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On April 2, 1982, with an armed confrontation in the making between a platoon of British Royal Marines (under Lieutenant Keith Mills and Sergeant Peter Leach) sent to apprehend Argentine scrap-metal workers on South Georgia and their protecting Special Forces from the [[Argentinian Navy]] survey ship ARA "Bahía Buen Suceso"<ref>[https://www.spink.com ot-description.aspx?id=12002445 Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria]</ref>, Argentina invaded the Falkland/Malvinas Islands, a remote British colony in the South Atlantic. The Argentinian amphibious landings, '''Operation Rosario''' (under Rear-Admiral [[Carlos César Büsser]], Argentinian Marine Corps Commandant), led to a brief, but costly war.  

On April 2, 1982, with an armed confrontation in the making between a platoon of British Royal Marines (under Lieutenant Keith Mills and Sergeant Peter Leach) sent to apprehend Argentine scrap-metal workers on South Georgia and their protecting Special Forces from the [[Argentinian Navy]] survey ship ARA "Bahía Buen Suceso",<ref>[https://www.spink.com ot-description.aspx?id=12002445 Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria]</ref> Argentina invaded the Falkland/Malvinas Islands, a remote British colony in the South Atlantic. The Argentinian amphibious landings, '''Operation Rosario''' (under Rear-Admiral [[Carlos César Büsser]], Argentinian Marine Corps Commandant), led to a brief, but costly war.  

==Background==

==Background==

==Argentinian landings==

==Argentinian landings==

The plan was for the 1st Amphibious Commando Grouping (APCA) under Lieutenant-Commander Guillermo Sánchez Sabarots to attack both the NP8901 Barracks at Moody Brook and Government House to force a surrender, supported if necessary by men of Commander Alfredo Raúl Weinstabl's 2nd Marine Infantry Battalion (BIM 2) landed from ships of Task Group 40.1. Under the command of the 1st Marine Brigade commander, Captain Miguel Angel Pita, the Argentinian Marines had orders to cause no casualties "if at all possible".<ref>"Under Miguel Pita's robust personal leadership, and with orders to cause no casualties 'if at all possible', 800 men from his brigade, formed from the 2nd Marine Infantry Battalion (BIM 2), a Comandos Anfibios team ... spearheaded the assault on the Falklands Islands." Exocet Falklands: The Untold Story of Special Forces Operations, Ewen Southby-Tailyour, p. 61, Pen and Sword, 2014</ref>Once Stanley Airfield was in Argentinian hands, the 25th "Special" Infantry Regiment (Army Rangers) and Special Operations Group (Air Force Commandos) would then fly in.

The plan was for the 1st Amphibious Commando Grouping (APCA) under Lieutenant-Commander Guillermo Sánchez Sabarots to attack both the NP8901 Barracks at Moody Brook and Government House to force a surrender, supported if necessary by men of Commander Alfredo Raúl Weinstabl's 2nd Marine Infantry Battalion (BIM 2) landed from ships of Task Group 40.1. Under the command of the 1st Marine Brigade commander, Captain Miguel Angel Pita, the Argentinian Marines had orders to cause no casualties "if at all possible".<ref>"Under Miguel Pita's robust personal leadership, and with orders to cause no casualties 'if at all possible', 800 men from his brigade, formed from the 2nd Marine Infantry Battalion (BIM 2), a Comandos Anfibios team ... spearheaded the assault on the Falklands Islands." Exocet Falklands: The Untold Story of Special Forces Operations, Ewen Southby-Tailyour, p. 61, Pen and Sword, 2014</ref> Once Stanley Airfield was in Argentinian hands, the 25th "Special" Infantry Regiment (Army Rangers) and Special Operations Group (Air Force Commandos) would then fly in.

