As preparations to take Stanley went ahead British forces experienced their most severe shock of the campaign.
On 8 June five Argentine planes hit two British supply ships, Sir Galahad and Sir Tristram. They were destroyed as they moved up men and equipment to a British-held position in Fitzroy, near Stanley.
The assault took place before Sir Galahad had been able to land the men and ammunition it carried.
Around 200 men, many of them Welsh Guards, were killed or injured as the Argentine bombs ignited the huge amount of explosives the ship was carrying.
The Argentineans were aware of their grim success but were unable to follow it up. The campaign’s initiative remained with the British.
In the following days UK forces took the key defensive positions around Stanley, and soon captured the high points of Mount Tumbledown and Wireless Ridge.
As Stanley was surrounded the Argentineans surrendered on 14 June.
Although some Argentine resistance had been fierce, poor food and clothing and fractious relations between some officers and men had sapped their morale. Not all of them were sorry to lay down their weapons. The British took over 10,000 prisoners of war.
It had taken the British just three weeks after they first landed at San Carlos and started fighting and "yomping" their way across the island.
The fighting had seen 913 deaths - 655 Argentines, 255 British troops and three Falkland islanders lost their lives in the brief conflict.
