0:00:09 > 0:00:14In April 1982, an invasion by Argentina provoked
0:00:14 > 0:00:20one of the most ambitious military undertakings in British history.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24Britain sent a naval task force and 15,000 men
0:00:24 > 0:00:29to fight for a small group of islands on the edge of the Antarctic.
0:00:29 > 0:00:35Britain was at war with Argentina but the odds were spectacularly uneven.
0:00:35 > 0:00:40I'll look at the challenges that faced the British struggling to fight
0:00:40 > 0:00:428,000 miles from home,
0:00:42 > 0:00:46while the Argentinians were fighting on their own doorstep.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52They had to fight up here in freezing conditions
0:00:52 > 0:00:56on exposed hilltops and across wide open ground.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58I'll experience how the British troops
0:00:58 > 0:01:02- used darkness to their advantage against a well defended enemy.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11In a way it was one of the most improbable conflicts ever.
0:01:11 > 0:01:17More than 30,000 men went to war over a group of barren and windswept islands,
0:01:17 > 0:01:19that were home to only 2,000 people.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23This is the story of the battle for the Falklands.
0:01:55 > 0:02:00This may look like a sleepy little seaside town somewhere in the British Isles.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04In fact, the United Kingdom is 8,000 miles away.
0:02:08 > 0:02:13These are the Falkland Islands, a remote British territory in the South Atlantic.
0:02:13 > 0:02:18The nearest mainland is Argentina, just 400 miles to the west.
0:02:20 > 0:02:25Life for the 2,500 people who live here is isolated,
0:02:25 > 0:02:29hardy and undisturbed, but in April 1982,
0:02:29 > 0:02:33all that changed, when these islands became the setting
0:02:33 > 0:02:37for the last invasion of British territory.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44On April 2nd 1982,
0:02:44 > 0:02:49about 100 Argentinian marines landed here on the Falklands.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52Their objective - to capture the capital, Stanley.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56They were the advance party.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58There were 2,000 more men on their way,
0:02:58 > 0:03:00but the job of these marines was to seize the town
0:03:00 > 0:03:04and force the British governor of the islands to surrender.
0:03:04 > 0:03:10Soon, the extraordinary news of the Argentinian invasion hit bulletins across the world.
0:03:18 > 0:03:23The Falkland Islands, the British colony in the South Atlantic
0:03:23 > 0:03:25has fallen, that's what Argentina is saying.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31It claims its marines went ashore as a spearhead this morning
0:03:31 > 0:03:35to capture key targets, including the capital Port Stanley.
0:03:40 > 0:03:45The Islands were defended by just 69 Royal Marines and the invading
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Argentinians in their hundreds overwhelmed this tiny force.
0:03:48 > 0:03:53They moved up here and surrounded Government House, demanding the surrender of the Falkland Islands.
0:03:56 > 0:04:02As Argentinian armoured vehicles rolled towards Government House, a fire fight broke out.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05Trapped inside, the British Governor, Rex Hunt,
0:04:05 > 0:04:09broadcast a defiant message on the local radio station.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22The invasion of the Falklands transformed a long-running dispute
0:04:22 > 0:04:26between Britain and Argentina into a major international crisis.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39For two centuries, both countries have claimed the Falklands.
0:04:39 > 0:04:44The Argentinians did control the Islands for nearly a decade
0:04:44 > 0:04:47until 1833, when the British expelled them.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50Britain has governed the Falklands ever since.
0:04:50 > 0:04:56The Argentinians call the islands the Malvinas, and they tried to persuade the British to give them up.
0:05:03 > 0:05:10Britain had long considered handing over this small relic of Empire to Argentina, but the Falkland Islanders
0:05:10 > 0:05:14liked their British identity and didn't want to give it up.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16It became clear to the British government
0:05:16 > 0:05:21that overriding the wishes of the islanders was out of the question.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25The people here wanted the Islands to stay British sovereign territory.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29This made agreement between Britain and Argentina almost impossible.
0:05:29 > 0:05:35Talks got nowhere and the future of the Falkland Islands remained in an uneasy deadlock.
0:05:37 > 0:05:44But in 1981, a new military government seized power in Argentina.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50At its head was the Army Commander, General Leopoldo Galtieri.
0:05:50 > 0:05:55His regime was a rule of terror, and the country's economy was collapsing.
0:05:55 > 0:06:00He badly needed to find a cause that would win his government popularity.
0:06:05 > 0:06:10There was one issue Galtieri knew his people cared passionately about -
0:06:10 > 0:06:12their claim to the Falkland Islands.
0:06:12 > 0:06:19Galtieri would unite the Argentinian nation by seizing the Falkland Islands from Britain by force.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22It looked like the perfect answer to his problems.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29And on April 2nd 1982,
0:06:29 > 0:06:34Galtieri's repossession of the Falklands was going exactly to plan.
0:06:39 > 0:06:44Within hours of landing, hundreds of Argentinian troops were all over Stanley.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48They had even seized the radio station.
0:06:53 > 0:06:58The Governor, Rex Hunt, had little choice but to surrender.
0:06:58 > 0:07:03He broadcast a final message to the islanders from Government House.
0:07:13 > 0:07:19The governor and the royal marines were escorted off the Islands and sent back to Britain.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22The civilians were left wondering what would happen next.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26We heard these tremendous bangs on the back door
0:07:26 > 0:07:28and there were shouts for us to come out.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31We had to go out and sit in the yard,
0:07:31 > 0:07:36and this Argentine was there with a machine gun trained on us.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38Mum thought we were going to be shot.
0:07:40 > 0:07:468,000 miles from Britain, the islanders were left unprotected and isolated.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51CAR HORNS BLARE
0:07:55 > 0:08:02When the news of the British surrender hit Buenos Aires that afternoon, 200,000 Argentinians
0:08:02 > 0:08:09poured into the main square, wildly applauding the liberation of the Islas Malvinas.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11Galtieri's plan had worked.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15As the crowds celebrated, Galtieri was confident
0:08:15 > 0:08:18that Britain would not react. He assumed that because
0:08:18 > 0:08:23the distant Falklands was hardly a vital British interest, Britain would not fight for them.
