Thread by @PinguiDeQ

@WarDiaryF82 @geraldofoes
The Return of the Troops

The ARA Almirante Irizar

On June 15, 1982, the ARA Hospital Ship "Almirante Irizar" had completed the helicopter landing of the 420 wounded received since the beginning of June in Malvinas directly at
#FW82 #Malvinas

the heliport of the Comodoro Rivadavia Military Hospital. Once this task was completed, the "Irizar" immediately began to return to Puerto Argentino to be available to receive and transfer to Continental Argentina and, from the moment it was decided, to the Argentine combatants

imprisoned by the British.
In the last hours of this last crossing to the island and when entering the bay of Puerto Groussac, the one before that of Puerto Argentino, the "Irizar" found, anchored on the left bank of the bay, the British Light Cruiser HMS " Glamorgan ”,

from which he passed slowly sailing about 150 meters away.
Having left the Glamorgan behind, finally, the “Irizar” anchored on June 20 at the bottom of Puerto Groussac, immediately in front of Puerto Argentino, an anchorage already known for having used it in the

final battle between June 10 and 14. This time he was surrounded by British warships and merchant ships of all kinds and sizes.
All ships at anchor maintained a strict radio silence, during the day, helicopter gunships permanently patrolled the area, British and Argentine vessels

(ambulances) were checked at every moment when they moved, a great nervousness was perceived in the British troops and floating between them, the feeling that Argentina would break the armistice and attack again; during the night, the entire city and the ships in the anchorage,

maintained a closed “Darkening”, only the lights of some hand lantern or the reduced ones of some military vehicle, were shown, an air attack on a relatively small anchorage and crowded with ships, it could have been a disaster for the British landing force.

The British forces organized a gigantic cohesive operation on the Argentine authorities, the selection of which prisoners they released to be transferred to Continental Argentina was the solution they imagined, they initially began to separate the highest-ranking fighters and

then added to those who they had advanced professional knowledge, to put it another way, they freed a corporal corporal, but they retained a specialist specialist in Fire Control. All these men were displaced from Puerto Argentino and taken to the RFA Ship "Saint Edmund" and

to an abandoned refrigerator near Puerto San Carlos, both transformed into Military Prisons. These 600 hostages were the last Argentines to return to the continent, the "St. Edmund ”, finally transferred them on July 14 from San Carlos to Puerto Madryn.

From its arrival and for two days, the "Irizar" was receiving day and night Argentine fighters sent by the British from the docks of Puerto Argentino. Initially, this task was carried out by "Irizar" boats, the schooner "Penelope" and the Tugboat of the Sea " Yehuin ”,

all in charge of national crews. After the first voyages, in the Yehuin they were relieved by inhabitants of the islands, those who acted as helmsmen and deck sailors and a large group of heavily armed British Marines who commanded the ship and guarded the Argentines.
As each

contingent arrived, the tension increased to limits rarely experienced by all. The repetition of the trips and the minimum knowledge between professionals of the war, allowed to lower the prevailing tension a little during these maneuvers. After the initial doubts were settled,

with the "Yehuín" moored to the starboard side of the "Irizar", the inhabitant of the islands, acting as helmsman of the tugboat, approached, requesting to speak to a hospital official, after the meeting, only expressed his thanks to the troops. Argentine women, who despite

having been in Puerto Argentino for 74 days, had "respected the population".

On the night of June 20, the British stopped sending fighters from land, the situation was not clear enough, they had begun to send Argentines to organized military prisons aboard the English ship

"Saint Edmund" and in an old abandoned refrigerator in outskirts of Puerto San Carlos. Rumors indicated that the hospital ship could be retained with all its people on board, the Irizar decided to set sail for the continental Argentina as quickly as possible, the maneuver was

not nautically simple, it was at the bottom of the anchorage and surrounded by enemy ships those who were fulfilling a Absolutely darkening, he passed the Canberra crowded with English fighters on their decks.
The "Irizar" is only a ship with 220 beds, so with 1,719 men on board,

accommodation had to be improvised anywhere covered on the ship. The first efforts were to provide health, dental and psychological assistance to those in need, improve the food received in the last days of combat and the endlessly cold days of captivity, unlimited hot shower,

total change of underwear and washing of combat uniforms etc.
The ship bowed to the Port of Ushuaia, where on June 22, 415 Marines and 62 men from the Air Force disembarked, who were transferred north in Focker F-28 aircraft of the Naval Force Number One. Irizar set sail for

Puerto Madryn, where he arrived at midday on June 26 at the “Almirante Storni” quay, little by little the column was organizing and the 956 army men were disembarked for their transfer to Trelew airport.
In the afternoon, he released moorings again, thus beginning his journey to

the Puerto Belgrano Naval base, where he arrived on June 28 to disembark all the health personnel who were added to their original crew to form the hospital ship.
Again in navigation he headed to the Río de la Plata, taking the Dock "A" of Port of Buenos Aires on July 1, 1982.

The ARA Hospital "Bahía Paraíso":

Having returned to the islands, between June 18 and 19, 1,660 ex-prisoners embarked in Puerto Groussac, transferring them to the Port of Punta Quilla in Santa Cruz. Once again in Puerto Argentino, on June 22, it receives 255 more fighters.

A total of 1984 people were evacuated to the mainland, of whom 690 were from the Navy, 1,032 from the Army, 198 from the Air Force and 64 civilians. Its activities as a hospital ship continued until June 24 when it moored at the Puerto Belgrano Naval Base to

disembark the health group and proceed to disaffection it as a hospital ship.
Other Arg and English ships moved combatants to Argentina
DATE Jun 12, 82
SHIP Norland
POW Q 933
LANDING Montevideo, Uruguay
DATE Jun 18, 82
SHIP ARA Bahia Paraiso
POW Q1661
LANDING Puerto Madryn

DATE Jun 19, 82
SHIP Canberra
POW Q 4136
LANDING Puerto Madryn
DATE Jun 21, 82
SHIP Norland
POW Q 1992
LANDING Puerto Madryn
DATE Jun 22, 82
SHIP ARA Almirante Irizar
POW Q 477
LANDING Ushuaia

DATE Jun 27, 82
SHIP ARA Almirante Irizar
POW Q 956
LANDING Puerto Madryn

DATE Jul 14, 82
SHIP Saint Edmund
POW Q 636
LANDING Puerto Madryn