The first landings were before midnight with the 1st Amphibious Commando Grouping spearhead under Lieutenant Bernardo Schweitzer going ashore from the destroyer ARA "Santisima Trinidad" to secure Mullet Creek, followed early on Friday morning by a Buzo Tactico beach reconnaissance party from the submarine ARA  "Santa Fe" to check out the main landing beach north of Stanley.<ref>"The next Argentinians ashore were the frogmen from the Santa Fe, to secure the beach at Yorke Bay, to the north of the airfield, at 3:30 a.m." The Royal Navy and Falklands War, David Brown, p. 57, Pen and Sword, 1987</ref>As the Amphibious Commandos secured their objectives the destroyers and frigates of Task Force 40 took up support and escort positions and the Tank Landing Ship ARA "Cabo San Antonio" headed in for the unguarded beach at York Bay.

The first landings were before midnight with the 1st Amphibious Commando Grouping spearhead under Lieutenant Bernardo Schweitzer going ashore from the destroyer ARA "Santisima Trinidad" to secure Mullet Creek, followed early on Friday morning by a Buzo Tactico beach reconnaissance party from the submarine ARA  "Santa Fe" to check out the main landing beach north of Stanley.<ref>"The next Argentinians ashore were the frogmen from the Santa Fe, to secure the beach at Yorke Bay, to the north of the airfield, at 3:30 a.m." The Royal Navy and Falklands War, David Brown, p. 57, Pen and Sword, 1987</ref> As the Amphibious Commandos secured their objectives the destroyers and frigates of Task Force 40 took up support and escort positions and the Tank Landing Ship ARA "Cabo San Antonio" headed in for the unguarded beach at York Bay.

==Urban combat==

==Urban combat==

From 6:00 a.m. the main Special Forces attacks and supporting infantry landings got underway. The larger body of Amphibious Commandos cleared Moody Brook and then headed east for Government House which by then was under fire from the spearhead under Lieutenant-Commander Pedro Edgardo Giachino. Giachino, Second-in-Command of the 1st Marine Infantry Battalion (BIM 1), was hit by small arms fire during the attack on Government House and died of his wounds, becoming the only Argentinian invasion force fatality that was treated at the local [[King Edward VII Memorial Hospital]]. Around 6:30 a.m., the first of some 20 LVTP-7 Amtraks with 20 or more Marines each inside were landing from "Cabo San Antonio" and by 6.45 am more Marines from the 1st Marine Infantry Battalion were coming into the airfield by Sea King helicopters. A 25th Regiment platoon under 2nd Lieutenant Oscar Roberto Reyes, having disembarked from ''VAO 010'', cleared the Airfield buildings.

From 6:00 a.m. the main Special Forces attacks and supporting infantry landings got underway. The larger body of Amphibious Commandos cleared Moody Brook and then headed east for Government House which by then was under fire from the spearhead under Lieutenant-Commander Pedro Edgardo Giachino. Giachino, Second-in-Command of the 1st Marine Infantry Battalion (BIM 1), was hit by small arms fire during the attack on Government House and died of his wounds, becoming the only Argentinian invasion force fatality that was treated at the local [[King Edward VII Memorial Hospital]]. Around 6:30 a.m., the first of some 20 LVTP-7 Amtraks with 20 or more Marines each inside were landing from "Cabo San Antonio" and by 6.45 am more Marines from the 1st Marine Infantry Battalion were coming into the airfield by Sea King helicopters. A 25th Regiment platoon under 2nd Lieutenant Oscar Roberto Reyes, having disembarked from ''VAO 010'', cleared the Airfield buildings.

