Following the sinking of the General Belgrano, the Armada of the Republic of Argentina excluding a submarine which was able to cause a considerable amount of havock without sinking anything, stayed in port. Suppose that the Captain of HMS Conqueror had not been authorised to attack the Belgrano, would the outcome have been different? Would there have been a chance of a compromise settlement i.e restoration of British administration on a leaseback agreement and the return of South Georgia to the UK
However it should be remembered that the Belgrano wasn't on a goodwill cruise and may have been manouvering for an attack at a later date. We may well have cracked their codes but didn't wan't to reveal it for obvious reasons. An air attack on Port Stanley a few days before resulted in heavy casualties and may have precluded any settlement irrespective of the sinking of the Belgrano. Had the Argentinians been in a position to sink a major Royal Navy ship they would probably have done the same irrespective of exclusion zones
If the Belgrano had gone on to sink a Royal Navy warship, would all the questions be about why wasn't she sunk when we had the chance?
Within 10 years the ARA was working alongsidse the Royal Navy in the Armilla Patrol. At least this one was over fairly quickly unlike Iraq, Afganistan or Northern Ireland
However assuming that the Begrano wasn't sunk would the outcome have been greatly different?
However it should be remembered that the Belgrano wasn't on a goodwill cruise and may have been manouvering for an attack at a later date. We may well have cracked their codes but didn't wan't to reveal it for obvious reasons. An air attack on Port Stanley a few days before resulted in heavy casualties and may have precluded any settlement irrespective of the sinking of the Belgrano. Had the Argentinians been in a position to sink a major Royal Navy ship they would probably have done the same irrespective of exclusion zones
If the Belgrano had gone on to sink a Royal Navy warship, would all the questions be about why wasn't she sunk when we had the chance?
Within 10 years the ARA was working alongsidse the Royal Navy in the Armilla Patrol. At least this one was over fairly quickly unlike Iraq, Afganistan or Northern Ireland
However assuming that the Begrano wasn't sunk would the outcome have been greatly different?