Battles of Mount Longdon and Wireless Ridge

Following Operation Rosario (Falklands/Malvinas War), the Argentinian occupation of the Falkland Islands in April 1982, the 2nd and 3rd British Parachute Battalions (2 and 3 PARA) were deployed as part of 3 Commando Brigade to retake the Islands in Operation Corporate.

Mount Longdon

Having landed at Port San Carlos on May 21, 3 PARA marched across the East Falkland via Teal Inlet to the sheep farm settlement of Estancia House from where they began to send out patrols to harass the defenders and map out the area around Mount Longdon situated to the north west of Port Stanley, the capital of the Islands.

Before the British 3rd and 5th Brigades could retake Port Stanley, it was essential that the high ground around the capital was taken. This included Mount Longdon, Wireless Ridge and Cortley Ridge.

Of these objectives, 3 PARA was tasked with taking Mount Longdon on the night of June 11/12, to coincide with attacks on Two Sisters Mountain by Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew Whitehead's 45 Commando and Mount Harriet by Lieutenant-Colonel Nick Vaux's 42 Commando.

On June 10, Lieutenant Colonel Hew Pike gave his orders in the Regimental Headquarters at Estancia House for the attack on Mount Longdon and Wireless Ridge. They were told to expect around 300 Argentinian soldiers from Lieutenant-Colonel Omar Giménez's 7th La Plata Mechanized Infantry Regiment defending the positions who were well dug in and provided with artillery cover from 18 Argentine 105mm Oto Melara howitzers from Lieutenant-Colonel Martín Antonio Balza's 3rd Artillery Group and a further 18 Oto Melaras near Government House from Lieutenant-Colonel Carlos Alberto Quevedo's 4th Airborne Artillery Group. In addition, the area had been heavily mined. British sappers later counted 1,500 frozen anti-personnel mines on the western lower slopes of Mount Longdon. Miraculously all but two mines failed to detonate.

Mount Longdon is a long narrow feature of rocky terrain, running from east to west with two summits. Major Carlos Carrizo-Salvadores, second-in-command of the 7th 'La Plata' Mechanized Infantry Regiment, was the senior officer on the eastern summit ('Full Back'), and Marine Captain Sergio Andrés Dachary on the western one ('Fly Half'). There was a Rasit radar set on Longdon, with which the defenders could scan the countryside at night to reveal any hostile troop movements. As a result of its geography only one company attacking could advance along it. The plan was that the rifle companies would be led to the start line at the stream, west of Mount Longdon by members of D (Patrol) Company. The start line would be known as ‘Free Kick’.

Major Mike Argue's B Company, on the right would take the two summits named ‘Fly Half’ and ‘Full Back’ following the ridge line. Meanwhile, Major David Collett's A Company would be on the left to take ‘Wing Forward’, a spur running from the western side of the summit. C Company would seize 'Rough Diamond' before clearing the rest of Wireless Ridge.

It was a silent approach until Corporal Brian Milne stepped on a land mine, which alerted 2d Lieutenant Juan Baldini's 1st Rifle Platoon (B Company 7th Regiment La Plata) to the attack. At this point the Argentinian sentries opened fire and fierce fighting ensued. A marine heavy machine-gun position was causing considerable problems for Lieutenant Ian Bickerdicke's No. 4 Platoon who took the brunt of the enemy fire, with several killed and wounded, including the Platoon Commander and Platoon Sergeant Ian McKay. It was whilst attempting to destroy this position with a hand grenade that McKay was killed in action. Sergeant-Major Sammy ­Dougherty, was first to reach Ian. In 2012, he revealed: "Ian’s right hand had­ ­practically gone. He must have had a grenade in his hand and been shot and killed before releasing it."For his act Sergeant McKay was awarded the Victoria Cross. Sergeant Des Fuller, therefore, took command of the remnants of 4 Platoon and moved forward to attack the Marine heavy machine gun position on the northern slopes. Unfortunately the enemy heavy machine-gun wasn’t knocked out.