0:08:23 > 0:08:31But Galtieri was making one crucial error. He'd seriously underestimated
0:08:31 > 0:08:34Britain's prime minister, Margaret Thatcher.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39In 1982, Britain's first female prime minister
0:08:39 > 0:08:41was governing a country in trouble.
0:08:41 > 0:08:46Britain was in recession, unemployment had just passed the three million mark,
0:08:46 > 0:08:51and there'd been some of the worst rioting of the 20th century.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54But Thatcher was a formidable character.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58She knew that to hesitate could spell doom for her unpopular government.
0:08:58 > 0:09:05She summoned parliament and gave a defiant response to Argentina's invasion.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09We are here because for the first time for many years,
0:09:09 > 0:09:14British sovereign territory has been invaded by a foreign power.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18The government has now decided that a large task force will sail
0:09:18 > 0:09:22as soon as all preparations are complete.
0:09:22 > 0:09:30HMS Invincible will be in the lead and will leave port on Monday.
0:09:39 > 0:09:45And so, in the spring of 1982, a British task force set sail.
0:09:45 > 0:09:52Ahead lay an 8,000-mile journey across the Atlantic Ocean to the Falkland Islands.
0:09:55 > 0:10:00In all, 93 ships would sail to the Falklands, a hastily gathered
0:10:00 > 0:10:05fleet of warships, supply ships, and even cruise liners like the QE2.
0:10:05 > 0:10:12At the heart of the fleet were two aircraft carriers - HMS Invincible and HMS Hermes.
0:10:12 > 0:10:18Hermes was the flagship and home to the Task Force Commander, Rear Admiral Sandy Woodward.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24Woodward's fleet would take three weeks to reach the Falklands.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30During that time, Britain would try for a diplomatic solution,
0:10:30 > 0:10:35but if that failed, the task force would have to go to war when it got there.
0:10:39 > 0:10:45By April 17th, the first wave of the task force had sailed
0:10:45 > 0:10:50right down into the South Atlantic and was just off Ascension Island,
0:10:50 > 0:10:53the nearest British base to the Falklands.
0:10:53 > 0:10:58There were still another 3,500 miles to the Falkland Islands themselves.
0:10:58 > 0:11:03The ships were in two groups. To the south was Woodward's naval fleet.
0:11:03 > 0:11:09This was the advance party, made up of two aircraft carriers and fighting ships that would
0:11:09 > 0:11:13battle for the control of the air and the sea around the Falkland Islands.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Once they had gained air superiority,
0:11:16 > 0:11:19then the men carried in the second group of ships
0:11:19 > 0:11:22would launch an amphibious landing.
0:11:22 > 0:11:28The only way to win back the Falklands would be to have troops fighting on the ground there.
0:11:29 > 0:11:37As the fleet sailed south, United Nations and US diplomats tried for a peaceful settlement.
0:11:37 > 0:11:43But by April 30th, any hope of a diplomatic solution evaporated.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46Neither side would back down.
0:11:46 > 0:11:54Neither Britain nor Argentina had officially declared war but now war seemed inevitable.
0:11:56 > 0:12:02The Argentinian garrison of these islands watched the British military response to their invasion with
0:12:02 > 0:12:08growing concern. The race was now on to get organised and re-supplied before the British arrived.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15The Argentinian army did have some professional soldiers
0:12:15 > 0:12:18but the majority of its men were young conscripts.
0:12:18 > 0:12:24To strengthen its forces, the army recalled reservists, more experienced men who could
0:12:24 > 0:12:27stiffen the ranks of those who had just begun their military service.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33My commanding officer came on the radio at four o'clock in the morning
0:12:33 > 0:12:35and told me to wake up all the men.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38We had to be in the Malvinas in 36 hours.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42You could see that the soldiers felt very proud.
0:12:43 > 0:12:44By the end of April,
0:12:44 > 0:12:48there were 13,000 Argentinian troops on the Islands,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51and with them, their new commander.
0:12:53 > 0:12:58The man in charge was Brigadier General Mario Menendez.
0:12:58 > 0:13:05Menendez was a tough soldier who had made his name fighting rebels in remote parts of Argentina.
0:13:05 > 0:13:10He was quickly sworn in as the new governor of the Falklands.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14His first task was to prepare his defences.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21Strategically, Menendez's position was strong.
0:13:21 > 0:13:26As you can see, the Falkland Islands are about 400 miles from Argentina.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30That put the islands just within range
0:13:30 > 0:13:33of Argentina's air force, based on the mainland.
0:13:35 > 0:13:42The main two islands are West and East Falkland, each around 50 miles from end to end.
0:13:42 > 0:13:47Menendez positioned 2,000 of his men on West Falkland,
0:13:47 > 0:13:501,000 men here at Goose Green,
0:13:50 > 0:13:54and about 10,000 in the hills to the west of Stanley.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07These hills were the Argentinians' last line of defence.
0:14:07 > 0:14:12But Menendez hoped his ground troops wouldn't have to fight at all.
0:14:12 > 0:14:17He planned to neutralise the British task force out at sea
0:14:17 > 0:14:20before they had a chance to set foot on land.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33The Argentinian air force was well trained and could launch
0:14:33 > 0:14:36high-performance fighter bombers from bases on the mainland.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40These aircraft could attack the task force once they were within range.
0:14:40 > 0:14:45Against this force, the British could only take as many fighters
0:14:45 > 0:14:50as they could fit onto their two aircraft carriers, that was just 34 planes.
0:14:50 > 0:14:5434 against nearly 100 Argentinian fighters.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57This small force was supposed to gain air superiority,
0:14:57 > 0:15:01protect the British fleet and prepare the way for the amphibious landings,
0:15:01 > 0:15:05all this from the confined flight decks of the two carriers
0:15:05 > 0:15:08as they ploughed through the heaving South Atlantic seas.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10It was an enormous challenge.
0:15:13 > 0:15:18On 1st May 1982, the battle for the Falklands began.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21The first clash between Britain and Argentina was in the air.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28But despite being the underdog, the British immediately showed
0:15:28 > 0:15:30they were a force to be reckoned with.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34There was one thing that the Argentinians hadn't expected.
