Middlebrook - The Argentine fight for the Falklands

I would like to acknowledge the valuable help given to me by the following members of Argentinas armed forces who all served in the 1982 war and who allowed me to interview them in 1987. The ranks and units shown are those held in 1982. Easily translatable ranks will be shown in English; others will be left in their original form. Conscript soldiers are shown as Privates.

Army

Commanders: Brigadier-General A. Daher, first Land Forces Commander Falklands, then Chief-of-Staff to Brigadier-General Menndez; Brigadier-General O. L. Jofre, Commander of X Brigade, then Land Forces Commander Falklands, finally Commander Puerto Argentino Army Sector. 3rd Regiment: Private H. Benitez, Major G. Berazay, Private J. C. Diez, Private A. Fernndez, Private L. J. Nez. 4th Regiment: Lieutenant-Colonel D. A. Soria. 6th Regiment: Second Lieutenant A. E. La Madrid. 7th Regiment: Private A. Craig, Private A. Gomez-Csher, Major A. Prez Cometto. 12th Regiment: First Lieutenant 1. B. Gorriti, Lieutenant-Colonel I. A. Piaggi, Private M. A. Prado. 25th Regiment: First Lieutenant C. D. Esteban. 3rd Artillery Regiment: Major C. A. Bellocchio. 4th Air Mobile Artillery Regiment: Lieutenant-Colonel C. A. Quevedo. B Battery, 101st Anti-Aircraft Regiment: Major J. Monge. 601st Anti-Aircraft Regiment: Lieutenant-Colonel H. L. Arias.

Navy

Commanders and Staffs: Vice-Admiral J. J. Lombardo, Commander of Naval Operations; Rear-Admiral G. O. Allara, Commander of Task Forces 40 and 79; Commander C. M. Sala, Chief of Submarine Staff. Alfrez Sobral: Lieutenant S. Bazn. Almirante Irizar: Conscript Seaman J. Pereda. General Belgrano: Cabo Primero C. Bez, Cabo Principal P. A. Bazn, Captain H. Bonzo, Midshipman G. E. Castillo, Lieutenant J. J. Gmez Meunier, Cabo Primero J. A. Manrique, Suboficial Segundo N. Roldn, Lieutenant-Commander J. F. Schottenheim. San Luis: Commander F. M. Azcueta. Shore Base Staff Stanley: Cabo Primero M. Escalada, Cabo Principal R. Rodriguez.

Marines

2 April Falklands Landing Force

Force Commander: Rear-Admiral C. A. Bsser. 2nd Marine Infantry Battalion: Lieutenant-Commander H. Santilln, Commander A. Weinstabl. Amphibious Commando Company: Lieutenant-Commander G. Snchez Sbarots. Amphibious Vehicles Battalion: Lieutenant M. D. Forbice

Main Campaign

5th Marine Infantry Battalion: Lieutenant-Commander A. Pernias, Cabo Segundo J. C. Sini, Suboficial Segundo M. A. Vaca, Sub-Lieutenant C. D. Vzquez. Anti-Afrcraft Battery: Lieutenant A. Bafficio, Lieutenant-Commander H. E. Silva. Amphibious Engineer Company: Lieutenant-Commander L. A. Menghini.

Naval Air Command

Commander Anti-Submarine Task Group (on mainland): Commander L. C. Vsquez. 2nd Fighter and Attack Squadron: Sub-Lieutenant A. Mayora. 3rd Fighter and Attack Squadron: Lieutenant-Commander A. J. Philippi, Lieutenant B. I. Rotolo. 4th Attack Squadron: Sub-Lieutenant D. G. Manzella. Anti-Submarine Squadron: Lieutenant C. E. Cal.

Merchant Navy

Baha Buen Suceso: Captain O. M. Niella. Rio Carcaraa: Captain E. A. DellElicine.

Civil Affairs Team in Stanley

Comodoro C. Bloomer-Reeve (Chief Secretary), Colonel O. R. Chinni (Treasurer), Colonel M. R. Dorrego (Public Works), Captain B. M. Hussey (Education and Public Health), Comodoro G. Mendiberri (Intelligence).

Air Force

The Argentine Air Force gave no official help, but Major (in 1982 Captain) Pablo Carballo, who flew wartime missions as a Skyhawk pilot with the 5th Fighter Group, privately gave me an English translation of his book Dios y los Halcones, a collection of personal accounts by wartime members of the Air Force. Carballo also gave me unlimited permission to quote from these accounts, a valuable and kindly gesture for which I am most grateful.

Personal Acknowledgements

Argentina

My interviewing visit to Argentina, a country in which I initially had no relatives or friends and whose language I could not speak, was one of the most difficult tasks of my career; that it was successful is due entirely to the goodwill, co-operation, friendship and hospitality provided by a wide range of helpful people. Virginia Gamba, a historian temporarily resident in London, and Juan E. Fleming, Counsellor in the Argentine Interests Section of the Brazilian Embassy in London, took the time to advise me and help me to obtain a visa and an introduction to Senor Balcarce of the Foreign Ministry in Buenos Aires, which in turn led to official help from the Argentine Army and Navy. The arranging of naval interviews and visits was mostly carried out by Captain Guillermo Montenegro and the army interviews by Brigadier-General Oscar L. Jofre; these two also provided valuable later help by answering many supplementary questions during the writing of the book. The naval interviews were also helped along by Pedro Iturralde (interpreter and companion on the three-day visit to Puerto Belgrano), Captain Eduardo L. Alimonda (commander of the Comandante Espora Naval Air Base) and Otto A. Krapf (adviser to the Naval General Staff).

But this official assistance would probably not have been sufficient to enable me to complete my task properly without the valuable help given to me by private individuals who had no obligation to me in any way, but who gave this help for no other reason but friendship and goodwill. First among these must come the Debenedetti family. Cecilia Debenedetti was a young Argentine woman who happened to be living in my home town when I was contemplating my visit to her country. She gave me much useful advice and arranged with her family to provide me with the enormously helpful use of a room in their flat in central Buenos Aires, together with access to telephones, ferrying by car to distant parts of the city, permission to use their home for a succession of interviews and always a friendly place to relax when off duty. Next to be thanked was a friend of that family, Gladys Halstrm, who volunteered to be my interpreter and performed this exacting service in about half of all the interviews I carried out during my visit. I shall never forget or be able to thank sufficiently these friendly people. I also wish to thank Cyril and Mary Walmesly for providing valuable contacts and some welcome hospitality, Andrew McLeod for journalistic help and advice, Dr Isidoro Ruiz Moreno for helpful material on Argentine commandos, Guillermo Jasson and Alejandro Stengl for helping to find some ex-conscripts for interview and, finally, Alicia Gorriti, who invited me to her home and persuaded not only a reluctant husband to be interviewed but two other ex-Falkland veterans as well. Unfortunately, Cyril Walmesly died a few weeks after my visit to his home.

England

I also wish to thank the following people who helped me in this country: Michael Gow of Christian Salvesen Plc, Captain D. S. Leggatt RN (a former Naval Attach in Argentina who gave me some valuable introductions), Brigadier David Chaundler, the Public Relations Departments of the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, Anne Bell (my daughter) of the Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton, Jean Thomas of Boston (for some tricky Spanish translations), Christine Gilmartin, Janet Mountain, Margaret Gardner and Sally-Ann Baxter for typing two drafts of my manuscript, Peter Jay (for help with proofreading) and Neil Kemp of Boston I TeC for his diligent help with much photocopying work. Finally, many thanks to my wife, Mary, for her careful drawing of the preliminary maps and help in compiling the index.