Meanwhile, A Company was supporting the attacking Paras from the northern side of Mount Longdon. However, they were coming under heavy, sustained and accurate fire from Staff Sergeant Raúl González's 2nd Rifle Platoon and so the decision was made by Pike to withdraw them from that position. Instead they were to move through B Company and take Full Back. With Major Argue having finally taken the western peak, Major Collett's A Company moved eastwards. The Argentinians continued to defend Full Back but Milan missiles and artillery support systematically destroyed their remaining bunkers. Second Lieutenants John Kearton and Ian Moore mustered their platoons near the western summit and had briefed them on how to deal with the enemy reinforcements. They then attacked First Lieutenant Raúl Fernando Castañeda's 1st Rifle Platoon (C Company 7th Regiment), clearing it of the eastern peak with rifle, grenade and bayonet in close quarters combat.

As A Company was clearing the final positions, Corporal Stewart McLaughlin was wounded by a Czekalski recoilless rifle round fired from the 7th Regiment's Reconnaissance Platoon, he was subsequently killed by a mortar bomb fired from Wireless Ridge as he made his way to the aid post.

Mount Longdon was secure by 09.30 am on June 12. By this time, 3 PARA had been fighting for 12 hours and they would remain under heavy fire for a further 48 hours from Marine Artillery Observation Officers and Mortar Fire Controllers (MFCs) on Mount Tumbledown. During this period an additional four British Paratroopers were killed in action and several more wounded or injured.

The Argentinians lost thirty-one dead, 120 wounded and fifty prisoners. The night battle, previous patrol actions and retaliatory artillery bombardment cost 3 PARA 23 killed and about 70 wounded.

19-year-old Private Grant Grinham, badly wounded in the action, in an interview with the Leicester Mercury in 2017, reported that the Argentinian conscripts had fought well:

“

Those Argentinian lads on Mount Longdon fought their hearts out. They were determined defenders. The battle was in the balance. We fought for every inch of ground. The Heavy Machine Gunners were regular Marines and their confidence was high. They were armed with .50-cal machine guns which would stop a car, and were well up for the fight. They're a big heavy weapon, mostly used in an anti-aircraft role. It was a formidable defensive weapon for us to engage. They also had snipers all along Mount Longdon who were very accurate. They had night sights and were far superior to anything we had - contrary to reports. It was a very difficult battle.

”

Kenneth M. Pollack, former CIA intelligence officer and expert on military affairs, in his research of the Falklands War concluded:

“

Despite the unfavorable force ratio, the Argentine defenders were clever and active and had fortified their positions well. They forced the British to advance through a narrow killing zone, ambushing and counterattacking the Paras repeatedly, and inflicting heavy casualties on them. Eventually, the British took the position only by employing Milans, LAWs, artillery and mortars.

”

Wireless Ridge

Briefly under command of Brigadier Tony Wilon's 5 Infantry Brigade, elements of 2 PARA conducted a helicopter insertion deep behind forward Argentinian Army Special Forces patrols and Argentinian Air Force's Observation Posts (OPs) on June 2. They liberated the settlements of Bluff Cove and Fitzroy, opening a southern flank of operations.

On the morning of 12 June, it became clear that the attacks on Mount Longdon had been successful. 2 PARA marched around the back of Longdon to take up their positions for the assault on Wireless Ridge. As the action was expected to be concluded quickly, they took only their weapons and as much ammunition as possible, leaving most other gear behind in the camp. On Bluff Cove Peak, the 2 PARA’s mortars and heavy machine guns were attacked by Argentinian A-4 Skyhawks, which delayed their planned move forward, although they suffered no casualties.

On the night of June 13/14, 2 PARA deployed 3 PARA and, supported by British light tanks and Royal Navy warships, attacked Wireless Ridge. During the attack British artillery fired 6,000 rounds with their 105 mm guns and as the British Paratroopers began their final push, they were further backed by naval fire and the 76mm and 30mm guns mounted on the light tanks.After their heavy losses at Goose Green, the Paras were taking no chances.

