THE SAS RAID ON PEBBLE ISLAND

The largest SAS operation since WWII was a pivotal moment in the Falklands War

DOMINIC EAMES

April 1982: Argentinian forces invade the Falklands Islands and trigger a war with Britain. The South Atlantic islands have been in British hands since 1833 and its population (1,850 in 1982) is mostly descended from British settlers, but the Argentinians have long staked their claim to what they call Islas Malvinas, some 400 miles (644km) off their coast. On hearing of the invasion, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher dispatches the largest military expedition since the Suez Crisis of 1956. As the fleet races the 8,000 miles (12,875km) from Britain to the Falklands, it is abundantly clear that central to the campaign will be the elite soldiers of the SAS. Of huge strategic importance if Argentina was to have any chance of winning the war were the three small airfields on the…

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History of War (Digital) - 1 Issue, No. 127

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