Was sinking the Belgrano a war crime?
“It was absolutely not a war crime. It was an act of war, lamentably legal.” Since that fateful afternoon on May 2, 1982, the sinking of the Argentinian cruiser Belgrano by the British nuclear-powered submarine Conqueror has been regarded as one of the most controversial events of the Falklands War.
Why did we sink the Belgrano?
The Belgrano had been sunk outside the 200-mile maritime exclusion zone that Britain had imposed around the Falklands and, according to reports, had actually been heading for port. The Belgrano was a threat to British ships, she said, justifying the action.
Where was HMS Sheffield sunk?
HMS Sheffield (D80) (1971) – a Type 42 destroyer badly damaged by the Argentinian air forces on 4 May 1982 during the Falklands War. While being towed towards South Georgia Island, she sank in heavy seas.
Did the Belgrano have Exocet?
Two Task Groups designated 79.1, which included the aircraft carrier ARA Veinticinco de Mayo plus two Type 42 destroyers, and 79.2, which included three Exocet missile armed Drummond-class corvettes, both sailed to the north. General Belgrano had left Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego on 26 April.
Did Margaret Thatcher say sink it?
Thatcher,” she asked, “why, when the Belgrano, the Argentinian battleship, was outside the exclusion zone and actually sailing away from the Falklands, why did you give the orders to sink it?” Thatcher replied: “But it was not sailing away from the Falklands.
Who Sank the Sheffield?
Captain Augusto Bedacarratz
Frigate Captain Augusto Bedacarratz is an Argentina naval aviator who led the mission on 4 May 1982 that sank HMS Sheffield during the Falklands War using the Exocet AM. 39 anti-ship missile….
| Augusto Bedacarratz | |
|---|---|
| Allegiance | Argentina |
| Service/branch | Argentine Navy |
| Years of service | 1965–1991 |
| Rank | Capitán de Navío |
Who was General Belgrano?
Manuel Belgrano, (born June 3, 1770, Buenos Aires, Viceroyalty of Río de la Plata [now in Argentina]—died June 20, 1820, Buenos Aires), military leader in the Argentine war for independence.
When did the ARA General Belgrano go into service?
ARA General Belgrano. ARA General Belgrano was an Argentine Navy light cruiser in service from 1951 until 1982. Originally commissioned by the U.S. as USS Phoenix, she saw action in the Pacific theatre of World War II before being sold by the United States Navy to Argentina.
What happened to General Belgrano in the Titanic?
Sinking. The two ships continued on their course westward and began dropping depth charges. By the time the ships realised that something had happened to General Belgrano, it was already dark and the weather had worsened, scattering the life rafts.
Was the sinking of General Belgrano legally legal?
The legality of the sinking of General Belgrano has been disputed due to disagreement on the exact nature of the Maritime Exclusion Zone (MEZ) and whether General Belgrano had been returning to port at the time of the sinking.
What was General Belgrano’s service in the Falklands War?
ARA General Belgrano’s service career would be rather uneventful for the next 27 years, until the outbreak of the Falklands War on April 2, 1982. Claiming the British territory for itself, Argentina launched an invasion of the Falklands, as well as uninhabited South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.