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Corbeta Uruguay base was an
Earlier, in January 1955, Argentina had established the summer station, Teniente Esquivel, at Ferguson Bay on the southeastern coast. That station was evacuated in January 1956 because of a volcanic eruption on the neighboring Cook Island.
The Corbeta Uruguay base was established in 1976 by the military dictatorship governing
Antarctica.
Lonely Planet, 2008. p. 258. The base was named after the Argentine corvette, ARA ''Uruguay'', which rescued
La Corbeta Uruguay at Ciber-N@utica
Geography of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands History of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Argentine Navy bases Falklands War in South Georgia 1976 establishments in the British Empire 1976 establishments in Antarctica 1976 in the Falkland Islands Dependencies 1982 disestablishments in the British Empire 1982 disestablishments in Antarctica 1982 in the Falkland Islands Dependencies {{SouthGeorgia-stub
Corbeta Uruguay base was an Argentine military
The Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, in es, Fuerzas Armadas de la República Argentina, are controlled by the Commander-in-Chief (the President) and a civilian Minister of Defense. In addition to the Army, Navy and Air Force, there ...
outpost established in November 1976 on Thule Island
Thule Island, also called Morrell Island, is one of the southernmost of the South Sandwich Islands, part of the grouping known as Southern Thule. It is named, on account of its remote location, after the mythical land of Thule, said by ancient ...
, Southern Thule
Southern Thule is a collection of the three southernmost islands in the South Sandwich Islands: Bellingshausen, Cook, and Thule (Morrell). The island group is barren, windswept, bitterly cold, and uninhabited. It has an extensive exclusi ...
, in the South Sandwich Islands
)
, anthem = "God Save the King"
, song_type =
, song =
, image_map = South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in United Kingdom.svg
, map_caption = Location of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in the southern Atlantic Oce ...
. It was vacated and mostly demolished in 1982 following Britain's victory against Argentina in the Falklands War
The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territori ...
.
History
Earlier, in January 1955, Argentina had established the summer station, Teniente Esquivel, at Ferguson Bay on the southeastern coast. That station was evacuated in January 1956 because of a volcanic eruption on the neighboring Cook Island.
The Corbeta Uruguay base was established in 1976 by the military dictatorship governing Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, t ...
to reinforce the Argentine territorial claims to British territory in the South Atlantic. The British government became aware of the base in December 1976 but sought a diplomatic solution to the issue until 1982.
Early in the Falklands War
The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territori ...
, 32 special forces
Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...
troops from Corbeta Uruguay were brought to South Georgia
South Georgia ( es, Isla San Pedro) is an island in the South Atlantic Ocean that is part of the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. It lies around east of the Falkland Islands. Stretching in the east ...
by the Argentine Navy
The Argentine Navy (ARA; es, Armada de la República Argentina). This forms the basis for the navy's ship prefix "ARA". is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with t ...
ship ''Bahía Paraíso'' and landed at Leith Harbour
Leith Harbour (), also known as Port Leith, was a whaling station on the northeast coast of South Georgia, established and operated by Christian Salvesen Ltd, Edinburgh. The station was in operation from 1909 until 1965. It was the largest ...
on 25 March 1982.
Corbeta Uruguay remained manned by Argentine personnel until 20 June 1982, when British forces sent a task force to end the Argentine presence, after victory over Argentina in the Falklands War
The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territori ...
. After the garrison at Corbeta Uruguay surrendered, the facility was left unmanned. In December 1982, it was mostly demolished by the Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by Kingdom of England, English and Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were foug ...
after a patrolling warship, HMS ''Hecate'', discovered that someone had taken down the Union Flag
The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...
from the base flagpole and run up the flag of Argentina
The national flag of the Argentine Republic is a triband, composed of three equally wide horizontal bands coloured light blue and white. There are multiple interpretations on the reasons for those colors. The flag was created by Manuel Belg ...
.Jeff RubinAntarctica.
Lonely Planet, 2008. p. 258. The base was named after the Argentine corvette, ARA ''Uruguay'', which rescued
Otto Nordenskjöld
Nils Otto Gustaf Nordenskjöld (6 December 1869 – 2 June 1928) was a Finnish and Swedish geologist, geographer, and polar explorer.
Early life
Nordenskjöld was born in Hässleby in Småland in eastern Sweden, in a Finland Swedish family t ...
and his crew in 1903 in the Antarctic Peninsula
The Antarctic Peninsula, known as O'Higgins Land in Chile and Tierra de San Martín in Argentina, and originally as Graham Land in the United Kingdom and the Palmer Peninsula in the United States, is the northernmost part of mainland Antarctic ...
, near the present-day Esperanza Base
("Permanence, an act of sacrifice")
, pushpin_map = Antarctica
, pushpin_map_alt = Location of Esperanza Base in Antarctica
, pushpin_map_caption = Location of Esperanza Base in Antarctica
, pushpin_mapsize ...
. That ship is now a floating museum, permanently berthed in Puerto Madero
Puerto Madero, also known within the urban planning community as the Puerto Madero Waterfront, is a barrio of Buenos Aires in Argentina in the central business district, occupying a significant portion of the Río de la Plata riverbank and repres ...
, Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the Capital city, capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata ...
.
See also
*History of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
The history of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is relatively recent. When European explorers discovered the islands, they were uninhabited, and their hostile climate, mountainous terrain, and remoteness made subsequent settlement ...
References
External links
La Corbeta Uruguay at Ciber-N@utica
Geography of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands History of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Argentine Navy bases Falklands War in South Georgia 1976 establishments in the British Empire 1976 establishments in Antarctica 1976 in the Falkland Islands Dependencies 1982 disestablishments in the British Empire 1982 disestablishments in Antarctica 1982 in the Falkland Islands Dependencies {{SouthGeorgia-stub