0:15:37 > 0:15:42Britain's latest acquisition, the Sea Harrier.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51God, you can feel the power of that thing. It's unbelievable.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55That's what's required to get it off this tiny deck. Whoa!
0:16:03 > 0:16:08This aircraft was brand new, untested in combat when it was sent to the Falklands.
0:16:14 > 0:16:20Unique in its ability to take off and land vertically and operate from short runways,
0:16:20 > 0:16:24the Harrier quickly proved it was versatile and extremely reliable.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35And the Harrier had another killer advantage.
0:16:38 > 0:16:44It was armed with the latest air-to-air heat-seeking missile, called Sidewinder.
0:16:44 > 0:16:50Four Argentinian aircraft were shot down on the first day by Sidewinder. Another 15 would follow.
0:16:54 > 0:16:59The British seemed to be smashing the Argentinian air force, but they could only maintain
0:16:59 > 0:17:04their advantage in the air while their ships below remained safe.
0:17:13 > 0:17:19The most important ships in any naval task force are the aircraft carriers.
0:17:22 > 0:17:27If the carriers are lost, so too are their vital aircraft.
0:17:27 > 0:17:33The two aircraft carriers in the Falklands had to be protected at all costs, and although
0:17:33 > 0:17:41the action continued in the skies, the focus of the battle shifted to the rough seas of the South Atlantic.
0:17:44 > 0:17:51On 1st May, Woodward's main task force was 100 miles northeast of the Falklands.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55The British government had declared a 200-mile exclusion zone
0:17:55 > 0:17:59around the Islands and said it would attack anyone entering it.
0:17:59 > 0:18:06Up here, to the northwest, a cluster of Argentinian warships was approaching, among them
0:18:06 > 0:18:12the Argentinian flagship, the aircraft carrier, the Veinticinco de Mayo.
0:18:12 > 0:18:17She carried aircraft that would soon be within close range of the British fleet.
0:18:17 > 0:18:24But even more menacing, the British reckoned, was another group of ships to the south of the Falklands.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28A cruiser, the General Belgrano and two destroyers,
0:18:28 > 0:18:33which the British believed were armed with lethal Exocet missiles.
0:18:33 > 0:18:39These missiles could sink the British aircraft carriers if they got within range.
0:18:39 > 0:18:45The Royal Navy could not afford to risk an Exocet attack on its vital carriers.
0:18:45 > 0:18:50The loss of even one carrier and her combat aircraft could mean defeat.
0:18:50 > 0:18:56Without both, the British task force would have to withdraw from the fight completely.
0:18:56 > 0:19:02The Argentinians appeared to be threatening a pincer movement against the British fleet.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06The carrier, the Veinticinco de Mayo, from the north
0:19:06 > 0:19:08and the Belgrano group from the south.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11The Belgrano group was being tracked
0:19:11 > 0:19:14by a submerged British submarine, the Conqueror.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18Conqueror's captain feared that if the Belgrano turned north,
0:19:18 > 0:19:21it would move into these shallow waters.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25The Conqueror would struggle to track the ship in the shallow water
0:19:25 > 0:19:27and risked losing sight of it.
0:19:27 > 0:19:33The Belgrano might then head for the British fleet and put the task force in grave danger.
0:19:35 > 0:19:40Beneath the waves, Conqueror's commanding officer saw that the Belgrano was steering
0:19:40 > 0:19:45an erratic course just outside the exclusion zone.
0:19:45 > 0:19:51The situation was so critical that the Prime Minister herself was consulted.
0:19:51 > 0:19:56She gave the order to attack. The Conqueror launched its torpedoes.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12There were masses of injured men.
0:20:12 > 0:20:17Most of them had been burnt and there were men covered in oil.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20When I got to my life raft, I asked a sailor to come with me again
0:20:20 > 0:20:23and look for the people that were missing, including the commander.
0:20:27 > 0:20:32Within 45 minutes, the Belgrano had sunk.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35Immediately, the entire Argentinian navy,
0:20:35 > 0:20:39fearful of further submarine attacks, turned round and headed home.
0:20:39 > 0:20:47The British had scored a huge military success and Galtieri's plan seemed to be faltering.
0:20:47 > 0:20:52But he was still able to unleash the weapon the British feared most.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00The Argentinians had recently bought five air-launched Exocets.
0:21:00 > 0:21:05These half-ton missiles could seek out and destroy a ship
0:21:05 > 0:21:07from over 30 miles away.
0:21:12 > 0:21:17On the morning of 4th May, two Argentinian strike aircraft,
0:21:17 > 0:21:21each armed with an Exocet, took off from the mainland.
0:21:23 > 0:21:30On that particular day in 1982, Woodward posted three ships like this as his front line of defence.
0:21:30 > 0:21:36They were destroyers. HMS Coventry, HMS Glasgow and HMS Sheffield.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39They were armed with anti-aircraft missiles.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42These ships could shoot down aircraft,
0:21:42 > 0:21:47but they were unreliable against low altitude targets like Exocets.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51That morning, things had been relatively quiet for the British task force.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03Then, just before two o'clock, the Argentinian aircraft were picked up
0:22:03 > 0:22:06by the radar room on board HMS Glasgow.
0:22:10 > 0:22:16Glasgow immediately sent an urgent warning to all the other ships and went to full action stations herself.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28But 20 miles away, onboard HMS Sheffield,
0:22:28 > 0:22:31the scene couldn't have been more different.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34Here, the ops room wasn't fully manned
0:22:34 > 0:22:39and only part of the message from the Glasgow was picked up. But it was worse than that.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42At that exact moment, HMS Sheffield was using its satellite equipment
0:22:42 > 0:22:46to send a message back to Britain and that blocked its radar.
0:22:46 > 0:22:51The Sheffield couldn't see the Argentinian aircraft approaching.
0:22:58 > 0:23:04Back on the Glasgow, two fast moving dots, possible Exocet missiles,
0:23:04 > 0:23:09suddenly appeared on the radar screen and were closing in at 700mph.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18With a mixture of relief and horror,
0:23:18 > 0:23:21the captain of the Glasgow realised that the missiles
0:23:21 > 0:23:25were headed not for them, but straight for the Sheffield.