By the time 2 PARA reached their first objective, Rough Diamond, the Argentinian 7th Infantry Regiment's C Company survivors under Company Sergeant-Major Raúl Ibáñezhad withdrawn. As a result A and B Companies were convinced the Argentinian 7th Infantry Regiment's A Company on the “Apple Pie” objective had been defeated, and began to advance confidently, but they encountered heavy fire when they left their trenches. It later emerged that Private Roberto Arturo Sañisky had been instrumental in rousing the exhausted conscripts sheltering from the British bombardment.The British Paratroopers retreated back to their positions and ordered massive retaliation from the British machine-gunners and the guns of the Blues and Royals light tanks. A and B Companies were able to advance again and this time take Apple Pie.

Major Philip Neame's D Company then began the final assault from the western end of Wireless Ridge, under the cover of heavy fire from HMS Ambuscade’s 4.5 inch gun, the light tanks, twelve 105 mm artillery pieces, several mortars and anti-tank rockets.

In spite of the British Artillery's sustained barrage the remaining Argentinians put up resistance. Lieutenant-Colonel Omar Giménez had now barely 100 men left, including a signals platoon under the wounded Lieutenant Jorge Alberto Guidobono. The signallers were ordered to prepare for hand to hand combat. Guidobono shouted encouragement to his men. The signallers fought in little groups from boulders, shooting at enemy flashes and Private Graham Carter of 'D' Company, 2 PARA, came within a whisker of death:

“

I had a bullet bounce off my helmet, then when our artillery shells came in on us, one landed 15 feet away-but thankfully was a dud. It could have killed at least three of us.

”

D Company took the first half of the objective after a hard fight with Guidobono's signallers and 30 Argentinian paratroopers (armed with ten 7.62mm belt-fed machine-guns) under Subteniente Gustavo Alberto Aimara (wounded in action) from the Córdoba-based 2nd 'General Balcarce' Airborne Infantry Regimentthat had arrived in a Hercules C-130 transport on the night of June 11-12th.Private Guillermo Vélez recalls:

“

They were guys from Córdoba, they had just arrived in the islands from Comodoro Rivadavia ... they had never heard a bomb, and they had been put there, in the middle of hell. We, theoretically, were going to receive, by radio, the orders. There were two signals, one to attack, and another to retreat, but in the middle of that mess we never received any order. We could not hear anything other than the bombs ... The A, B and C companies of the 7th had already retreated and we, as a result, ended up being the front line ... We were doing what we could; We could barely protect ourselves and occasionally answer the fire. We joined together in groups, and in front of us placed a defence line of MAG machine guns."

”

At about 06.00 local time on June 14th, Guidobono's signallers and Aimara's paratroopers were hit by a company-sized attack. The Argentinian paratroopers communicated to he signallers that the British were about to get up and charge. Then with a hallow roar of a football crowd they were on the Argentinian defenders. The rest was confusion. The British Paras were moving as close as possible to the Argentinians to avoid the Argentinian Artillery fire. Preceded by a field artillery and naval bombardment, Major Philip Neame's 'D' Company, after suffering its ninth and last dead (Private Francis Slough) in the Falklands War, broke the ring of steel around Lieutenant-Colonel Giménez's command bunker. The Argentinian platoon of paratroopers, although nearly having lost half its strength captured or wounded, moved back grudgingly.

Soon there was a lot of action going above and around Moody Brook. Major Oscar Ramón Jaimet's 'B' Company, from the 6th 'Mercedes' Mechanized Infantry Regiment, on the northern slopes of Tumbledown Mountain, were busy shooting at Major Philip Neame's men, and them too, shooting back at the Argentinians.

