Three hours into the battle, things were going badly for the British. The Scots Guards attack had come to a complete halt. 425 00:52:28,880 --> 00:52:34,480 They were taunting us, the old word in English, calling us to come on, and I think they mentioned surrender. 426 00:52:35,620 --> 00:52:43,700 The combination of cold uncertainty and the general awareness that we were stuck, like to the grip, eago, shrinking and shrinking and shrinking. 427 00:52:44,920 --> 00:52:46,520 At that stage, I thought we had blown it. 428 00:52:49,350 --> 00:52:53,350 Edsman tumbled down behind me up there, and here it is on the map case. 429 00:52:54,530 --> 00:53:01,490 The scudskards had approached, tumble down from the west and made their way up this slope here, unappposed. 430 00:53:02,820 --> 00:53:07,220 But now one company, about 120 men, were pinned down here. 431 00:53:07,820 --> 00:53:14,420 By stiff opposition from the Argentinians positioned in the rocks and craigs up above, on top of the ridge. Here. 432 00:53:17,050 --> 00:53:24,130 Then thirty Scots guards climbed up onto higher ground to the north, undetected by the Argentinians down below. 433 00:53:25,570 --> 00:53:29,490 While they were able to bring sustained fire down on the Argentinians exposed. 434 00:53:30,860 --> 00:53:37,020 The rest of the company stormed the Argentinian strong point. The Scots had made the breakthrough. 435 00:53:40,700 --> 00:53:48,500 As dawn broke, the battle was still raging, tumbled down, and the British forces prepared to throw everything they had into the fight for Stanley. 436 00:53:51,210 --> 00:53:51,330 Mother. 437 00:54:02,880 --> 00:54:06,440 They hammered the remaining enemy positions in a final all out bombard. 438 00:54:26,540 --> 00:54:29,220 Soon, argentinian troops could be seen fleeing. 439 00:54:30,880 --> 00:54:39,280 The British troops that effectively destroyed their enemies will to fight, and the Argentinians retreated, flooding back into Stanley in their hundreds. 440 00:54:41,550 --> 00:54:43,430 The Argentinian resistance was crumbling. 441 00:54:53,570 --> 00:54:56,010 As the demoralized defenders poured into Stanley. 442 00:54:56,610 --> 00:55:02,370 The men were heard arguing with their superiors. Discipline among the Argentinian troops was breaking down. 443 00:55:08,150 --> 00:55:09,790 It wasn't long before they were surrounded. 444 00:55:12,350 --> 00:55:16,470 And on the fourteenth of June, the British demanded the Argentinian surrender. 445 00:55:19,330 --> 00:55:22,930 Realizing that he had little choice, manendez accepted. 446 00:55:24,330 --> 00:55:28,490 After two and a half months, the battle for the forklands was over. 447 00:55:30,300 --> 00:55:33,060 Gentlemen, I've just heard that the white flag is flying overstanding. 448 00:55:37,280 --> 00:55:40,840 The Argentinians had occupied Stanley for 74 days. 449 00:55:42,140 --> 00:55:46,500 But now as two para marshton to the capital, it was back in British hand. 450 00:55:57,050 --> 00:55:58,810 A month later, the first British true. 451 00:55:59,520 --> 00:56:01,200 Back home to jubilant celebrations. 452 00:56:02,220 --> 00:56:09,460 This victory had given people a renewed sense of pride in their country and a feeling that Britain could lift itself out of its recent decline. 453 00:56:11,660 --> 00:56:15,060 And riding on the crest of his success was Margaret Sack. 454 00:56:16,020 --> 00:56:24,580 Within a year, she won the general election with a resounding majority. The IM made in had cemented her position as a major world leader. 455 00:56:26,520 --> 00:56:29,680 In Argentina, the news of the surrender was taken very badly. 456 00:56:30,540 --> 00:56:35,660 Far from uniting the people, the war had left the Argentinians furious at the army and the government. 457 00:56:38,570 --> 00:56:46,490 Just three days after Argentina's defeat, galtiary was forced from power, and military rule collapsed in Argentina. 458 00:56:50,430 --> 00:56:53,790 Over in the Falklands, the legacy of this better conflict lives on. 459 00:56:55,410 --> 00:56:57,450 Nearly a thousand people died in the war. 460 00:56:59,400 --> 00:57:04,040 British servicemen, three forkland islanders and almost Argentinians. 461 00:57:05,390 --> 00:57:10,750 After the war, the British government offered to return the bodies of the Argentinian deads to Argentina for burial. 462 00:57:11,560 --> 00:57:18,080 But their government refused. They said that these islands were part of Argentina, and that the bodies would remain here. 463 00:57:24,400 --> 00:57:31,640 For the Forkland islanders, these graves are a daily reminder that Argentinas refuses to drop its claim to their homeland. 464 00:57:35,140 --> 00:57:40,980 After the war ended, britain greatly increased its permanent military presence on the island. 465 00:57:42,510 --> 00:57:46,630 Now there's one serviceman for every two civilians living here. 466 00:57:48,620 --> 00:57:52,500 Today, the islanders are still determined. The Falklands remain British. 467 00:57:53,300 --> 00:58:00,180 As long as Britain continues to respect their wishes, there will be no early end to this bitter territorial dispute. 468 00:58:07,660 --> 00:58:08,260 I'm going. 469 00:58:10,980 --> 00:58:17,980 Next time in nineteen ninety one, kuwait was at the center of the last major war of the twentieth century. 470 00:58:19,310 --> 00:58:24,710 Saddam Husseins, iraq had invaded, leading to a battle unlike anything seen before. 471 00:58:25,800 --> 00:58:29,720 I'll be get into groups with some of the challenges faced by the men and women on the front line. 472 00:58:30,660 --> 00:58:38,740 And I'm going to be explaining the tactics of a war dominated by cutting edge technology. It was called Operation Desert Storm. 473 00:58:39,950 --> 00:58:40,910 Battle for Kuwait.