On 2 May 1982, the British submarine HMS Conqueror sank the Argentinian warship, the General Belgrano, killing 323 men. It was the bloodiest event of the Falklands War – and the most controversial.

The account of the sinking given by Thatcher's government was inaccurate in every crucial detail – and the truth would only emerge from the pages of a private diary, written by an officer onboard the submarine.

The Belgrano Diary is a story of war in the South Atlantic, iron leadership, cover-ups and conspiracies, crusading politicians and competing journalists, and an unlikely whistleblower.

A new six-part series from the Documentary Team at the London Review of Books, hosted by Andrew O’Hagan.

Archive:

‘Good Morning Britain’/ITV/TV-Am, Parliamentary Recording Unit

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When Argentina invades the Falkland Islands, Margaret Thatcher sends a huge flotilla on an 8000-mile rescue mission – to save a forgotten remnant of the empire, and her premiership. Onboard the nuclear submarine HMS Conqueror, Lieutenant Narendra Sethia starts to keep a diary.

The Belgrano Diary is a new six-part series from the Documentary Team at the London Review of Books, hosted by Andrew O’Hagan. It investigates the bloodiest and most controversial military action of the Falklands War: a story of government cover-ups and conspiracies; of whistleblowers, crusading politicians and journalists fighting for the story. And caught in the middle of it all, a young officer whose account of what happened contradicted Thatcher’s in every crucial detail.

Episode 2 will be released on April 4. We’ve brought a selection of relevant writing from the LRB archive in front of the paywall for the duration of the series: lrb.me/thebelgranodiary

Archive:

‘Good Morning Britain’/ITV/TV-Am, ‘Newsnight’/BBC/BBC News, ‘Falkands War – The Untold Story’/ITV/Yorkshire Television, ‘Leach, Henry Conyers (Oral history)’/Imperial War Museum, ‘President Regan’s Press Briefing in the Oval Office on April 5, 1982’/White House Television Office, ‘Diary’/James M. Rentschler, TV Publica/Radio y Televisión Argentina S.E, The Falklands War: Recordings from the Archive/BBC Worldwide, Parliamentary Recording Unit

Get in touch: podcasts@lrb.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

HMS Conqueror stalks the Belgrano, but Britain’s Rules of Engagement prohibit an attack. Margaret Thatcher makes a decision and Lieutenant Sethia and the Conqueror crew get ready to fire.

The Belgrano Diary is a new six-part series from the Documentary Team at the London Review of Books, hosted by Andrew O’Hagan. We’ve brought a selection of relevant writing from the LRB archive in front of the paywall for the duration of the series: lrb.me/thebelgranodiary

Episode 3 will be released on 11 April. If you’d prefer not to wait, you can listen to the whole series NOW, as well as exclusive interviews and other bonus material, all for a one-off payment of just £4.99 at: https://lrb.me/belgranodiarysc

Archive:

‘Admiral Woodward on Argentine Air Threat in the Falklands War’/Sal Viscuso, ‘War in the Falklands’/History Channel/ITN Factual, ‘The City of London’s Salute to the Task Force’/BBC, Parliamentary Recording Unit

Get in touch: podcasts@lrb.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lieutenant Sethia quits the navy and moves to the Caribbean. He thinks the Falklands War is behind him, but back in the UK, an eccentric, anti-war MP notices a discrepancy in the government’s account of the sinking and starts to investigate.

The Belgrano Diary is a new six-part series from the Documentary Team at the London Review of Books, hosted by Andrew O’Hagan. We’ve brought a selection of relevant writing from the LRB archive – including pieces by Tam Dalyell, who plays an important part in the story – in front of the paywall for the duration of the series: lrb.me/thebelgranodiary

Episode 4 will be released on 18 April. If you’d prefer not to wait, you can listen to the whole series NOW, as well as exclusive interviews and other bonus material, all for a one-off payment of just £4.99 at: https://lrb.me/belgranodiarysc

Archive: ‘BBC News’/BBC/BBC News, ‘Nationwide: On the Spot’/BBC 1/BBC, ‘1983 Election Coverage’/BBC1/BBC, Parliamentary Recording Unit

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Armed with the diary, Tam Dalyell goes on the attack – but the cover-up continues. A whistleblower from within the Ministry of Defence is arrested for a breach of the Official Secrets Act.

The Belgrano Diary is a new six-part series from the Documentary Team at the London Review of Books, hosted by Andrew O’Hagan. We’ve brought a selection of relevant writing from the LRB archive – including pieces by Tam Dalyell, who plays an important part in the story – in front of the paywall for the duration of the series: lrb.me/thebelgranodiary

Episode 5 will be released on 25 April. If you’d prefer not to wait, you can listen to the whole series NOW, as well as exclusive interviews and other bonus material, all for a one-off payment of just £4.99 at: https://lrb.me/belgranodiarysc

Archive: ‘The Scottish Independence Podcast – Episode 172’/Michael Greenwell, Parliamentary Recording Unit

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Lieutenant Sethia is accused of a second crime: the theft of HMS Conqueror’s log books. Two journalists and the Serious Crime Squad try to hunt him down.

The Belgrano Diary is a new six-part series from the Documentary Team at the London Review of Books, hosted by Andrew O’Hagan. We’ve brought a selection of relevant writing from the LRB archive – including pieces by Tam Dalyell, who plays an important part in the story – in front of the paywall for the duration of the series: lrb.me/thebelgranodiary

Episode 6 will be released on 2 May. If you’d prefer not to wait, you can listen to the whole series NOW, as well as exclusive interviews and other bonus material, all for a one-off payment of just £4.99 at: https://lrb.me/belgranodiarysc

For more on the mystery of the missing Log Books, read Stuart Prebble’s Secrets of the Conqueror, which tells the remarkable story of the submarine’s Cold War operations before and after the Falklands War.

Archive: ‘World in Action – A View from the Conqueror’/ITV/Granada Television, Parliamentary Recording Unit

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Belgrano affair reaches its climax as the stories of Narendra Sethia and Clive Ponting connect. The two whistleblowers appear in court and the diary makes its final journey.

The Belgrano Diary is a new six-part series from the Documentary Team at the London Review of Books, hosted by Andrew O’Hagan. We’ve brought a selection of relevant writing from the LRB archive – including pieces by Tam Dalyell, who plays an important part in the story – in front of the paywall for the duration of the series: lrb.me/thebelgranodiary

You can listen to exclusive interviews and other bonus material, all for a one-off payment of just £4.99 at: https://lrb.me/belgranodiarysc

Archive: ‘The Scottish Independence Podcast – Episode 172’/Michael Greenwell, ‘Live from Downing Street’/ITV/TV-Am, ‘Nott, John William Frederic (Oral History)’/Imperial War Museum, Parliamentary Recording Unit

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.