ARA General Belgrano facts for kids
ARA General Belgrano underway
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| History | |
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 United States |
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| Name | USS Phoenix (CL-46) |
| Acquired | 3 October 1938 |
| Fate | Decommissioned 3 July 1946; Stricken 27 January 1951 |
| History | |
 Argentina |
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| Name | 17 de Octubre |
| Namesake | 17 October 1945, the day popular demonstrations forced the release of Juan Perón |
| Acquired | 9 April 1951 |
| Renamed | ARA General Belgrano (C-4) |
| Namesake | Manuel Belgrano |
| Fate | Torpedoed and sunk on 2 May 1982 |
| Badge |  |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Brooklyn-class light cruiser |
| Displacement | 9,575 tons (empty) 12,242 (full load) |
| Length | 608.3 ft (185.4 m) |
| Beam | 61.8 ft (18.8 m) |
| Draft | 19.5 ft (5.9 m) |
| Speed | 32.5 knots (60.2 km/h; 37.4 mph) |
| Complement | 1,138 officers and men |
| Armament |
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| Armor |
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| Aircraft carried | 2 helicopters (One Aérospatiale Alouette III was on board when sunk) |
The ARA General Belgrano (C-4) was a light cruiser that served in the Argentine Navy from 1951 to 1982. This ship was originally built for the United States Navy as the USS Phoenix. It played a part in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. Later, it was sold to Argentina.
The General Belgrano was named after Manuel Belgrano (1770–1820). He was an important figure in Argentina's history. The ship became famous for being sunk during the Falklands War on May 2, 1982. This happened when a Royal Navy submarine, Conqueror, attacked it. Sadly, 323 lives were lost. This made up almost half of all Argentine military deaths in the war.
It is the only ship ever sunk in battle by a nuclear-powered submarine. It was also the second ship sunk by any type of submarine since World War II.
Contents
The Ship's Early Life and Service
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This warship was first known as the USS Phoenix. It was the sixth ship of the Brooklyn-class cruiser design. Construction began in 1935 in Camden, New Jersey, USA. The ship was launched in March 1938.
The Phoenix was at Pearl Harbor in 1941 when Japan attacked. Luckily, it was not damaged. It then went on to earn nine battle stars for its service in World War II. After the war, it was put into reserve in Philadelphia in 1946. It was officially taken out of service on July 3, 1946.
In October 1951, the Phoenix was sold to Argentina. It was renamed 17 de Octubre. This name honored "People's Loyalty Day". This day was important to the political party of the president at the time, Juan Perón. Another ship of the same class, the USS Boise, was also sold to Argentina. It was renamed ARA Nueve de Julio.
In 1955, there was a change in government in Argentina. The 17 de Octubre was part of the naval forces during this time. After this, it was renamed General Belgrano. This new name honored Manuel Belgrano. He was a lawyer and general who fought for Argentina's independence. In 1956, the General Belgrano accidentally bumped into its sister ship, the Nueve de Julio, during training. Both ships were damaged. Between 1967 and 1968, the General Belgrano was updated. It received the Sea Cat anti-aircraft missile system.
The Sinking of the General Belgrano
On April 12, 1982, after Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, Britain announced a special area around the islands. This was called a Maritime Exclusion Zone (MEZ). It was about 370 kilometers (200 nautical miles) wide. Any Argentine warship entering this zone could be attacked by British submarines. On April 23, Britain sent a message to Argentina. It said that any Argentine ship or aircraft seen as a threat to British forces would be attacked.
On April 30, this zone became a "total exclusion zone." This meant any ship or aircraft from any country entering the zone could be fired upon. This was done to protect British forces.
The Argentine military leaders decided to send more ships to the islands in late April. This was because they knew British ships were heading south. The General Belgrano left Ushuaia on April 26. It joined two destroyers, the ARA Piedra Buena and the ARA Hipólito Bouchard. A tanker, YPF Puerto Rosales, also joined them. Together, they formed a group called Task Group 79.3.
By April 29, these ships were patrolling south of the islands. On April 30, the British nuclear submarine Conqueror found the General Belgrano. The submarine followed it for a day. On May 1, 1982, an Argentine admiral ordered all Argentine naval units to find the British ships and attack them the next day. The General Belgrano, which was outside the exclusion zone to the southwest, was ordered to move southeast.