Argentinian artillery responded vigorously and the Argentinian Land Forces Commander, Brigadier-General Oscar Luis Jofré sent Major Guillermo Rubén Berazay's A Company (3rd La Tablada Mechanized Infantry Regiment) west of Stanley Racecourse to counterattack. Private Patricio Pérez:

“

"I was carrying two rifles and I noticed that there was a sniper who was pinning me down. I wanted to come out of the rock and kill him but I couldn't because the firing was so intense. At that moment I heard somebody shout that he had seen the sniper. I came out, saw that he was leaning over the rock and shot at him and his gun fell silent. I saw him fall but I don't know whether he was wounded or dead. That kind of combat among the rocks is like a Western, but it all happens so fast that you don't quite realise what is going on ... What I felt at that moment was mostly hatred. I wanted revenge. I had forgotten fear by then, what sort of risk I was taking; the only thing I wanted to do, my obsession, was to avenge my fallen comrades. Whenever I saw one of my friends hit it was worse, it just made me want to continue fighting, it didn't matter for how long or at what cost. I didn't care about death at that time, the main thing was revenge ... We sent the wounded down and returned to the battle and fought on for four hours. Luckily after the surrender I found out that Horacio had survived. People greeted the surrender with relief. They were all crying. That wasn't how I reacted. I had been fighting for many hours and I was not prepared to give up my rifle until forced to do so. It's different for those who had been in actual combat. I couldn't give my rifle back until they took it away from me, and when I did give it back I made sure it was completely unusable."

”

Major Neame’s officers and NCOs rallied the exhausted Paras to capture the final part of their objective and in the face of heavy fire, the rifle platoons of 2d Lieutenant Carlos Javier Aristegui and Lieutenant Víctor Hugo Rodriguez-Pérez having run out of ammunition, broke and retreated, covered by supporting machine gun fire from the rifle platoon of Lieutenant Horacio Alejandro Mones-Ruiz.

At dawn, a another platoon of Argentinian conscripts under Major Carlos Carrizo-Salvadores attacked D Company, but were driven off with the help of mortars and British Artillery. Private Gabriel Ricardo Sagastume from the 7th Regiment's A Company recalls:

“

Coming down from Moody Brook we found Carrizo, who wanted to recover that position. We had walked through the ruins of the barracks, bombarded by the English, and we knew that it was impossible to take it again. In those circumstances, Carrizo grouped us, asked what weapons we had and in what conditions they were in and ordered us to follow him to climb the hill. A few meters from the start-line projectiles of all caliber were raining all around us. We fell back, almost in complete disorder.

”

2 PARA had suffered three dead and 11 wounded. Four of the paratroopers on the mortar line also required CASEVAC (evacuation of casualties by air), having broken their ankles. The Argentinians suffered approximately 25 dead and about 125 wounded, about 50 were taken prisoner. In the final stages of the battle, the Argentinian commander, Brigadier-General Jofré had been offered the use of Skyhawks to bomb Wireless Ridge with napalm but he declined, believing that the British response would be equally violent and the chances of a surrender being accepted, non-existent.

Cortley Ridge

The Special Air Service, along with men from the Special Boat Squadron, attempted to carry out a diversionary amphibious raid on Cortley Ridger on the night of June 13th. The plan was, as 2 PARA attacked Wireless Ridge, 4 rigid raiders, piloted by Royal Marines and carrying SAS soldiers (15 men from D Squadron) and 6 SBS men (No. 3 Section) would travel across Stanley Harbour and attack the oil storage facilities. The assault force was illuminated by a spotlight on the Argentinian hospital ship Almirante Irizar before it could reach its objective. A massive volley of fire including Anti-Aircraft Artillery batteries arced down onto the SAS/SBS force from positions along the shore, causing the raiding party to withdraw. The Rigid Raiders were badly shot up but miraculously none of the men had been killed.

The wisdom of this attack was later questioned as it was seen by some as a reckless operation with little strategic benefit.

Aftermath

The Battles of Mount Longdon, Wireless Ridge and Cortley Ridge cost the British 1st Parachute Regiment and supporting Special Air Service (SAS) and Special Boat Squadron (SBS) 26 dead and 85 wounded. Argentinean casualties were fifty-six killed, 245 wounded a 100 taken prisoner.