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Operation Paraquat

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Paraquat was the code-word for the British military operation to recapture the Island of South Georgia from Argentine military control in April 1982. This operation, a subsidiary of the main Operation Corporate (recapture of the Falkland Islands from Argentina) was successful, leading to the island being restored to British rule on April 25, 1982.

The operation was originally supposed to involve both SAS and SBS forces being infiltrated onto South Georgia by helicopter, but the plan had to be changed when the helicopters transporting the troops crashed on Fortuna Glacier. The revised plan involved two Royal Navy vessels subjecting the Argentine garrison at Grytviken to an artillery bombardment. The garrison surrendered to M Company, 42 Commando, Royal Marines, after fifteen minutes.

One of the most famous and legendary signals of the entire Falklands War was made by the British forces' commander after the surrender at Grytviken:

[Be pleased to inform Her Majesty that the White Ensign flies alongside the Union Jack in South Georgia. God save the Queen.]

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Falklands War

Military forces | Argentine ground forces | British ground forces | Air forces | Argentine naval forces | British naval forces
Timeline | Background | Invasion | Falklands War
Battles | Goose Green | Mount Harriet | Two Sisters | Mount Longdon | Mount Tumbledown | Wireless Ridge
Operations | Algeciras | Canbelow | Corporate | Black Buck | Keyhole | Paraquat | Purple Warrior | Rosario | Sutton

 


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