Chapter 469： The Falklands War broke out

For a period of time after the successful development of the ground effect aircraft, Bao Zixuan did not rest at all. They are all dealing with people of different personalities and nationalities. For him, this is a more tiring job than research and development.

After arranging the company's affairs, Bao Zixuan seemed to disappear for a while. He just knew that he was going on vacation, but no one knew where he was going or what he was doing.

But for some people, being able to rest for a while is already a luxury, and Bao Zixuan is very satisfied with this. Now he must move to the next stage of work, because the long-awaited event has finally happened.

The Malvinas Islands, known as the Falkland Islands in the United Kingdom. is an archipelago located in the South Atlantic. The main island is located about 500 kilometers east of the southern coast of Patagonia, South America, about 52° south latitude.

The entire archipelago includes East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 islets, with a total area of ​​12,200 square kilometers. The Falkland Islands is a territory seized by the United Kingdom using force. The people on the island have internal autonomy, and the United Kingdom is responsible for its defense and foreign affairs. The capital of the archipelago is Stanley, located on East Falkland Island.

The discovery of the Malvinas Islands and its history of subsequent European colonization are controversial. France, Great Britain, Spain and Argentina have all established settlements on the island. Britain reaffirmed its colonial rule in 1833, but Argentina still claims sovereignty over the island.

On March 19, 1982, a group of scrap metal merchants hired by the Argentine authorities forcibly landed on South Georgia Island, 1,390 kilometers east of the Falklands, where they established a camp and raised the Argentine flag. The HMS Endurance icebreaker of the British Royal Navy was dispatched to demolish the camp. The HMS Endurance was armed with only two 20mm Oerlikon cannons and two wasp helicopters, with a platoon of marines intending to raise the flag. Argentines singing the national anthem drive away. But the Argentine Navy's 5,000-ton Happy Bay had already put down 100 soldiers to land, and Endurance had to turn back.

As the best supporter of Galtieri, the Argentine naval commander, Johey Anaya, with his consistent anti-British stance, was responsible for formulating a plan to land on the Falklands, also known as "Operation Rosario". The initial scale is as follows: amphibious landing. The 3,000-strong force used superior forces to overwhelm and surround the few Royal Marines and local police stationed on the Falklands, forcing them to surrender to reduce unnecessary casualties; after the successful occupation, the prisoners of war and residents on the island should be expelled; The troops should complete the task of withdrawing to the original station within 48 hours. The highest administrative officer of the Falklands was changed to the military governor, and 500 military police were deployed for military rule.

In early 1982, after the failure of British and Arab diplomatic mediation, and the unsuccessful return of the little Endurance, the battle plan was finally finalized. In fact, the prelude to the capture of the Falklands has been revealed in the exchanges of ham lovers, and the Argentine navy has begun to transport troops on board the port of Belgrano, despite all the signs of Argentina's intentions, the British Joint Intelligence Committee Latin America Group in 3 On March 30, he still believed that "aggression will not come soon".

On April 2, 1982, President Galtieri ordered troops to occupy the Falklands, and the Falklands War officially broke out. Britain was initially taken aback by the Argentine attack, but quickly responded diplomatically to put pressure on Argentina.

No one thought that the Argentines would dare to attack the British army on the Falklands. Even if the British Empire was no longer in its former glory, it would still be an old-fashioned empire and a developed country. Although the armament has dropped a lot from its peak, it is not comparable to Argentina.

Now the Argentines dare to break ground in Tai Sui Ditto, and the British side has only one battle to prove their strength. Otherwise, other regions will follow suit. In the future, the influence of the British Empire in the world will become weaker and weaker, and no one will take you seriously.

In London at this time, the mood was very different. While not everyone was sure where the Falklands were, British authorities quickly convinced themselves into a state of righteous anger. The invasion of British sovereign territory, the insult to the country's honour, and the disrespect shown by the Argentine nation all show how far the British state has fallen.

In the spring of 1982, approval ratings for the Thatcher government were at an all-time low. Rising unemployment and downtown riots, coupled with her perceived lack of empathy, have made Thatcher an electoral recidivist. According to the BBC, documents declassified decades after the war revealed Mrs Thatcher called the invasion the worst moment of her life.

The U.S. was Britain’s biggest ally, but at the height of the Cold War, the U.S. was more concerned with containing communism than helping defend Britain’s overseas interests. Galtieri may be a brutal dictator, but in the eyes of the U.S. government, he is the ****, and therefore, he is an important leader in South America. President Ronald Reagan quickly dispatched Secretary of State Alexander Hague to London to explain the American perspective to the Prime Minister.

After receiving the statement and support of the Americans, the Iron Maiden can be said to be full of confidence; she immediately began to dispatch troops to prepare to use force against Argentina.

At the same time, Bao Zixuan in Xiangjiang is of course not idle. As early as after the successful test flight, the Black Cloud Group began to secretly produce the relevant parts of the ground effect aircraft. At first, Mike Briffin did not understand it very well; now it seems that the original boss It had been planned for a long time, but how he knew it has always been a mystery.

Now the Black Cloud Group is able to assemble 3 ground effect aircraft, and the construction has already started. Bao Zixuan knew that although Valenko-Ustikhov should have some layouts in Argentina under his reminder, these could only cause some trouble for the British and would not affect the war situation at all. It can be said that the war in the previous life was not long, and it will not be long in this life. Now the British need all the materials that can provide convenience for the war, and the ground effect aircraft is definitely a big killer.

It was the first time the Governor-General Sir Youde came to the Black Cloud Group, and this time he was accompanied by Major General Richard, Commander of the British Forces in Hong Kong. They are here for the ground effect aircraft this time, and it can be said that it is imminent now.

Bao Zixuan was away on vacation when Sir Youde held the swearing-in ceremony of the Governor General. Therefore, this is the first time the two have met, but they must be familiar with their names and profilesBao Zixuan: "Welcome Governor Youde to visit Heiyun, not being able to attend your inauguration ceremony is really a shame. Pity."

Youde: "You are welcome. I have long wanted to come and see Heiyun, the No. 1 enterprise in Xiangjiang, but I have never had the chance. But the more critical it is, the more important it is to reflect the importance of an enterprise. You should know The purpose of our visit!"

Bao Zixuan: "If Your Excellency the Governor came alone, then I can't guess. But since General Richard is here, it means that the Hong Kong government wants the Black Cloud Group to contribute to the war."

Richard: "Bao Sheng is right, the military wants to requisition the ground effect aircraft that the Black Cloud Group is testing, and at the same time hopes to be equipped with flight technicians. But please rest assured, the ground effect aircraft only undertake strategic transportation tasks. , will not participate in the war."

Bao Zixuan: "The military wants a few."

Hearing this, the two of them were stunned, but there were still a few. Don't you have only one test flight now?

Richard: "Could it be that the Black Cloud Group has a lot of ground effect aircraft now, it would be great if that was the case."

Bao Zixuan: "The former governor, MacLehose, told me about London's intentions when he left, and they asked the first two ground effect aircraft produced by the Black Cloud Group to be sold to the relevant British authorities. The ground effect aircraft is in short supply. Although the test flight has not ended, I have absolute confidence in the Heiyun product, so I placed 3 production plans before the product test flight has been completed.

Hearing that Bao Zixuan was so courageous, he dared to spend so much money just because he intended to order. It seems that there are quite a few local tyrants in this world, and the young man in front of him is definitely the first.