The Hunt for Argentina's Aircraft Carrier: The Forgotten Story

💥Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands and South Georgia, leading to a British mission to find and sink their aircraft carrier.

🔍The British submarines, HMS Conqueror, Splendid, and Spartan, were tasked with hunting the 25th of May, but it managed to escape.

🛳️The 25th of May was an old ship that had served in the Royal Navy and the Netherlands before joining the Argentine Navy.

🔥The British submarines played a crucial role in the Falklands War by eliminating threats from the Argentine Navy.

🔁The loss of the General Belgrano, an Argentine cruiser, by HMS Conqueror removed one arm of the Argentine trap.

What were the threats posed by the Argentine Navy during the Falklands War?

—The Argentine Navy, including their aircraft carrier, posed a significant threat to the British task force approaching the Falklands. They had a larger number of aircraft and were operating closer to home.

Why were the British submarines tasked with finding and sinking the Argentine carrier?

—The Argentine carrier, 25th of May, with its embarked Air Group of Skyhawks, was deemed a bigger threat to the British task force. The submarines were deployed to remove this threat and prevent it from interfering with the forthcoming operations.

Were the British submarines successful in sinking the Argentine carrier?

—No, the Argentine carrier, 25th of May, managed to escape the British submarines and made it safely to the port at Viedma. However, the submarines played a crucial role in eliminating other threats from the Argentine Navy.

What would have happened if the Argentine carrier had launched its Skyhawks on the British task force?

—If the Argentine carrier had managed to launch its Skyhawks on the 1st of May 1982, it could have altered the entire outcome of the Falklands War. Even one bomb hit on the British carriers could have had significant consequences.

What happened to the British submarines after the Falklands War?

—HMS Conqueror, Splendid, and Spartan were decommissioned in the 2000s. They are among the currently stored nuclear-powered Royal Navy submarines.

00:00[Music]

00:13Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands and South Georgia, leading to a British mission to find and sink their aircraft carrier.

01:40The British submarines, HMS Conqueror, Splendid, and Spartan, were tasked with hunting the 25th of May, but it managed to escape.

05:13The loss of the General Belgrano, an Argentine cruiser, by HMS Conqueror removed one arm of the Argentine trap.

10:38HMS Splendid almost caught up with the 25th of May, but it managed to make it safely to the port at Viedma.

12:52Argentina surrendered after ten weeks of action, with the British submarines playing a crucial role in eliminating threats from the Argentine Navy.