The cruiser referred to is the ARA General Belgrano. It was sunk 2nd May 1982 by British submarine HMS Conqueror as part of the escalating Falklands War spearheaded by British PM Margaret “Maggie” Thatcher. It was the first major shot of the war, and resulted in the death of 323 men.
The Belgrano’s sinking is marred with controversies. Claims that the Belgrano was retreating when it was fired upon, and evidence that suggests Thatcher received peace treaty provisions hours before the order was given to pursue the ship, are still an unsolved riddle of political debate in Britain today.
That’s not even mentioning the highly tasteful reporting of the event in The Sun newspaper.
