Falkland Islands: Governor on the run.

Cook

Cook

Banned
In the early hours of the 2nd of April 1982, prior to the Argentine landings at Stanley, Major Norman of the Royal Marines proposed to Governor Rex Hunt that rather than make a stand in Stanley that the marines withdraw from the town and ‘go bush’. The idea being that the seat of government in the islands was in fact the Governor himself, as long as he remained free and at large he still exercised British Sovereignty over the islands.

Given that the Falklands are not a hospitable terrain or climate in anyone’s terms what chance did the marines and more importantly the 56 year old governor really have?

Would a governor on the run have enhanced the British position or would the Argentineans have been able to make propaganda mileage out of a colonial governor and the Royal Marines running away?
 
juanml82

juanml82

I guess the governor could have remained hidden in some barn/farm/whatever outside the town. He would have been found eventually, though.
The problem would be the marines. The delusional Argentinean plan required "no British blood spilled" to avoid an escalation an war (yeah, we all know how well that part of the plan worked). If the marines don't surrender, they would have forced the Argentinean soldiers to injure or kill them, thus providing propaganda for the UK.
 
Cook

Cook

Banned
juanml82 said:
I guess the governor could have remained hidden in some barn/farm/whatever outside the town. He would have been found eventually, though.
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First landings by British Special Forces on South Georgia was on 21 April so the question becomes could the Gov be kept out of Argentine hands for 19 days and would this have been advantageous. The Governor of the Falklands transmitting messages of defiance back to Britain via HF would seem to be a huge boost to the Poms.

A governor and garrison at large raises the possibility of accelerated attempts to get some form of reinforcement or resupply to them.
 

David S Poepoe

Banned
Extreme Veto Power

This would make a terrific movie, sort of like Harrison Ford in Air Force One. The Governor will take to the bush and make use of former Royal Marine skills from years gone by. He will single handedly kill more than a few Argentine soldiers, some by snapping their necks and other by rigging explosives that destroy a whole convoy. In one scene he'll leap out of a river and blast a few invaders away. In another he'll throw multiple knives and use his barehands to kill several before melting away into the dark.

He would be the original Governator.
 

El Pip

David S Poepoe said:
This would make a terrific movie, sort of like Harrison Ford in Air Force One. The Governor will take to the bush and make use of former Royal Marine skills from years gone by. He will single handedly kill more than a few Argentine soldiers, some by snapping their necks and other by rigging explosives that destroy a whole convoy. In one scene he'll leap out of a river and blast a few invaders away. In another he'll throw multiple knives and use his barehands to kill several before melting away into the dark.

He would be the original Governator.
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That is beautiful and will make me smile all day long.

Particularly as Governor Hunt looked like this in '82; http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Rexhunt1.jpg
 
Cook

Cook

Banned
El Pip said:
Particularly as Governor Hunt looked like this in '82
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The Ostrich feathers on his hat are actually a cunning disguise for hiding amongst the island’s Penguins.;)


More seriously, assume the Governor took the option of driving in a 4WD out the back of Stanley in the night well before the Argentine landing, relocating to a remote farm and the Marines taking up E&E and generally making a nuisance of themselves. At the very least it would spoil the Argentine’s little parade and flag changing ceremony.
 

corditeman

Hurrah for Hunt!

Seriously, I'm a bit older than he was then. It'd be possible to hide him in 'Camp' but he could only broadcast recorded messages from use-once transmitters. Modern radiolocation's a bit better than the Nazis in the 1940s. Could get him evacuated by an SBS unit brought in by submarine, I suppose.
 

SunilTanna

He was a middle aged man with no training, and probably none too fit. I can't see it.

Essentially it would be pointless as well.

The UK has no way to reinforce or resupply the marines until quite some time later, so they probably get killed or captured - or if they're lucky, manage to hide until rescued by sub or by the general re-invasion.
 
Cook

Cook

Banned
SunilTanna said:
He was a middle aged man with no training, and probably none too fit. I can't see it.

Essentially it would be pointless as well.

