A Ravel of Waters

He traced a clearly marked channel which negotiated a maze of underwater mountain peaks. 'This is the route American subs use,' he explained. 'As you see, it runs zigzag through the centre section of the Drake Passage. It's roughly one thousand fathoms or two thousand metres deep. It finally emerges here – near South Georgia in the east. That's the sort of route the Reds aim to seal.'

Tideman added, 'The immediate Cape Horn area is no bet for the deep-diving subs – it's too shallow, only a hundred fathoms in places. They have to stay well south to negotiate the passage, beyond Diego Ramirez Island.' I said, 'Accordingly, that's the route your yachts took,' 'Aye,' he agreed. 'That was the route.'

Brockton pointed again, this time to a shallow area near the Falklands. 'This is the Burdwood Bank. It is ninety nautical miles south of the Falklands. Logistically, it's of great importance. It completely blocks the northeastern approaches to the Drake Passage as far as nuclear subs are concerned.' 'Why?' 'The Bank is so shallow,' Brockton replied. 'Its depth ranges from a mere forty-six to a hundred and forty-five metres'. It would be straight suicide for a nuclear sub to. attempt it – we've got the whole area, two hundred miles long and fifty wide, taped with electronic sensors.'

'It seems to me that, tactically speaking, the West holds all the aces’ I said. 'The entire area can be air and sea patrolled from the Falklands, or from the islands on the southern and eastern flanks.'

'I wish it were as simple as that,' answered Tideman. 'You forget that the land mass of South America at its southern tip belongs to two countries – Argentina and Chile. These two have carried on a border dispute for over a century. It flared up recently over the ownership of three tiny islands claimed by Chile which bar the eastern or Atlantic entrance to the Beagle Channel, one of the main waterways through th^ mass of islands near Cape Horn.'

'Tiny little islands like that can't be of any value to anyone, strategically or politically,' I objected.

'You don't know these Latin types, Peter,' said Brockton. 'They'd fight to their last drop of blood over a sombrero if that were an emotive issue.'

'The reason why those three little Chilean islands are so important is a question of principle,' Tideman explained. 'Argentina claims them according to the principle that she has the traditional right of access to the Atlantic Ocean. Chile equally claims right of access to the Pacific. Chile maintains a small naval base in the Beagle Channel at Puerto Williams – on one of the disputed islands.'

I burst out laughing. 'Puerto Williams! A naval base! What a joke! I staged south to Cape Horn in Albatros past Puerto Williams – it's a tin-pot little anchorage with a couple of houses!'

'That makes no difference,' Tideman said. 'It is the principle Argentina and Chile are disputing. The same thing applies to the Falklands. Argentina is strongly anti-British, as you no doubt gathered,' he went on with a slight smile. 'That white card business is one of the pin-pricks to keep the political pot boiling.'

'In addition,' said Brockton, sketching a large sector on the map, 'Argentina lays claim to all this vast area from the South Sandwich Islands in the Atlantic in the east through to the Pacific side of the Drake Passage – plus all the islands along its southern flank!'

Think of those claims in terms of nuclear sub logistics and maybe something starts to stink’ said Brockton. 'Complete control of the Drake Passage’ I suggested.

'Exactly’ said Tideman. 'Plus the Falklands themselves with an airfield which could be expanded to take heavy maritime reconnaissance planes. You get the picture, Peter. Also, as you know, Argentina has proclaimed a two-hundred-mile territorial limit round all the islands she claims. That makes – in their terms – the Drake Passage Argentinian waters. Add to that the entire sea-passage you flew over between the South American mainland and the Falklands.'

'They can't be serious’ I said. 'It's surely nothing more than a lot of flag-waving.'

'It's a great deal more than that, Peter’ said Tideman. 'Some years ago a party of Argentinian patriots who styled themselves Group Condor staged a token invasion of the Falklands after hijacking a plane and forcing it to crash-land at Stanley. The incident was finally smoothed over diplomatically but it's left a nasty aftertaste.'

Brockton laughed. 'Just wait and see what you've stirred up by mucking about with their Almirante Storni, Peter.' 'Just an unfortunate accident.' 'You tell Argentina that’ he replied wryly.

'What Washington is deeply concerned about is that the Russians may attempt to instal a pro-Red Argentinian puppet regime in the Falklands. Then, with the cooperation of Argentina, a "friendly" Soviet Navy would effectively seal the Drake Passage. The last major link in their global choke point chain would then be complete. The United States and Britain would then have been totally out-manoeuvred.'