Operation Algeciras facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Operation Algeciras |
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| Part of the Falklands War | |
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| 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 |
| Executed by | Peronist Montonero Movement |
| Outcome | Unit captured before execution |
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Operation Algeciras was a secret plan by Argentina during the Falklands War. The idea was to damage a British warship in Gibraltar. Gibraltar is a British territory located near Spain. Argentina hoped that if Britain felt unsafe in Europe, they would keep some ships closer to home. This would mean fewer ships sent to the Falkland Islands.
A special team of divers, called frogmen, was sent to Spain in 1982. They watched British ships in the area. Their goal was to attack a target when ordered. They planned to use special Italian limpet mines. These mines stick to the side of a ship.
The plan was for the divers to start from Algeciras, a town in Spain. They would swim across the bay to Gibraltar in the dark. There, they would attach the mines to a British naval ship. Then, they would swim back to Algeciras. The mines had timers, so they would explode after the divers were safely away. Spanish police became suspicious of the team's actions. They arrested the divers before any attack could happen.
Contents
Why This Plan?
How the Idea Started
Admiral Jorge Anaya came up with Operation Algeciras. He was the head of the Argentine Navy at the time. The plan was very secret. Anaya did not share it with other government members. He called Admiral Eduardo Morris Girling, who led Naval Intelligence. Anaya explained that attacking the British Navy in Europe would be helpful. Girling was to create the plan and choose the team. But Anaya stayed in charge of the whole operation.
At first, they thought about attacking in the United Kingdom. But they decided it would be too hard for the commandos to stay hidden. Spain was chosen instead. The commandos could pretend to be tourists there and not be noticed easily.
Who Was Involved?
The leader of the operation was Héctor Rosales. He was a spy and a former naval officer. He was in charge, but he would not place the mines himself. That job was for the experts. Three former members of a group called the Peronist Montonero Movement were asked to join. They agreed, even though the military had previously acted against their group.
The main commando diver was Máximo Nicoletti. He was an expert in underwater explosives. His father had been a diver in the Italian Navy during World War II. Nicoletti himself had joined the Montoneros in the 1970s. He was known for placing explosives. For example, in 1975, he placed a bomb under a ship called the ARA Santísima Trinidad while it was being built. This caused the ship to sink.
Later, Nicoletti worked with authorities. He was even chosen for a similar underwater attack against a Chilean ship. This was because of problems between Chile and Argentina over the Beagle dispute. But that attack never happened because the disagreement was solved peacefully. Nicoletti then went to Venezuela as a spy. He was found out and had to return to Argentina. He later moved to Miami. When he heard about the Falkland Islands invasion, he contacted the Argentine government. He was told to return to Buenos Aires.
The other two commandos were Antonio Nelson Latorre and a man known only as "Marciano." Both were also former Montoneros. They had worked with Nicoletti on earlier sabotage plans. If they were caught, Argentina would say they knew nothing. The agents were told to say they were acting alone as Argentine patriots. They had strict orders not to do anything that would involve Spain. They also needed Anaya's direct approval before any attack.
It was decided that getting explosives in Spain would be too hard. So, two mines with timers were sent to Spain. They were sent in a special package called a diplomatic pouch. This is a way for governments to send things secretly. Italian limpet mines were bought for this purpose. They arrived in Spain as planned.
Situation in Spain
At that time, Spain's government was facing problems. The trials for a military coup attempt from a year before were ending. This made things tense. A group called Euskadi Ta Askatasuna was also very active. Police checkpoints were common.
The 1982 FIFA World Cup was also coming up in Spain. This meant the police were very alert for any suspicious activity. They asked everyone to be watchful. People were told to report anything unusual, especially in the travel industry.
The Mission Begins
Getting into Spain
The commandos were given fake Argentine passports. These passports had false entry stamps for Spain. This was so the Argentine government could deny involvement if they were caught. Another former Montonero made these fake passports.
On April 24, Nicoletti and Latorre flew from Buenos Aires to Paris. French officials were suspicious of Latorre's passport. But they were allowed to continue their flight to Málaga, Spain. They carried their special military diving gear in their luggage. They passed through Spanish customs without problems. They had a lot of US dollars and paid for everything in cash. They stayed in a hotel in Estepona for a few days. They looked around the area. Then, they drove to Madrid in a rented car to meet Rosales and Marciano. In Madrid, they rented two more cars. They went to the Argentine Naval attaché's office to pick up the mines. An attaché is a special expert who works at an embassy.
While in Spain, the commandos called the Naval Attaché in Madrid every day. The attaché would then tell his bosses in Buenos Aires everything. The four-man team traveled south in three cars. The mines were carried in a bag in one car's trunk. The team was careful to avoid Spanish police on the roads.
