Editing Operation Keyhole

{{Short description|1982 British military operation during the Falklands War}}
{{Infobox military operation
| name          = Operation Keyhole
| partof        = [[Falklands War]]
| subtitle      = 
| image         = South sandwich islands.png
| image_upright = 
| alt           = 
| caption       = South Sandwich Islands
| scope         = 
| type          = [[Special operations|Special operation]]
| location      = [[Thule Island]], [[South Sandwich Islands]]
| location2     = <!-- 2 through 10 for more locations -->
| coordinates   = 
| coordinates2  = <!-- 2 through 10 for more locations -->
| map_type      = 
| map_size      = 
| map_caption   = 
| map_label     = 
| map_label2    = <!-- 2 through 10 for more locations -->
| planned       = 
| planned_by    = 
| commanded_by  = 
| objective     = Recapture Thule Island
| target        = 
| date          = 19–20 June 1982
| time          = 
| time-begin    = 
| time-end      = 
| timezone      = 
| executed_by   = 1 frigate<br>1 icebreaker<br>1 fleet tanker<br>6 helicopters<br>2 rifle troop units<br><small>(from [[42 Commando]])</small><ref name="Roberts, 2009"/>
| outcome       = Operational success
| casualties    = 1 civilian and 9 Argentine military personnel captured
| fatalities    = 
| injuries      = 
}}
{{Campaignbox Falklands War}}

'''Operation Keyhole''' was a British special operation to recapture [[Thule Island]] in the [[South Sandwich Islands]] during the [[Falklands War]]. The operation took place from 19 to 20 June 1982.<ref name="Roberts, 2009">{{cite book |last1=Roberts |first1=John |title=Safeguarding the Nation: The Story of the Modern Royal Navy |date=16 April 2009 |publisher=Seaforth Publishing |isbn=978-1848320437|pages=166 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jNbZAwAAQBAJ&q=Operation+Keyhole+thule |access-date=22 September 2018}}</ref>

==Background==
[[File:Thule1981.jpg|thumb|right|300px|alt=The Argentine station Corbeta Uruguay in 1981.  It consists of a number of red buildings fixed on stilts and numerous aerials scattered around|The [[Corbeta Uruguay base|Corbeta Uruguay station]] on Southern Thule, 1981]]

A base, called [[Corbeta Uruguay base|Corbeta Uruguay]], had been built by [[Argentina]] in part to reinforce its territorial claims on British-held territory in the South Atlantic. Ostensibly a meteorological research station, it was also used by Argentine military personnel. The British government became aware of the base in December 1976.<ref name="Freedman2005">{{cite book|author=Lawrence Freedman|title=The Official History of the Falklands Campaign: The Origins of the Falklands War|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h8jFi62ZcrcC&pg=PT120|year=2005|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=978-0-7146-5206-1|page=76}}</ref> Between then and the outbreak of the 1982 war, a diplomatic solution to the problem had not been reached.

==Operation==
After the Argentine surrender on the Falkland Islands on 14 June 1982, a task force composed of frigate {{HMS|Yarmouth|F101|6}}, patrol ship {{HMS|Endurance|1967|6}}, tanker [[RFA Olmeda|RFA ''Olmeda'']] and tug ''Salvageman'' sailed to the South Sandwich Islands with instructions to end the Argentine presence there.<ref name="Roberts, 2009"/>

[[Reconnaissance]] parties from ''Endurance'' and [[42 Commando]] [[Royal Marines]] were landed on [[Thule Island]] covertly to observe Argentine activities. They encountered harsh conditions on the island with an air temperature of minus 20 degrees Celsius and a gale gusting to {{cvt|60|mph}}, the chill factor caused an effective drop to minus 52 degrees. ''Yarmouth'' demonstrated her intention by firing her gun and several helicopters flew around the base. Under the threat of the Royal Marines party and the ships cruising in front of the base, the Argentinians raised a white flag. Royal Marines who were forced to lower the Union Flag on [[South Georgia]] on 3 April, now hoisted the Union Flag on Thule Island. The final surrender of the war was signed in the wardroom of ''Endurance'' with all commanders present.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://issuu.com/navynews/docs/198208|title=The race to regain Thule|newspaper=Navy News p.21|date=August 1982}}</ref>

Ten prisoners (one civilian and nine military personnel) were evacuated to the tanker ''Olmeda'', accompanied by ''Yarmouth'' and they departed for South Georgia. The Argentine base "Corbeta Uruguay" was closed and the buildings sealed to make them weatherproof. The other ships ''Endurance'' and MS ''Salvageman'' followed and were back at Cumberland East Bay, [[South Georgia]], by 24 June 1982. No deaths or injuries were suffered on either side.

==Aftermath==

In March 1983, a UK spokesman said that on 19 December 1982, the research vessel, [[HMS Hecate (A137)|HMS ''Hecate'']], had discovered someone had been back to the base, had lowered the British flag, and raised the Argentinian flag in its place. The spokesman said: "We haven't a clue what went on and God only knows who it was—scrap metal merchants, someone in their cups (drunk) or the Argentine military". To prevent any attempt by Argentina to return to Thule Island, the base was later demolished, in February 1983, by crew from [[HMS Ariadne (F72)|HMS ''Ariadne'']] and the supply ship [[Tide-class replenishment oiler|RFA ''Tidespring'']]. The flagpole, two weather beacons, and a fully provisioned hut were left intact.<ref>{{cite web |title=A band of 'visitors' landed on a remote, uninhabited... |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/03/11/A-band-of-visitors-landed-on-a-remote-uninhabited/8073416206800/ |website=United Press International |access-date=23 September 2018 |date=11 March 1983}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Hope Bay incident]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNbh3GdRZbc Images of the operation and of the destruction of the Corbeta Uruguay base]
*[https://www.clarin.com/especiales/isla-thule-oscuro-prologo-misterioso-epilogo-guerra-malvinas_0_HyOVay_jx.html An Argentine account of events]
{{Falklands War|style=wide}}
{{coord|59|27|S|27|18|W|type:event|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Keyhole, Operation}}
[[Category:Special Air Service|Keyhole]]
[[Category:Falklands War in South Georgia]]
[[Category:Military operations of the Falklands War|Keyhole]]
[[Category:Battles and conflicts without fatalities]]
[[Category:1982 in the Falkland Islands Dependencies]]