British intelligence intercepted this order. The next day, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her War Cabinet met. They agreed to allow an attack on the General Belgrano, even though it was outside the exclusion zone. They believed it was a threat.
At 2:57 PM on May 2, the Conqueror fired three torpedoes. These were standard, non-guided torpedoes. Two of them hit the General Belgrano. One torpedo hit near the front of the ship. It blew off the ship's bow. However, the inner walls of the ship held, and the gunpowder storage did not explode. No one is believed to have been in that part of the ship.
The second torpedo hit near the back of the ship. It went through the side and exploded in the machine room. This explosion tore through two dining areas and a lounge. It made a 20-meter (65-foot) hole in the main deck. Reports say about 275 men died in this area. After the explosion, the ship quickly filled with smoke. The explosion also damaged the ship's electrical system. This meant it could not send a radio distress call. Water rushed in through the hole. The pumps could not work because there was no power. Also, the ship's watertight doors were open, which made the flooding worse.
The ship began to lean to its left side and sink by the front. Twenty minutes after the attack, at 4:24 PM, Captain Bonzo ordered the crew to leave the ship. Life rafts were launched, and the crew began to evacuate calmly.
The two escort ships did not know what was happening to the General Belgrano. They had lost contact and did not see any distress signals. One of the escort ships, the Bouchard, felt an impact. This might have been the third torpedo hitting the water at the end of its path. The two escort ships continued sailing west. By the time they realized something was wrong, it was dark. The weather had also gotten worse, scattering the life rafts.
Argentine and Chilean ships rescued 772 men between May 3 and May 5. In total, 323 people died in the attack. This included 321 crew members and two civilians.
After the General Belgrano was sunk, the rest of the Argentine fleet returned to its bases. They did not play a big part in the rest of the war. British nuclear submarines continued to patrol the waters. They gathered information and warned of air raids. They also stopped Argentine ships from moving freely. This meant Argentina's aircraft carrier planes had to fly from land bases. This limited how far they could go. The Navy's small role in the rest of the war led to them losing some influence within the Argentine military government.
Aftermath and Legacy
In August 1994, an official Argentine report was released. It said that the sinking of the General Belgrano was "a legal act of war." It explained that acts of war can happen anywhere the enemy is, including in international waters. Some Argentine veterans were upset by this. They hoped to show that the sinking was a war crime.
In 1999, Sir Michael Boyce, a high-ranking officer in the Royal Navy, visited Argentina. He paid tribute to those who died. In 2003, a search team tried to find the sunken cruiser. They were sponsored by National Geographic. However, they could not locate the ship. The area where the General Belgrano sank is considered a War Grave under Argentine law.
In 2000, lawyers for the families of the sailors tried to sue the British Government. They argued the attack happened outside the exclusion zone. The European Court of Human Rights did not accept the case. They said it was submitted too late.
In 2005, an Argentine admiral, Enrique Molina Pico, wrote a letter. He said the General Belgrano was part of an operation that threatened the British ships. He also said that leaving the exclusion zone did not mean leaving the combat area. He clearly stated that the sinking was not a war crime, but a combat action.
The captain of the General Belgrano, Héctor Bonzo, passed away on April 22, 2009. He was 76 years old. He spent his last years helping those affected by the sinking. Captain Bonzo also wrote a book about his memories of the sinking. In his book, he wrote that it is "improper to accept that (...) the attack by HMS Conqueror was a betrayal." In an interview in 2003, he said the General Belgrano was only temporarily sailing west. Its orders were to attack any British ships that came close.
In 2011, a former British intelligence officer, Major David Thorp, released a book. He said that the General Belgrano was ordered to go to a meeting point inside the exclusion zone. This was true even though it was sailing away when attacked. A report he wrote for Prime Minister Thatcher was not released. This was to protect British intelligence methods.
In 2012, the President of Argentina, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, called the sinking a "war crime." However, the Argentine Navy has always said the sinking was a legal act of war. Captain Hector Bonzo also held this view.
See also
- List of cruisers
- List of ships of the Argentine Navy
- List of ships sunk by submarines by death toll
