Argentine plan to sabotage a British warship in Gibraltar
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Operation Algeciras
Part of the Falklands War
Type
Argentine diversionary sabotage
Location
Algeciras, Cádiz; Bay of Gibraltar
Planned by
Admiral Jorge Anaya
Objective
Diversion of British resources through sabotage of a Royal Navy warship
Date
24 April – 4 May 1982 (1982-04-24 – 1982-05-04)
Executed by
Peronist Montonero Movement
Outcome
Unit captured before execution
Gibraltar
Operation Algeciras was a foiled Argentine plan to sabotage a Royal Navy warship in Gibraltar during the Falklands War. The Argentine reasoning was that if the British military felt vulnerable in Europe, they would decide to keep some vessels in European waters rather than send them to the Falklands.[1][2][3]
A commando team observed British naval traffic in the area from Spain during 1982, waiting to attack a target of opportunity when ordered, using frogmen and Italian limpet mines.[4]
The plan was to launch divers from Algeciras, have them swim across the bay, to Gibraltar, under cover of darkness, attach the mines to a British naval ship and swim back to Algeciras. The timed detonators would cause the mines to explode after the divers had time to safely swim back across the bay. The plan was foiled when the Spanish police became suspicious of their behaviour and arrested them before any attack could be mounted.
^Cassan, Dave (2012). "Target Gibraltar: Operation Algeciras". In Mace, Martin; Grehan, John (eds.). Falklands: Untold Stories of the War in the South Atlantic: An Invaluable Reference in Words and Pictures. Key Publishing Ltd. pp. 68–74. ISBN 9780946219292 – via Archive.org.
^Tremlett, Giles (24 July 2004). Written at Madrid, Spain. Rusbridger, Alan (ed.). "Falklands war almost spread to Gibraltar". The Guardian. London, England, United Kingdom. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
^Keeley, Graham (4 April 2007). Written at Barcelona, Spain. Kelner, Simon (ed.). "Argentina planned to blow up warship in Gibraltar during the Falklands War". The Independent. London, England, United Kingdom: Independent Digital News & Media Ltd. ISSN 0951-9467. OCLC 185201487. Archived from the original on 5 November 2009.
^Briley, Harold (1 September 2004). Hunt, Rex; Briley, H.; Pepper, P.J. (eds.). ""Operation Algeciras" Argentine ship attack plan in Gibraltar" (PDF). Falkland Islands Newsletter. 87 (2). London, England, United Kingdom: Falkland Islands Association: 23.
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