Battle of Darwin and Goose Green

Following Operation Rosario (Falklands/Malvinas War), the Argentinian occupation of the Falkland/Malvinas Islands in early April 1982, the 2nd and 3rd British Parachute Battalions (2 and 3 PARA) of the British 1st Parachute Regiment were deployed as part of Brigadier Julian Thompson's 3 Commando Brigade to retake the islands in Operation Corporate.

Argentinian garrison

On April 4th, the first Argentinian unit arrived at Goose Green. It was 27-year-old Senior Lieutenant Carlos Daniel Esteban’s C Company of the 25th Infantry Regiment (Regimiento de Infantería 25 or RI 25). Later, the Argentinian Army High Command (Estado Mayor General del Ejército or EMGE) decided to reinforce the RI 25's C Company in the area and sent in 47-year-old Lieutenant-Colonel Ítalo Ángel Piaggi's 12th (Jungle) Infantry Regiment (Regimiento de Infanteria 12 'Juan Antonio Alvarez de Arenales' or RI 12) along with other supporting units.

They arrived in helicopters between April 30th and May 21st. Then the troops responsible for the defences of Darwin-Goose Green were placed under joint command and named Task Force 'Mercedes'. The main unit was the 12th Regiment, whose home base in Argentina was at Mercedes in Corrientes Province, hence the name of the task force. However, this regiment was incomplete; its B Company (named Combat Team 'Solari') remained on Mount Kent, from which it was sent by helicopters to Goose Green too late to have any real effect in the battle. Combat Team 'Güemes', which consisted of one rifle platoon of C Company from RI 25 and a heavy weapons platoon of A Company from RI 12 was helicoptered north of Goose Green to San Carlos on May 15th.

San Carlos

3 Commando Brigade went ashore at San Carlos on the night of May 21/22. 2 PARA (Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert Jones) established itself on Sussex Mountain protecting the south of the Bridgehead without opposition. 3 PARA landed in the near Port San Carlos driving off a platoon of 40 enemy.

On May 26, 2 PARA was ordered to move south and engage the Argentinian 12th 'Juan Antonio Alvarez de Arenales' Infantry Regiment and Condor Military Airbase on the Darwin/Goose Green Peninsula.

Darwin Parks

The attack began under the cover of darkness of 28 May with heavy naval and artillery support.

At 3.35 am, Major Dair Farrar-Hockley's A Company moved off on the left and attacked Burntside House believed to be occupied by the Argentinian 12th Regiment's Reconnaissance Platoon (Lieutenant Carlos Morales), but found no-one there other than four civilians. Major John Crosland's B Company started forward from the other side of Burntside Pond down the right flank with Major Philip Neame's D Company following them long the middle. With artillery support on both sides, B and D Companies were soon in close-quarter combat with the 12th Regiment's A Company (under 1st Lieutenant Jorge Antonio Manresa and Sergeant-Major Juan Carlos Coelho). Leaving No. 13 Platoon of A Company to provide covering fire from the north side of Darwin Bay, the remainder started to circle round to take Darwin Settlement.

Darwin Ridge

By daylight, however, the British attack was held up by Second Lieutenant Ernesto Orlando Peluffo's 12th Regiment platoon on Darwin Hill, Second Lieutenant Guillermo Ricardo Aliaga's 8th Regiment platoon (3rd Platoon, C Company) on Boca Hill and the British Commanding Officer (CO), 42-year-old Lieutenant-Colonel "H" Jones, was killed trying to take out a machine-gun post on Darwin Ridge. During this fighting, the British fired over 1,000 81mm mortar rounds to suppress Argentinian defenders, otherwise British casualties would have been horrendous.

Major Chris Keeble (2 ic) was called up from the rear, and leaving A Company to slowly wrestle control of Darwin Hill and pulling B Company back to Middle Hill, ordered D Company to move round Boca Hill, advancing from the nearby beach. Support Company used MILAN anti-tank missiles to destroy these trenches. Approximately, 6 hours after the start of the fighting on Darwin Ridge, the last Argentinian defenders on Boca Hill surrendered.

In the meantime, the Argentinians helicoptered in their first reinforcements from Mount Kent, and the Malvinas Military Air Base near Port Stanley, flew in support missions. The first air strike took place in the morning when a Grupo 3 Pucara was hit, probably by a Blowpipe shoulder-launched SAM, but the aircraft limped back to Stanley airbase. The next sortie by two more Pucaras caught two Royal Marine Scouts on their way in to evacuate Lieutenant-Colonel Jones. Captain Jeff Niblett managed to evade them, but Lieutenant Richard Nunn was killed by cannon fire and crashed down near Camilla Creek House. One of the Pucaras was later found to have crashed into high ground returning to Stanley after chasing Sea King Helicopters near San Carlos.

For exemplary leadership, Majors Farrar-Hockley and Crosland each won the Military Cross. The Argentine forces had courageously held the ridge for over six hours against a numerically superior British force. Lieutenant Roberto Nestor Estévez who was mortally wounded directing artillery fire in the battle, would later receive the Heroic Valour Cross.