As the outnumbered NP 8901 and FIDF defenders fell back on Government House, one of the squads under Lieutenant Bill Trollope defending the Ionospheric Research Station on the Airport Road, stopped the Amtrack spearhead (''VAO''s 05, 07 and 019) with anti-armour weapons, machine-guns and sniper fire that wounded one Argentinian Marine, Private Horacio Tello.<ref>"The fact that no one was observed to emerge from the first Amtrac to be engaged encouraged the Royal Marines to think that one of their rocket rounds had punched a hole in it and that some of the machine-gun fire had penetrated the hole and caused severe casualties among the men inside. Local civilians who observed the action optimistically supported this view later. There was no rocket hit, just the scars of ninety-seven machine-gun bullets. Only one Argentine marine was slightly wounded by a sliver of metal cutting his hand." Argentine Fight for the Falklands, Martin Middlebrook, p. 37, Pen and Sword, 2003</ref>The spearhead was brought to a halt by machine-gun fire hitting the driver compartment of 2nd Sub-Officer Anibal Edgardo Esposito and turret of ''VAO 7'', forcing the machine-gunner, Corporal Osvaldo César Arce to take cover.<ref>[https://interesestrategicoarg.com/2014/07/05/2-de-abril-de-1982-malvinas-vehiculos-anfibios/ Vehículos Anfibios]</ref>None of the occupants of ''VAO 7'' were seen to emerge for 2nd Sub-Officer Víctor Quiroga under the guidance of Arce, manoeuvred the Amtrack off the road into a hollow in the ground and disembarked the Marines now hidden from view. But the Royal Marines were obliged to fall back as the Argentinian Marines emerged from the other Amtracks and 2nd Sub-Officer Mario Di Filippo's ''VAO 19'' opened fire with a 72mm recoilles rifle, scoring a direct hit on the building.<ref>"Commander Weinstabl and I decided it was time to force the British to withdraw. I ordered the crew with the recoilles rifle to fire one round of hollow charge at ...  the roof of the house where the machine-gun was, to cause a bang but not an explosion. We were still following our orders not to inflict casualties. The first round was about a hundred metres short, but the second hit the roof ... They had stopped firing, so Commander started the movement of the two companies around the position.." Argentine Fight for the Falklands, Martin Middlebrook, p. 36, Pen and Sword, 2003</ref><ref>[https://interesestrategicoarg.com/2014/07/05/2-de-abril-de-1982-malvinas-vehiculos-anfibios/ Vehículos Anfibios]</ref>

As the outnumbered NP 8901 and FIDF defenders fell back on Government House, one of the squads under Lieutenant Bill Trollope defending the Ionospheric Research Station on the Airport Road, stopped the Amtrack spearhead (''VAO''s 05, 07 and 019) with anti-armour weapons, machine-guns and sniper fire that wounded one Argentinian Marine, Private Horacio Tello.<ref>"The fact that no one was observed to emerge from the first Amtrac to be engaged encouraged the Royal Marines to think that one of their rocket rounds had punched a hole in it and that some of the machine-gun fire had penetrated the hole and caused severe casualties among the men inside. Local civilians who observed the action optimistically supported this view later. There was no rocket hit, just the scars of ninety-seven machine-gun bullets. Only one Argentine marine was slightly wounded by a sliver of metal cutting his hand." Argentine Fight for the Falklands, Martin Middlebrook, p. 37, Pen and Sword, 2003</ref> The spearhead was brought to a halt by machine-gun fire hitting the driver compartment of 2nd Sub-Officer Anibal Edgardo Esposito and turret of ''VAO 7'', forcing the machine-gunner, Corporal Osvaldo César Arce to take cover.<ref>[https://interesestrategicoarg.com/2014/07/05/2-de-abril-de-1982-malvinas-vehiculos-anfibios/ Vehículos Anfibios]</ref> None of the occupants of ''VAO 7'' were seen to emerge for 2nd Sub-Officer Víctor Quiroga under the guidance of Arce, manoeuvred the Amtrack off the road into a hollow in the ground and disembarked the Marines now hidden from view. But the Royal Marines were obliged to fall back as the Argentinian Marines emerged from the other Amtracks and 2nd Sub-Officer Mario Di Filippo's ''VAO 19'' opened fire with a 72mm recoilles rifle, scoring a direct hit on the building.<ref>"Commander Weinstabl and I decided it was time to force the British to withdraw. I ordered the crew with the recoilles rifle to fire one round of hollow charge at ...  the roof of the house where the machine-gun was, to cause a bang but not an explosion. We were still following our orders not to inflict casualties. The first round was about a hundred metres short, but the second hit the roof ... They had stopped firing, so Commander started the movement of the two companies around the position.." Argentine Fight for the Falklands, Martin Middlebrook, p. 36, Pen and Sword, 2003</ref><ref>[https://interesestrategicoarg.com/2014/07/05/2-de-abril-de-1982-malvinas-vehiculos-anfibios/ Vehículos Anfibios]</ref>

