HMS Plymouth, then commanded by Captain David Pentreath, was one of the first Royal Navy ships to arrive in the South Atlantic following the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia.[17][18] Together with Antrim, Brilliant and Endurance, she took part in the recapture of South Georgia during Operation Paraquet. On 25 April, her Wasp helicopter took part in an attack on the Argentinian submarine Santa Fe, which had previously been badly damaged by a depth charge attack from Antrim′s Wessex, claiming one hit on the waterline with an AS12 missile. After the crippled Santa Fe had sailed back into Grytviken harbour and was abandoned by her crew, a scratch force of Royal Marines, SAS and SBS troops was landed to capture the settlement. Along with Antrim, Plymouth provided naval gunfire support for this force, both ships firing a total of 235 shells, until the Argentinian troops raised the white flag. Later that day Plymouth sailed with Endurance to Leith Harbour, which was still held by the Argentines. The next day the garrison commander, Lieutenant commander Alfredo As
tiz, signed the surrender in Plymouth's wardroom
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