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Line 106: − 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. + − + + +
Battle of Darwin and Goose Green (view source)
Revision as of 16:03, July 1, 2021
, 16:03, July 1, 2021→Argentinian surrender
==Argentinian surrender==
==Argentinian surrender==
As night fell some Paras in the Darwin School area began to snipe at Goose Green Settlement and in response 2d Lieutenant Braghini concentrated his 35 mm guns on the schoolhouse, and the building was destroyed. During this time D Company came under heavy fire from the 35 mm guns, and a splinter hit Private Steve Dixon in the chest and killed him. It was here that 2 PARA's advance stalled again. Under heavy mortar fire 2 PARA's C Company had no choice but to withdraw into the safety of the shoreline of Carcass Bay. Just as their position seemed quite hopeless, three Royal Air Force Harrier jets swept overhead, almost at ground level, and their cluster bombs and rockets rained down on where the two Army 35 mm guns were gathered, knocking out the generator for the radar-guided guns. <ref>[https://www.infobae.com/def/defensa-y-seguridad/2020/05/30/al-pie-del-canon-las-grandes-hazanas-de-los-artilleros-argentinos-en-malvinas/ Al pie del cañón: las grandes hazañas de los artilleros argentinos en Malvinas]</ref>
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.
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.
Time was running out for 'Task Force Mercedes'. The settlement was encircled, artillery shells and mortar rounds were pounding the outskirts. The situation at Goose Green was such that Major Oscar Ramón Jaimet's B Company, 6th 'General Viamontes' Regiment at Stanley Common (Outskirts), was ordered to concentrate near Murrell River and given a warning order to be prepared to move by helicopter to Cerritos Arroyo at first light. By then, however, Piaggi, surrounded and threatened with aerial attack, offered to surrender his force to the 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment and the helicopter-borne operation was cancelled. Piaggi had recieved orders from Parada to resist as long as his troops were physically capable of doing so, but allowing Piaggi to be the judge.
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 1,600 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 (Corporal Michael Melia), a Scout pilot (Lieutenant Richard Nunn) and a Gurkha (Lance-Corporal Budhaprasad Limbu) were also reported killed taking and clearing Goose Green.
==Aftermath==
==Aftermath==