0:23:33 > 0:23:38HMS Sheffield was the first British ship to be destroyed by enemy action
0:23:38 > 0:23:40since the Second World War.
0:23:40 > 0:23:47Of the 281 men aboard, 20 were killed and 26 were wounded.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54Blood had now been shed on both sides of the conflict.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15By mid-May, the South Atlantic winter was closing in.
0:24:15 > 0:24:22Some Harriers had been lost in combat and now the bad weather was beginning to hinder the pilots.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28The success of the British plan relied on having complete control of the air
0:24:28 > 0:24:31to provide cover for landing the ground troops,
0:24:31 > 0:24:37but the British didn't have that cover and now time was running out.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41It was politically unthinkable to abandon the operation now,
0:24:41 > 0:24:48they would have to take the huge risk of putting in the ground troops without total air cover.
0:25:05 > 0:25:10On 18th May, the second wave of ships, including ferries
0:25:10 > 0:25:14and the cruise liner the Canberra, arrived just off the Falklands.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17On board was the amphibious landing force.
0:25:17 > 0:25:24The 3,000 men were a mixture of Royal Marine Commandos and Army Paratroopers
0:25:24 > 0:25:27and they were led by Brigadier Julian Thompson.
0:25:27 > 0:25:32Thompson was an experienced commander. He knew that his troops were vulnerable
0:25:32 > 0:25:39without air superiority, but the pressure of time meant the landings had to go ahead.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43The British had looked at all the landings site options
0:25:43 > 0:25:45on both West and East Falkland.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48Since Stanley over here was their ultimate target,
0:25:48 > 0:25:51it made sense to land here on East Falkland.
0:25:51 > 0:25:57They plumped for this natural harbour here at San Carlos Bay.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00It would be out of range of enemy artillery
0:26:00 > 0:26:03and was only very lightly defended,
0:26:03 > 0:26:06a great advantage for any amphibious landing.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09And here I am with San Carlos Bay behind me
0:26:09 > 0:26:11and that's the entrance over there,
0:26:11 > 0:26:14that's where the British landing force came in.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18These hills also offered Thompson's men and ships
0:26:18 > 0:26:25some protection against low level air attack, but there was one problem with this landing site.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29It was a long way from San Carlos here across to the spot
0:26:29 > 0:26:33where Thompson knew the decisive battle would be fought.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37Here in the strongly defended mountains just west of Stanley.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41Between the two was 50 miles of difficult country.
0:26:41 > 0:26:46Thompson planned to move his landing force right across the island
0:26:46 > 0:26:50with a shipment of helicopters that were due to arrive any day.
0:26:50 > 0:26:56But now the priority was to get his men on dry land as soon as possible.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03In the early hours of 21st May,
0:27:03 > 0:27:083,000 British troops headed for the landing beaches.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Each man carried his rifle, ammunition and enough rations
0:27:11 > 0:27:16for two days. This was the moment they'd been waiting for, for weeks.
0:27:38 > 0:27:44Once ashore, the British troops made their way up into the hills and dug themselves into strong positions.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50One unit, the second battalion of the Parachute Regiment, known as 2 Para,
0:27:50 > 0:27:54were based up here on the Sussex Mountains overlooking the bay.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59It was just a question of time before the Argentinians arrived.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03The men braced themselves for an air attack.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07Then, at 10.30, all hell broke loose.
0:28:14 > 0:28:21The Argentinian High Command sent in wave after wave of their fighter bombers from the mainland.
0:28:24 > 0:28:30For five hours, these aircraft bombed and strafed the fleet sitting in the bay.
0:28:34 > 0:28:40The surrounding hills made it almost impossible for the ships' radars to detect the enemy aircraft,
0:28:40 > 0:28:45so the British were unable to get a fix on the attacking planes until it was too late.
0:28:49 > 0:28:55From these positions up here, the Paras had a grandstand view of the action in the bay.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57All their supplies for the land campaign were still
0:28:57 > 0:29:00being unloaded from those ships coming under attack.
0:29:00 > 0:29:05The Paras had to watch helplessly as their lifeline was under fire.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11By the end of the day, five British warships were hit
0:29:11 > 0:29:14and one ship, HMS Ardent, was sinking.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21And the attacks continued on the next day.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31The British had positioned anti-aircraft missiles around the bay,
0:29:31 > 0:29:34but it would be days before these delicate units were operational.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46On the water, the men had resorted to strapping
0:29:46 > 0:29:53machine guns onto the ships' rails in a desperate attempt to hit the low-flying Argentinian jets.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56More conventional anti-aircraft guns,
0:29:56 > 0:30:00some operated by sailors as young as 17, did score a few successes.
0:30:02 > 0:30:08But all these efforts did little to blunt the relentless onslaught of the Argentinian air force.
0:30:13 > 0:30:20The British ships unloading vital supplies for the land campaign made easy targets.
0:30:20 > 0:30:25On May 23rd, HMS Antelope, just out there,
0:30:25 > 0:30:28was the next vessel to take a fatal hit.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35We watched with lumps in our throats
0:30:35 > 0:30:37as Antelope raged with fire and finally sank.
0:30:39 > 0:30:43She was our escort and everybody felt a great loss,
0:30:43 > 0:30:45as she was more than just a ship to us.
0:30:50 > 0:30:56In four days, eight British ships were damaged and two sunk.
0:30:56 > 0:31:03During these attacks, 25 men died and many more were injured.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07While the British were reeling from the attacks in San Carlos water,
0:31:07 > 0:31:10the Argentinians were celebrating their triumphs.
0:31:18 > 0:31:22On 25th May, it was Argentina's National Day,
0:31:22 > 0:31:27a day of patriotic ceremony, and after the successes of their air campaign,
0:31:27 > 0:31:32Menendez and his troops in the Falklands had even more reason to celebrate.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35SPEAKS IN SPANISH
0:31:37 > 0:31:40But it wasn't over yet.