The agents traveled separately. Nicoletti went ahead as a scout. The other two cars followed about ten minutes apart. They could only communicate by seeing each other. Nicoletti saw a police checkpoint. He turned around to warn his partners. But the first car behind him did not see his signal. It continued to the checkpoint and then turned around. They all met up again. Their U-turns were not noticed by the police. They then continued south using smaller roads to avoid police.
In Algeciras
Near Algeciras, they booked into three different hotels. They changed hotels often over the next few weeks. They paid their bills weekly in cash. After a while, this made people suspicious. This led to their arrest. They kept the explosives in one car. They used the other two cars for transport. For the first few days, they looked around Algeciras Bay. They searched for the best place to enter the water. They also watched ships going in and out of Gibraltar. There was less British security in Gibraltar than they expected. Two guard posts were empty. Only one small British patrol boat was seen guarding the port.
They bought an inflatable raft to cross part of the bay. They also bought a telescope and fishing gear. These items were to make their activities look normal. The plan was to enter the water at 6:00 PM. They would swim across and plant the mines around midnight. They would swim back by about 5:00 AM. The mines would explode shortly after. Then, they would drive north to Barcelona, cross into France, then Italy, and fly back to Argentina.
Attempts That Didn't Happen
Their first chance came when a British minesweeper entered Gibraltar. But Anaya did not think this ship was important enough. A few days later, Nicoletti suggested sinking a large oil tanker that was not British. This would block the port of Gibraltar. But Anaya said no. An oil spill could cause a big environmental disaster. This could make Spain angry, especially if it hurt tourism. It could also affect other countries.
For weeks, the commandos kept changing hotels and renting cars. At this time, the British fleet was already sailing towards the Falklands. Finally, a very important target arrived. It was the frigate HMS Ariadne. It arrived in Gibraltar on May 2, 1982. But Anaya again refused permission to attack it. This time, it was because the Peruvian President Fernando Belaúnde had offered a peace plan. Anaya thought a successful attack might ruin the chance for peace.
Later that day, the Argentine ship ARA General Belgrano was sunk by the British submarine HMS Conqueror. Many Argentine soldiers died. The next day, May 3, Nicoletti expected Anaya to give permission. Fighting had now started in the South Atlantic. Nicoletti asked if the team could say they were acting for the Argentine military if caught. This was refused. But they were ordered to carry out the attack plan.
What Went Wrong?
The Team Is Caught
The next day, Nicoletti slept late. He usually did this because the plan was to act at night. Latorre and Rosales went to the car rental place. They wanted to extend their car rental for another week. The owner, Manuel Rojas, had become suspicious before. He noticed that the man had keys for cars rented from other places. He always paid in cash using US dollars. And he never came in exactly when he said he would.
Rojas had called the police. They asked him to call them next time the man came. They told him to try and keep the man there until they arrived. Rojas told the police, and the men were arrested. The police then went to arrest the other two men. They found Nicoletti and Marciano still asleep. The police first thought they had caught a group of regular criminals. But Nicoletti soon told them they were Argentine agents, even though he was told not to.
The Spanish Minister of Interior, Juan José Rosón, told the Málaga police chief to keep the arrests secret. The Spanish government decided to send the four men away without punishment. This was to avoid public attention. The police were told to take the arrested men to Málaga. Nicoletti said that once the police knew they were not common criminals, their attitude changed and became more friendly. The police even let Nicoletti handle the explosives, as he was trained. Nicoletti then invited them to lunch. So, the police convoy, still carrying the explosives, stopped at a restaurant. Then they picked up some clothes. Finally, they went to the Málaga police headquarters.
Sent Back Home
By chance, the Prime Minister Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo was campaigning in Málaga. He ordered the men to be flown quietly to Madrid. They used an airplane rented for his campaign. The men were not questioned or put on trial. They were flown to Madrid and then to the Canary Islands with police. Finally, they were put on a flight to Buenos Aires alone. They used the same passports, which were now known to be fake. Spain had recently joined NATO. Sotelo did not want to cause problems with the UK or Argentina. Quietly sending the men back to Argentina seemed like the best choice.
The Spanish police and Ministry of the Interior handled the operation completely. The Spanish military intelligence agency (CESID) was not told or involved. Everyone involved kept the operation a secret for many years. The Spanish police were ordered to destroy all records about it. At the last minute, when the men were at the airport, the police chief realized they had not taken their identification. He called to order photos of the men. At the airport, the police thought it would look strange to take mug shots in public. So, a friendly group photo of the commandos with the police guarding them was taken. This photo has not been found.
What Happened After?
In October 1983, an article in The Sunday Times newspaper was titled How Argentina tried to blow up the Rock. It explained the basic plan. But it had some mistakes because not much information was known then.
A documentary in 2003 included interviews with Anaya, Nicoletti, and others. In one interview, Nigel West, a British writer who studies secret operations, said that the UK knew about the plan. He claimed they knew because they had listened to phone calls between Argentina and its embassy in Madrid. The UK then told Spanish authorities about the operation ahead of time.
