Falklands 1982
v.1.1 March 8, 2006
[Incorporates minor corrections and remedies ommissions]
Argentine and British Ground Order of Battle
This information is extracted from www.naval-history.net . Mr. Gordon Smith wrote their Falklands site. We thank Mr. Keith Loescher for pointing out our omission of the 2nd Troop, Blues and Royals.
Editor's Note: Most non-western observers assume that The Falklands Campaign was no real contest: on one side was Britain, with one of the most efficient military forces in the world, on the other side was Third World Argentina.
Nonetheless, the odds faced by the British were far higher, and the risks run were far more serious, than generally appreciated. Britain was operating at the end of an 8,000-mile supply line at a time its global projection capability was but a shadow of what it had been in the days of Empire. Its land forces were heavily outnumbered and had to attack from the sea, possibly the most difficult of all military offensive operations. The Argentine Army had approximately 8,500 infantry against Britain's eight battalions of about 600 men each, or 4,800. The British were heavily outnumbered in the air.
Conversely, the British had undisputed command of the sea, giving their land forces mobility, whereas Argentine ground units were forced into a static mode. The British also had fielded their best infantry, whereas the Argentine forces contained a high percentage of conscripts.
This said, the Argentine Air Force flew with great skill and courage. Had Argentine pilots not been hampered by extreme range and many instances of old ordnance failing to explode on impact, the outcome might have been quite different. As it was the Royal Navy suffered the heaviest losses of any fleet in the post-World War II era. A few tens of millions of dollars in keeping its dumb bomb stocks current might have won Argentina the war.
Argentina
GOC Maj.-Gen. Menendez
|
Stanley and Approaches |
|
|
10 Motorized Infantry Brigade |
GOC Maj.-Gen. Oscar Joffre. 8,000 troops |
|
3 Motorized Infantry Regiment |
1,000 troops |
|
4 Infantry Regiment |
1,000 troops |
|
6 Motorized Infantry Regiment |
1,000 troops |
|
7 Motorized Infantry Regiment |
1,000 troops |
|
25 Independent Motorized Infantry Regiment |
1,000 troops |
|
5 Marine Battalion |
800 troops |
|
3 Artillery Battalion |
30 105mm and 3 155mm |
|
Armored Car Squadron |
12 Panhard |
|
181 MP and Intelligence Company |
|
|
601 Anti-Aircraft Battalion |
|
|
Goose Green and West Falkland |
|
|
3 Brigade |
Maj.-Gen. Omar Prada. Brigade based in Stanley |
|
12 Infantry Regiment |
Goose Green. 1000 men, plus elements 601 AA Bn, 3 X 155mm |
|
5 Infantry Regiment |
Port Howard. 800 men plus elements 9 Engineer Company |
|
8 Motorized Infantry Regiment |
Fox Bay. 900 men plus elements 9 Engineer Company |
Britain
Land Commander, Falklands: Maj.-Gen. Jeremy Moore, RM
|
3 Commando Brigade, Royal Marines |
Later reinforced by 2 and 3 Parachute Regiment |
|
Brigade HQ |
|
|
Signal Squadron |
|
|
1 Raiding Squadron |
|
|
Air Defense Troop |
12 Blowpipe SAM |
|
40 Commando, Royal Marines |
|
|
42 Commando, Royal Marines |
M Coy to South Georgia; replaced by newly-formed J Coy |
|
45 Commando, Royal Marines |
|
|
29 Commando Regiment, RA |
7, 8, 70 Battery, 6 X 105mm;148 Cdo Fwd Obsn Bty RA |
T AD Battery/12 AD Regiment RA (12 x Blowpipe) |
|
59 Independent Commando Squadron, RE |
|
|
Commando Logistics Regiment, RM |
|
|
3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron, RM |
9 Gazelle AH.1 and 6 Scout AH.1 |
|
Mountain and Arctic Warfare Trg Cadre |
Medium reconnaissance |
|
Special Boat Squadron |
3 squadrons for raiding and recon; No. 2 Section South Georgia |
|
Tactical Air Control Parties RM |
|
|
Y Signals Troops RM |
|
|
Commando Force Band |
Medical duties |
|
Two Royal Navy Surgical Support Teams |
|
5 Infantry Brigade |
|
|
Brigade HQ |
|
|
Signal Squadron |
|
|
Rear Link Detachments, Royal Signals |
|
|
407 Road Transport Troop, RCT |
Snowcats |
|
16 Field Ambulance, RAMC |
|
|
10 Field Workshop, REME |
|
|
81 Ordnance Company, RAOC |
|
|
91 Ordnance Company, RAOC |
|
|
421 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Co, RAOC |
|
|
160 Provost Unit* |
|
|
2nd Troop, Blues and Royals |
4 Scorpion, 4 Scimitar, 1 Sampson ARV |
|
1/7 Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles |
|
|
1 Welsh Guards |
The Guards battalions replace 2 and 3 Parachute Regiment |
|
2 Scots Guards |
|
| D & G Squadrons, 22 SAS | |
|
HQ & 4 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery |
29 Battery with 6 X 105mm guns |
|
Troop 43 Air Defense Battery |
From 32 Guided Weapons Regiment, RA; with Blowpipe SAM |
|
36 Engineer Regiment RE |
|
|
9 Parachute Squadron, RE |
|
|
656 Army Aviation Corps Squadron |
3 Scout AH.1 (what happened t0 6 Gazelles the squadron embarked? |
| 49 EOD Squadron RE | Explosive Ordnance Disposal |
| Other units |
|