0:31:40 > 0:31:44The Argentinian air force was preparing another raid
0:31:44 > 0:31:48that would hit the British land campaign where it really hurt.
0:31:50 > 0:31:53A massive container ship, the Atlantic Conveyor,
0:31:53 > 0:31:58had just arrived from Britain. She was loaded with thousands of tons
0:31:58 > 0:32:05of supplies, but, more importantly, the helicopters needed by the British forces to get them to Stanley.
0:32:05 > 0:32:10She was preparing to go into San Carlos that night.
0:32:10 > 0:32:16At 3.36pm on 25th May, two Argentinian aircraft flying from
0:32:16 > 0:32:22the mainland picked up the British carrier group just off East Falkland.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26Once in range, they released their Exocets.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31The missiles locked onto two frigates.
0:32:31 > 0:32:38The ships fired up metal foil to confuse the missiles radar and the Exocets veered away.
0:32:40 > 0:32:46But then they found another target, the defenceless Atlantic Conveyor.
0:32:55 > 0:32:56Fire ripped through the ship
0:32:56 > 0:33:00and all nine helicopters still onboard were destroyed.
0:33:03 > 0:33:09Thompson was relying on them to carry his men across East Falkland to Stanley.
0:33:09 > 0:33:13At one stroke, most of his transport had now disappeared.
0:33:18 > 0:33:23Margaret Thatcher wanted Stanley back in British hands quickly,
0:33:23 > 0:33:26but the main British force was still 50 miles away.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34And with no helicopters, the only way
0:33:34 > 0:33:37for the troops to get there was to walk.
0:33:37 > 0:33:42The marines called it yomping and this was to be one of the classic yomps of all time.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52Men carried up to 120lbs of kit on their backs
0:33:52 > 0:33:57through very uneven ground and with the rain lashing down.
0:33:59 > 0:34:03The men had four days of hard marching ahead of them.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11And at the end of this slog, they would have to fight a battle.
0:34:13 > 0:34:17The British main force of 2,000 men were on the move to Stanley,
0:34:17 > 0:34:23but one unit of around 500 men was going in a completely different direction.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29The men of 2 Para weren't heading east towards Stanley,
0:34:29 > 0:34:35they were heading south towards a settlement that was heavily garrisoned by Argentinian troops.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38They had been ordered to win a quick and morale-boosting victory.
0:34:38 > 0:34:42But the battle that lay ahead of them wouldn't go as planned.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45The name of the settlement was Goose Green.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00The Argentinians had a base at Goose Green
0:35:00 > 0:35:03because of its strategic importance.
0:35:03 > 0:35:08It's on a narrow strip of land just five miles long by a mile wide.
0:35:11 > 0:35:16So the Argentinians had stationed an infantry regiment here,
0:35:16 > 0:35:18centred around a small grassy airstrip.
0:35:18 > 0:35:26This is Goose Green Settlement and San Carlos is beyond those mountains way over in the distance there.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28Here's Goose Green on the map case.
0:35:28 > 0:35:32Aware of the British landing in San Carlos, the Argentinians reinforced
0:35:32 > 0:35:36their garrison here at Goose Green, fearing an attack from the north.
0:35:36 > 0:35:41Ready for a British assault, all they could do now was wait.
0:35:42 > 0:35:46The man in command of 2 Para was Colonel H Jones.
0:35:46 > 0:35:53Known as H to his men, he was brave but impulsive and he believed in leading from the front.
0:35:53 > 0:36:00Jones knew Goose Green would be a formidable target and he drew up a detailed battle plan.
0:36:01 > 0:36:06The ground at Goose Green was wide open and featureless, offering little protection.
0:36:06 > 0:36:13Jones' objectives were the airstrip and the settlement of Goose Green, held by the Argentinians.
0:36:13 > 0:36:162 Para was split into several companies.
0:36:16 > 0:36:21They would fight their way south in the dark and then close in on the airfield.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25Then they would take the settlement in daylight.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28But the Argentinians held a strong position
0:36:28 > 0:36:31on the high ground of Darwin Hill.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34They were protected by minefields in front
0:36:34 > 0:36:38and supporting artillery back behind the airfield.
0:36:40 > 0:36:44At 10.30 that night, the British began the attack.
0:36:44 > 0:36:48One company, about 100 men, moved rapidly up here on the left,
0:36:48 > 0:36:51clearing out any enemy positions that they came across.
0:37:01 > 0:37:032 Para were making good progress
0:37:03 > 0:37:07until they reached this spot on the north side of Darwin Hill.
0:37:07 > 0:37:12This was the point at which Colonel H Jones' plan started to go badly wrong.
0:37:12 > 0:37:18One company were pinned down there by fire from well-placed machine guns up on the hill.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21It was rapidly becoming clear that there were more Argentinians
0:37:21 > 0:37:23than they had thought and what's more,
0:37:23 > 0:37:25their will to fight was strong.
0:37:27 > 0:37:31Then the sun began to rise and light flooded across Goose Green,
0:37:31 > 0:37:34illuminating the men on the wide open battlefield.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38The men of 2 Para on the low ground were completely exposed
0:37:38 > 0:37:40to Argentinian fire and couldn't advance.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43Somebody had to do something.
0:37:43 > 0:37:49It was time for Colonel H Jones to do what he thought he did best - lead from the front.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52He identified an isolated Argentinian position just up there
0:37:52 > 0:37:55that he thought that he could take out on his own.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58Clutching his submachine gun, he charged up the hill,
0:37:58 > 0:38:00but immediately, withering fire broke out
0:38:00 > 0:38:03from this hill up there, other Argentinian positions.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06He was seen to fall over but he got back up and kept charging,
0:38:06 > 0:38:12then he was shot in the back and collapsed mortally wounded only metres away from his target.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20This memorial marks where Jones fell.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24As their commanding officer lay dying,
0:38:24 > 0:38:29it now fell to the second in command, Major Chris Keeble, to lead the men.
0:38:29 > 0:38:322 Para were pinned down out in the open and they were still
0:38:32 > 0:38:36a mile short of their objective - the airstrip at Goose Green.