Only one Royal Marine squad under Corporal Lou Armour' managed to fight its way to Government House, the others were gradually overrun by the increasing number of Amtracks and Marines landed by the Sea King and Lynx helicopters.

Only one Royal Marine squad under Corporal Lou Armour' managed to fight its way to Government House, the others were gradually overrun by the increasing number of Amtracks and Marines landed by the Sea King and Lynx helicopters.

==Aftermath==

==Aftermath==

Photographs of the Royal Marines outside Government House, facedown on the ground, soon appeared in the British press, smuggled out by out by Rex Hunt's son Tony for Simon Winchester of the [[Sunday Times]] who had taken the pictures.<ref>"The humiliation was soon reinforced by images of the Argentine flag being raised and of the Royal Marines as prisoners. The photographs of the surrender of the Royal Marines had been taken by Simon Winchester of the Sunday Times and were smuggled out by out by Rex Hunt's son Tony." The Official History of the Falklands Campaign, Volume 2: War and Diplomacy, Lawrence Freedman, pp. 8-9, Routledge, 2004</ref>In response to calls for actions, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher ordered that an armada of British warships be sent to the Falklands. Winchester went to Argentina to cover the war from the southern airbases, but he was arrested with two colleagues (Ian Mather and Tony Prime) for spying.<ref>"Winchester went to Argentina where he was later arrested with two colleagues for spying." The Official History of the Falklands Campaign, Volume 2: War and Diplomacy, Lawrence Freedman, p. 9, Routledge, 2004</ref>

Photographs of the Royal Marines outside Government House, facedown on the ground, soon appeared in the British press, smuggled out by out by Rex Hunt's son Tony for Simon Winchester of the [[Sunday Times]] who had taken the pictures.<ref>"The humiliation was soon reinforced by images of the Argentine flag being raised and of the Royal Marines as prisoners. The photographs of the surrender of the Royal Marines had been taken by Simon Winchester of the Sunday Times and were smuggled out by out by Rex Hunt's son Tony." The Official History of the Falklands Campaign, Volume 2: War and Diplomacy, Lawrence Freedman, pp. 8-9, Routledge, 2004</ref> In response to calls for actions, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher ordered that an armada of British warships be sent to the Falklands. Winchester went to Argentina to cover the war from the southern airbases, but he was arrested with two colleagues (Ian Mather and Tony Prime) for spying.<ref>"Winchester went to Argentina where he was later arrested with two colleagues for spying." The Official History of the Falklands Campaign, Volume 2: War and Diplomacy, Lawrence Freedman, p. 9, Routledge, 2004</ref>

Fierce battles erupted in May. In all, more than 900 soldiers and sailors from both side died in the fighting. But the British forces won. Winchester, Mather and Prime were freed on June 29.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/1982/06/30/world/3-british-reporters-released-from-jail-by-argentine-junta.html 3 BRITISH REPORTERS RELEASED FROM JAIL BY ARGENTINE JUNTA]</ref>

Fierce battles erupted in May. In all, more than 900 soldiers and sailors from both side died in the fighting. But the British forces won. Winchester, Mather and Prime were freed on June 29.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/1982/06/30/world/3-british-reporters-released-from-jail-by-argentine-junta.html 3 BRITISH REPORTERS RELEASED FROM JAIL BY ARGENTINE JUNTA]</ref>