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Having landed at Port San Carlos on May 21, 3 PARA (under Lieutenant-Colonel Hew Pike) 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.
 
Having landed at Port San Carlos on May 21, 3 PARA (under Lieutenant-Colonel Hew Pike) 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.
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The 7th Regiment under Lieutenant-Colonel Omar Giménez, had been sent to dig in on Mount Longdon and Wireless Ridge. More specifically, the regiment was supposed to counter a British force coming from Berkeley Sound. The garrison on Mount Longdon was made up of the 7th Regiment's 'B' Company. 34-year-old Major Carlos Carrizo-Salvadores had been selected to command all the Argentinian forces on Mount Longdon.  He seemed an excellent choice when taking into account his aggressive nature as a parachute officer.
    
On the night of June 8-9, Sergeant Roque Antonio Nista operating the Rasit ground surveillance radar on the western end of Longdon detected the presence of 100 Paras and Royal Marine Commandos near Murrell River. Machinegun, mortar and artillery fire disperse the British force that had planned to surprise the defenders on Mount Longdon and Two Sisters Mountain.<ref>''El mayor Carlos Carrizo Salvadores en Longdon dice: «La noche del 8 al 9, nuevamente el Sargento Nista (operador del radar) me informó sobre la presencia del enemigo, quien estaba ubicado en el mismo lugar que la vez anterior, pero ahora, separados en grupos: a 1.500 m el primero, 2.000 m el segundo, 3.000 m el tercero y 4.000 m el cuarto, tomadas estas distancias desde la posición del radar''. Martín Antonio Balza, Malvinas: Relatos de Soldados, p. 80, Círculo Militar, 1986</ref><ref>''It was unfortunate that the previous night's patrol carried out by two troops, one each from Z and Y Companies, had been forced back by a heavy artillery barrage.'' The Falklands War: The Day by Day Record from Invasion to Victory, p. 314, Marshall Cavendish Limited, 1983</ref><ref>''On the evening of 8 June 3 PARA dispatched three large fighting patrols to Mount Longdon. Each comprised a half-platoon; one was accompanied by a guide from D (Patrols) Company and the other two by Falklands islanders Terry Peck and Vernon Steen. The patrols' mission was to locate suitable approaches to the objective and to test enemy reactions to probing. Unfortunately, however, the combination of a fine night and bright moonlight prevented them from penetrating enemy positions." Task Force: The Illustrated History of the Falklands War, David Reynolds, p. 179, Sutton, 2002</ref><ref>''But perhaps his greatest single asset was the RASIT radar set, with which he could scan the countryside at night to reveal any hostile troop movement within several thousand metres. It proved extremely effective in pinpointing Para patrols as they probed the defences during the nights prior to the attack." The Last Eleven: Winners of the Victoria Cross since the Second World War, Mark Adkin, p. 196, Pen & Sword, 1991</ref>
 
On the night of June 8-9, Sergeant Roque Antonio Nista operating the Rasit ground surveillance radar on the western end of Longdon detected the presence of 100 Paras and Royal Marine Commandos near Murrell River. Machinegun, mortar and artillery fire disperse the British force that had planned to surprise the defenders on Mount Longdon and Two Sisters Mountain.<ref>''El mayor Carlos Carrizo Salvadores en Longdon dice: «La noche del 8 al 9, nuevamente el Sargento Nista (operador del radar) me informó sobre la presencia del enemigo, quien estaba ubicado en el mismo lugar que la vez anterior, pero ahora, separados en grupos: a 1.500 m el primero, 2.000 m el segundo, 3.000 m el tercero y 4.000 m el cuarto, tomadas estas distancias desde la posición del radar''. Martín Antonio Balza, Malvinas: Relatos de Soldados, p. 80, Círculo Militar, 1986</ref><ref>''It was unfortunate that the previous night's patrol carried out by two troops, one each from Z and Y Companies, had been forced back by a heavy artillery barrage.'' The Falklands War: The Day by Day Record from Invasion to Victory, p. 314, Marshall Cavendish Limited, 1983</ref><ref>''On the evening of 8 June 3 PARA dispatched three large fighting patrols to Mount Longdon. Each comprised a half-platoon; one was accompanied by a guide from D (Patrols) Company and the other two by Falklands islanders Terry Peck and Vernon Steen. The patrols' mission was to locate suitable approaches to the objective and to test enemy reactions to probing. Unfortunately, however, the combination of a fine night and bright moonlight prevented them from penetrating enemy positions." Task Force: The Illustrated History of the Falklands War, David Reynolds, p. 179, Sutton, 2002</ref><ref>''But perhaps his greatest single asset was the RASIT radar set, with which he could scan the countryside at night to reveal any hostile troop movement within several thousand metres. It proved extremely effective in pinpointing Para patrols as they probed the defences during the nights prior to the attack." The Last Eleven: Winners of the Victoria Cross since the Second World War, Mark Adkin, p. 196, Pen & Sword, 1991</ref>
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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.<ref>[https://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/feature-sunderland-falklands-veterans-remember-the-battle-of-mount-longdon-1-4623600 Sunderland Falklands veterans remember the Battle of Mount Longdon]</ref>  
 
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.<ref>[https://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/feature-sunderland-falklands-veterans-remember-the-battle-of-mount-longdon-1-4623600 Sunderland Falklands veterans remember the Battle of Mount Longdon]</ref>  
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The 7th Regiment under Lieutenant-Colonel Omar Giménez, had been sent to dig in on Mount Longdon and Wireless Ridge. More specifically, the regiment was supposed to counter a British force coming from Berkeley Sound. The garrison on Mount Longdon was made up of the 7th Regiment's 'B' Company. 34-year-old Major Carlos Carrizo-Salvadores had been selected to command all the Argentinian forces on Mount Longdon.  He seemed an excellent choice when taking into account his aggressive nature as a parachute officer.
      
At 2015 local time on Friday June 11th 1982, the 3rd Battalion (3 PARA) from the British Parachute Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Hew Pike began to advance to Mount Longdon. At the same time, 42 Commando Battalion was advancing towards Mount Harriet, whilst 45 Commando Battalion was heading for Two Sisters Mountain. The objective of the night attack of June 11 were three rocky peaks in the area west of Port Stanley: Mount Longdon, Two Sisters Mountain and Mount Harriet.
 
At 2015 local time on Friday June 11th 1982, the 3rd Battalion (3 PARA) from the British Parachute Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Hew Pike began to advance to Mount Longdon. At the same time, 42 Commando Battalion was advancing towards Mount Harriet, whilst 45 Commando Battalion was heading for Two Sisters Mountain. The objective of the night attack of June 11 were three rocky peaks in the area west of Port Stanley: Mount Longdon, Two Sisters Mountain and Mount Harriet.
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