0:38:38 > 0:38:43This was 2 Para's position. This is where they were pinned down
0:38:43 > 0:38:48by heavy fire coming from the Argentinians dug in along this ridge.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52Keeble decided that rather than risk more losses,
0:38:52 > 0:38:57he'd bring heavy fire down on the Argentinian defences on the ridge.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01While this was happening, two of his other companies
0:39:01 > 0:39:05moved around to the west to bring pressure on the Argentinians' flank.
0:39:05 > 0:39:12Slowly, 2 Para pushed forward as Argentinian fighter bombers hit them from the air.
0:39:12 > 0:39:18Then their luck turned and they got their first air support of the fight.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20Two Harriers swept over the battle
0:39:20 > 0:39:24and dropped cluster bombs on the Argentinian artillery positions.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27After 14 hours of intense fighting,
0:39:27 > 0:39:33the Para's steady progress saw them closing in on the Argentinians.
0:39:33 > 0:39:37But they'd taken a lot of casualties and they were utterly exhausted.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43That night, Keeble decided on a cunning ploy
0:39:43 > 0:39:47to try and bluff the Argentinians into an early surrender.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51He sent a letter to the Argentinian Commander.
0:39:51 > 0:39:57In a highly confident tone, he demanded an Argentinian surrender
0:39:57 > 0:40:01and warned them that he would bombard them heavily and hold
0:40:01 > 0:40:06them responsible for any civilian casualties if they went on fighting.
0:40:06 > 0:40:12Amazingly, the gamble worked. The Argentinians agreed to surrender.
0:40:16 > 0:40:18The next day,
0:40:18 > 0:40:21the Paras were astonished to see over 900 Argentinians,
0:40:21 > 0:40:27nearly twice their own number and nearly three times more than they had expected,
0:40:27 > 0:40:28lay down their weapons.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38CHEERING
0:40:40 > 0:40:44After six weeks under Argentinian occupation, Goose Green was back
0:40:44 > 0:40:49in British hands, and the soldiers of 2 Para were heroes.
0:40:49 > 0:40:53But the battle for this tiny place had come at a huge cost.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00Lieutenant Colonel Jones, Captain Wood,
0:41:00 > 0:41:04Captain Dent, Lieutenant Fari,
0:41:04 > 0:41:09Corporal Hardman, Corporal Sullivan.
0:41:09 > 0:41:15More than 70 soldiers were dead, 16 British and over 50 Argentinians.
0:41:20 > 0:41:25What had begun as a quick raid to seize back the airstrip and liberate the community
0:41:25 > 0:41:29had turned into a bloody battle in the struggle for the Falkland Islands.
0:41:31 > 0:41:35The British had won the first round of their land campaign against
0:41:35 > 0:41:41all the odds, but ahead of them still was the battle to regain Stanley.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51While 2 Para had been fighting at Goose Green,
0:41:51 > 0:41:54the main British force had crossed the island
0:41:54 > 0:41:58and was now just 12 miles from the capital.
0:41:58 > 0:42:02But the soldiers knew they faced a tough fight between them and Stanley.
0:42:02 > 0:42:03We've got to take Stanley.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06There's no stopping us now, I don't reckon.
0:42:07 > 0:42:11Got to get it done fast so the only way to do it is get in there.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13Do you have any feelings of apprehension then?
0:42:13 > 0:42:18Oh, yes, definitely. Without a shadow of a doubt.
0:42:19 > 0:42:26Everything seemed to be going to plan, but then the British campaign suffered a massive blow.
0:42:26 > 0:42:32What followed was the largest single British loss of life in the war.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42Just a few miles away from the troops, two landing ships,
0:42:42 > 0:42:47Sir Galahad and Sir Tristram, were anchored just off this bay.
0:42:47 > 0:42:52They were packed with nearly 500 troops - reinforcements for the assault on Stanley.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56These ships should have been off-loaded under cover of darkness,
0:42:56 > 0:43:01but a series of delays and misunderstandings meant they were still here when the sun came up.
0:43:01 > 0:43:07The Argentinians spotted the ships and called in their air force from the mainland.
0:43:07 > 0:43:12Two Argentinian fighter bombers swept in on a deadly bombing run.
0:43:15 > 0:43:21They caught both ships in broad daylight packed with troops and ammunition.
0:43:31 > 0:43:3749 men were killed and a further 115 injured in the disaster.
0:43:47 > 0:43:51But this British tragedy was a significant morale boost for the Argentinians.
0:43:51 > 0:43:56Menendez was told that 900 British had died
0:43:56 > 0:44:01and he now expected a slackening in the British momentum.
0:44:01 > 0:44:04But he was in for a rude shock.
0:44:05 > 0:44:11Nine days after the landings at San Carlos, a senior commander,
0:44:11 > 0:44:16Major General Jeremy Moore, took overall control of the British land campaign.
0:44:16 > 0:44:20Undeterred by the Argentinian air attacks, Moore moved around
0:44:20 > 0:44:259,000 troops into position near the hills surrounding Stanley.
0:44:25 > 0:44:29The battle for Stanley was about to begin.
0:44:29 > 0:44:31Here's Mount Kent, where we are now.
0:44:31 > 0:44:37Heavy Argentinian forces lay between Moore here and the capital.
0:44:37 > 0:44:41He would attack in two stages on two separate nights.
0:44:41 > 0:44:46On the first night, his offensive would sweep from north to south -
0:44:46 > 0:44:49a three-pronged attack on the Argentinians.
0:44:49 > 0:44:53Moore planned to take this outer ring of hills,
0:44:53 > 0:44:56the largest of which was Mount Longdon in the north here.
0:44:56 > 0:44:59On the second night, the British would assault
0:44:59 > 0:45:04another ring of hills nearer Stanley, centred here on Mount Tumbledown.
0:45:04 > 0:45:08Success would leave them just two miles from Stanley.
0:45:12 > 0:45:18The first targets were the Argentinian troops dug in all over Mount Longdon.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21Mount Longdon is a natural fortress.
0:45:21 > 0:45:24Over 500 feet at its highest point,
0:45:24 > 0:45:27it dominates the surrounding moorland.
