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Gómez-Centurión gave out the orders: only one round at a time. Lying down in the cover of trenches the Argentinians began shooting into the air in order to make the British believe that the Argentinians obstructing their advance were weak in numbers, badly trained, inexperienced and not ready for an all-out assault. It was a ruse. Gómez-Centurión was waiting for the British to swarm forward in one human wave and then wipe them out with grenades and automatic fire. He kept his 3rd Section back in reserve. To assist Gómez-Centurión the Pucaras from Stanley were to provide a napalm strike on those Paras that had survived.

Gómez-Centurión gave out the orders: only one round at a time. Lying down in the cover of trenches the Argentinians began shooting into the air in order to make the British believe that the Argentinians obstructing their advance were weak in numbers, badly trained, inexperienced and not ready for an all-out assault. It was a ruse. Gómez-Centurión was waiting for the British to swarm forward in one human wave and then wipe them out with grenades and automatic fire. He kept his 3rd Section back in reserve. To assist Gómez-Centurión the Pucaras from Stanley were to provide a napalm strike on those Paras that had survived.

According to Private Graham Carter from 12 Platoon, D Company, 2 PARA:{{cquote|We found the first enemy position when one of the lads actually fell into a trench. There were weapons and ammo all covered in mud, just left there. They'd all bugged out, so we never saw anybody.  After an hour or so, we began getting effective fire on us.  We started taking cover when we heard rounds whistling around us ... we saw who was firing at us and fired back .... the section commander (Corporal Paul Sullivan) who was behind me, was hit in the knee and screamed out, and then took two more straight through the head and was killed. I got on the radio to bring up some reserves into the dead ground to the left - to go through the enemy position. When they arrived back, the sergeant sent me back to see if Paul could be helped. It was no use. He'd gone.<ref>The Scars of War, Hugh McManners, p. 125, HarperCollins, 1993</ref>}}

According to Private Graham Carter from 12 Platoon, D Company, 2 PARA:{{cquote|We found the first enemy position when one of the lads actually fell into a trench. There were weapons and ammo all covered in mud, just left there. They'd all bugged out, so we never saw anybody.  After an hour or so, we began getting effective fire on us.  We started taking cover when we heard rounds whistling around us ... we saw who was firing at us and fired back .... the section commander (Corporal Paul Sullivan) who was behind me, was hit in the knee and screamed out, and then took two more straight through the head and was killed. I got on the radio to bring up some reserves into the dead ground to the left - to go through the enemy position. When they arrived back, the sergeant sent me back to see if Paul could be helped. It was no use. He'd gone.<ref>The Scars of War, Hugh McManners, p. 125, HarperCollins, 1993</ref>}}

What happened is well known is well known among members of the Argentinian platoon. The Argentinian fire eventually slackened and died. Then 2d Lieutenant James Barry, 29, came out to urge the Argentinians to surrender, promising good treatment. Gómez-Centurión had wondered for a moment, ''"Are the English in such a bad state that surrender is their only option? Well best for us."'' The 25th Regiment platoon commander answered Barry succinctly, in perfect American English: ''"Son of a bitch! You've got two minutes to return to your lines before I give the order to open fire: Get out of here!"''

What happened is well known is well known among members of the Argentinian platoon. The Argentinian fire eventually slackened and died. Then 2d Lieutenant James Barry, 29, came out to urge the Argentinians to surrender, promising good treatment. Gómez-Centurión had wondered for a moment, ''"Are the English in such a bad state that surrender is their only option? Well best for us."'' The 25th Regiment platoon commander answered Barry succinctly, in perfect American English: ''"Son of a bitch! You've got two minutes to return to your lines before I give the order to open fire: Get out of here!"''<ref> Blood and Mud at Goose Green, Military History, April 2002</ref>

Barry started walking back and was just climbing over a barbed wire cattle fence when the rattle of machinegun fire came from the British machine-gun platoon on Darwin Ridge. The 25th Regiment platoon was hit by machinegun fire and Corporal Héctor Rubén Oviedo was killed. The enraged Argentinians opened fire and Barry was killed. Lance-Corporal Nigel Smith then tried to fire a 66mm anti-tank rocket using his left shoulder as the cattle fence was obstructing his aim. Although the British NCO managed to fire the projectile, its "back blast" hit him the face and chest and Smith soon succumbed to his injuries.<ref>"Our 2ic Smudge (Lance Corporal Nigel Smith) then tried to fire a 66 using his left shoulder as the fence was in the way. Although he got the rocket off, its backlash took him in the face and chest, so he was in a bad way. I tried to go back to give him first aid, but was hit in the helmet, so I scurried back into my little hollow. Up front the medic and signaller were flapping, and we had a bit of mucking about ... Brummy (Private Brummie Mountford) and I tried again to use the GPMG. A sniper was doing all the damage, from a dip in the ground about 200 metres away. He moved and we saw him. I put half a magazine into him and he curled up like a cat. I knew I'd hit him, so I finished him off with the rest." The Scars of War, Hugh McManners, p. 177, HarperCollins, 1993</ref>

Barry started walking back and was just climbing over a barbed wire cattle fence when the rattle of machinegun fire came from the British machine-gun platoon on Darwin Ridge. The 25th Regiment platoon was hit by machinegun fire and Corporal Héctor Rubén Oviedo was killed. The enraged Argentinians opened fire and Barry was killed. Lance-Corporal Nigel Smith then tried to fire a 66mm anti-tank rocket using his left shoulder as the cattle fence was obstructing his aim. Although the British NCO managed to fire the projectile, its "back blast" hit him the face and chest and Smith soon succumbed to his injuries.<ref>"Our 2ic Smudge (Lance Corporal Nigel Smith) then tried to fire a 66 using his left shoulder as the fence was in the way. Although he got the rocket off, its backlash took him in the face and chest, so he was in a bad way. I tried to go back to give him first aid, but was hit in the helmet, so I scurried back into my little hollow. Up front the medic and signaller were flapping, and we had a bit of mucking about ... Brummy (Private Brummie Mountford) and I tried again to use the GPMG. A sniper was doing all the damage, from a dip in the ground about 200 metres away. He moved and we saw him. I put half a magazine into him and he curled up like a cat. I knew I'd hit him, so I finished him off with the rest." The Scars of War, Hugh McManners, p. 177, HarperCollins, 1993</ref>