StarDestroyer.Net BBS

Instead of being a British territory, the Falklands are French. Argentina invades, and the French muster a response. They send one CVBG, either the Foch or Clemenceau (the both of them hardly ever seemed to be fully operational together at any one time...), as well as equivalent amphibious and underwater forces to the British's. What happens?

Did the Foch carry an AEW aircraft at that time? If so it would go a long way towards helping the French reduce the air threat to their carrier. Also, unless you change Argentina's will to fight ( Army and Navy ) then I dont think the outcome would change.

The Argentinian Air Force performed very well IMO, but it was not enough.

The French government is notorious for giving up territory at the first sign of a possible loss. This would definitely be defined as a possible loss.

The French have already mustered a response. It can be assumed that they will fight without political problems at least until a naval unit is badly damaged.

At any rate, the French roast the Argies. Having a full carrier would have helped the British immensely, and the Argies on the Falklands themselves will go down quickly.

The Argentines are going to get hurt, probably worse than OTL.

Argentina is fucked. And they won't have any operational MM39's or Super Endndards. The French can muster equal gator forces, and have better airpower.

I'd say a roughly historical timeframe, the French may have some trouble keeping there ships fueled that far from home. But with only one or two French surface ships sunk.

The French, while a favorite target for military ridicule, actually do have some fight in them. Their staying power in battle declined considerably in the 20th century but anyone who read the in-depth tales from Dien Bien Phu can give them somce credit.

The French would naturally attack using the Foreign Legion ("Legion Etrangier"[sp?]) and those guys play rough. Odd that the most powerful French combat force is the one that is made up of people who are NOT French, but... I think in the long run the battle would have gone tot he French but it would have taken twice as long due to all the hand-wringing and over-caution (and flat-out mistakes) on the part of the French forces and political leaders.

They would have been TOO careful and overly paranoid, and in the end it would have been the lack of fighting spirit of the Argie ground troops that would end the battle. The Argentine navy as well as the air force put up some backbone, so the air and naval battle would have dragged out the affair a lot longer. The French had no long-range nuclear subs to put fear into the Argies; although the aircraft carrier would have been a big asset. Or possibly a big target for another Exocet (irony, anybody?).