0:45:27 > 0:45:32For the British forces, this was a dangerous place to attack
0:45:32 > 0:45:35and after their experiences at Goose Green, they didn't
0:45:35 > 0:45:39want their troops caught advancing in the open terrain in daylight.
0:45:39 > 0:45:46So they made a key decision. All the battles to retake Stanley would be fought at night.
0:45:50 > 0:45:54Night fighting is a highly effective strategy.
0:45:54 > 0:46:00Every soldier in the British forces has to be as good at fighting in the dark as in daylight.
0:46:00 > 0:46:05I joined the British Army on a training exercise to experience what it's like.
0:46:11 > 0:46:17The attack began with flares and machine gun fire once we'd crept as close as we could in the pitch dark.
0:46:17 > 0:46:20It's incredibly noisy. It's actually quite bewildering.
0:46:20 > 0:46:24Just moving around in these positions is very difficult, you're weighed
0:46:24 > 0:46:30down by your equipment, there's people tripping over, falling in the frozen stream and turning ankles.
0:46:30 > 0:46:35The enemy is not the only challenge in this dark and difficult terrain.
0:46:38 > 0:46:41Despite how hard it is to operate in the dark,
0:46:41 > 0:46:44it's imperative that the attacking troops don't get pinned down.
0:46:46 > 0:46:51One of the most important things... We've done our attack, we've gotta keep up the momentum,
0:46:51 > 0:46:55keep up speed, I guess to keep the enemy off balance.
0:47:06 > 0:47:10We're about to go over this rise now and interestingly the commander here
0:47:10 > 0:47:15is constantly telling everyone what's going on in the rest of the battlefield, even though it's only
0:47:15 > 0:47:2050 or a 100 metres away, it's very confusing. We can just hear firing and lots of shouting.
0:47:20 > 0:47:22So he's constantly going round telling everyone at what stage
0:47:22 > 0:47:25we're at, trying to keep everything going to plan.
0:47:27 > 0:47:30For the British troops on the Falklands,
0:47:30 > 0:47:35keeping to the plan and maintaining momentum would be the key to their success when fighting at night.
0:47:43 > 0:47:49At 8pm on 11th June, the British forces began their attack on Mount Longdon.
0:47:55 > 0:47:59But 3 Para, who were spearheading the advance,
0:47:59 > 0:48:03found themselves trapped in a bewildering maze of steep-sided alleyways.
0:48:08 > 0:48:13These narrow gullies here channelled the men into the killing grounds of
0:48:13 > 0:48:17the Argentinian machine gunners and snipers up above and then grenades
0:48:17 > 0:48:24were rolled down in amongst them. One officer compared it to like being stuck in a bowling alley.
0:48:24 > 0:48:26The grenades, they were just bouncing down
0:48:26 > 0:48:28the side of the rock face.
0:48:28 > 0:48:32We thought they were rocks falling until the first one exploded.
0:48:33 > 0:48:38Despite mounting casualties, the men pushed forward.
0:48:38 > 0:48:40One sergeant, Ian McKay, dashed up a slope
0:48:40 > 0:48:44and knocked out a stubborn Argentinian position.
0:48:44 > 0:48:47He was killed but later awarded the Victoria Cross.
0:48:52 > 0:48:56For seven hours, the British forces battled their way up Mount Longdon.
0:48:58 > 0:49:04Their assault was just too forceful for the Argentinians to hold off.
0:49:04 > 0:49:09So desperate were the Argentinians to smash the British attack
0:49:09 > 0:49:12that Menendez risked his own men's lives
0:49:12 > 0:49:19by ordering his own artillery to bring down fire on their own positions here on Mount Longdon.
0:49:22 > 0:49:24But it didn't do any good.
0:49:24 > 0:49:29By 6.30am, the British had captured the mountain.
0:49:39 > 0:49:45As day broke, the British brought in the dead and injured from both sides.
0:49:45 > 0:49:47Most of the Argentinian casualties and prisoners
0:49:47 > 0:49:53were conscript soldiers, young men drafted into the army.
0:49:53 > 0:49:56While these soldiers had fought well, many of them
0:49:56 > 0:50:01were worn down by the conditions before the battle had begun.
0:50:02 > 0:50:06Some of them were even captured in their positions like this one,
0:50:06 > 0:50:10huddled up in their sleeping bags trying to escape the battle and the cold.
0:50:10 > 0:50:14I am tired, cold, unhappy.
0:50:14 > 0:50:17I swear that I can't take it any more,
0:50:17 > 0:50:21even though this is my duty as a man and a soldier of the fatherland.
0:50:21 > 0:50:26Although this had been a bloody battle for both sides, the British
0:50:26 > 0:50:30attacks had taken all the high ground they planned to on the first night.
0:50:30 > 0:50:35But another night's fighting still lay ahead.
0:50:35 > 0:50:40Of the remaining mountains that had to be captured on the second night,
0:50:40 > 0:50:43by far the most vital was that one over there.
0:50:43 > 0:50:49That's Tumbledown, the last major obstacle between the British and Stanley.
0:50:49 > 0:50:56The men charged with recapturing Tumbledown were the 2nd Battalion of the Scots Guards.
0:50:56 > 0:51:01Just eight weeks earlier, they had been on ceremonial duties, like guarding Buckingham Palace.
0:51:01 > 0:51:05This would be the first experience of war for many of them,
0:51:05 > 0:51:10and they now had to confront perhaps the toughest target of the campaign.
0:51:14 > 0:51:18If the Argentinians lost Tumbledown, they lost Stanley.
0:51:21 > 0:51:25So they had put their best men up here - the elite 5th Marines.
0:51:28 > 0:51:32700 heavily-armed crack troops were dug into the protective
0:51:32 > 0:51:36positions in the caves and rocks high in the mountain.
0:51:39 > 0:51:44These Argentinian marines had been trained to fight at night
0:51:44 > 0:51:48and they outnumbered the attacking British forces by almost two to one.
0:51:48 > 0:51:52The Argentinians were confident they could hold the British off.
0:51:52 > 0:51:56As soon as darkness fell, the fighting began.
0:51:59 > 0:52:02Aye, it was murder.
