Argentine naval forces in the Falklands War

This article describes the composition and actions of the Argentine naval forces in the Falklands War (Spanish:"Guerra de las Malvinas"). For a list of naval forces from the United Kingdom, see British naval forces in the Falklands War.

Background

The Argentine Navy (ARA), particularly its commander-in-chief and Junta member, Admiral Jorge Anaya was the main architect and supporter of a military solution to resolve the long standing claim of sovereignty over the islands. His first attempt came in 1976 when he was the Navy Chief's Operations of the recently established Military dictatorship but General Videla and Admiral Massera were more busy disappearing people at that time [MALVINAS, LA TRAMA SECRETA, CARDOSO OSCAR RAUL, KIRSCHBAUM RICARDO, VAN DER KOOY EDUARDO ISBN 950-742-863-1] . By 1982 the country was already in the midst of a devastating economic crisis and large-scale civil unrest against the repressive government and Anaya, now member of the ruling Junta, ordered Operation Rosario to be brought forward to 2 April, after a group of Argentina military inflitrated a group of Argentine scrap metal merchants and raised the Argentine flag at South Georgia 19 March.

General Galtieri, acting President, agreed in his intention to mount a quick, symbolic occupation, followed rapidly by a withdrawal, leaving only a small garrison to support the new military governor and force the UK to begin talks on the long delayed sovereignty claim. On April 2 an amphibious landing was made at Stanley and on April 3 Argentine marines used helictopers to take over the Georgias. Whilst the Military Junta was redeploying the assault units back to their home bases they found the British responded with a large-scale mobilization to organize a naval task force and ground forces to retake the islands by force. The war could not have happened at a worse time for the Argentines, they were expecting new destroyers, frigates and submarines being built in West Germany and their shipment of French Super Etendards and Exocets were not yet complete whilst on the other hand the Royal Navy was in middle of great cutbacks that would eliminate its force of aircraft carriers and amphibious forces in the coming months.

Argentine Navy

Operation Rosario (April 2)

:Vice Admiral Juan Lombardo:Ships that only participated in the initial invasion, April 2nd:

Task Group 20

:Commander José Sarcona
*ARA Comodoro Py - A Gearing class destroyer, formerly USS Perkins (DD-877).
*ARA Comodoro Segui - An Allen M. Sumner class destroyer, formerly USS Hank.

Task Group 40

:Rear Admiral Jorge Allara
*ARA Cabo San Antonio (Q42) - Argentine built USS "De Soto County"-class LST, an amphibious landing ship.

Teatro de Operaciones Malvinas (April 2-June 14)

*ARA Alférez Sobral - a Sotoyomo class patrol vessel, formerly USS "Salish" (ATA-187), damaged by Sea Skua missiles fired by Westland Lynx HAS.Mk.2/3 helicopters from HMS "Glasgow" and HMS "Coventry". (†8)
*ARA Comodoro Somellera, a Sotoyomo class patrol vessel, formerly USS "Catawba" ATA-210 .
*ARA Isla de los Estados - A transport ship sunk by HMS "Alacrity" in Falkland Sound. (†22)
*ARA Bahía Buen Suceso - A transport ship, she was moved from Stanley to the Falklands Sound on 29 April. During the trip, the ship spotted the schooner "Penelope", property of the FIC, which was taken over by an Argentine prize crew the following day. While at anchor at Fox Bay, the transport ran aground in a storm and was later damaged by 30 mm ADEN cannon fire from BAe Sea Harrier FRS.Mk.1s. The British eventually captured the wreck after the war and sunk her in high seas.
*ARA Bahía Paraíso - A polar transport, later deployed as hospital ship off Stanley.