Condor Military Air Base ( the "White Flag" incident)

At 2.15 pm the final British attacks began. Elements of the 1st Anti Aircraft Group of the Argentinian Air Force tried to defend Condor Military Airbase, but withdrew under intense British mortar fire. However, as Major Hugh Jenner's C Company moved down the forward slope of Darwin Ridge, Second Lieutenant Claudio Cesar Braghini brought his 35 mm anti-aircraft guns into action and they did some damage, killing one paratrooper, wounding eleven and destroying Darwin Schoolhouse.

Still under fire, D and C Companies headed towards the Goose Green air base while B Company circled east to cut off Goose Green Settlement. During the attack, three Paratroopers were killed in an ambush involving Romeo platoon under Second Lieutenant Juan José Gómez Centurión (2nd Rifle Platoon, C Company, 25th Regiment).

According to Private Graham Carter from 12 Platoon, D Company, 2 PARA

“

We found the first enemy position when one of the lads actually fell into a trench. There were weapons and ammo all covered in mud, just left there. They'd all bugged out, so we never saw anybody. After an hour or so, we began getting effective fire on us. We started taking cover when we heard rounds whistling around us .... we saw who was firing at us and fired back .... the section commander [Corporal Paul Sullivan] who was behind me, was hit in the knee and screamed out, and then took two more straight through the head and was killed. I got on the radio to bring up some reserves into the dead ground to the left - to go through the enemy position. When they arrived back, the sergeant sent me back to see if Paul could be helped. It was no use. He'd gone.

”

Private Carter led the dispersed paratroopers forward at bayonet point to clear the Argentinian positions, winning the Military Medal in the process. Second Lieutenant Gómez Centurión disengaged, and, single-handedly covered by Sergeant Sergio Ismael García, managed to escape. García was posthumously awarded the Gallantry In Combat Medal

In the late afternoon, combat aircraft from both sides intervened, starting with two Argentinian Navy MB.339's and two IA.58 Pucaras which attacked D Company. One of the Navy jets was brought down by a Royal Marine shoulder-launched Blowpipe, and minutes later the Pucaras dropped napalm with one shot down by small arms fire. Then three Royal Air Force (RAF) Harrier GR.3's brought much needed relief by silencing the radar-guided 35mm anti-aircraft guns at Goose Green Point with cluster bombs and rockets.

The RAF Harriers had been misidentified by two patrolling Sea Harriers piloted by Lieutenant-Commander Nigel Ward and Flight Lieutenant Ian Mortimer of 801 Royal Navy Air Squadron (RNAS), and were very nearly shot down during their bombing run.

Argentinian surrender

The assault continued with some confused fighting and by last light the whole peninsula less the Goose Green Settlement was taken. With evening approaching and the Argentinians squeezed in towards Goose Green, Combat Team Solari (B Company, 12th Regiment) from Mount Kent arrived to the south via eight helicopters, while to the north, Juliet Company 42 Commando was flown in reinforce 2 PARA but too late to join in the fighting. Major Hugh Jenner's C Company brought down artillery fire on these enemy reinforcements and they sought refuge in Goose Green Settlement. The 12th Regiment platoon under 2d Lieutenant Carlos Francisco Tamini was dispersed and remained unaccounted for in the darkness.

Mindful of the possibility of being counterattacked, Major John Crosland decided to pull back B Company and go firm on high ground near Boca Hill. A fierce sniper battle ensued with 2d Lieutenant Orlando Lucero's 12th Regiment platoon, now dug in Goose Green Settlement's outskirt. There were some close calls, and Private John Burridge from 12 Platoon, D Company, was wounded and a Sea King helicopter was hit by machine-gun fire from Lucero's men.

Negotiations with the Argentinians produced their surrender the next day. The Argentinian troops had a short parade, burned their regimental flag and lay down their weapons. Around 50 Argentinians were killed and 140 wounded, with the The Official History of the Falklands Campaign reporting that 961 Argentinians were captured. The British Paratroopers at the time reported a much larger count of 250 Argentinians killed and 1,400 prisoners. British losses in 2 PARA were 15 killed and 64 wounded. A Sea Harrier pilot (Lieutenant Nick Taylor on 4 May), a Royal Engineer, a Scout pilot and a Gurkha (Lance-Corporal Budhaprasad Limbu) were also reported killed taking and clearing Goose Green.

Aftermath

The Battle of Darwin and Goose Green was a resounding British military victory against a resolute and well dug-in enemy. But many within the Task Force and 2 PARA itself, questioned the need to fight a strong enemy force, which could have been isolated and bypassed. It also came as a profound shock that a largely conscript Army could fight so professionally and doggedly. The skill and bravery of the Argentinian Air Force had already been proven and recognized, but the Argentinian defense of Darwin and Goose Green was a salutary experience.

The fighting showed that "H" Jones was a strict CO who had to have complete control over every aspect and demanded his company commanders to not stray from the battle plan. Major Neame was the only officer who commanded his company with flexibility and allowed initiative among his officers and NCOs, something which benefited his platoons greatly.

History was not kind to Lieutenant-Colonel Piaggi. Because he surrendered on National Army Day he was forced to resign from the Argentinian Army. And his military competence was called into question. After a long fight in the military and civilian courts, Piaggi had his retired military rank and pension reinstated. He died in 2012.