redcoat
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quote:
ORIGINAL: witpqs
That's not what I read about it. I read forthright answers about the Belgrano being just outside the zone and why she was attacked anyway. No redefinition of the zone that I read of.
A Simples Timeline of Exclusion Zones etc
12 April - Britain declared a Maritime Exclusion Zone (MEZ) 200 nautical miles around Falklands. Any Argentine warship or naval auxiliary entering the MEZ would have been attacked.
23 April - Britain sent a message to Argentina to warn them that any warship or aircraft representing a threat to our Task Force would be ‘dealt with accordingly’:
In announcing the establishment of a Maritime Exclusion Zone around the Falkland Islands, Her Majesty's Government made it clear that this measure was without prejudice to the right of the United Kingdom to take whatever additional measures may be needed in the exercise of its right of self-defence under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. In this connection Her Majesty's Government now wishes to make clear that any approach on the part of Argentine warships, including submarines, naval auxiliaries or military aircraft, which could amount to a threat to interfere with the mission of British Forces in the South Atlantic will encounter the appropriate response. All Argentine aircraft, including civil aircraft engaged in surveillance of these British forces, will be regarded as hostile and are liable to be dealt with accordingly.
The civilian aircraft alludes particularly, but not only, to the Boeing 707 of the Argentine Air Force which until then had been shadowing the Task Force on its journey south and had been escorted away on several occasions by Sea Harriers.
25 April – South Georgia is recaptured by British forces. The Argentine sub Santa Fe is damaged and captured.
30 April – Britain declared a Total Exclusion Zone (TEZ) 200 nautical miles around the Falklands. Any sea vessel or aircraft from any nation may have been fired upon without warning.
The TEZ was imposed to keep neutral shipping away from the war zone - and to scare off the Russians who were supplying the Argies with intelligence (with spy trawlers etc).
1 May – The British Task Force entered the TEZ and both sides launched attacks. HMS Glamorgan and Alacrity were bombed and strafed by three Mirage.
2 May – The ARA Belgrano was sunk because she and her escorts posed a threat to the Task Force. IIRC we knew about the missiles on her escorts.
7 May – The British Government warned Argentina that any warships, naval auxiliaries or military aircraft more than 12 nautical miles from the Argentine coast would be liable to attack.
A few quotes from Argentine commanders regarding the Belgrano
Captain Hector Bonzo of ARA Belgrano:
"Our mission in the south wasn’t just to cruise around but to attack."
"We knew we had to be ready to attack or be attacked ourselves."
"We were heading towards the mainland but not going to the mainland; we were going to a position to await further orders"
Rear-Admiral Allara:
"After that message of 23 April, the entire South Atlantic was an operational theatre for both sides. We, as professionals, said it was just too bad that we lost the Belgrano"
< Message edited by redcoat -- 6/22/2011 2:53:29 AM >
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“‘Who controls the past,’ ran the Party slogan, ‘controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.’”
George Orwell, 1984
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RE: General Belgrano and HMS Conqueror - 
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