Teatro de Operaciones del Atlántico Sur (April 15-Jun 14)

:Direct control from Buenos Aires.:Vice Admiral Juan Lombardo

Task Group 79.1

:Rear Admiral Jorge Allara
*ARA Veinticinco de Mayo - A Colossus class aircraft carrier, formerly HMS "Venerable". Threat of submarine attack kept the ship confined to port after 3rd May.
*ARA Hércules - A Type 42 destroyer.
*ARA Santísima Trinidad - A Type 42 destroyer.
*ARA Punta Médanos - A fleet tanker.

Task Group 79.3

:Captain Héctor Bonzo
*ARA General Belgrano - A Brooklyn class cruiser, formerly USS Phoenix (CL-46) sunk by Mk.8 torpedoes fired by HMS "Conqueror". (†323)
*ARA Hipólito Bouchard - An Allen M. Sumner class destroyer formerly USS Borie (DD-704).
*ARA Piedrabuena - A Allen M. Sumner class destroyer, formerly USS Collett.
*ARA Punta Delgada - A fleet tanker.

Task Group 79.4

:Captain Juan Calmon
* ARA "Drummond" (P-31) - A "Drummond" -class (D'Estienne d'Orves class) corvette.
* ARA "Guerrico" (P-32) - A "Drummond" -class (D'Estienne d'Orves class) corvette. (†1) "April 3rd"
* ARA "Granville" (P-33) - A "Drummond" -class (D'Estienne d'Orves class) corvette.

ubmarine force

*ARA San Luis - A Type 209 submarine.
*ARA Santa Fe - A Balao class, GUPPY program submarine, formerly USS "Catfish" (SS-339). It was disabled by Aerospatiale AS.12 ASM (Air-to-Surface Missiles) fired from Westland Wasp HAS.Mk.1 helicopters from HMS Plymouth and HMS Endurance "(Scuttled by British after capture)" (†1)

Others

*ARA Almirante Irízar - An icebreaker, acting as hospital ship.
*ARA Francisco de Gurruchaga - A patrol ship, formerly USS Luiseno ATF 156.

Argentine Coast Guard

:Stationed at the Falklands Islands.
*Islas Malvinas GC82 - A Z-28 type naval patrol craft, damaged by a Westland Lynx HAS.Mk.2/3 helicopter from HMS "Alacrity" on 1 May 1982 near Kidney Island. The helicopter received heavy damage when fired on by the armed trawler ARA Forrest. Captured at Stanley by the British on 14 June 1982 and renamed HMS "Tiger Bay".
*Río Iguazú GC83 - A Z-28 type naval patrol craft, damaged by BAe Sea Harrier FRS.Mk.1s on 22 May in Choiseul Sound while steaming towards Goose Green with two 105 mm guns aboard, beached in Button Bay. The guns were taken off by Argentine helicopter, though one was damaged, and were used in the defence of Darwin. Later captured by British Forces, but attacked by a Westland Lynx HAS.Mk.2/3 (XZ691) from HMS "Penelope" firing a Sea Skua on 13 June 1982. The wreck was towed to Goose Green after the conflict. (†1)

Argentine Merchant Navy

Blockade Runners

*Formosa - A 12,762 ton cargo ship, attacked by Argentine Douglas A-4 Skyhawks of Grupo 5 by mistake. Survived the conflict.
*Mar del Norte -
*Lago Argentino - An ELMA cargo ship.
*Río Cincel - An ELMA cargo ship.
*Puerto Rosales - A commercial tanker.
*Río Carcarañá - An ELMA cargo ship, 8,500 tons, damaged by Sea Harriers in Port King. Subsequently attacked by both sides, until finally sunk by Sea Skua missiles fired from a Westland Lynx helicopter on 23 May 1982. [cite book |last= Morgan|first= David|title= Hostile Skies|origyear=2006|publisher=Phoenix|isbn=-13 978-0-7538-2199-2|pages=pg 140-141|chapter=Chapter 6|quote=She was later attacked by Argentine A4s, shelled by one of our frigates and finally attacked by Antelope's Lynx, which sank her on 23 May with 2 Sea Skua missiles.]
*Yehuin - A requisitioned oil tender, 494 tons. Captured 15 June 1982 and renamed "Falkland Sound".

