Although not
based on the Falklands, the few Super-Etendards with their
Exocet missiles were a major threat to the British Task
Force investing the Falklands
By the time Britain
was ready to land, Argentine forces were well established on
the islands. In spite of the numerous Sea Harrier attacks
and naval bombardments and the Pebble Island raid, they were
superior in numbers of men, artillery, attack aircraft and
had a good helicopter lift. However on the ground, they were
about to depend on well prepared defensive positions rather
than aggressive counter-attack.
Following is a summary of the
main ground forces and their supporting aircraft. On the
eve of the landings most of the latter were based at
Stanley although some of the FAA Pucaras and helicopters
were at Goose Green. Pebble Island was by then out of
action. A total of 20 attack aircraft and 23 helicopters
from the four services remained available after losses to
20th May, the day before the landings at San Carlos Bay:
FALKLAND ISLANDS - commanded by
Major General Menendez.
GROUND
FORCES included:
- 3rd Mechanised
Inf Brigade (Major General Omar Parada with
4th, 5th, 8th and 12th Regts),
- 10th Motorised
Inf Brigade (Major General Oscar Joffre with
3rd, 6th and 7th Regts),
- Independent 25th
Regt and 5th Marine Inf Btn.
Stanley
& Approaches - Commander,
General
Joffre, 10th
Bde reinforced to c8000 men from:
- 3rd, 4th, 6th,
7th and 25th Regts, each of c1000 men. All
Motorised Inf except for 4th Inf,
- 5th Marine Btn,
c800 men,
- 3rd Artillery
Btn with 30x105mm and 3x155mm guns,
- Armoured Car
Sqdn with 12 Panhards,
- 181st Military
Police and Intelligence Coy,
- 601st
Anti-Aircraft Btn.
Goose Green and
West Falkland under command of
General Parada, 3rd
Bde but based in Stanley:
- GOOSE GREEN -
c1000 men from 12th Inf Regt, elements 601st
AA Btn, FAA elements, (later - half-bty of
3x105mm guns)
- PORT HOWARD -
c800 men from 5th Inf Regt and elements 9th
Engineer Coy,
- FOX BAY - c900
men from 8th Motorised Inf Regt and elements
9th Engineer Coy.
AIRCRAFT
STRENGTH (losses to 20th May in brackets):
- Navy - 5
MB.339's (1 MB.339 and 4 Mentors lost)
- Coast Guard - 1
Puma (2 Skyvan)
- Army - 2
Chinook, 4 Puma, 3 Agusta, 9 Iroquois (1 Puma)
- Air Force - 15
Pucara, 2 Bell, 2 Chinook (9 Pucara)
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