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The Falklands Conflict Part 5 - Battles of Goose Green & Stanley

Darwin School bombed by the Argentines

On 26th May 2 Para left Sussex Mountain to make the 8 mile approach march to Camilla Creek House in preparation for the assault on Goose Green. On the evening of the 26th May three 105 Field Guns from 8 Battery 29 Cdo Regt RA were flown in to support the assault. With naval gun fire support being provided by HMS Arrow the 500 men of 2 Para began the night approach to the ‘start’ line in preparation for the attack on Goose Green against what was assumed to be a force of superior numbers. The advance was over open ground of an area of approximately 5 miles long and over a mile wide.

The assault began at 0330hrs but determined efforts by the Argentines held up 2 Para’s advance. It was at mid-morning that, with the advance stalled, the Commanding Officer, Lt Col ‘H’ Jones, in company with the officers and SNCO’s from his TAC HQ, ran forward to attack a machine gun position in an effort to re-start the advance. Colonel Jones was shot in the back and died shortly afterwards. Other members of his TAC HQ also died in the action. At about noon B Company took Boca House and A Company cleared Darwin Hill. There was intense fighting at Goose Green airfield and A Company, who had remained on Darwin Hill, was decimated by direct fire from a 35mm anti-aircraft cannon.

Two Argentine POW’s were sent back to their own lines by Major Chris Keeble, acting CO 2 Para, with instructions for the Argentine garrison to surrender by 0830hrs the following morning or face the threat of further action. The following morning approximately 1,000 Argentines surrendered to 2 Para.

Colonel Jones was awarded the Victoria Cross for his outstanding bravery at Goose Green. Several other members of the Battalion received other decorations for their part in the action. The Battalion lost 17 men in the assault on Goose Green with 64 other casualties. Argentine losses were approximately 50 killed and 150 wounded.

With Goose Green in British hands the way was now open for the advance on Port Stanley.

• 27th/30 May 1982: The Advance from Port San Carlos

The advance to the mountains overlooking Stanley began on 27th May with 45 Cdo and 3 Para moving from Port San Carlos to Teal Inlet. Over the next three days 42 Cdo and other elements of 3 Cdo Bde RM moved into the area that was to be the ‘start line’ for the final assault of the conflict.

THE BATTLE FOR STANLEY

• 7th/8th June 1982: The attacks on RFA’s Sir Tristram and Sir Galahad

It was decided that the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Vessels Sir Tristram and Sir Galahad would move elements of 5 Infantry Brigade to the Fitzroy area. Tristram arrived at Fitzroy on 7th June with Galahad, containing 16 Field Ambulance RAMC, Rapier SAM’s and elements of the 1st Bn Welsh Guards, arriving the following day. 16 Field Ambulance and Rapier SAM’s had been unloaded with the intention of moving the Welsh Guards into Bluff Cove. This did not happen. The Argentine air force, aware that both ships were being unloaded at Fitzroy, tasked aircraft to attack Galahad and Tristram and at approximately 1400hrs both vessels were bombed by a flight of Skyhawks. Sir Galahad, full of guardsmen, was set on fire with the subsequent loss of 32 members of the Welsh Guards and 5 crewmen with many badly burned and injured. When Simon Weston, the most seriously injured to be taken off Sir Galahad was transferred from Ajax Bay to the hospital ship Uganda, the medic escorting him had a note from Surgeon Commander Rick Jolly for Uganda’s Medical Director – it said ‘Stand by for another 167 [casualties]’. In the air attack Sir Tristram was set on fire with the loss of two crewmen. Sir Galahad was scuttled as a war grave on 25th June 1982.

• 11th/12th June 1982: The Assault on Mount Harriet, Two Sisters and Mount Longdon

Mount Harriet – 42 Commando RM. 42 Cdo crossed the start line at 2200hrs and were almost on the Argentine positions before being seen. The initial assault involved clearing bunkers but machine gun fire held up the advance. An assault by three NCO’s of ‘K’ Coy overcame the position and for this action they were each awarded the Military Medal. Milan anti-tank weapons were used by ‘L’ Coy to destroy machine gun and sniper position’s on the western end of Mount Harriet but artillery fire slowed the advance down causing casualties. Supporting mortar and artillery fire eventually overcame the Argentine positions. One Marine of 42 Cdo was killed during the assault on Mount Harriet.

Two Sisters – 45 Commando RM. ‘X’ Coy crossed the start line at 2300hrs on 11th May, 2 hours later than planned, to commence the silent night assault of the south west peak’. ‘Z’ and ‘Y’ Coy’s were tasked with assaulting the north east peak. With 3 Troop in the lead they came under heavy machine gun fire just short of the peak. With Mortar and Milan fire silencing the machine guns the Marines moved onto the peak under artillery fire. With the Argentines distracted by ‘X’ Coy’s attack ‘Z’ and ‘Y’ Coy’s started to move uphill. A flare alerted the Argentines to the assault and in the ensuing fire fight 4 Marines were killed. With ‘Y’ Coy silencing some of the machine guns the ‘stalled’ ‘Z’ Coy was to take the western part of the north east peak nearly three hours after the start of the assault. The use of anti-armour weapons against Argentine positions saw 45 Cdo in control of Two Sisters just before dawn.