py trawlers

*Narwal - A 1,300 ton stern freezer fishing trawler. On patrol northwest of the exclusion zone since 26 April. Made a number of visual contacts with British aircraft and warships, including a submarine, according to the Argentine version. [Mayorga, page 300] Damaged by an unexploded 1,000 lb. bomb and 30 mm ADEN cannon fire from two BAe Sea Harrier FRS.Mk.1s of 800 Naval Air Squadron, HMS Hermes; later captured by Royal Marines 9 May 1982. Finally sank in a storm at coord|52|45|S|58|02|W on 10 May 1982.(†1)
*María Alejandra: On patrol northwest of the exclusion zone from April 26 to May 4.
*Constanza: On patrol northwest of the exclusion zone from April 26 to May 4.
*Capitán Canepa —
*María Luisa: Spotted a British warship at coord|40|00|S|33|40|W on April 26, shortly after being overflied by a fighter jet. This revealed to the Argentine intelligence the path of the British battle group. On 30 April she made back to Mar del Plata due to mechanical problems.
*Usurbil: Made radar contact with six ships sailing in convoy on May 8. Warned off by a warship and a helicopter, she made back to Buenos Aires.
*Mar Azul: Tracked the convoy by radar along with Usurbil, but was ordered to come back to Mar del Plata on May 9 before making visual contact. [Mayorga, pp. 170-171] [Costa, page 199]

*Río de la Plata II - A cargo vessel, 10,409 tons, spotted by British off Ascension Island and warned off on 24 April 1982. The most successful Argentine spy ship; she collected valuable intelligence about the type of warships, logistic craft and merchantmen deployed by the British to the south. [Mayorga, page 169]

Falkland Islands Company ships seized by the Argentine Navy

*ARA Forrest - armed coaster: She fought off the Lynx helicopter that put the patrol craft "Islas Malvinas" out of action near Kidney Island on May 1º. The aircraft came back to HMS "Alacrity" with serious damage from small arms fire. [ [http://www.hmsalacrity.co.uk/may.html#prof HMS "Alacrity"] ] [Mayorga, pp. 144-145] The ship rescued two survivors of the crew of ARA Isla de los Estados, sunk by "Alacrity" on 10 May. She towed ARA Monsunen to Darwin later in the war, after this ship faced the attack of two British frigates and a helicopter. She uploaded ARA Monsunen's cargo and completed the supply mission to Stanley on 25 May. The ship was involved in harbour duties until the end of the war.
*ARA Monsunen - armed coaster: She survived the attack of two British frigates and a helicopter, successfuly avoiding them by running aground at Seal Cove. Her supply mission was eventually carried out by ARA Forrest, which towed her to Darwin. Recovered by British forces on 29 may, after the battle of Goose Green.
*ARA Penelope - schooner: Spotted by ARA Bahía Buen Suceso at Speedwell Island and seized by an Argentine crew on May 7. [Mayorga, page 313] She accomplished a logistic mission from Fox Bay to Stanley. While uploading her cargo, the schooner endured a naval bombardment by HMS "Plymouth" on Fox Bay's fuel depots during the first hours of 26 May. She eventually reached Stanley on 2 June. [Herrscher, pp. 91-93, 104-105, 112-113]

References

* "Falklands Air War", Chris Hobson. ISBN 1-85780-126-1
* "Amphibious Assault Falklands", Michael Clapp and Ewen Southby - Tailyour. ISBN 0-85052-420-2
* "No Vencidos", Horacio Mayorga, 1998. ISBN 950-742-976-X es
* "Guerra bajo la Cruz del Sur", Eduardo José Costa, 1988. ISBN 9506147493 es
* "Los viajes del Penélope. La historia del barco más viejo de la Guerra de Malvinas", Roberto Herrscher, 2007. ISBN 9789871210589 es

Notes