Changes

It was a silent approach until Corporal Brian Milne stepped on a land mine, which alerted 2nd 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. Lieutenant Ian Bickerdicke's No. 4 Platoon took the brunt of the enemy machine-gun fire, with several killed and wounded, including the Platoon Commander and Platoon Sergeant. Sergeant Des Fuller, therefore, took command of the remnants of 4 Platoon and moved forward to attack a Marine heavy machine gun position up a steep slope. It was whilst engaging this position that Sergeant McKay was killed in action. He would later receive a posthumous [[Victoria Cross]] for his actions.

It was a silent approach until Corporal Brian Milne stepped on a land mine, which alerted 2nd 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. Lieutenant Ian Bickerdicke's No. 4 Platoon took the brunt of the enemy machine-gun fire, with several killed and wounded, including the Platoon Commander and Platoon Sergeant. Sergeant Des Fuller, therefore, took command of the remnants of 4 Platoon and moved forward to attack a Marine heavy machine gun position up a steep slope. It was whilst engaging this position that Sergeant McKay was killed in action. He would later receive a posthumous [[Victoria Cross]] for his actions.

Meanwhile, A Company was attacking from the northern side of Mount Longdon. 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, under heavy from Argentinian reinforcements in the form of First Lieutenant Raúl Castañeda's 1st Rifle Platoon (C Company 7th Regiment), before taking the eastern peak.

Meanwhile, A Company was attacking from the northern side of Mount Longdon. 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, under heavy from Argentinian reinforcements in the form of First Lieutenant Raúl Fernando Castañeda's 1st Rifle Platoon (C Company 7th Regiment).

 

The Argentinians continued to defend “Full Back” but Milan missiles and artillery support systematically destroyed their bunkers.  

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.

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.

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:{{cquote|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.<ref>[http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/the-falklands-war-paratrooper-lost-a-leg-and-saw-friends-killed-but-would-do-it-all-again/story-30241617-detail/story.html The Falklands War: Paratrooper 'lost a leg and saw friends killed but would do it all again']</ref>}}

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:{{cquote|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.<ref>[http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/the-falklands-war-paratrooper-lost-a-leg-and-saw-friends-killed-but-would-do-it-all-again/story-30241617-detail/story.html The Falklands War: Paratrooper 'lost a leg and saw friends killed but would do it all again']</ref>}}

The night battle and retaliatory artillery bombardment cost the British Paras 23 killed and about 70 wounded.<ref>''"We'd lost something like twenty-two guys up to that point, dead, but three times more than that were wounded."'' Bloody Hell: The Price Soldiers Pay, Daniel Hallock, pg. 60, Plough Publishing House, 1999</ref><ref>''"Our battalion had lost twenty-three men there, with more than sixty wounded."'' Forward Into Hell, Vincent Bramley, John Blake Publishing</ref>

The Argentinianss lost thirty-one dead, 120 wounded and fifty prisoners. The night battle and retaliatory artillery bombardment cost the British Paras 23 killed and about 60 wounded.<ref>''"We'd lost something like twenty-two guys up to that point, dead, but three times more than that were wounded."'' Bloody Hell: The Price Soldiers Pay, Daniel Hallock, pg. 60, Plough Publishing House, 1999</ref><ref>''"Our battalion had lost twenty-three men there, with more than sixty wounded."'' Forward Into Hell, Vincent Bramley, John Blake Publishing</ref>

==Wireless Ridge==

==Wireless Ridge==