Mount Longdon – 3rd Bn The Parachute Regiment. The planned silent approach onto Mount Longdon started at 2015hrs but was compromised in the early stages by a paratrooper stepping on a mine and alerting the Argentines to the forthcoming attack. 6 Platoon achieved the western summit but came under fire from a bypassed bunker losing men to machine gun and sniper fire. 4 and 5 Platoon gained the western end of Mount Longdon but with 4 Platoons Commander injured the Platoon Sergeant, Sgt Ian McKay, took over and shortly afterwards led an assault on a machine gun position that was holding up the advance. Sgt McKay lost his life in this action for which he was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross. Under heavy machine gun fire 4 and 5 Platoons withdrew before Naval Gunfire Support and artillery fire was called down onto the Argentine positions. With the advance resumed ‘B’ Coy came under heavy fire and, having taken considerable casualties, were brought to a halt halfway along the ridge. With ‘A’ Coy under fire they were pulled back and moved through B Coy’s position. Artillery and GPMG support allowed 1 & 2 Platoons to clear Argentine positions with close quarter fighting. After 10 hours of heavy fighting the Argentines withdrew from Mount Longdon just after dawn and 3 Para, who were to remain on Mount Longdon for two days under intense and accurate artillery fire, started to dig in – determined to keep the ground that 19 Airborne Soldiers had died fighting for. Another 4 members of 3 Para were to die in the subsequent shelling of their positions.

• 13th/14th June 1982: The Assault on Mount Tumbledown, Wireless Ridge, Mount William and Sapper Hill

Mount Tumbledown – 2nd Bn The Scots Guards. The Scots Guards, with G, RF & LF Coy’s, assault on Mount Tumbledown started at 2030hrs with a diversionary attack down the Fitzroy/Stanley track by light tanks and a small assault force. Two members of this force were killed when contact was made with the enemy with more being injured when withdrawing through a minefield. With the western end of Tumbledown secured by 2230hrs LF Coy moved through the ‘firm’ positions only to come under heavy sniper and GPMG fire. Mortar and artillery fire claimed another two lives as LF Coy moved onward and upwards towards their objective. With 15 Platoons advance stalled artillery fire was called in on positions immediately in front of them. When the barrage was lifted they continued with the upward advance and engaged the enemy in hand to hand fighting eventually over-running the Argentine positions. Mount Tumbledown fell to The Scots Guards after nearly 12 hours of hard and bitter fighting against what was considered one of the best Argentine units involved in the Falklands Conflict. A total of 9 men were killed in the Battle of Mount Tumbledown.

Wireless Ridge – 2nd Bn The Parachute Regiment.

After the death of Lt Col ‘H’ Jones at Goose Green 2 Para’s new Commanding Officer was appointed. Flown to Ascension by VC10 Lt Col Chaundler was loaded onto a Hercules transport aircraft loaded with stores to be air dropped to the fleet – with himself to be delivered to the task force by parachuting into the icy South Atlantic waters! Lifted from the South Atlantic by helicopter he was taken to HMS Penelope to dry off before being flown onto HMS Hermes for a briefing with Admiral Woodward before flying ashore to join 2 Para at Fitzroy. Now back under command of 3 Cdo Bde it was decided that the assault on Wireless Ridge would be a ‘noisy’ four phase attack.

Supporting fire onto a feature to the north east of Mount Longdon started at 2115hrs with D Coy, supported by the Scimitars and Scorpions of the Blues and Royals, crossing the start line 30 minutes later. Arriving at their objective D Coy found the enemy had ‘vacated’ the position leaving their dead behind. With D Coy coming under enemy defensive fire A & B Coy’s crossed the start line heading for the summit of Wireless Ridge. Coming under heavy offensive fire the Argentines broke and ran as A & B Coy’s reached their objective – although they in turn were to come under Argentine artillery fire throughout the night. D Coy moved onto, and cleared, the ridge after some vicious hand to hand fighting to clear the bunkers of the enemy. Patrol Coy seized the final objective of ring contour 100 to the east of Wireless Ridge without opposition. A dawn attack on D Coy’s position was repulsed by artillery and mortar fire and shortly afterwards 2 Para went ‘firm’ on the objective. 2 Para lost 3 soldiers during the assault on Wireless Ridge.

Mount William – 1/7th Gurkha Rifles. With the Scots Guards and 2 Para still fighting on Tumbledown and Wireless Ridge the Gurkha advance onto Mount William was delayed. The Commanding Officer took the Bn around the northern edge of Mount Tumbledown while the Scots Guards gave them covering fire. Moving up a small re-entrant B Coy moved off to the left to assault the eastern end of Mount William. With a firebase set up on the Mount tumbledown D Coy prepared to assault the objective. With Argentine morale on Mount William at an all time low after the fall of Wireless Ridge and Tumbledown the realisation that they were about to be attacked by ‘savage drug crazed’ Gurkhas was more than they could stomach and as D Coy advanced the Argentine Battalion occupying the hill turned and fled! The Gurkhas took Mount William unopposed much to the bitter disappointment of The Regiment.

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The Falklands Conflict: The Sinking of The ARA General Belgrano
The Argentine Surrender: Battle for the Falklands – The Final Part