The UK has no way to reinforce or resupply the marines until quite some time later, so they probably get killed or captured - or if they're lucky, manage to hide until rescued by sub or by the general re-invasion.
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19 days. I don’t know of a survival or Escape and Evasion course that short.
 

SunilTanna

Cook said:
19 days. I don’t know of a survival or Escape and Evasion course that short.
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I think you miscalculate: You got 19 by taking 2 from 21, right? It's actually 49 days minimum, 73 days maximum.

The invasion was on 2nd April.

Operation Sutton in San Carlos was 21st May.

Stanley fell on 14th June.

I'd assume Rex Hunt is unable to go yomping across the Falklands with Marines, but hides out in a barn or somebody's attic, etc., so he's got to hide out quite a while.

The marines of course have a much better chance of getting away, remaining free, etc. until rescued or the islands are liberated.

The main consequences of the Marines being on the loose - especially if there are guerilla attacks - is some of the Argentines probably turn on the civilians - for allegedly helping the marines (even if they don't) - which some of them were just chomping at the bit to do. It's worth remembering that sort of fighting, is what the Argentine officers were most experienced at.
 
Cook

Cook

Banned
SunilTanna said:
I think you miscalculate: You got 19 by taking 2 from 21, right? It's actually 49 days minimum, 73 days maximum.
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No miscalculation.
SAS troops landed on South Georgia on 21 April, which means that the capacity to put forces onto the islands in a time frame of 19 days is there.
 

SunilTanna

Okay.

But that was a RFA Tidespring (a tanker) and HMS Antrim (a country class destroyer), and I don't think these are going to sneak up to the Falklands by themselves, certainly not without taking extreme risks. I'm not sure what other ships could make it in time.

That aside, to link up with the governor and/or marines, they need good comms, and the possibility of finding a suitable spot to rendez-vous that isn't being watched by the Argentines. If Rex Hunt is hiding in somebody's attic in Stanley, then isn't going to happen.
 

abc123

Banned
SunilTanna said:
Okay.

But that was a RFA Tidespring (a tanker) and HMS Antrim (a country class destroyer), and I don't think these are going to sneak up to the Falklands by themselves, certainly not without taking extreme risks. I'm not sure what other ships could make it in time.

That aside, to link up with the governor and/or marines, they need good comms, and the possibility of finding a suitable spot to rendez-vous that isn't being watched by the Argentines. If Rex Hunt is hiding in somebody's attic in Stanley, then isn't going to happen.
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What about digging a hole in earth, camouflaging and hiding there somewhere in the Camp? With enough food and water, it could be done, but I admitt, it isn't the healthiest thing to do....
At least for 2 weeks until SBS and SSN arrive to pick governer from the islands.
I would decide to disperse Marines in small groups of 5-6 and to scatter trough Falklands.
 
Thande

Thande

Donor
juanml82 said:
The delusional Argentinean plan required "no British blood spilled" to avoid an escalation an war (yeah, we all know how well that part of the plan worked).
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Interesting you should say that--I had gathered that impression from looking at what few Argentine sources on the war existed but I had never found it explicitly stated.
 

Grimm Reaper

Certain Argentines made the claim that a goal was to avoid British bloodshed but reality, including blasting the Royal Marine barracks with automatic weapons and grenades, suggests otherwise.
 

abc123

Banned
Grimm Reaper said:
Certain Argentines made the claim that a goal was to avoid British bloodshed but reality, including blasting the Royal Marine barracks with automatic weapons and grenades, suggests otherwise.
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Well, they probably indeed wanted to make that operation without spilling blood, but on IF POSSIBLE basis...;)
 
Cook

Cook

Banned
Grimm Reaper said:
Certain Argentines made the claim that a goal was to avoid British bloodshed but reality, including blasting the Royal Marine barracks with automatic weapons and grenades, suggests otherwise.
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Agreed. The fighting around the Government House was likewise, not intended to spare casualties.

No British casualties on the day owes more to luck and the marines taking up good firing positions.
 
juanml82

juanml82

Thande said:
Interesting you should say that--I had gathered that impression from looking at what few Argentine sources on the war existed but I had never found it explicitly stated.
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Yep, the officers who led the attack specifically state those were their orders.
 
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