0:52:02 > 0:52:05We were coming under mortar fire, machine gun fire, sniper fire.
0:52:05 > 0:52:07You name it, it was coming towards us.
0:52:07 > 0:52:13Well, there's a saying, expect the unexpected, and that was unexpected.
0:52:13 > 0:52:15You cannot really describe it,
0:52:15 > 0:52:18nobody could describe it if they'd not been there.
0:52:20 > 0:52:24Three hours into the battle, things were going badly for the British.
0:52:24 > 0:52:29The Scots Guards' attack had come to a complete halt.
0:52:29 > 0:52:32They were taunting us, the odd word in English,
0:52:32 > 0:52:35calling us to come on, and I think they mentioned surrender.
0:52:35 > 0:52:39The combination of cold, uncertainty and the general
0:52:39 > 0:52:45awareness that we were stuck led to the group ego shrinking and shrinking and shrinking.
0:52:45 > 0:52:48At that stage, I thought we had blown it.
0:52:48 > 0:52:52That's Mount Tumbledown behind me up there,
0:52:52 > 0:52:54and here it is on the Map Case.
0:52:54 > 0:52:58The Scots Guards had approached Tumbledown from the west
0:52:58 > 0:53:02and made their way up this slope here unopposed.
0:53:02 > 0:53:09But now one company, about 120 men, were pinned down here by stiff
0:53:09 > 0:53:16opposition from the Argentinians positioned in the rocks and crags up above, on top of the ridge here.
0:53:16 > 0:53:21Then 30 Scots Guards climbed up onto higher ground to the north
0:53:21 > 0:53:25undetected by the Argentinians down below.
0:53:25 > 0:53:30Now they were able to bring sustained fire down on the Argentinians' exposed flank.
0:53:30 > 0:53:35The rest of the company stormed the Argentinians' strong point.
0:53:35 > 0:53:38The Scots had made the breakthrough.
0:53:40 > 0:53:44As dawn broke, the battle was still raging on Tumbledown
0:53:44 > 0:53:48and the British forces prepared to throw everything they had
0:53:48 > 0:53:49into the fight for Stanley.
0:54:02 > 0:54:08They hammered the remaining enemy positions in a final all-out bombardment.
0:54:26 > 0:54:30Soon Argentinian troops could be seen fleeing.
0:54:30 > 0:54:35The British troops had effectively destroyed their enemy's will to fight
0:54:35 > 0:54:37and the Argentinians retreated,
0:54:37 > 0:54:40flooding back into Stanley in their hundreds.
0:54:41 > 0:54:45The Argentinian resistance was crumbling.
0:54:53 > 0:54:59As the demoralised defenders poured into Stanley, the men were heard arguing with their superiors.
0:54:59 > 0:55:03Discipline among the Argentinian troops was breaking down.
0:55:08 > 0:55:10It wasn't long before they were surrounded.
0:55:12 > 0:55:17And on 14th June, the British demanded the Argentinians surrender.
0:55:19 > 0:55:24Realising that he had little choice, Menendez accepted.
0:55:24 > 0:55:29After two-and-a-half months, the battle for the Falklands was over.
0:55:29 > 0:55:34Gentlemen, I've just heard that the white flag is flying over Stanley.
0:55:37 > 0:55:42The Argentinians had occupied Stanley for 74 days,
0:55:42 > 0:55:48but now, as 2 Para marched into the capital, it was back in British hands.
0:55:57 > 0:56:02A month later, the first British troops arrived back home to jubilant celebrations.
0:56:02 > 0:56:06This victory had given people a renewed sense of pride in their country
0:56:06 > 0:56:11and a feeling that Britain could lift itself out of its recent decline.
0:56:11 > 0:56:16And riding on the crest of this success was Margaret Thatcher.
0:56:16 > 0:56:20Within a year, she won the general election with a resounding majority.
0:56:20 > 0:56:26The Iron Lady had cemented her position as a major world leader.
0:56:26 > 0:56:30In Argentina, the news of the surrender was taken very badly.
0:56:30 > 0:56:36Far from uniting the people, the war had left the Argentinians furious at the army and the government.
0:56:39 > 0:56:42Just three days after Argentina's defeat,
0:56:42 > 0:56:47Galtieri was forced from power and military rule collapsed in Argentina.
0:56:50 > 0:56:56Over in the Falklands, the legacy of this bitter conflict lives on.
0:56:56 > 0:57:01Nearly 1,000 people died in the war. 252 British servicemen,
0:57:01 > 0:57:05three Falkland Islanders and almost 700 Argentinians.
0:57:05 > 0:57:08After the war, the British government offered to return
0:57:08 > 0:57:12the bodies of the Argentinian dead to Argentina for burial,
0:57:12 > 0:57:13but their government refused.
0:57:13 > 0:57:19They said that these islands were part of Argentina and the bodies would remain here.
0:57:24 > 0:57:28For the Falkland Islanders, these graves are a daily reminder
0:57:28 > 0:57:32that Argentina refuses to drop its claim to their homeland.
0:57:35 > 0:57:42After the war ended, Britain greatly increased its permanent military presence on the islands.
0:57:42 > 0:57:47Now there's one serviceman for every two civilians living here.
0:57:47 > 0:57:53Today, the islanders are still determined the Falklands remain British.
0:57:53 > 0:57:57As long as Britain continues to respect their wishes,
0:57:57 > 0:58:01there'll be no early end to this bitter territorial dispute.
0:58:11 > 0:58:12Next time...
0:58:12 > 0:58:19In 1991, Kuwait was at the centre of the last major war of the 20th century.
0:58:19 > 0:58:22Saddam Hussein's Iraq had invaded,
0:58:22 > 0:58:26leading to a battle unlike anything seen before.
0:58:26 > 0:58:29I'll be getting to grips with some of the challenges
0:58:29 > 0:58:31faced by the men and women on the frontline.
0:58:31 > 0:58:34And I'm going to be explaining the tactics
0:58:34 > 0:58:37of a war dominated by cutting-edge technology.
0:58:37 > 0:58:42It was called Operation Desert Storm, The Battle For Kuwait.
0:58:42 > 0:58:44Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd