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Battle of Sapper Hill

2017-09-03T03:18:28Z

Paulvani:

The Battle of Sapper Hill was an engagement in the [[Falklands/Malvinas War]], one of a series of battles that took place during the British advance towards Port Stanley.

==British plan==

The Welsh Guards were then given the task of assaulting Sapper Hill on the morning of June 14 1982, after the Scots Guards had attacked and captured Mount Tumbledown. Sapper Hill, a grassy hillock 453 feet high, was the last Argentine strong-point outside Port Stanley, and its capture, along with those of Mounts Tumbledown and William and Wireless Ridge, would bring an end to the fighting around the Falklands capital.

==Argentinian stronghold==

With the beak of dawn on June 14, Major Phillip Neame's D Company of the 2nd Battalion The British Parachute Regiment (2 PARA) on Wireless Ridge could see hundreds of Argentinians regrouping for a last stand on Sapper Hill.<ref>"I had been trying to get fire missions down on the retreating closely-packed formation of troops but was told that there was no artillery available. I was going quite spare, because I was supposed to have two batteries at my priority call. Here was a golden opportunity being missed. I assumed the enemy were withdrawing to regroup on Sapper Hill and the last thing I wanted was another major battle. Eventually we got the artillery and started blasting away with everything else we had as well. But as soon as we opened up we got very accurate artillery fire back at our own position. I guessed that they were adjusting onto our muzzle flashes so I told all the company to stop firing with their small arms. I decided that the only thing was to keep fighting this battle with artillery, otherwise we were just going to have a lot of shit knocked out of ourselves."
Above All, Courage: The Falklands Front Line, Max Arthur, page 202, Sidgwick & Jackson, 1985</ref>Argentine artillery and Second Lieutenant Augusto La Madrid 6th Regiment platoon was still in action, firing on Neame's company and losing another two killed (Privates Horacio Echave and Horacio Balvidares) on Sapper Hill. While taking up new positions on Sapper Hill, Sergeant Víctor Hugo Juárez from 5th Marine Battalion HQs, Private Vicente Antonio Díaz from the 1st Amphibious Engineers Company and Private Ricardo Ramírez from the 81mm Mortar Platoon on Mount William are also killed in the fierce British bombardment and long-range retaliatory machinegun and small-arms fire from Wireless Ridge.

==Night advance==

On the night of the June 13/14 the Welsh Guards/Royal Marine Battalion were on standby to reinforce the British attacks on Mounts Tumbledown and William if necessary. Their orders were to move towards Sapper Hill only after these objectives were taken. During the advance, they became bogged down in a minefield, which took them a very long and frustrating time to extract themselves from, after coming under heavy mortar bombardment. Earlier on, a Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre patrol under Sergeant David Lazenby had penetrated the frozen minefield to secure a landing zone for the British helicopters. Major Christopher Drewrywe's Number 2 Company (Welsh Guards) eventually reached the base of Sapper Hill, only to discover that the Argentine M Company was still in position. The Guardsmen were forced to withdraw, protected by the early morning fog, this time avoiding the minefield.<ref>"After some time an explosion was heard. A Royal Marine had stepped on a mine, followed by another a few minutes later. Our troop then cleared a safe line through the minefield. Once through, we dug in at the base of a hill, only to find that it was still occupied by Argentine troops. So back we went to our original positions, this time around the minefield." Craftsmen of the Army: The Story of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (Vol II 1969-1992, Volumes 1969-1992), J M Kneen, D J Sutton, p 449, Pen & Sword, 1997</ref>Due to this delay, it was decided that 45 Commando should move forward from Two Sisters to occupy Sapper Hill. While 45 Commando were marching towards Sapper Hill, Bravo and Charlie Companies from 40 Commando had escaped from the attention of the Argentine defenders on Sapper Hill and they were picked up by helicopters. They were eventually landed on the slopes of Sapper Hill just as 45 Commando were approaching, so both units attacked and captured Hill.

==British attack==

Unwilling to abandon the hill, Commander Carlos Robacio on [[Sapper Hill]] was planning to counter-attack and drive back the Guardsmen. Only the personal intervention of Colonel Félix Aguiar, the 10th Brigade Chief of Staff, brought the fighting to an end.<ref>Malvinas: La Defensa de Puerto Argentino, Oscar Luis Jofre & Félix Roberto Aguiar, page 275, Editorial Sudamericana, 1987</ref> The 5th Marines worked their way back into Stanley, leaving the 2nd Platoon of Sub-Lieutenant Marcelo Davis and 3rd Platoon of Sub-Lieutenant Alejandro Koch of M Company to cover the retreat. The Argentine Marine companies withdrew safely, only pursued by artillery fire. The Argentine Panhard armoured cars also moved forward to the edge of Stanley to cover the retreating troops, and to neutralize any further helicopter landings.

Marine Privates Roberto Leyes, Eleodoro Monzón and Sergio Ariel from M Company are killed protecting the Argentine retreat. Six Royal Marines are wounded securing Sapper Hill, including four Marines from 40 Commando, one Sapper from Condor Troop and a forward officer from 3 Commando Brigade HQs.

The Royal Marines team protecting the landing zone successfully defended their position when the Argentine Marines under Davis launched a counter-attack, the last one of the ground campaign.<ref>"An Argentine attack on the Royal Marines right flank was driven back ... The firing gradually slowed down and the Argentines simply evacuated Sapper Hill, as the Royal Marines very slowly got to their feet." Victory in the Falklands, Nick Van Der Bijl, Pen & Sword, 2007</ref><ref>"Cuando le ordené al guardiamarina Davis: "¡Listo, nos vamos !", él todavía estaba pensando en el contraataque, y salió disparando hacia el frente, o sea al revés ... Es que Davis y sus hombres estaban listos para largar el contraataque. Fue impresionante su actitud ofensiva." Malvinas: 20 años, 20 héroes, p. 328, Fundación Soldados, 2002</ref>Two parked Sea Kings within range from Koch's Marines sustained several hits from Sergeant Miguel Angel Vaca's machine-gun and rifle-grenades fired by Corporal Carlos Jorge Sini, but remained operational.

At the foot of the hill there was an enormous minefield. A group of Sappers from Condor Troop went ahead to clear a path through the mines, losing Sergeant Peter Thorpe badly wounded in the process. Tanks of the Blues & Royals moved forward, to provide covering fire if necessary. However, when the Royal Marines and Welsh Guardsmen advanced they found Sapper Hill abandoned. The delay caused by the mines probably saved many lives.<ref>''"Robacio, who came in for criticism from some British officers ... had total command of N Company and the Army platoons involved, and deserves credit for doing all that was possible to limit British gains ... His positioning of heavy weapons on Sapper Hill before the Argentine surrender provided a defensive barrier that would only have been breached at heavy cost in men and equipment."'' Van Der Bijl, Victory in the Falklands, p. 211</ref> The Argentine Marine companies had been deeply entrenched and were well equipped with [[heavy machine gun]]s. To Guardsman Tracy Evens, the Sapper Hill positions looked impregnable:

<blockquote>We were led to an area that the company would rest at for the night, I still took in the fact the Argies had prepared [[Sapper Hill]] well, they had depth positions that would have made the task of taking it very hard.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://britains-smallwars.com/Falklands/DayofSurrender.html|title=Falklands: Day of Surrender|work=Britain's Small Wars|accessdate=28 August 2016}}</ref></blockquote>

As the Guardsmen and Royal Marines consolidated their positions, the British lost a Volvo [[BV-202]] tracked vehicle to a mine planted in the Sapper Hill sector. ''"We ran over a mine. I went up through the roof and the vehicle went up and was turned right round by the explosion,"'' recalled Major Brian Armitage who was shortly evacuated to receive treatment.<ref>Our Falklands war: The Men of The Task Force Tell Their Story, Geoffrey Underwood, p.70, Maritime Books, 1983</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Battles]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:1980s]]

Battle of Sapper Hill

2017-09-03T03:16:53Z

Paulvani:

The Battle of Sapper Hill was an engagement in the Falklands War, one of a series of battles that took place during the British advance towards Port Stanley.

==British plan==

The Welsh Guards were then given the task of assaulting Sapper Hill on the morning of June 14 1982, after the Scots Guards had attacked and captured Mount Tumbledown. Sapper Hill, a grassy hillock 453 feet high, was the last Argentine strong-point outside Port Stanley, and its capture, along with those of Mounts Tumbledown and William and Wireless Ridge, would bring an end to the fighting around the Falklands capital.

==Argentinian stronghold==

With the beak of dawn on June 14, Major Phillip Neame's D Company of the 2nd Battalion The British Parachute Regiment (2 PARA) on Wireless Ridge could see hundreds of Argentinians regrouping for a last stand on Sapper Hill.<ref>"I had been trying to get fire missions down on the retreating closely-packed formation of troops but was told that there was no artillery available. I was going quite spare, because I was supposed to have two batteries at my priority call. Here was a golden opportunity being missed. I assumed the enemy were withdrawing to regroup on Sapper Hill and the last thing I wanted was another major battle. Eventually we got the artillery and started blasting away with everything else we had as well. But as soon as we opened up we got very accurate artillery fire back at our own position. I guessed that they were adjusting onto our muzzle flashes so I told all the company to stop firing with their small arms. I decided that the only thing was to keep fighting this battle with artillery, otherwise we were just going to have a lot of shit knocked out of ourselves."
Above All, Courage: The Falklands Front Line, Max Arthur, page 202, Sidgwick & Jackson, 1985</ref>Argentine artillery and Second Lieutenant Augusto La Madrid 6th Regiment platoon was still in action, firing on Neame's company and losing another two killed (Privates Horacio Echave and Horacio Balvidares) on Sapper Hill. While taking up new positions on Sapper Hill, Sergeant Víctor Hugo Juárez from 5th Marine Battalion HQs, Private Vicente Antonio Díaz from the 1st Amphibious Engineers Company and Private Ricardo Ramírez from the 81mm Mortar Platoon on Mount William are also killed in the fierce British bombardment and long-range retaliatory machinegun and small-arms fire from Wireless Ridge.

==Night advance==

On the night of the June 13/14 the Welsh Guards/Royal Marine Battalion were on standby to reinforce the British attacks on Mounts Tumbledown and William if necessary. Their orders were to move towards Sapper Hill only after these objectives were taken. During the advance, they became bogged down in a minefield, which took them a very long and frustrating time to extract themselves from, after coming under heavy mortar bombardment. Earlier on, a Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre patrol under Sergeant David Lazenby had penetrated the frozen minefield to secure a landing zone for the British helicopters. Major Christopher Drewrywe's Number 2 Company (Welsh Guards) eventually reached the base of Sapper Hill, only to discover that the Argentine M Company was still in position. The Guardsmen were forced to withdraw, protected by the early morning fog, this time avoiding the minefield.<ref>"After some time an explosion was heard. A Royal Marine had stepped on a mine, followed by another a few minutes later. Our troop then cleared a safe line through the minefield. Once through, we dug in at the base of a hill, only to find that it was still occupied by Argentine troops. So back we went to our original positions, this time around the minefield." Craftsmen of the Army: The Story of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (Vol II 1969-1992, Volumes 1969-1992), J M Kneen, D J Sutton, p 449, Pen & Sword, 1997</ref>Due to this delay, it was decided that 45 Commando should move forward from Two Sisters to occupy Sapper Hill. While 45 Commando were marching towards Sapper Hill, Bravo and Charlie Companies from 40 Commando had escaped from the attention of the Argentine defenders on Sapper Hill and they were picked up by helicopters. They were eventually landed on the slopes of Sapper Hill just as 45 Commando were approaching, so both units attacked and captured Hill.

==British attack==

Unwilling to abandon the hill, Commander Carlos Robacio on [[Sapper Hill]] was planning to counter-attack and drive back the Guardsmen. Only the personal intervention of Colonel Félix Aguiar, the 10th Brigade Chief of Staff, brought the fighting to an end.<ref>Malvinas: La Defensa de Puerto Argentino, Oscar Luis Jofre & Félix Roberto Aguiar, page 275, Editorial Sudamericana, 1987</ref> The 5th Marines worked their way back into Stanley, leaving the 2nd Platoon of Sub-Lieutenant Marcelo Davis and 3rd Platoon of Sub-Lieutenant Alejandro Koch of M Company to cover the retreat. The Argentine Marine companies withdrew safely, only pursued by artillery fire. The Argentine Panhard armoured cars also moved forward to the edge of Stanley to cover the retreating troops, and to neutralize any further helicopter landings.

Marine Privates Roberto Leyes, Eleodoro Monzón and Sergio Ariel from M Company are killed protecting the Argentine retreat. Six Royal Marines are wounded securing Sapper Hill, including four Marines from 40 Commando, one Sapper from Condor Troop and a forward officer from 3 Commando Brigade HQs.

The Royal Marines team protecting the landing zone successfully defended their position when the Argentine Marines under Davis launched a counter-attack, the last one of the ground campaign.<ref>"An Argentine attack on the Royal Marines right flank was driven back ... The firing gradually slowed down and the Argentines simply evacuated Sapper Hill, as the Royal Marines very slowly got to their feet." Victory in the Falklands, Nick Van Der Bijl, Pen & Sword, 2007</ref><ref>"Cuando le ordené al guardiamarina Davis: "¡Listo, nos vamos !", él todavía estaba pensando en el contraataque, y salió disparando hacia el frente, o sea al revés ... Es que Davis y sus hombres estaban listos para largar el contraataque. Fue impresionante su actitud ofensiva." Malvinas: 20 años, 20 héroes, p. 328, Fundación Soldados, 2002</ref>Two parked Sea Kings within range from Koch's Marines sustained several hits from Sergeant Miguel Angel Vaca's machine-gun and rifle-grenades fired by Corporal Carlos Jorge Sini, but remained operational.

At the foot of the hill there was an enormous minefield. A group of Sappers from Condor Troop went ahead to clear a path through the mines, losing Sergeant Peter Thorpe badly wounded in the process. Tanks of the Blues & Royals moved forward, to provide covering fire if necessary. However, when the Royal Marines and Welsh Guardsmen advanced they found Sapper Hill abandoned. The delay caused by the mines probably saved many lives.<ref>''"Robacio, who came in for criticism from some British officers ... had total command of N Company and the Army platoons involved, and deserves credit for doing all that was possible to limit British gains ... His positioning of heavy weapons on Sapper Hill before the Argentine surrender provided a defensive barrier that would only have been breached at heavy cost in men and equipment."'' Van Der Bijl, Victory in the Falklands, p. 211</ref> The Argentine Marine companies had been deeply entrenched and were well equipped with [[heavy machine gun]]s. To Guardsman Tracy Evens, the Sapper Hill positions looked impregnable:

<blockquote>We were led to an area that the company would rest at for the night, I still took in the fact the Argies had prepared [[Sapper Hill]] well, they had depth positions that would have made the task of taking it very hard.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://britains-smallwars.com/Falklands/DayofSurrender.html|title=Falklands: Day of Surrender|work=Britain's Small Wars|accessdate=28 August 2016}}</ref></blockquote>

As the Guardsmen and Royal Marines consolidated their positions, the British lost a Volvo [[BV-202]] tracked vehicle to a mine planted in the Sapper Hill sector. ''"We ran over a mine. I went up through the roof and the vehicle went up and was turned right round by the explosion,"'' recalled Major Brian Armitage who was shortly evacuated to receive treatment.<ref>Our Falklands war: The Men of The Task Force Tell Their Story, Geoffrey Underwood, p.70, Maritime Books, 1983</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Battles]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:1980s]]

Battle of Sapper Hill

2017-09-03T03:12:57Z

Paulvani:

The Welsh Guards were then given the task of assaulting Sapper Hill on the morning of June 14 1982, after the Scots Guards had attacked and captured Mount Tumbledown. Sapper Hill, a grassy hillock 453 feet high, was the last Argentine strong-point outside Port Stanley, and its capture, along with those of Mounts Tumbledown and William and Wireless Ridge, would bring an end to the fighting around the Falklands capital.

==Argentinian stronghold==

With the beak of dawn on June 14, Major Phillip Neame's D Company of the 2nd Battalion The British Parachute Regiment (2 PARA) on Wireless Ridge could see hundreds of Argentinians regrouping for a last stand on Sapper Hill.<ref>"I had been trying to get fire missions down on the retreating closely-packed formation of troops but was told that there was no artillery available. I was going quite spare, because I was supposed to have two batteries at my priority call. Here was a golden opportunity being missed. I assumed the enemy were withdrawing to regroup on Sapper Hill and the last thing I wanted was another major battle. Eventually we got the artillery and started blasting away with everything else we had as well. But as soon as we opened up we got very accurate artillery fire back at our own position. I guessed that they were adjusting onto our muzzle flashes so I told all the company to stop firing with their small arms. I decided that the only thing was to keep fighting this battle with artillery, otherwise we were just going to have a lot of shit knocked out of ourselves."
Above All, Courage: The Falklands Front Line, Max Arthur, page 202, Sidgwick & Jackson, 1985</ref>Argentine artillery and Second Lieutenant Augusto La Madrid 6th Regiment platoon was still in action, firing on Neame's company and losing another two killed (Privates Horacio Echave and Horacio Balvidares) on Sapper Hill. While taking up new positions on Sapper Hill, Sergeant Víctor Hugo Juárez from 5th Marine Battalion HQs, Private Vicente Antonio Díaz from the 1st Amphibious Engineers Company and Private Ricardo Ramírez from the 81mm Mortar Platoon on Mount William are also killed in the fierce British bombardment and long-range retaliatory machinegun and small-arms fire from Wireless Ridge.

==Night advance==

On the night of the June 13/14 the Welsh Guards/Royal Marine Battalion were on standby to reinforce the British attacks on Mounts Tumbledown and William if necessary. Their orders were to move towards Sapper Hill only after these objectives were taken. During the advance, they became bogged down in a minefield, which took them a very long and frustrating time to extract themselves from, after coming under heavy mortar bombardment. Earlier on, a Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre patrol under Sergeant David Lazenby had penetrated the frozen minefield to secure a landing zone for the British helicopters. Major Christopher Drewrywe's Number 2 Company (Welsh Guards) eventually reached the base of Sapper Hill, only to discover that the Argentine M Company was still in position. The Guardsmen were forced to withdraw, protected by the early morning fog, this time avoiding the minefield.<ref>"After some time an explosion was heard. A Royal Marine had stepped on a mine, followed by another a few minutes later. Our troop then cleared a safe line through the minefield. Once through, we dug in at the base of a hill, only to find that it was still occupied by Argentine troops. So back we went to our original positions, this time around the minefield." Craftsmen of the Army: The Story of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (Vol II 1969-1992, Volumes 1969-1992), J M Kneen, D J Sutton, p 449, Pen & Sword, 1997</ref>Due to this delay, it was decided that 45 Commando should move forward from Two Sisters to occupy Sapper Hill. While 45 Commando were marching towards Sapper Hill, Bravo and Charlie Companies from 40 Commando had escaped from the attention of the Argentine defenders on Sapper Hill and they were picked up by helicopters. They were eventually landed on the slopes of Sapper Hill just as 45 Commando were approaching, so both units attacked and captured Hill.

==British attack==

Unwilling to abandon the hill, Commander Carlos Robacio on [[Sapper Hill]] was planning to counter-attack and drive back the Guardsmen. Only the personal intervention of Colonel Félix Aguiar, the 10th Brigade Chief of Staff, brought the fighting to an end.<ref>Malvinas: La Defensa de Puerto Argentino, Oscar Luis Jofre & Félix Roberto Aguiar, page 275, Editorial Sudamericana, 1987</ref> The 5th Marines worked their way back into Stanley, leaving the 2nd Platoon of Sub-Lieutenant Marcelo Davis and 3rd Platoon of Sub-Lieutenant Alejandro Koch of M Company to cover the retreat. The Argentine Marine companies withdrew safely, only pursued by artillery fire. The Argentine Panhard armoured cars also moved forward to the edge of Stanley to cover the retreating troops, and to neutralize any further helicopter landings.

Marine Privates Roberto Leyes, Eleodoro Monzón and Sergio Ariel from M Company are killed protecting the Argentine retreat. Six Royal Marines are wounded securing Sapper Hill, including four Marines from 40 Commando, one Sapper from Condor Troop and a forward officer from 3 Commando Brigade HQs.

The Royal Marines team protecting the landing zone successfully defended their position when the Argentine Marines under Davis launched a counter-attack, the last one of the ground campaign.<ref>"An Argentine attack on the Royal Marines right flank was driven back ... The firing gradually slowed down and the Argentines simply evacuated Sapper Hill, as the Royal Marines very slowly got to their feet." Victory in the Falklands, Nick Van Der Bijl, Pen & Sword, 2007</ref><ref>"Cuando le ordené al guardiamarina Davis: "¡Listo, nos vamos !", él todavía estaba pensando en el contraataque, y salió disparando hacia el frente, o sea al revés ... Es que Davis y sus hombres estaban listos para largar el contraataque. Fue impresionante su actitud ofensiva." Malvinas: 20 años, 20 héroes, p. 328, Fundación Soldados, 2002</ref>Two parked Sea Kings within range from Koch's Marines sustained several hits from Sergeant Miguel Angel Vaca's machine-gun and rifle-grenades fired by Corporal Carlos Jorge Sini, but remained operational.

At the foot of the hill there was an enormous minefield. A group of Sappers from Condor Troop went ahead to clear a path through the mines, losing Sergeant Peter Thorpe badly wounded in the process. Tanks of the Blues & Royals moved forward, to provide covering fire if necessary. However, when the Royal Marines and Welsh Guardsmen advanced they found Sapper Hill abandoned. The delay caused by the mines probably saved many lives.<ref>''"Robacio, who came in for criticism from some British officers ... had total command of N Company and the Army platoons involved, and deserves credit for doing all that was possible to limit British gains ... His positioning of heavy weapons on Sapper Hill before the Argentine surrender provided a defensive barrier that would only have been breached at heavy cost in men and equipment."'' Van Der Bijl, Victory in the Falklands, p. 211</ref> The Argentine Marine companies had been deeply entrenched and were well equipped with [[heavy machine gun]]s. To Guardsman Tracy Evens, the Sapper Hill positions looked impregnable:

<blockquote>We were led to an area that the company would rest at for the night, I still took in the fact the Argies had prepared [[Sapper Hill]] well, they had depth positions that would have made the task of taking it very hard.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://britains-smallwars.com/Falklands/DayofSurrender.html|title=Falklands: Day of Surrender|work=Britain's Small Wars|accessdate=28 August 2016}}</ref></blockquote>

As the Guardsmen and Royal Marines consolidated their positions, the British lost a Volvo [[BV-202]] tracked vehicle to a mine planted in the Sapper Hill sector. ''"We ran over a mine. I went up through the roof and the vehicle went up and was turned right round by the explosion,"'' recalled Major Brian Armitage who was shortly evacuated to receive treatment.<ref>Our Falklands war: The Men of The Task Force Tell Their Story, Geoffrey Underwood, p.70, Maritime Books, 1983</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Battles]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:1980s]]

Battle of Sapper Hill

2017-09-03T03:08:56Z

Paulvani:

The Welsh Guards were then given the task of assaulting Sapper Hill on the morning of 14 June 1982, after the Scots Guards had attacked and captured Mount Tumbledown. Sapper Hill, a grassy hillock 453 feet high, was the last Argentine strong-point outside Port Stanley, and its capture, along with those of Mounts Tumbledown and William and Wireless Ridge, would close the noose around the capital.

==Argentinian stronghold==

With the beak of dawn on June 14, Major Phillip Neame's D Company of 2 PARA on Wireless Ridge could see hundreds of Argentinians regrouping on Sapper Hill.<ref>"I had been trying to get fire missions down on the retreating closely-packed formation of troops but was told that there was no artillery available. I was going quite spare, because I was supposed to have two batteries at my priority call. Here was a golden opportunity being missed. I assumed the enemy were withdrawing to regroup on Sapper Hill and the last thing I wanted was another major battle. Eventually we got the artillery and started blasting away with everything else we had as well. But as soon as we opened up we got very accurate artillery fire back at our own position. I guessed that they were adjusting onto our muzzle flashes so I told all the company to stop firing with their small arms. I decided that the only thing was to keep fighting this battle with artillery, otherwise we were just going to have a lot of shit knocked out of ourselves."
Above All, Courage: The Falklands Front Line, Max Arthur, page 202, Sidgwick & Jackson, 1985</ref>Argentine artillery and Second Lieutenant Augusto La Madrid 6th Regiment platoon was still in action, firing on Neame's company and losing another two killed (Privates Horacio Echave and Horacio Balvidares) on Sapper Hill. While taking up new positions on Sapper Hill, Sergeant Víctor Hugo Juárez from 5th Marine Battalion HQs, Private Vicente Antonio Díaz from the 1st Amphibious Engineers Company and Private Ricardo Ramírez from the 81mm Mortar Platoon on Mount William are also killed in the fierce British bombardment and long-range retaliatory machinegun and small-arms fire from Wireless Ridge.

==Night advance==

On the night of the 13/14 June the Welsh Guards/Royal Marine Battalion were on standby to help in the British attacks on Mounts Tumbledown and William. Their orders were to move towards Sapper Hill only after these objectives were taken. During the advance, they became bogged down in a minefield, which took them a very long and frustrating time to extract themselves from, after coming under heavy mortar bombardment. Earlier on, a Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre patrol under Sergeant David Lazenby had penetrated the frozen minefield to secure a landing zone for the British helicopters. Major Christopher Drewrywe's Number 2 Company (Welsh Guards) eventually reached the base of Sapper Hill, only to discover that the Argentine M Company was still in position. The Guardsmen were forced to withdraw, protected by the early morning fog, this time avoiding the minefield.<ref>"After some time an explosion was heard. A Royal Marine had stepped on a mine, followed by another a few minutes later. Our troop then cleared a safe line through the minefield. Once through, we dug in at the base of a hill, only to find that it was still occupied by Argentine troops. So back we went to our original positions, this time around the minefield." Craftsmen of the Army: The Story of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (Vol II 1969-1992, Volumes 1969-1992), J M Kneen, D J Sutton, p 449, Pen & Sword, 1997</ref>Due to this delay, it was decided that 45 Commando should move forward from Two Sisters to occupy Sapper Hill. While 45 Commando were marching towards Sapper Hill, Bravo and Charlie Companies from 40 Commando had escaped from the attention of the Argentine defenders on Sapper Hill and they were picked up by helicopters. They were eventually landed on the slopes of Sapper Hill just as 45 Commando were approaching, so both units attacked and captured Hill.

==British attack==

Unwilling to abandon the hill, Commander Carlos Robacio on [[Sapper Hill]] was planning to counter-attack and drive back the Guardsmen. Only the personal intervention of Colonel Félix Aguiar, the 10th Brigade Chief of Staff, brought the fighting to an end.<ref>Malvinas: La Defensa de Puerto Argentino, Oscar Luis Jofre & Félix Roberto Aguiar, page 275, Editorial Sudamericana, 1987</ref> The 5th Marines worked their way back into Stanley, leaving the 2nd Platoon of Sub-Lieutenant Marcelo Davis and 3rd Platoon of Sub-Lieutenant Alejandro Koch of M Company to cover the retreat. The Argentine Marine companies withdrew safely, only pursued by artillery fire. The Argentine Panhard armoured cars also moved forward to the edge of Stanley to cover the retreating troops, and to neutralize any further helicopter landings.

Marine Privates Roberto Leyes, Eleodoro Monzón and Sergio Ariel from M Company are killed protecting the Argentine retreat. Six Royal Marines are wounded securing Sapper Hill, including four Marines from 40 Commando, one Sapper from Condor Troop and a forward officer from 3 Commando Brigade HQs.

The Royal Marines team protecting the landing zone successfully defended their position when the Argentine Marines under Davis launched a counter-attack, the last one of the ground campaign.<ref>"An Argentine attack on the Royal Marines right flank was driven back ... The firing gradually slowed down and the Argentines simply evacuated Sapper Hill, as the Royal Marines very slowly got to their feet." Victory in the Falklands, Nick Van Der Bijl, Pen & Sword, 2007</ref><ref>"Cuando le ordené al guardiamarina Davis: "¡Listo, nos vamos !", él todavía estaba pensando en el contraataque, y salió disparando hacia el frente, o sea al revés ... Es que Davis y sus hombres estaban listos para largar el contraataque. Fue impresionante su actitud ofensiva." Malvinas: 20 años, 20 héroes, p. 328, Fundación Soldados, 2002</ref>Two parked Sea Kings within range from Koch's Marines sustained several hits from Sergeant Miguel Angel Vaca's machine-gun and rifle-grenades fired by Corporal Carlos Jorge Sini, but remained operational.

At the foot of the hill there was an enormous minefield. A group of Sappers from Condor Troop went ahead to clear a path through the mines, losing Sergeant Peter Thorpe badly wounded in the process. Tanks of the Blues & Royals moved forward, to provide covering fire if necessary. However, when the Royal Marines and Welsh Guardsmen advanced they found Sapper Hill abandoned. The delay caused by the mines probably saved many lives.<ref>''"Robacio, who came in for criticism from some British officers ... had total command of N Company and the Army platoons involved, and deserves credit for doing all that was possible to limit British gains ... His positioning of heavy weapons on Sapper Hill before the Argentine surrender provided a defensive barrier that would only have been breached at heavy cost in men and equipment."'' Van Der Bijl, Victory in the Falklands, p. 211</ref> The Argentine Marine companies had been deeply entrenched and were well equipped with [[heavy machine gun]]s. To Guardsman Tracy Evens, the Sapper Hill positions looked impregnable:

<blockquote>We were led to an area that the company would rest at for the night, I still took in the fact the Argies had prepared [[Sapper Hill]] well, they had depth positions that would have made the task of taking it very hard.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://britains-smallwars.com/Falklands/DayofSurrender.html|title=Falklands: Day of Surrender|work=Britain's Small Wars|accessdate=28 August 2016}}</ref></blockquote>

As the Guardsmen and Royal Marines consolidated their positions, the British lost a Volvo [[BV-202]] tracked vehicle to a mine planted in the Sapper Hill sector. ''"We ran over a mine. I went up through the roof and the vehicle went up and was turned right round by the explosion,"'' recalled Major Brian Armitage who was shortly evacuated to receive treatment.<ref>Our Falklands war: The Men of The Task Force Tell Their Story, Geoffrey Underwood, p.70, Maritime Books, 1983</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Battles]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:1980s]]

Battle of Sapper Hill

2017-09-03T03:03:04Z

Paulvani:

The Welsh Guards were then given the task of assaulting Sapper Hill on the morning of 14 June 1982, after the Scots Guards had attacked and captured Mount Tumbledown. Sapper Hill, a grassy hillock 453 feet high, was the last Argentine strong-point outside Port Stanley, and its capture, along with those of Mounts Tumbledown and William and Wireless Ridge, would close the noose around the capital.

After first light, Major Phillip Neame's D Company of 2 PARA on Wireless Ridge could see hundreds of Argentinians regrouping on Sapper Hill.<ref>"I had been trying to get fire missions down on the retreating closely-packed formation of troops but was told that there was no artillery available. I was going quite spare, because I was supposed to have two batteries at my priority call. Here was a golden opportunity being missed. I assumed the enemy were withdrawing to regroup on Sapper Hill and the last thing I wanted was another major battle. Eventually we got the artillery and started blasting away with everything else we had as well. But as soon as we opened up we got very accurate artillery fire back at our own position. I guessed that they were adjusting onto our muzzle flashes so I told all the company to stop firing with their small arms. I decided that the only thing was to keep fighting this battle with artillery, otherwise we were just going to have a lot of shit knocked out of ourselves."
Above All, Courage: The Falklands Front Line, Max Arthur, page 202, Sidgwick & Jackson, 1985</ref>Argentine artillery and Second Lieutenant La Madrid 6th Regiment platoon was still in action, firing on Neame's company and losing another two killed (Privates Horacio Echave and Horacio Balvidares) on Sapper Hill. While taking up new positions on Sapper Hill, Sergeant Víctor Hugo Juárez from 5th Marine Battalion HQs, Private Vicente Antonio Díaz from the 1st Amphibious Engineers Company and Private Ricardo Ramírez from the 81mm Mortar Platoon on Mount William are also killed in the fierce British bombardment and long-range retaliatory machinegun and small-arms fire from Wireless Ridge.

On the night of the 13/14 June the Welsh Guards/Royal Marine Battalion were on standby to help in the British attacks on Mounts Tumbledown and William. Their orders were to move towards Sapper Hill only after these objectives were taken. During the advance, they became bogged down in a minefield, which took them a very long and frustrating time to extract themselves from, after coming under heavy mortar bombardment. Earlier on, a Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre patrol under Sergeant David Lazenby had penetrated the frozen minefield to secure a landing zone for the British helicopters. Major Christopher Drewrywe's Number 2 Company (Welsh Guards) eventually reached the base of Sapper Hill, only to discover that the Argentine M Company was still in position. The Guardsmen were forced to withdraw, protected by the early morning fog, this time avoiding the minefield.<ref>"After some time an explosion was heard. A Royal Marine had stepped on a mine, followed by another a few minutes later. Our troop then cleared a safe line through the minefield. Once through, we dug in at the base of a hill, only to find that it was still occupied by Argentine troops. So back we went to our original positions, this time around the minefield." Craftsmen of the Army: The Story of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (Vol II 1969-1992, Volumes 1969-1992), J M Kneen, D J Sutton, p 449, Pen & Sword, 1997</ref>Due to this delay, it was decided that 45 Commando should move forward from Two Sisters to occupy Sapper Hill. While 45 Commando were marching towards Sapper Hill, Bravo and Charlie Companies from 40 Commando had escaped from the attention of the Argentine defenders on Sapper Hill and they were picked up by helicopters. They were eventually landed on the slopes of Sapper Hill just as 45 Commando were approaching, so both units attacked and captured Hill.

Unwilling to abandon the hill, Commander Carlos Robacio on [[Sapper Hill]] was planning to counter-attack and drive back the Guardsmen. Only the personal intervention of Colonel Félix Aguiar, the 10th Brigade Chief of Staff, brought the fighting to an end.<ref>Malvinas: La Defensa de Puerto Argentino, Oscar Luis Jofre & Félix Roberto Aguiar, page 275, Editorial Sudamericana, 1987</ref> The 5th Marines worked their way back into Stanley, leaving the 2nd Platoon of Sub-Lieutenant Marcelo Davis and 3rd Platoon of Sub-Lieutenant Alejandro Koch of M Company to cover the retreat. The Argentine Marine companies withdrew safely, only pursued by artillery fire. The Argentine Panhard armoured cars also moved forward to the edge of Stanley to cover the retreating troops, and to neutralize any further helicopter landings.

Marine Privates Roberto Leyes, Eleodoro Monzón and Sergio Ariel from M Company are killed protecting the Argentine retreat. Six Royal Marines are wounded securing Sapper Hill, including four Marines from 40 Commando, one Sapper from Condor Troop and a forward officer from 3 Commando Brigade HQs.

The Royal Marines team protecting the landing zone successfully defended their position when the Argentine Marines under Davis launched a counter-attack, the last one of the ground campaign.<ref>"An Argentine attack on the Royal Marines right flank was driven back ... The firing gradually slowed down and the Argentines simply evacuated Sapper Hill, as the Royal Marines very slowly got to their feet." Victory in the Falklands, Nick Van Der Bijl, Pen & Sword, 2007</ref><ref>"Cuando le ordené al guardiamarina Davis: "¡Listo, nos vamos !", él todavía estaba pensando en el contraataque, y salió disparando hacia el frente, o sea al revés ... Es que Davis y sus hombres estaban listos para largar el contraataque. Fue impresionante su actitud ofensiva." Malvinas: 20 años, 20 héroes, p. 328, Fundación Soldados, 2002</ref>Two parked Sea Kings within range from Koch's Marines sustained several hits from Sergeant Miguel Angel Vaca's machine-gun and rifle-grenades fired by Corporal Carlos Jorge Sini, but remained operational.

At the foot of the hill there was an enormous minefield. A group of Sappers from Condor Troop went ahead to clear a path through the mines, losing Sergeant Peter Thorpe badly wounded in the process. Tanks of the Blues & Royals moved forward, to provide covering fire if necessary. However, when the Royal Marines and Welsh Guardsmen advanced they found Sapper Hill abandoned. The delay caused by the mines probably saved many lives.<ref>''"Robacio, who came in for criticism from some British officers ... had total command of N Company and the Army platoons involved, and deserves credit for doing all that was possible to limit British gains ... His positioning of heavy weapons on Sapper Hill before the Argentine surrender provided a defensive barrier that would only have been breached at heavy cost in men and equipment."'' Van Der Bijl, Victory in the Falklands, p. 211</ref> The Argentine Marine companies had been deeply entrenched and were well equipped with [[heavy machine gun]]s. To Guardsman Tracy Evens, the Sapper Hill positions looked impregnable:

<blockquote>We were led to an area that the company would rest at for the night, I still took in the fact the Argies had prepared [[Sapper Hill]] well, they had depth positions that would have made the task of taking it very hard.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://britains-smallwars.com/Falklands/DayofSurrender.html|title=Falklands: Day of Surrender|work=Britain's Small Wars|accessdate=28 August 2016}}</ref></blockquote>

As the Guardsmen and Royal Marines consolidated their positions, the British lost a Volvo [[BV-202]] tracked vehicle to a mine planted in the Sapper Hill sector. ''"We ran over a mine. I went up through the roof and the vehicle went up and was turned right round by the explosion,"'' recalled Major Brian Armitage who was shortly evacuated to receive treatment.<ref>Our Falklands war: The Men of The Task Force Tell Their Story, Geoffrey Underwood, p.70, Maritime Books, 1983</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Battles]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:1980s]]

Battle of Sapper Hill

2017-09-03T00:14:29Z

Paulvani:

As dawn broke on 14 June, the British soldiers controlled almost all the remaining high ground around Port Stanley. The 2nd Battalion Scots Guards were on Mount Tumbledown, the 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment were on Wireless Ridge and the Gurkhas had just taken Mount William. This just left Sapper Hill, which was supposed to be the objective of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, but after the losses on the RFA Sir Galahad, the Welsh Guards were severely reduced in numbers. Alpha and Charlie Companies from 40 Commando were sent to join them on 10 June to bring the battalion up to strength.

On the night of the 13/14 June this composite battalion were to be on standby for the British attacks on Mounts Tumbledown and William, before moving towards Sapper Hill shortly after these objectives were taken. During the approach to Sapper Hill, they became bogged down in a minefield, which cost them two wounded.

Battle of Sapper Hill

2017-09-03T00:10:24Z

Paulvani: Created page with "As dawn broke on 14 June, the British soldiers controlled almost all the remaining high ground around Port Stanley. The 2nd Battalion Scots Guards were on Mount Tumbledown, th..."

Falklands/Malvinas War

2017-08-03T00:06:27Z

Paulvani: /* Fall of Port Stanley */

On 2 April 1982, after an incident between British Royal Marines Commandos and Argentine scrap-metal workers and protecting Special Forces on South Georgia, Argentina invaded the Falkland/Malvinas Islands, a remote British colony in the South Atlantic. The Argentinian amphibious operation, [[Operación Rosario]], led to a brief, but bitter war.

==Background==

Argentina's military junta under [[Lieutenant-General Leopoldo Fortunato Galtieri]] hoped to restore its support at a time of economic crisis and world wide condemnation because of the [[Dirty War]] and the mass disappearances of left-wing radicals, by reclaiming sovereignty of the islands. Argentina claimed to have had inherited the ''"Islas Malvinas"'' from Spain in 1810 and they were close to the Argentinian continental shelf.

The British garrison under Major Mike Norman (Naval Party 8901/NP8901) and the supporting local militia (Falklands Islands Defence Force/FIDF) under Major Phil Sommers resisted, however the Argentinian 2nd Marine Infantry Battalion had captured the capital at Port Stanley. The next day, Argentine Marines from the 1st Marine Infantry Battalion also landed on South Georgia and quickly secured the island.

The British authorities, which had ruled the islands for 150 years, chose to fight. British Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]] said the 1,800 Falklanders were ''"of British tradition and stock"''. A naval task force was sent to reclaim the islands, 8,000 miles away.

In the 74 days of fighting that followed, 655 Argentine and 255 British servicemen lost their lives, as did three Falkland Islanders.

==British Task Force==

After organizing sanctions against Argentina, Prime Minister Thatcher ordered the assembly of a naval task force and several elite infantry battalioons to retake the islands. After the House of Commons voted to approve Thatcher's actions on 3 April, she formed a War Cabinet which first met three days later. Commanded by Admiral [[John Fieldhouse]], the task force consisted of several groups, the largest of which was centered on the aircraft carriers HMS Hermes and HMS Invincible. Led by Rear-Admiral [[John Woodward]], this group contained the Sea Harrier fighters from 800, 801 and 899 Squadrons that would provide air cover for the fleet. In mid-April, Fieldhouse began moving south, with a large fleet of tankers and cargo ships to supply the fleet while it operated more than 8,000 miles from home. All told, 127 ships served in the task force including 43 warships, 22 Royal Fleet Auxiliaries, and 62 merchant vessels.

==First Losses==

As the Royal Navy sailed south to its staging area at Ascension Island, it was shadowed by Boeing 707s from the [[Argentinian Air Force]]. On 25 April, British helicopters sank the submarine ARA Santa Fe near South Georgia shortly before Royal Marine Commandos under Major Guy Sheridan from 42 Commando captured the island. Five days later, British air attacks against the Argentinian air bases began with the ''"Black Buck"'' raids by [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF) Vulcan bombers flying from Ascension. These saw the British Sea Harriers also strike the airbase at Port Stanley, Goose Green and defending anti-aircraft artillery batteries. That same day Argentinian fighter-bombers attacked various targets, losing four aircraft shot down. As the British fighter pilots had been armed with the latest Sidewinder missiles, the Argentinian Canberra bombers were forced to fly from the mainland under the cover of darkness, which limited their effectiveness throughout the conflict

==British Naval Blockade==

While cruising west of the Falklands on 2 May, the submarine HMS ''Conqueror'' spotted the cruiser [[USS Phoenix (CL-46)|ARA ''General Belgrano'']]. ''Conqueror'' fired three torpedoes, hitting hitting the ''Belgrano'' twice and sinking it. This attack led to the Argentinian Navy, including the aircraft carrier ARA ''Veinticinco de Mayo'', returning to port for the rest of the war. Two days later, Admiral [[Jorge Isaac Anaya]] had his revenge when an Exocet anti-ship missile, launched from an Argentinian Fleet Air Arm Super Étendard fighter-bomber, struck HMS ''Sheffield'' setting it ablaze, killing 20 and wounding 63 British sailors in the process.<ref>"The missile struck fuel tanks amidships, killing 20 members of crew and wounding another 63." Task Force, Jon Parker, Hachette, 2013</ref>Having been ordered forward to serve as a radar picket, the British destroyer was hit amidships and the resulting explosion severed its high-pressure fire main. After attempts to stop the fire failed, the ship was abandoned.

==British Landings at San Carlos==

On the night of 20/21 May, the British Amphibious Task Group under the command of Commodore [[Michael Clapp]] moved into Falkland Sound and began landing Brigadier [[Julian Thompson]]'s 3rd Commando Brigade at San Carlos Water on the northwest coast of East Falkland. The landings had been preceded by a Special Air Service (SAS) raid on Pebble Island's airfield and Darwin Hill. When the landings had finished, approximately 5,000 Paratroopers and Royal Marine Commandos had been put ashore. Over the next week, the ships supporting the British landings were hit hard by low-flying Argentine fighter-bombers. The sound was soon dubbed ''"Bomb Alley"'' as HMS Ardent (21 May), HMS Antelope (23 May), and HMS Coventry (25 May) all sustained hits and were sunk, as was MV Atlantic Conveyor (25 May) with a cargo of Wessex transport helicopters and BV-202 all-terrain vehicles.

==Goose Green, Mount Kent & Tragedy at Fitzroy==

Brigadier [[Julian Thompson]] began pushing his men south, planning to secure the western side of the island before moving east to Port Stanley. On 28 May, 600 British Paratroopers from Lieutenant-Colonel [[Herbert Jones]]'s 2nd Parachute Battalion attacked over 1,000 Argentinians from Lieutenant-Colonel [[Ítalo Ángel Piaggi]]'s Task Force Mercedes dug in around Darwin and Goose Green, ultimately forcing them to surrender. Leading a platoon charge, Jones was killed on Darwin Hill and later received the [[Victoria Cross]] posthumously. A few days later, British Special Forces defeated Argentine Special Forces on Mount Kent. In early June, an additional 5,000 British troops under Brigadier [[Tony Wilson]] arrived and command shifted to Major-General [[Jeremy Moore]]. While the Scots Guards and Welsh Guards were establishing their beachhead at Bluff Cove and Fitzroy, two troopships, [[Sir Tristram]] and [[Sir Galahad]], were attacked killing 56 and wounding 200.<ref>''"Just as we were setting the two LSL (Sir Galahad and Sir Tristan) were attacked by Skyhawks and set on fire; both vessels were abandoned and resulted in tragic loss of life on Sir Galahad ... and over 200 injured - mostly from the Welsh Guards)."'' The Falklands Conflict Twenty Years On, Stephen Badsey, Robin Paul Whittick Havers, Mark J. Grove, p. 121, Psychology Press, 2005 </ref>

==Fall of Port Stanley==

After consolidating his position, Moore began the assault on Port Stanley. British troops launched simultaneous assaults on the high ground surrounding the town on the night of 11 June. The Argentinians were in prepared positions with heavy machine guns and night vision devices. Attacks were conducted with fixed bayonets and the British infantry routed the Argentinian conscripts from their positions.

The attacks continued two nights later, and British units took the town's last natural lines of defense at Wireless Ridge and Mount Tumbledown.

Under the cover of darkness, 5th Infantry Brigade started their attack
on Mount Tumbledown and Mount William with the Scots Guards and Gurkhas. They met an entrenched Marine company in bunkers dug under the huge boulders that surrounded the area. The enemy was
supported with mortars and heavy machine guns. At the same
time the Scots were fighting bunker to bunker, 2 PARA
attacked Wireless Ridge. With the help of artillery and naval
gunfire fire they attacked and defeated the 7th Mechanized Infantry Regiment. To the south, the Welsh Guards supported by Royal Marines advanced on Sapper Hill. After heavy fighting, British troops succeeded in capturing their objectives.

Encircled on land and blockaded at sea, the Argentine commander, Brigadier-General [[Mario Benjamin Menéndez]], realized his situation was hopeless and surrendered his 10,000 men on 14 June, effectively ending the conflict.

==Aftermath==

In Argentina, the defeat led to the removal of Galtieri three days after the fall of Port Stanley. His downfall spelled the end for the military junta that had been ruling the country and paved the way for the restoration of democracy. For Britain, the victory provided a much needed boost to its national confidence, reaffirmed its international position, and assured victory for the Thatcher Government in the 1983 elections.

The settlement that ended the conflict called for a return to status quo ante bellum. Despite its defeat, Argentina still claims the Falklands and South Georgia. During the war, Britain suffered 258 killed and 777 wounded. In addition, 2 destroyers, 2 frigates, 2 auxiliary vessels and 1 super tanker were sunk. For Argentina, the Falklands War cost 649 killed, 1,068 wounded, and 11,313 captured. In addition, the Argentinian Navy lost a submarine, a cruiser, and 75 fixed-wing aircraft.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:War]]
[[Category:Argentina]]
[[Category:British History]]

Battle of Darwin and Goose Green

2017-07-17T00:23:43Z

Paulvani: /* Condor Military Air Base (White Flag incident */

Following [[Operation Rosario (Falklands/Malvinas War)]], the Argentinian occupation of the Falkland/Malvinas Islands in early April 1982, the 2nd and 3rd British Parachute Battalions (2 and 3 PARA) of the British 1st Parachute Regiment were deployed as part of Brigadier Julian Thompson's 3 Commando Brigade to retake the islands in [[Operation Corporate]].

==San Carlos==

3 Commando Brigade went ashore at San Carlos on the night of May 21/22. 2 PARA (Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert Jones) established itself on Sussex Mountain protecting the south of the Bridgehead without opposition. 3 PARA landed in the near Port San Carlos driving off a platoon of 40 enemy.

On May 26, 2 PARA was ordered to move south and engage the Argentinian 12th ''Juan Antonio Alvarez de Arenales ''Infantry Regiment (Lieutenant-Colonel Ítalo Ángel Piaggi) and ''Condor'' Military Airbase on the Darwin/Goose Green Peninsula.

==Darwin Parks==

The attack began under the cover of darkness of 28 May with heavy naval and artillery support.

At 3.35 am, Major Dair Farrar-Hockley's A Company moved off on the left and attacked Burntside House believed to be occupied by the Argentinian 12th Regiment's Reconnaissance Platoon (Lieutenant Carlos Morales), but found no-one there other than four civilians. Major John Crosland's B Company started forward from the other side of Burntside Pond down the right flank with Major Philip Neame's D Company following them long the middle. With artillery support on both sides, B and D Companies were soon in close-quarter combat with the 12th Regiment's A Company (under 1st Lieutenant Jorge Antonio Manresa and Sergeant-Major Juan Carlos Coelho). Leaving No. 13 Platoon of A Company to provide covering fire from the north side of Darwin Bay, the remainder started to circle round to take Darwin Settlement.

==Darwin Ridge==

By daylight, however, the British attack was held up by Second Lieutenant Ernesto Orlando Peluffo's 12th Regiment platoon on Darwin Hill, Second Lieutenant Guillermo Ricardo Aliaga's 8th Regiment platoon (3rd Platoon, C Company) on Boca Hill and the British Commanding Officer (CO), Lieutenant-Colonel "H" Jones, was killed trying to take out a machine-gun post on Darwin Ridge. Major Chris Keeble (2 ic) was called up from the rear, and leaving A Company to slowly wrestle control of Darwin Hill and pulling B Company back to Middle Hill, ordered D Company to move round Boca Hill, advancing from the nearby beach. Support Company used MILAN anti-tank missiles to destroy these trenches. Approximately, 6 hours after the start of the fighting on Darwin Ridge, the last Argentinian defenders on Boca Hill surrendered.

In the meantime, the Argentinians helicoptered in their first reinforcements and the Malvinas Military Air Base flew in support missions. The first attack took place earlier when a ''Grupo 3'' Pucara was hit, probably by a Blowpipe shoulder-launched SAM, but the aircraft limped back to Stanley. The next sortie by two more Pucaras caught two Royal Marine Scouts on their way in to evacuate Lieutenant-Colonel Jones. Captain Jeff Niblett managed to evade them, but Lieutenant Richard Nunn was killed by cannon fire and crashed down near Camilla Creek House. One of the Pucaras was later found to have crashed into high ground returning to Stanley after attacking Sea King Helicopters near San Carlos.

==''Condor'' Military Air Base (''White Flag'' incident)==

At 2.15 pm the final British attacks began. Elements of the 1st Anti Aircraft Group of the Argentinian Air Force tried to defend ''Condor'' Military Airbase, but withdrew under intense British mortar fire. However, as Major Hugh Jenner's C Company moved down the forward slope of Darwin Ridge, Second Lieutenant Claudio Cesar Braghini brought his 35 mm anti-aircraft guns into action and they did some damage, killing one paratrooper, wounding eleven and destroying Darwin Schoolhouse.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131029202548/http://www.britains-smallwars.com/Falklands/David/Goosegreen.htm Goose Green The Argentinian Story]</ref>

Still under fire, D and C Companies headed towards the Goose Green air base while B Company circled east to cut off Goose Green Settlement. During the attack, three Paratroopers were killed in an ambush involving ''Romeo'' platoon under Second Lieutenant Juan José Gómez Centurión (2nd Rifle Platoon, C Company, 25th Regiment).

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>}}

Private Carter led the dispersed paratroopers forward at bayonet point to clear the Argentinian positions, winning the [[Military Medal]] in the process. Second Lieutenant Gómez Centurión disengaged, and, single-handedly covered by Sergeant Sergio Ismael García, managed to escape.<ref>"'C' Company sustained heavy losses and 'D' Company also saw some extremely fierce fighting, particulary No. 12 Platoon of 'D' Company, who managed to fight off an ambush before Private Graham Carter led the men forward at bayonet point to take the airfield. The RI 25 Platoon fled, and, single-handedly covered by Sergeant Sergio Ismael García, managed to escape." Paratroopers, RW Press</ref>García was posthumously awarded the [[Gallantry In Combat Medal]]<ref>"Desempeñándose como Encargado de Sección en un contraataque y al quedar fuera de servicio una ametralladora, se hizo cargo de ella, abriendo el fuego con eficacia, provocando la detención del avance enemigo en su sector. Posteriormente, al efectuar una maniobra para silenciar las armas pesadas enemigas que lo batían y próximo a alcanzar el objetivo, ofrendó su vida." Informe Oficial del Ejército Argentino, p. 56, Ejército Argentino, 1983</ref>

In the late afternoon, combat aircraft from both sides intervened, starting with two [[Argentinian Navy]] MB.339's and two IA.58 Pucaras which attacked D Company. One of the Navy jets was brought down by a Royal Marine shoulder-launched Blowpipe, and minutes later the Pucaras dropped napalm with one shot down by small arms fire. Then three Royal Air Force (RAF) Harrier GR.3's brought much needed relief by silencing the radar-guided 35mm anti-aircraft guns at Goose Green Point with cluster bombs and rockets.

==Argentinian surrender==

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 by helicopter, while to the north, ''Juliet'' Company 42 Commando was flown in reinforce 2 PARA but too late to join in the fighting. 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. Around 50 Argentinians were killed, and ''The Official History of the Falklands Campaign'' reports that 961 Argentinians were captured, with British paratroopers reporting a larger count of 1,400 prisoners. British losses were nineteen killed, 15 from 2 PARA, a Royal Engineer, a Sea Harrier pilot, a Scout pilot, a Gurkha and 64 wounded.

==Aftermath==

Forty two members of The Parachute Regiment and attached personnel were killed in the Falklands War, with a further 140 personnel from the two Battalions wounded in action. Two Victoria Croses were posthumously awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel 'H' Jones, 2 PARA, and Sergeant Ian McKay of 3 PARA. In total, some 71 gallantry awards for actions in the Falklands were made to parachute members and attached personnel.

The fighting showed that "H" Jones was a strict CO who had to have complete control over every aspect and demanded his company commanders to not stray from the battle plan. Major Neame was the only officer who commanded his company with flexibility and allowed initiative among his officers and NCOs, something which benefited his platoons greatly.<ref>To what extent does the Battle for Goose Green reveal command problems in the British army of the period?, James Wallis, University of Kent</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:War]]
[[Category:Argentina]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:1980s]]

Battle of Darwin and Goose Green

2017-07-17T00:23:07Z

Paulvani: /* Condor Military Air Base */

Following [[Operation Rosario (Falklands/Malvinas War)]], the Argentinian occupation of the Falkland/Malvinas Islands in early April 1982, the 2nd and 3rd British Parachute Battalions (2 and 3 PARA) of the British 1st Parachute Regiment were deployed as part of Brigadier Julian Thompson's 3 Commando Brigade to retake the islands in [[Operation Corporate]].

==San Carlos==

3 Commando Brigade went ashore at San Carlos on the night of May 21/22. 2 PARA (Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert Jones) established itself on Sussex Mountain protecting the south of the Bridgehead without opposition. 3 PARA landed in the near Port San Carlos driving off a platoon of 40 enemy.

On May 26, 2 PARA was ordered to move south and engage the Argentinian 12th ''Juan Antonio Alvarez de Arenales ''Infantry Regiment (Lieutenant-Colonel Ítalo Ángel Piaggi) and ''Condor'' Military Airbase on the Darwin/Goose Green Peninsula.

==Darwin Parks==

The attack began under the cover of darkness of 28 May with heavy naval and artillery support.

At 3.35 am, Major Dair Farrar-Hockley's A Company moved off on the left and attacked Burntside House believed to be occupied by the Argentinian 12th Regiment's Reconnaissance Platoon (Lieutenant Carlos Morales), but found no-one there other than four civilians. Major John Crosland's B Company started forward from the other side of Burntside Pond down the right flank with Major Philip Neame's D Company following them long the middle. With artillery support on both sides, B and D Companies were soon in close-quarter combat with the 12th Regiment's A Company (under 1st Lieutenant Jorge Antonio Manresa and Sergeant-Major Juan Carlos Coelho). Leaving No. 13 Platoon of A Company to provide covering fire from the north side of Darwin Bay, the remainder started to circle round to take Darwin Settlement.

==Darwin Ridge==

By daylight, however, the British attack was held up by Second Lieutenant Ernesto Orlando Peluffo's 12th Regiment platoon on Darwin Hill, Second Lieutenant Guillermo Ricardo Aliaga's 8th Regiment platoon (3rd Platoon, C Company) on Boca Hill and the British Commanding Officer (CO), Lieutenant-Colonel "H" Jones, was killed trying to take out a machine-gun post on Darwin Ridge. Major Chris Keeble (2 ic) was called up from the rear, and leaving A Company to slowly wrestle control of Darwin Hill and pulling B Company back to Middle Hill, ordered D Company to move round Boca Hill, advancing from the nearby beach. Support Company used MILAN anti-tank missiles to destroy these trenches. Approximately, 6 hours after the start of the fighting on Darwin Ridge, the last Argentinian defenders on Boca Hill surrendered.

In the meantime, the Argentinians helicoptered in their first reinforcements and the Malvinas Military Air Base flew in support missions. The first attack took place earlier when a ''Grupo 3'' Pucara was hit, probably by a Blowpipe shoulder-launched SAM, but the aircraft limped back to Stanley. The next sortie by two more Pucaras caught two Royal Marine Scouts on their way in to evacuate Lieutenant-Colonel Jones. Captain Jeff Niblett managed to evade them, but Lieutenant Richard Nunn was killed by cannon fire and crashed down near Camilla Creek House. One of the Pucaras was later found to have crashed into high ground returning to Stanley after attacking Sea King Helicopters near San Carlos.

==''Condor'' Military Air Base (''White Flag'' incident==

At 2.15 pm the final British attacks began. Elements of the 1st Anti Aircraft Group of the Argentinian Air Force tried to defend ''Condor'' Military Airbase, but withdrew under intense British mortar fire. However, as Major Hugh Jenner's C Company moved down the forward slope of Darwin Ridge, Second Lieutenant Claudio Cesar Braghini brought his 35 mm anti-aircraft guns into action and they did some damage, killing one paratrooper, wounding eleven and destroying Darwin Schoolhouse.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131029202548/http://www.britains-smallwars.com/Falklands/David/Goosegreen.htm Goose Green The Argentinian Story]</ref>

Still under fire, D and C Companies headed towards the Goose Green air base while B Company circled east to cut off Goose Green Settlement. During the attack, three Paratroopers were killed in an ambush involving ''Romeo'' platoon under Second Lieutenant Juan José Gómez Centurión (2nd Rifle Platoon, C Company, 25th Regiment).

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>}}

Private Carter led the dispersed paratroopers forward at bayonet point to clear the Argentinian positions, winning the [[Military Medal]] in the process. Second Lieutenant Gómez Centurión disengaged, and, single-handedly covered by Sergeant Sergio Ismael García, managed to escape.<ref>"'C' Company sustained heavy losses and 'D' Company also saw some extremely fierce fighting, particulary No. 12 Platoon of 'D' Company, who managed to fight off an ambush before Private Graham Carter led the men forward at bayonet point to take the airfield. The RI 25 Platoon fled, and, single-handedly covered by Sergeant Sergio Ismael García, managed to escape." Paratroopers, RW Press</ref>García was posthumously awarded the [[Gallantry In Combat Medal]]<ref>"Desempeñándose como Encargado de Sección en un contraataque y al quedar fuera de servicio una ametralladora, se hizo cargo de ella, abriendo el fuego con eficacia, provocando la detención del avance enemigo en su sector. Posteriormente, al efectuar una maniobra para silenciar las armas pesadas enemigas que lo batían y próximo a alcanzar el objetivo, ofrendó su vida." Informe Oficial del Ejército Argentino, p. 56, Ejército Argentino, 1983</ref>

In the late afternoon, combat aircraft from both sides intervened, starting with two [[Argentinian Navy]] MB.339's and two IA.58 Pucaras which attacked D Company. One of the Navy jets was brought down by a Royal Marine shoulder-launched Blowpipe, and minutes later the Pucaras dropped napalm with one shot down by small arms fire. Then three Royal Air Force (RAF) Harrier GR.3's brought much needed relief by silencing the radar-guided 35mm anti-aircraft guns at Goose Green Point with cluster bombs and rockets.

==Argentinian surrender==

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 by helicopter, while to the north, ''Juliet'' Company 42 Commando was flown in reinforce 2 PARA but too late to join in the fighting. 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. Around 50 Argentinians were killed, and ''The Official History of the Falklands Campaign'' reports that 961 Argentinians were captured, with British paratroopers reporting a larger count of 1,400 prisoners. British losses were nineteen killed, 15 from 2 PARA, a Royal Engineer, a Sea Harrier pilot, a Scout pilot, a Gurkha and 64 wounded.

==Aftermath==

Forty two members of The Parachute Regiment and attached personnel were killed in the Falklands War, with a further 140 personnel from the two Battalions wounded in action. Two Victoria Croses were posthumously awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel 'H' Jones, 2 PARA, and Sergeant Ian McKay of 3 PARA. In total, some 71 gallantry awards for actions in the Falklands were made to parachute members and attached personnel.

The fighting showed that "H" Jones was a strict CO who had to have complete control over every aspect and demanded his company commanders to not stray from the battle plan. Major Neame was the only officer who commanded his company with flexibility and allowed initiative among his officers and NCOs, something which benefited his platoons greatly.<ref>To what extent does the Battle for Goose Green reveal command problems in the British army of the period?, James Wallis, University of Kent</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:War]]
[[Category:Argentina]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:1980s]]

Battle of Darwin and Goose Green

2017-07-17T00:20:34Z

Paulvani: /* Argentinian surrender */

Following [[Operation Rosario (Falklands/Malvinas War)]], the Argentinian occupation of the Falkland/Malvinas Islands in early April 1982, the 2nd and 3rd British Parachute Battalions (2 and 3 PARA) of the British 1st Parachute Regiment were deployed as part of Brigadier Julian Thompson's 3 Commando Brigade to retake the islands in [[Operation Corporate]].

==San Carlos==

3 Commando Brigade went ashore at San Carlos on the night of May 21/22. 2 PARA (Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert Jones) established itself on Sussex Mountain protecting the south of the Bridgehead without opposition. 3 PARA landed in the near Port San Carlos driving off a platoon of 40 enemy.

On May 26, 2 PARA was ordered to move south and engage the Argentinian 12th ''Juan Antonio Alvarez de Arenales ''Infantry Regiment (Lieutenant-Colonel Ítalo Ángel Piaggi) and ''Condor'' Military Airbase on the Darwin/Goose Green Peninsula.

==Darwin Parks==

The attack began under the cover of darkness of 28 May with heavy naval and artillery support.

At 3.35 am, Major Dair Farrar-Hockley's A Company moved off on the left and attacked Burntside House believed to be occupied by the Argentinian 12th Regiment's Reconnaissance Platoon (Lieutenant Carlos Morales), but found no-one there other than four civilians. Major John Crosland's B Company started forward from the other side of Burntside Pond down the right flank with Major Philip Neame's D Company following them long the middle. With artillery support on both sides, B and D Companies were soon in close-quarter combat with the 12th Regiment's A Company (under 1st Lieutenant Jorge Antonio Manresa and Sergeant-Major Juan Carlos Coelho). Leaving No. 13 Platoon of A Company to provide covering fire from the north side of Darwin Bay, the remainder started to circle round to take Darwin Settlement.

==Darwin Ridge==

By daylight, however, the British attack was held up by Second Lieutenant Ernesto Orlando Peluffo's 12th Regiment platoon on Darwin Hill, Second Lieutenant Guillermo Ricardo Aliaga's 8th Regiment platoon (3rd Platoon, C Company) on Boca Hill and the British Commanding Officer (CO), Lieutenant-Colonel "H" Jones, was killed trying to take out a machine-gun post on Darwin Ridge. Major Chris Keeble (2 ic) was called up from the rear, and leaving A Company to slowly wrestle control of Darwin Hill and pulling B Company back to Middle Hill, ordered D Company to move round Boca Hill, advancing from the nearby beach. Support Company used MILAN anti-tank missiles to destroy these trenches. Approximately, 6 hours after the start of the fighting on Darwin Ridge, the last Argentinian defenders on Boca Hill surrendered.

In the meantime, the Argentinians helicoptered in their first reinforcements and the Malvinas Military Air Base flew in support missions. The first attack took place earlier when a ''Grupo 3'' Pucara was hit, probably by a Blowpipe shoulder-launched SAM, but the aircraft limped back to Stanley. The next sortie by two more Pucaras caught two Royal Marine Scouts on their way in to evacuate Lieutenant-Colonel Jones. Captain Jeff Niblett managed to evade them, but Lieutenant Richard Nunn was killed by cannon fire and crashed down near Camilla Creek House. One of the Pucaras was later found to have crashed into high ground returning to Stanley after attacking Sea King Helicopters near San Carlos.

==''Condor'' Military Air Base==

At 2.15 pm the final British attacks began. Elements of the 1st Anti Aircraft Group of the Argentinian Air Force tried to defend ''Condor'' Military Airbase, but withdrew under intense British mortar fire. However, as Major Hugh Jenner's C Company moved down the forward slope of Darwin Ridge, Second Lieutenant Claudio Cesar Braghini brought his 35 mm anti-aircraft guns into action and they did some damage, killing one paratrooper, wounding eleven and destroying Darwin Schoolhouse.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131029202548/http://www.britains-smallwars.com/Falklands/David/Goosegreen.htm Goose Green The Argentinian Story]</ref>

Still under fire, D and C Companies headed towards the Goose Green air base while B Company circled east to cut off Goose Green Settlement. During the attack, three Paratroopers were killed in an ambush involving ''Romeo'' platoon under Second Lieutenant Juan José Gómez Centurión (2nd Rifle Platoon, C Company, 25th Regiment).

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>}}

Private Carter led the dispersed paratroopers forward at bayonet point to clear the Argentinian positions, winning the [[Military Medal]] in the process. Second Lieutenant Gómez Centurión disengaged, and, single-handedly covered by Sergeant Sergio Ismael García, managed to escape.<ref>"'C' Company sustained heavy losses and 'D' Company also saw some extremely fierce fighting, particulary No. 12 Platoon of 'D' Company, who managed to fight off an ambush before Private Graham Carter led the men forward at bayonet point to take the airfield. The RI 25 Platoon fled, and, single-handedly covered by Sergeant Sergio Ismael García, managed to escape." Paratroopers, RW Press</ref>García was posthumously awarded the [[Gallantry In Combat Medal]]<ref>"Desempeñándose como Encargado de Sección en un contraataque y al quedar fuera de servicio una ametralladora, se hizo cargo de ella, abriendo el fuego con eficacia, provocando la detención del avance enemigo en su sector. Posteriormente, al efectuar una maniobra para silenciar las armas pesadas enemigas que lo batían y próximo a alcanzar el objetivo, ofrendó su vida." Informe Oficial del Ejército Argentino, p. 56, Ejército Argentino, 1983</ref>

In the late afternoon, combat aircraft from both sides intervened, starting with two [[Argentinian Navy]] MB.339's and two IA.58 Pucaras which attacked D Company. One of the Navy jets was brought down by a Royal Marine shoulder-launched Blowpipe, and minutes later the Pucaras dropped napalm with one shot down by small arms fire. Then three Royal Air Force (RAF) Harrier GR.3's brought much needed relief by silencing the radar-guided 35mm anti-aircraft guns at Goose Green Point with cluster bombs and rockets.

==Argentinian surrender==

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 by helicopter, while to the north, ''Juliet'' Company 42 Commando was flown in reinforce 2 PARA but too late to join in the fighting. 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. Around 50 Argentinians were killed, and ''The Official History of the Falklands Campaign'' reports that 961 Argentinians were captured, with British paratroopers reporting a larger count of 1,400 prisoners. British losses were nineteen killed, 15 from 2 PARA, a Royal Engineer, a Sea Harrier pilot, a Scout pilot, a Gurkha and 64 wounded.

==Aftermath==

Forty two members of The Parachute Regiment and attached personnel were killed in the Falklands War, with a further 140 personnel from the two Battalions wounded in action. Two Victoria Croses were posthumously awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel 'H' Jones, 2 PARA, and Sergeant Ian McKay of 3 PARA. In total, some 71 gallantry awards for actions in the Falklands were made to parachute members and attached personnel.

The fighting showed that "H" Jones was a strict CO who had to have complete control over every aspect and demanded his company commanders to not stray from the battle plan. Major Neame was the only officer who commanded his company with flexibility and allowed initiative among his officers and NCOs, something which benefited his platoons greatly.<ref>To what extent does the Battle for Goose Green reveal command problems in the British army of the period?, James Wallis, University of Kent</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:War]]
[[Category:Argentina]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:1980s]]

Operation Rosario (Falklands/Malvinas War)

2017-05-21T01:52:25Z

Paulvani: /* South Georgia */

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 reinforce the British Antartic Survey (BAS) under base commander Steve Martin<ref>"The 23 Marines, only one of whom was wounded in the Battle of Grytviken, and 13 civilians – the BAS base commander Steve Martin had been with the military contingent at the time – were taken on board the Bahia Paraiso without incident." [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1549893/How-South-Georgia-was-recaptured.html]</ref>and 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==
Argentinian invasion plans accelerated when Britain protested about the presence of scrap-metal workers on South Georgia. With talks on the future of the Falklands stalled, the Argentinian Military Junta reacted strongly and by March 26, 1982, two frigates were on their way south, and more ships had put to sea ostensibly for exercises with the Uruguayan Navy. But it seemed that only now was the final decision taken to invade and they headed for Stanley although bad weather delayed their arrival. By March 31, British intelligence had to assume landings were imminent, Governor [[Rex Hunt]] was warned, and next evening he announced over the radio that invasion was expected early on April 2.

==British defenders==
Before the broadcast took place, the defence of Port Stanley was already being organized by the company-sized garrison of Naval Party 8901 (NP8901, all volunteers from 42 and 45 Commandos), under Major Gary Noote and Falkland Islands Defence Force (FIDF, Royal Marines-trained), under Major Phil Sommers. Usually consisting of 160 defenders, Majors Noote and Sommers, had been reinforced by Major Mike Norman and his platoon-sized garrison replacement that had disembarked from the RRS "John Biscoe". Assuming the main landing would be near Stanley Airfield followed by an advance on Port Stanley, Noote, Sommers and Norman deployed their 120 men accordingly, and positioned four sniper/anti-tanks squads on the Airport Road ready to fall back on the main 40-man position at Government House. By the early hours of April 2, they were mostly in position and the small patrol ship "Forrest" was out in Port William on radar watch. Governor Hunt also ordered the arrest of 30 Argentinian workers from Gas del Estado.

==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 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==
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>

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.

==British surrender==
With daybreak and Government House surrounded, under sniper fire and the Amtracks approaching, Governor Hunt attempted to negotiate. Faced with the overwhelming forces at Rear-Admiral Büsser's disposal, he ordered the defenders to lay down their arms, which they did at 9:30 a.m. without having suffered any casualties. The Royal Marines had held out against two Argentinian Marine battalions and Special Forces for three hours, firing 6,450 small-arms rounds and 12 anti-tank rockets<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/9582471/Rear-Admiral-Carlos-Busser.html Rear-Admiral Carlos Büsser ]</ref>in a firefight that cost the life of the 2ic of BIM 1 and wounded five invaders, including a military chaplain (Natalio Astolfo) and an Army NCO that stepped on a mine or booby-trap. According to one of Norman's men, Colour-Sergeant Bill Muir, ''"It was initially estimated that we had killed five and injured seventeen, but we only counted the bodies that we saw drop in front of us."''

That evening, the Governor, his family and most of the Royal Marines and captured sailors from "Endurance" were flown out. Major Norman and his men volunteered to fight again with Juliet Company, 42 Commando, suffering four wounded in the final mountain battles.

==South Georgia==
On April 3, the 1st Marine Infantry Battalion captured South Georgia, 1,350 kilometres to the east of the Falklands. In that action, the Argentinian corvette ARA ''Guerrico'' was lured too close to shore and hit by anti-tank missiles from the 23-man Royal Marines platoon under Lieutenant Keith Mill and one Argentinian sailor, Corporal Patricio Guanca was killed in the action. Soon after this Argentinian setback, another two Marines, Privates Mario Almonacid and Jorge Aguila were killed and seven wounded when the Puma helicopter transporting their platoon was hit by concentrated small-arms fire and forced to make a crash-landing. However, one British Royal Marine was wounded in an exchange of fire with the Argentinian Marines. The Marines platoon under Lieutenant Mills eventually surrendered when their position was bombarded by the ''Guerrico'''s main 100mm gun.

The 13-strong volunteer militia force under BAS commander Steve Martin at King Edward Point had taken refuge in the church at Grytviken; they were captured in the afternoon and were removed at gunpoint to an Argentine ship bound for Rio Grande, Tierra del Fuego, and held for 15 days before being repatriated to Britain. Thirteen other BAS men in South Georgia and two females, scientist Cindy Buxton and journalist Annie Price, remained in hiding until liberated by the British Task Force in late April 1982. They would later confirm that Lieutenant Mills had given them a pistol and that both women had been trained how to shoot.<ref>[http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/doc/294188401.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May%2015,%201982&author=London%20Daily%20Telegraph&pub=Boston%20Globe%20%28pre-1997%20Fulltext%29&edition=&startpage=&desc=2%20BRITONS%20DESCRIBE%20STAY%20ON%20S.%20GEORGIA 2 BRITONS DESCRIBE STAY ON S. GEORGIA]</ref>

==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>

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>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:War]]
[[Category:Argentina]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:1980s]]

Operation Rosario (Falklands/Malvinas War)

2017-05-21T01:46:43Z

Paulvani: /* South Georgia */

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 reinforce the British Antartic Survey (BAS) under base commander Steve Martin<ref>"The 23 Marines, only one of whom was wounded in the Battle of Grytviken, and 13 civilians – the BAS base commander Steve Martin had been with the military contingent at the time – were taken on board the Bahia Paraiso without incident." [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1549893/How-South-Georgia-was-recaptured.html]</ref>and 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==
Argentinian invasion plans accelerated when Britain protested about the presence of scrap-metal workers on South Georgia. With talks on the future of the Falklands stalled, the Argentinian Military Junta reacted strongly and by March 26, 1982, two frigates were on their way south, and more ships had put to sea ostensibly for exercises with the Uruguayan Navy. But it seemed that only now was the final decision taken to invade and they headed for Stanley although bad weather delayed their arrival. By March 31, British intelligence had to assume landings were imminent, Governor [[Rex Hunt]] was warned, and next evening he announced over the radio that invasion was expected early on April 2.

==British defenders==
Before the broadcast took place, the defence of Port Stanley was already being organized by the company-sized garrison of Naval Party 8901 (NP8901, all volunteers from 42 and 45 Commandos), under Major Gary Noote and Falkland Islands Defence Force (FIDF, Royal Marines-trained), under Major Phil Sommers. Usually consisting of 160 defenders, Majors Noote and Sommers, had been reinforced by Major Mike Norman and his platoon-sized garrison replacement that had disembarked from the RRS "John Biscoe". Assuming the main landing would be near Stanley Airfield followed by an advance on Port Stanley, Noote, Sommers and Norman deployed their 120 men accordingly, and positioned four sniper/anti-tanks squads on the Airport Road ready to fall back on the main 40-man position at Government House. By the early hours of April 2, they were mostly in position and the small patrol ship "Forrest" was out in Port William on radar watch. Governor Hunt also ordered the arrest of 30 Argentinian workers from Gas del Estado.

==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 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==
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>

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.

==British surrender==
With daybreak and Government House surrounded, under sniper fire and the Amtracks approaching, Governor Hunt attempted to negotiate. Faced with the overwhelming forces at Rear-Admiral Büsser's disposal, he ordered the defenders to lay down their arms, which they did at 9:30 a.m. without having suffered any casualties. The Royal Marines had held out against two Argentinian Marine battalions and Special Forces for three hours, firing 6,450 small-arms rounds and 12 anti-tank rockets<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/9582471/Rear-Admiral-Carlos-Busser.html Rear-Admiral Carlos Büsser ]</ref>in a firefight that cost the life of the 2ic of BIM 1 and wounded five invaders, including a military chaplain (Natalio Astolfo) and an Army NCO that stepped on a mine or booby-trap. According to one of Norman's men, Colour-Sergeant Bill Muir, ''"It was initially estimated that we had killed five and injured seventeen, but we only counted the bodies that we saw drop in front of us."''

That evening, the Governor, his family and most of the Royal Marines and captured sailors from "Endurance" were flown out. Major Norman and his men volunteered to fight again with Juliet Company, 42 Commando, suffering four wounded in the final mountain battles.

==South Georgia==
On April 3, the 1st Marine Infantry Battalion captured South Georgia, 1,350 kilometres to the east of the Falklands. In that action, the Argentinian corvette ARA ''Guerrico'' was lured too close to shore and hit by anti-tank missiles from the 23-man Royal Marines platoon under Lieutenant Keith Mill and one Argentinian sailor, Corporal Patricio Guanca was killed in the action. Soon after this Argentinian setback, another two Marines, Privates Mario Almonacid and Jorge Aguila were killed and seven wounded when the Puma helicopter transporting their platoon was hit by concentrated small-arms fire and forced to make a crash-landing. However, one British Royal Marine was wounded in an exchange of fire with the Argentinian Marines. The Marines platoon under Lieutenant Mills eventually surrendered when their position was bombarded by the ''Guerrico'''s main 100mm gun.

The 13-strong armed BAS team at King Edward Point had taken refuge in the church at Grytviken; they were captured in the afternoon and were removed at gunpoint to an Argentine ship bound for Rio Grande, Tierra del Fuego, and held for 15 days before being repatriated to Britain. Thirteen other BAS men in South Georgia and two females, scientist Cindy Buxton and journalist Annie Price, remained in hiding until liberated by the British Task Force in late April 1982. They would later confirm that Lieutenant Mills had given them a pistol and that both women had been trained how to shoot.<ref>[http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/doc/294188401.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May%2015,%201982&author=London%20Daily%20Telegraph&pub=Boston%20Globe%20%28pre-1997%20Fulltext%29&edition=&startpage=&desc=2%20BRITONS%20DESCRIBE%20STAY%20ON%20S.%20GEORGIA 2 BRITONS DESCRIBE STAY ON S. GEORGIA]</ref>

==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>

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>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:War]]
[[Category:Argentina]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:1980s]]

Operation Rosario (Falklands/Malvinas War)

2017-05-21T01:28:27Z

Paulvani:

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 reinforce the British Antartic Survey (BAS) under base commander Steve Martin<ref>"The 23 Marines, only one of whom was wounded in the Battle of Grytviken, and 13 civilians – the BAS base commander Steve Martin had been with the military contingent at the time – were taken on board the Bahia Paraiso without incident." [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1549893/How-South-Georgia-was-recaptured.html]</ref>and 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==
Argentinian invasion plans accelerated when Britain protested about the presence of scrap-metal workers on South Georgia. With talks on the future of the Falklands stalled, the Argentinian Military Junta reacted strongly and by March 26, 1982, two frigates were on their way south, and more ships had put to sea ostensibly for exercises with the Uruguayan Navy. But it seemed that only now was the final decision taken to invade and they headed for Stanley although bad weather delayed their arrival. By March 31, British intelligence had to assume landings were imminent, Governor [[Rex Hunt]] was warned, and next evening he announced over the radio that invasion was expected early on April 2.

==British defenders==
Before the broadcast took place, the defence of Port Stanley was already being organized by the company-sized garrison of Naval Party 8901 (NP8901, all volunteers from 42 and 45 Commandos), under Major Gary Noote and Falkland Islands Defence Force (FIDF, Royal Marines-trained), under Major Phil Sommers. Usually consisting of 160 defenders, Majors Noote and Sommers, had been reinforced by Major Mike Norman and his platoon-sized garrison replacement that had disembarked from the RRS "John Biscoe". Assuming the main landing would be near Stanley Airfield followed by an advance on Port Stanley, Noote, Sommers and Norman deployed their 120 men accordingly, and positioned four sniper/anti-tanks squads on the Airport Road ready to fall back on the main 40-man position at Government House. By the early hours of April 2, they were mostly in position and the small patrol ship "Forrest" was out in Port William on radar watch. Governor Hunt also ordered the arrest of 30 Argentinian workers from Gas del Estado.

==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 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==
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>

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.

==British surrender==
With daybreak and Government House surrounded, under sniper fire and the Amtracks approaching, Governor Hunt attempted to negotiate. Faced with the overwhelming forces at Rear-Admiral Büsser's disposal, he ordered the defenders to lay down their arms, which they did at 9:30 a.m. without having suffered any casualties. The Royal Marines had held out against two Argentinian Marine battalions and Special Forces for three hours, firing 6,450 small-arms rounds and 12 anti-tank rockets<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/9582471/Rear-Admiral-Carlos-Busser.html Rear-Admiral Carlos Büsser ]</ref>in a firefight that cost the life of the 2ic of BIM 1 and wounded five invaders, including a military chaplain (Natalio Astolfo) and an Army NCO that stepped on a mine or booby-trap. According to one of Norman's men, Colour-Sergeant Bill Muir, ''"It was initially estimated that we had killed five and injured seventeen, but we only counted the bodies that we saw drop in front of us."''

That evening, the Governor, his family and most of the Royal Marines and captured sailors from "Endurance" were flown out. Major Norman and his men volunteered to fight again with Juliet Company, 42 Commando, suffering four wounded in the final mountain battles.

==South Georgia==
On April 3, the 1st Marine Infantry Battalion captured South Georgia, 1,350 kilometres to the east of the Falklands. In that action, the Argentinian corvette ARA ''Guerrico'' was lured too close to shore and hit by anti-tank missiles from the 22-man Royal Marines platoon under Lieutenant Keith Mill and one Argentinian sailor, Corporal Patricio Guanca was killed in the action. Soon after this Argentinian setback, another two Marines, Privates Mario Almonacid and Jorge Aguila were killed and seven wounded when the Puma helicopter transporting their platoon was hit by concentrated small-arms fire and forced to make a crash-landing. However, one British Royal Marine was wounded in an exchange of fire with the Argentinian Marines. The Marines platoon under Lieutenant Mills eventually surrendered when their position was bombarded by the ''Guerrico'''s main 100mm gun.

==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>

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>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:War]]
[[Category:Argentina]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:1980s]]

Operation Rosario (Falklands/Malvinas War)

2017-05-21T01:26:49Z

Paulvani:

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 reinforce the commander of the British Antartic Survey (BAS), Steve Martin<ref>"The 23 Marines, only one of whom was wounded in the Battle of Grytviken, and 13 civilians – the BAS base commander Steve Martin had been with the military contingent at the time – were taken on board the Bahia Paraiso without incident." [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1549893/How-South-Georgia-was-recaptured.html]</ref>and 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==
Argentinian invasion plans accelerated when Britain protested about the presence of scrap-metal workers on South Georgia. With talks on the future of the Falklands stalled, the Argentinian Military Junta reacted strongly and by March 26, 1982, two frigates were on their way south, and more ships had put to sea ostensibly for exercises with the Uruguayan Navy. But it seemed that only now was the final decision taken to invade and they headed for Stanley although bad weather delayed their arrival. By March 31, British intelligence had to assume landings were imminent, Governor [[Rex Hunt]] was warned, and next evening he announced over the radio that invasion was expected early on April 2.

==British defenders==
Before the broadcast took place, the defence of Port Stanley was already being organized by the company-sized garrison of Naval Party 8901 (NP8901, all volunteers from 42 and 45 Commandos), under Major Gary Noote and Falkland Islands Defence Force (FIDF, Royal Marines-trained), under Major Phil Sommers. Usually consisting of 160 defenders, Majors Noote and Sommers, had been reinforced by Major Mike Norman and his platoon-sized garrison replacement that had disembarked from the RRS "John Biscoe". Assuming the main landing would be near Stanley Airfield followed by an advance on Port Stanley, Noote, Sommers and Norman deployed their 120 men accordingly, and positioned four sniper/anti-tanks squads on the Airport Road ready to fall back on the main 40-man position at Government House. By the early hours of April 2, they were mostly in position and the small patrol ship "Forrest" was out in Port William on radar watch. Governor Hunt also ordered the arrest of 30 Argentinian workers from Gas del Estado.

==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 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==
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>

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.

==British surrender==
With daybreak and Government House surrounded, under sniper fire and the Amtracks approaching, Governor Hunt attempted to negotiate. Faced with the overwhelming forces at Rear-Admiral Büsser's disposal, he ordered the defenders to lay down their arms, which they did at 9:30 a.m. without having suffered any casualties. The Royal Marines had held out against two Argentinian Marine battalions and Special Forces for three hours, firing 6,450 small-arms rounds and 12 anti-tank rockets<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/9582471/Rear-Admiral-Carlos-Busser.html Rear-Admiral Carlos Büsser ]</ref>in a firefight that cost the life of the 2ic of BIM 1 and wounded five invaders, including a military chaplain (Natalio Astolfo) and an Army NCO that stepped on a mine or booby-trap. According to one of Norman's men, Colour-Sergeant Bill Muir, ''"It was initially estimated that we had killed five and injured seventeen, but we only counted the bodies that we saw drop in front of us."''

That evening, the Governor, his family and most of the Royal Marines and captured sailors from "Endurance" were flown out. Major Norman and his men volunteered to fight again with Juliet Company, 42 Commando, suffering four wounded in the final mountain battles.

==South Georgia==
On April 3, the 1st Marine Infantry Battalion captured South Georgia, 1,350 kilometres to the east of the Falklands. In that action, the Argentinian corvette ARA ''Guerrico'' was lured too close to shore and hit by anti-tank missiles from the 22-man Royal Marines platoon under Lieutenant Keith Mill and one Argentinian sailor, Corporal Patricio Guanca was killed in the action. Soon after this Argentinian setback, another two Marines, Privates Mario Almonacid and Jorge Aguila were killed and seven wounded when the Puma helicopter transporting their platoon was hit by concentrated small-arms fire and forced to make a crash-landing. However, one British Royal Marine was wounded in an exchange of fire with the Argentinian Marines. The Marines platoon under Lieutenant Mills eventually surrendered when their position was bombarded by the ''Guerrico'''s main 100mm gun.

==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>

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>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:War]]
[[Category:Argentina]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:1980s]]

Battle of Long Tan

2017-03-01T02:05:09Z

Paulvani:

{{War
| image =
| conflict = [[Vietnam War]]
| date = August 17, 1966-August 19, 1966
| location = Phuoc Toy Province, Republic of Vietnam
| combatant1 = [[Australian Army]]
| combatant2 = [[Viet Cong]]
| commander1 = [[Colin Towsend]] Lieutenant Colonel, Australian Army
| commander2 = [[Nguyen Thanh Hong]] Colonel, VC
| strength1 = 1,100 (including rear-echelon troops)
| strength2 = 108 (not including reinforcements)
| casualties1 = '''42''' Killed: 18 Wounded: 24 Missing or captured: 2 (recovered)
| casualties2 = '''150''' Killed: 47 Wounded:100 Missing or captured: 3-4
}}
The '''Battle of Long Tần''' is arguably the most famous battle fought by the Australian Army during the Vietnam War. It was fought in a rubber plantation near the village of Long Tần, about 4 km north-east of Vung Tau, South Vietnam on August 18–19, 1966.

The action occurred when D Company of the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), part of the 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF), encountered the Viet Cong (VC) 275 Regiment and elements of the D445 Local Forces Battalion. D Company was supported by other Australian units, as well as New Zealand and United States personnel.

For several weeks prior to the battle, Australian field intelligence had tracked a radio transmitter moving south but were unsure about what unit it belonged to. Aggressive patrolling failed to find this unit.

On the night of 17–18 August, the [[Viet Cong 275th Regiment]] fired over 100 mortar rounds into the 103 Battery area and 22 Australian soldiers were wounded, one later dying from his wounds. B Company 6 RAR was sent out early on the morning of the 18th to find the VC heavy weapons. D Company (to which was attached three [[New Zealand Army]] personnel) relieved B Company at midday. The commander of B Company, [[Major]] [[Noel Ford]], briefed the D Company commander, Major Harry Smith, and B Company returned to base. After discussing the situation with the 6 RAR battalion commander, [[Lieutenant-Colonel]] [[Colin Townsend]], D Company moved to the east towards the limit of their covering artillery range.

The battle is often used in Australian officer training as an example of the importance of combining and coordinating infantry, artillery, armour and military aviation.

==Background==

1ATF arrived in Vietnam in May 1966 and was based at the Nui Dat base, in Phuoc Tuy Province. (As of 2005, Nui Dat and Long Tan are both in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province.) 6 RAR was composed mainly of conscripts. The Australians faced formidable enemy forces, which were operating on home soil:{{cquote|Within Phouc Tuy and the neighbouring provinces of Bien Hoa, Long Khanh and Binh Tuy, the principle [sic] main force formation… was the 5th NLF Division, which usually had its headquarters in the Mây Tào Mountains. It consisted of 274th Regiment and the 275th Regiment plus supporting units. North Vietnamese regulars were used to boost and reinforce this South Vietnamese Viet Cong formation…<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060207035903/http://www.5rar.asn.au/tactics.htm THE ENEMY AND HIS TACTICS]</ref>}}

Members of D Company found new VC tracks and spread out into a wide formation, to maximise the chances of contact. Two platoons led the way, with company headquarters behind them and a third platoon in the rear.

==Battle==

Against overwhelming odds, all but 17 of 108 Australians survived wave after wave of attack until a relief force in the form of a company arrived in armoured personnel carriers (one soldier died later from his wounds, while 24 were wounded)

At 15:40, a VC squads walked into the middle of 11 Platoon on the right flank of D Company. One was killed in the action, the area was cleared and 11 Platoon moved forward again.

Several light mortar rounds were fired towards the company position landing to the east, most likely the same mortars that had fired at the base on the night of 16 August, causing several casualties. The accompanying [[Forward Observation Officer]] (FO), New Zealand Army Captain [[Morrie Stanley]], organized counter battery fire, neutralizing them, as the mortars were not fired again. This diversion separated the main company slightly from 11 Platoon, putting the main body behind a slight rise.

As 11 Platoon continued to advance they were attacked by heavy machine gun fire and sustained several casualties. Following normal contact procedures, the platoon went into a defensive position. The VC formed an assault and attacked 11 Platoon around 20 minutes after initial contact with support from their heavy machine guns.

Stanley called in all available artillery support from the 1 ATF artillery units, and 10 Platoon moved up to the left of 11 Platoon to relieve pressure on them and allow them to withdraw to the company defensive position out of the heavy machine gun fire. The commander of 11 Platoon, (ex-conscript) 2nd Lt Gordon Sharp, was killed and Platoon Sergeant [[Bob Buick]] assumed command of the platoon. During this engagement both platoons' radios went out.

Heavy monsoon rain began falling, obscuring the battlefield.

10 Platoon, under 2nd Lt [[Geoff Kendall]], also came under fire and went into a defensive position. 12 Platoon, commanded by 2nd Lt [[Dave Sabben]], had been the reserve platoon, and it was ordered to the right to support 11 Platoon. 12 Platoon left one section behind to support Company HQ.

Stanley called for close US support but when it arrived it was unable to identify targets due to the bad weather. The US warplanes dropped their bombs to the east causing disruption to the VC rear areas.

The Australian soldiers were carrying a light load, approximately five magazines, and quickly ran low on ammunition. At 5:00pm Smith called for an ammunition resupply. By coincidence, two Iroquois helicopters from 9 Squadron, [[Royal Australian Air Force]] were available at the Nui Dat base, having just been used as transport for a [[Col Joye]] and [[Little Pattie]] concert. One of the Iroquois pilots, Flt Lt [[Bob Grandin]], disobeyed orders by dropping supplies to D Company. He recalled: ''"[i]t did sound extremely bad on the radio. I recall Harry [Smith] saying, 'If you don't do this for us you all might as well start saying your prayers — it's all over'."''

The survivors of 11 Platoon withdrew under the cover provided by the torrential rain to the company position. Smith requested reinforcements from 6RAR. B Company HQ with one platoon had not yet got back to Nui Dat and was ordered back to Long Tan. At Nui Dat, A Company was ordered to ready itself and the M-113 armored personnel carriers of the 1st Armored Personnel Carrier Squadron to transport them.

The VC continually formed assault groups and moved forward but were broken up by artillery fire. Fortunately for the attackers, the soft boggy ground reduced the effect of the shell bursts, but there were a large number of wounded. The soldiers of D Company held their line and repulsed any VC that got through the artillery barrage. D Company were supported by twenty-four 105 mm and 155 mm guns from the Australian 1st Field Regiment, the 161st Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery and the U.S. 2nd Battalion, 35th Artillery Regiment. Over 3,000 rounds of artillery were fired throughout the remainder of the battle and night, with fire concentrating on likely VC forming-up positions and escape routes. "A" Battery, 1st Field Regiment fired rounds every 15 seconds for three hours. The U.S. gunners were in the same base as "A" Battery and assisted the exhausted Australian gunners by carrying artillery rounds to their guns.

The reverse slope that D Company used for defense meant that the VC found it difficult to use their heavy calibre weapons effectively; the VC could only engage the Australians at close range. The VC tried to find the Australian flanks but the wide dispersal and excellent defensive position meant the VC thought they were up against a larger enemy.

At last light two rifle companies and APCs from 1 APC Squadron arrived under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel [[Colin Townsend]] and assaulted the Vietnamese flank. In teeming rain, 3 Troop, A Company under Lieutenant Adrian Roberts and 2 Troop, A Company under Lieutenant Peter Dinham, also attacked the forward elements of D445 Battalion, taking them by surprise. A Company dismounted from 10 M-113s and attacked the fleeing enemy, withdrawing to the east. One Australian soldier from the reinforcements was killed as they attacked the D445 Battalion position.

The fresh reinforcements formed a perimeter around D Company allowing them to treat the wounded and rest. The supporting artillery repeatedly fired on likely escape routes of the VC and some Australian wounded were evacuated by helicopter. A and B Companies were a strong force and should have been able to repulse any night attack. As it was there was no further contact.

The next day the dead and wounded from 11 Platoon’s position were recovered and 50 enemy dead buried. Australian historians later claimed US forces captured documents indicating 800 killed and 1,000 wounded. They also point out that the VC routinely carried away their dead during a battle, and this would have reduced the body count.

The Australian losses were 18 killed and 21 wounded. According to the 275th Regiment and D445 Battalion veterans and Vietnamese historians, forty-seven Viet Cong soldiers were killed in action and 100 wounded.

The author of ''First to Fight'', Lieutenant-Colonel Bob Breen later wrote:{{cquote|A combination of the battle discipline and bravery of the Australians, the cover provided by the torrential rain and the effects of hundreds of artillery and mortar rounds falling among the Viet Cong attackers resulted in a stunning victory for the Australians and a further enhancement for the fighting tradition of Australian infantry.<ref>Duty First: The Royal Australian Regiment in War and Peace, Edited by David Horner, p. 215, Allen & Unwin, 1990)</ref>}}

==Body count==

Both sides tried to evacuate the injured in the darkness, although several wounded Australians spent a long and terrifying night on the battlefield while the female and children members of the VC medical platoon (''Mrs Phuong's Medical Evacuation Unit'') moved around them. The morning light revealed the full extent of the horror. Around 50-245 Viet Cong bodies were found in the battle area and it was thought that many more were removed in the night. Eighteen Australians were killed at Long Tan and 24 wounded – over one third of the initial force engaged. In all, 188 enemy killed and wounded were reported by the CO of 6 RAR in his initial report on 19 August.<ref>"Enemy casualties [were] 188 and 3 Viet Cong captured". (See 6th RAR War Diary, available online)</ref>The platoon under 2nd Lieutenant Eric Andrews reported a body count of about fifty killed on 20 August.<ref>"50 enemy bodies buried in [D] company location." (6th RAR War Diary, available online)</ref>

The official Australian Army history ''To Long Tan'', by the Australian military historian Ian McNeill, lists the number of Vietnamese killed in action as 245 and three enemy captured. However, new research shows that Australian claims about 245 enemy soldiers killed in the battle may be highly inflated.<ref>''"The VC divisional planners estimated that four to six labourers would be needed for every wounded soldier requiring evacuation. A 30 percent casualty rate at Long Tan would mean a force of 1,200 would take 360 casualties. Using an 80:20 split for the casualties, 288 would be wounded and 72 killed. To get the seriously wounded and dead off the field, a labour force of something like 800 would be needed. If the casualty figures were increased to 245 dead, the wounded would be 980. Under the 30 per cent rule that would mean an attacking force of just over 4,000, plus a clearance labour force of 3,500. These are unimaginable numbers ..."'' (Vietnam: The Complete Story Of The Australian War, Bruce Davies, Gary McKay, Allen & Unwin, 2013)</ref>

==Controversies and conclusions==

Both the Vietnamese and Australian militaries have disputed each other’s version. The first North Vietnamese communiqué claimed that: ''"Liberation Fighters ... wiped out almost completely one Battalion of the Australian Mercenaries in an ambush in the Long Tan Village."''

There have also been accusations that the Australians also exaggerated enemy casualties. Casualty figures for the Viet Cong ranged from the 245 reportedly found dead on the field of action to the often quoted American Intelligence Officer's high count of 800 Vietnamese killed,<ref>Vietnam – The Australian War, Paul Ham, p 245 and p 704, HarperCollins 2007</ref> with some 6 RAR veterans<ref>[http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/helicopter-pilot-cliff-dohle-cited-for-gallantry-in-mission-to-resupply-long-tan-diggers/story-e6frg6nf-1225792091865 Helicopter pilot Cliff Dohle cited for gallantry in mission to resupply Long Tan diggers, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/...]</ref> accepting the reinforced 275th Regiment's count (including D445 losses) of 47 killed and one-hundred wounded. Australian Military Historians [[Bruce Davies]] and [[Gary McKay]] say claims citing the US Army Intelligence Officer's record purportedly showing that 800 Vietnamese were killed in the battle are wrong for the report does not exist.<ref>"Unfortunately, the diary or parts of it have never been produced. It is also difficult to understand why such an important document was not sent to the combined Document Exploitaton Centre, from where translated copies would have been despatched to all intelligence commanders." (Vietnam: The Complete Story Of The Australian War, Bruce Davies, Gary McKay, Allen & Unwin, 2013)</ref>

Terry Burstall, a private in the 12 Platoon section guarding D Company HQ during the battle, has contradicted Australian official accounts of Vietnamese losses:{{cquote|When I returned to the battlefield the day after the battle, there were bodies lying all through the area ... Would a shell-shocked digger count an arm, a trunk and a leg scattered over several metres as one body or three bodies? Nobody knew or cared at the time, and certainly not the people doing the counting. ...Looking back I don't really think that I would have seen more than 50 bodies and I spent three days in the area.<ref>Terry Burstall, A Soldier Returns, University of Queensland Press, Brisbane, 1990, pp 77-79</ref>}}

The more recent Australian claim that 2,500-3,000 Vietnamese were involved in the battle with D Company is not supported by all Australian authors. Lieutenant-Colonel [[Bob Breen]], author of ''First to Fight'' (the history of 1 RAR's first tour in Vietnam) has written that ''"the Viet Cong 275th Regiment ran into D Company in teeming monsoon rain"'' and that ''"for several hours just over 100 Diggers withstood the best efforts of over 1500 Viet Cong soldiers to kill them."''<ref>Duty First: The Royal Australian Regiment in War and Peace, p. 215, Allen & Unwin, Sydney, 1990</ref>

Vietnam veterans have also reported that Australian soldiers shot or bayoneted wounded VC no longer trying to defend themselves. [[Bob Buick]] faced criticism in 2000, after admitting that he killed a mortally-wounded Vietnamese soldier on the battlefield, the day after the battle. Such an act would have been in breach of the [[Geneva Convention]] and therefore a war crime. Buick was criticised by both Burstall and then president of the Australian Long Tan Association, John Heslewood. Burstall commented: ''"Bob says it was a mercy killing ... would he have done the same to an Australian?"''<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/stories/s164813.htm Hero of Long Tan's "mercy killing" upsets comrades]</ref>

Many Vietnamese participants are adamant that D Company was ambushed. They state that the VC had planned to draw the Australian force into a wooded area to the north of the rubber plantation, where heavy weapons had been set up on a rise known to the Australians as ''"Nui Dat 2 GR4868"''. A supporting company of D445 Battalion were in the south near the village of Long Tan with one anti-tank platoonplaced on the south western edge of the plantation, hoping to slow down any APC-mounted reinforcements, and cut off an Australian retreat. In 2006, [[Sau Thu]], a former major in D445 Battalion, was quoted as saying that he had been ordered to lure the Australians out of Nui Dat, kill as many of them as possible, capture their weapons and then take the base. ''We didn't know how many you had in Nui Dat. We tried to draw them out We thought they would go one way but the Australian soldiers went the wrong way and came behind us."''

According to Burstall, the Vietnamese commander at Long Tan, Colonel [[Nguyen Thanh Hong]], was amazed that the Australians could look on the battle as a victory:{{cquote|How can you claim a victory when you allowed yourselves to walk into a trap that we had set? Admittedly we did not finish the job, but that was only because time beat us and your reinforcements arrived. I mean you did not even attempt to follow us up. How can you claim a significant victory from that sort of behaviour?<ref>[http://www.hotkey.net.au/~marshalle/Terryb.htm Long Tan: The Other Side of the Hill]</ref>}}

Lieutenant-Colonel Townsend was reportedly unable to pursue the mauled 275th Regiment because of the vulnerability of the Nui Dat base to an attack from the 274th Regiment. However, seven days later the [[173rd Airborne Brigade]], a US marine battalion, several ARVN battalions and 5 RAR joined in Operation ''Toledo'' and from 25 August to 7 September were involved in a large-scale sweep of the area. Captain Robert O'Neill (Intelligence Officer, 5 RAR) wrote that no evidence of heavy casualties were found in the enemy retreat:{{cquote|...the battalion had been keyed up to the possibility of a major encounter with the Viet Cong-a battle which would have had a decisive effect on the Viet Cong in Phuoc Tuy Province. Instead all we found was dense jungle with no trace of any large Viet Cong force ever having been in the area.<ref>Robert O'Neill, Vietnam Task: The 5th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, 1966/67, Cassell, Melbourne, 1968, p. 93</ref>}}

==Aftermath==

A US Presidential Unit Citation (PUC) was awarded to D Company 6RAR, by President Lyndon B. Johnson on May 28, 1968, for the unit's actions at Long Tan:{{cquote|By virtue of the authority invested in me as the President of the United States and as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, I have today awarded the Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for extraordinary heroism to D Company, Sixth Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, The Australian Army.D Company distinguished itself by extraordinary heroism while engaged in military operations against an opposing armed force in Vietnam on 18 August 1966. While searching for Viet Cong in a rubber plantation northeast of Ba Ria, Phuoc Tuy, Province, Republic of Vietnam, D Company met and immediately engaged in heavy contact. As the battle developed, it became apparent that the men of D Company were facing a numerically superior force. The platoons of D Company were surrounded and attacked on all sides by an estimated reinforced enemy battalion using automatic weapons, small arms and mortars. Fighting courageously against a well armed and determined foe, the men on D Company maintained their formations in a common perimeter defence and inflicted heavy casualties on the Viet Cong. The enemy maintained a continuous, intense volume of fire and attacked repeatedly from all directions. Each successive assault was repulsed by the courageous Australians. Heavy rainfall and low ceiling prevented any friendly close air support during the battle. After three hours of savage attacks, having failed to penetrate the Australian lines, the enemy withdrew from the battlefield carrying many dead and wounded, and leaving 245 Viet Cong dead forward of the defence positions of D Company. The conspicuous courage, intrepidity and indomitable courage of D Company were to the highest tradition of military valour and reflect great credit upon D Company and the Australian Army.<ref>[http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-battles/long_tan.htm The Battle of Long Tan by the men who were there ]</ref>}}

Soldiers that served ino D Company 6 RAR still wear the PUC on their uniforms.

Townsend was awarded the [[Distinguished Service Order]] (DSO). Smith was recommended for a [[Distinguished Service Order]], but received the lower award of a [[Military Cross]]. Each of the three platoon commanders were recommended for Military Crosses but none were awarded. Two Distinguished Conduct Medals, and two Military Medals were also awarded. The lack of recognition paid to Australian veterans by the Australian government was remedied under the government of Prime Minister [[John Howard]]. In November 2006, Howard visited Long Tan, the first Australian Prime Minister to make the journey. At Long Tan, Howard acknowledged the poor treatment that Australian Vietnam veterans had received.

A total of 22 members of D Company were awarded South Vietnamese medals. However, it had long been the policy of the Australian military that its members could not accept awards from foreign powers, including allies. It was only in June 2004 that the awards were finally accepted by the Minister of Defence.

==Commemoration and reconciliation==

The Battle of Long Tan has become a symbol of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War and August 18th is now commemorated in Australia as ''Vietnam Veterans Day''. Almost 60,000 Australians served in Vietnam; 521 died and over 3,000 were wounded.

6 RAR erected a concrete cross to commemorate those that died. This was removed by the government of Vietnam following the Communist victory in 1975, but has now been replaced by a larger monument of similar design. The original, discovered by Terry Burstall in his trip, is now on display at Dong Nai province museum in Bien Hoa.

In more recent times former officers from D Company have visited Vietnam and met former adversaries.

In 1996, on the 30th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, [[The Sydney Morning Herald]] printed a special commemorative issue to do with the Battle of Long Tan and revealed to the Australian public for the very first time the Vietnamese version of events of VC soldiers involved and killed in the 275th Regiment:{{cquote|[The] senior Vietnamese officers made the startling claim that only 700 of their men had taken part in the battle — half the most conservative Australian estimate — and that only 30 had been killed.<ref>Mark Baker, ''Stilling The Ghosts Of Long Ta''n, Sydney Morning Herald, August 16, 1996</ref>}}

A feature film, a fictionalised account written and directed by ex-Australian Army Commando and filmmaker [[Bruce Beresford]], and entitled Long Tan, was released in 2008.

In 2013, [[Phan Chien]], chairman of the [[Ba Ria-Vung Tau Veterans' Association]], reported that the VC forces suffered over 170 killed from 1966 until 1971 in Phouc Tuy Province, which appeared to confirm Australian estimates over enemy numbers killed in the Battle of Long Tan.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Vietnam War]]

Battle of Long Tan

2017-03-01T02:01:22Z

Paulvani: /* Battle */

{{War
| image =
| conflict = [[Vietnam War]]
| date = August 17, 1966-August 19, 1966
| location = Phuoc Toy Province, Republic of Vietnam
| combatant1 = [[Australian Army]]
| combatant2 = [[Viet Cong]]
| commander1 = [[Colin Towsend]] Lieutenant Colonel, Australian Army
| commander2 = [[Nguyen Thanh Hong]] Colonel, VC
| strength1 = 1,100 (including rear-echelon troops)
| strength2 = 108 (not including reinforcements)
| casualties1 = '''42''' Killed: 18 Wounded: 24 Missing or captured: 2 (recovered)
| casualties2 = '''150''' Killed: 47 Wounded:100 Missing or captured: 3-4
}}
The '''Battle of Long Tần''' is arguably the most famous battle fought by the Australian Army during the Vietnam War. It was fought in a rubber plantation near the village of Long Tần, about 4 km north-east of Vung Tau, South Vietnam on August 18–19, 1966.

The action occurred when D Company of the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), part of the 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF), encountered the Viet Cong (VC) 275 Regiment and elements of the D445 Local Forces Battalion. D Company was supported by other Australian units, as well as New Zealand and United States personnel.

For several weeks prior to the battle, Australian field intelligence had tracked a radio transmitter moving south but were unsure about what unit it belonged to. Aggressive patrolling failed to find this unit.

On the night of 17–18 August, the Viet Cong 275th Regiment fired over 100 mortar rounds into the 103 Battery area and 22 Australian soldiers were wounded, one later dying from his wounds. B Company 6 RAR was sent out early on the morning of the 18th to find the VC heavy weapons. D Company (to which was attached three New Zealand Army personnel) relieved B Company at midday. The commander of B Company, Major Noel Ford, briefed the D Company commander, Major Harry Smith, and B Company returned to base. After discussing the situation with the 6 RAR battalion commander, Lt Col. Colin Townsend, D Company moved to the east towards the limit of their covering artillery range.

The battle is often used in Australian officer training as an example of the importance of combining and coordinating infantry, artillery, armour and military aviation.

==Background==

1ATF arrived in Vietnam in May 1966 and was based at the Nui Dat base, in Phuoc Tuy Province. (As of 2005, Nui Dat and Long Tan are both in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province.) 6 RAR was composed mainly of conscripts. The Australians faced formidable enemy forces, which were operating on home soil:{{cquote|Within Phouc Tuy and the neighbouring provinces of Bien Hoa, Long Khanh and Binh Tuy, the principle [sic] main force formation… was the 5th NLF Division, which usually had its headquarters in the Mây Tào Mountains. It consisted of 274th Regiment and the 275th Regiment plus supporting units. North Vietnamese regulars were used to boost and reinforce this South Vietnamese Viet Cong formation…<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060207035903/http://www.5rar.asn.au/tactics.htm THE ENEMY AND HIS TACTICS]</ref>}}

Members of D Company found new VC tracks and spread out into a wide formation, to maximise the chances of contact. Two platoons led the way, with company headquarters behind them and a third platoon in the rear.

==Battle==

Against overwhelming odds, all but 17 of 108 Australians survived wave after wave of attack until a relief force in the form of a company arrived in armoured personnel carriers (one soldier died later from his wounds, while 24 were wounded)

At 15:40, a VC squads walked into the middle of 11 Platoon on the right flank of D Company. One was killed in the action, the area was cleared and 11 Platoon moved forward again.

Several light mortar rounds were fired towards the company position landing to the east, most likely the same mortars that had fired at the base on the night of 16 August, causing several casualties. The accompanying [[Forward Observation Officer]] (FO), New Zealand Army Captain [[Morrie Stanley]], organized counter battery fire, neutralizing them, as the mortars were not fired again. This diversion separated the main company slightly from 11 Platoon, putting the main body behind a slight rise.

As 11 Platoon continued to advance they were attacked by heavy machine gun fire and sustained several casualties. Following normal contact procedures, the platoon went into a defensive position. The VC formed an assault and attacked 11 Platoon around 20 minutes after initial contact with support from their heavy machine guns.

Stanley called in all available artillery support from the 1 ATF artillery units, and 10 Platoon moved up to the left of 11 Platoon to relieve pressure on them and allow them to withdraw to the company defensive position out of the heavy machine gun fire. The commander of 11 Platoon, (ex-conscript) 2nd Lt Gordon Sharp, was killed and Platoon Sergeant [[Bob Buick]] assumed command of the platoon. During this engagement both platoons' radios went out.

Heavy monsoon rain began falling, obscuring the battlefield.

10 Platoon, under 2nd Lt [[Geoff Kendall]], also came under fire and went into a defensive position. 12 Platoon, commanded by 2nd Lt [[Dave Sabben]], had been the reserve platoon, and it was ordered to the right to support 11 Platoon. 12 Platoon left one section behind to support Company HQ.

Stanley called for close US support but when it arrived it was unable to identify targets due to the bad weather. The US warplanes dropped their bombs to the east causing disruption to the VC rear areas.

The Australian soldiers were carrying a light load, approximately five magazines, and quickly ran low on ammunition. At 5:00pm Smith called for an ammunition resupply. By coincidence, two Iroquois helicopters from 9 Squadron, [[Royal Australian Air Force]] were available at the Nui Dat base, having just been used as transport for a [[Col Joye]] and [[Little Pattie]] concert. One of the Iroquois pilots, Flt Lt [[Bob Grandin]], disobeyed orders by dropping supplies to D Company. He recalled: ''"[i]t did sound extremely bad on the radio. I recall Harry [Smith] saying, 'If you don't do this for us you all might as well start saying your prayers — it's all over'."''

The survivors of 11 Platoon withdrew under the cover provided by the torrential rain to the company position. Smith requested reinforcements from 6RAR. B Company HQ with one platoon had not yet got back to Nui Dat and was ordered back to Long Tan. At Nui Dat, A Company was ordered to ready itself and the M-113 armored personnel carriers of the 1st Armored Personnel Carrier Squadron to transport them.

The VC continually formed assault groups and moved forward but were broken up by artillery fire. Fortunately for the attackers, the soft boggy ground reduced the effect of the shell bursts, but there were a large number of wounded. The soldiers of D Company held their line and repulsed any VC that got through the artillery barrage. D Company were supported by twenty-four 105 mm and 155 mm guns from the Australian 1st Field Regiment, the 161st Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery and the U.S. 2nd Battalion, 35th Artillery Regiment. Over 3,000 rounds of artillery were fired throughout the remainder of the battle and night, with fire concentrating on likely VC forming-up positions and escape routes. "A" Battery, 1st Field Regiment fired rounds every 15 seconds for three hours. The U.S. gunners were in the same base as "A" Battery and assisted the exhausted Australian gunners by carrying artillery rounds to their guns.

The reverse slope that D Company used for defense meant that the VC found it difficult to use their heavy calibre weapons effectively; the VC could only engage the Australians at close range. The VC tried to find the Australian flanks but the wide dispersal and excellent defensive position meant the VC thought they were up against a larger enemy.

At last light two rifle companies and APCs from 1 APC Squadron arrived under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel [[Colin Townsend]] and assaulted the Vietnamese flank. In teeming rain, 3 Troop, A Company under Lieutenant Adrian Roberts and 2 Troop, A Company under Lieutenant Peter Dinham, also attacked the forward elements of D445 Battalion, taking them by surprise. A Company dismounted from 10 M-113s and attacked the fleeing enemy, withdrawing to the east. One Australian soldier from the reinforcements was killed as they attacked the D445 Battalion position.

The fresh reinforcements formed a perimeter around D Company allowing them to treat the wounded and rest. The supporting artillery repeatedly fired on likely escape routes of the VC and some Australian wounded were evacuated by helicopter. A and B Companies were a strong force and should have been able to repulse any night attack. As it was there was no further contact.

The next day the dead and wounded from 11 Platoon’s position were recovered and 50 enemy dead buried. Australian historians later claimed US forces captured documents indicating 800 killed and 1,000 wounded. They also point out that the VC routinely carried away their dead during a battle, and this would have reduced the body count.

The Australian losses were 18 killed and 21 wounded. According to the 275th Regiment and D445 Battalion veterans and Vietnamese historians, forty-seven Viet Cong soldiers were killed in action and 100 wounded.

The author of ''First to Fight'', Lieutenant-Colonel Bob Breen later wrote:{{cquote|A combination of the battle discipline and bravery of the Australians, the cover provided by the torrential rain and the effects of hundreds of artillery and mortar rounds falling among the Viet Cong attackers resulted in a stunning victory for the Australians and a further enhancement for the fighting tradition of Australian infantry.<ref>Duty First: The Royal Australian Regiment in War and Peace, Edited by David Horner, p. 215, Allen & Unwin, 1990)</ref>}}

==Body count==

Both sides tried to evacuate the injured in the darkness, although several wounded Australians spent a long and terrifying night on the battlefield while the female and children members of the VC medical platoon (''Mrs Phuong's Medical Evacuation Unit'') moved around them. The morning light revealed the full extent of the horror. Around 50-245 Viet Cong bodies were found in the battle area and it was thought that many more were removed in the night. Eighteen Australians were killed at Long Tan and 24 wounded – over one third of the initial force engaged. In all, 188 enemy killed and wounded were reported by the CO of 6 RAR in his initial report on 19 August.<ref>"Enemy casualties [were] 188 and 3 Viet Cong captured". (See 6th RAR War Diary, available online)</ref>The platoon under 2nd Lieutenant Eric Andrews reported a body count of about fifty killed on 20 August.<ref>"50 enemy bodies buried in [D] company location." (6th RAR War Diary, available online)</ref>

The official Australian Army history ''To Long Tan'', by the Australian military historian Ian McNeill, lists the number of Vietnamese killed in action as 245 and three enemy captured. However, new research shows that Australian claims about 245 enemy soldiers killed in the battle may be highly inflated.<ref>''"The VC divisional planners estimated that four to six labourers would be needed for every wounded soldier requiring evacuation. A 30 percent casualty rate at Long Tan would mean a force of 1,200 would take 360 casualties. Using an 80:20 split for the casualties, 288 would be wounded and 72 killed. To get the seriously wounded and dead off the field, a labour force of something like 800 would be needed. If the casualty figures were increased to 245 dead, the wounded would be 980. Under the 30 per cent rule that would mean an attacking force of just over 4,000, plus a clearance labour force of 3,500. These are unimaginable numbers ..."'' (Vietnam: The Complete Story Of The Australian War, Bruce Davies, Gary McKay, Allen & Unwin, 2013)</ref>

==Controversies and conclusions==

Both the Vietnamese and Australian militaries have disputed each other’s version. The first North Vietnamese communiqué claimed that: ''"Liberation Fighters ... wiped out almost completely one Battalion of the Australian Mercenaries in an ambush in the Long Tan Village."''

There have also been accusations that the Australians also exaggerated enemy casualties. Casualty figures for the Viet Cong ranged from the 245 reportedly found dead on the field of action to the often quoted American Intelligence Officer's high count of 800 Vietnamese killed,<ref>Vietnam – The Australian War, Paul Ham, p 245 and p 704, HarperCollins 2007</ref> with some 6 RAR veterans<ref>[http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/helicopter-pilot-cliff-dohle-cited-for-gallantry-in-mission-to-resupply-long-tan-diggers/story-e6frg6nf-1225792091865 Helicopter pilot Cliff Dohle cited for gallantry in mission to resupply Long Tan diggers, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/...]</ref> accepting the reinforced 275th Regiment's count (including D445 losses) of 47 killed and one-hundred wounded. Australian Military Historians [[Bruce Davies]] and [[Gary McKay]] say claims citing the US Army Intelligence Officer's record purportedly showing that 800 Vietnamese were killed in the battle are wrong for the report does not exist.<ref>"Unfortunately, the diary or parts of it have never been produced. It is also difficult to understand why such an important document was not sent to the combined Document Exploitaton Centre, from where translated copies would have been despatched to all intelligence commanders." (Vietnam: The Complete Story Of The Australian War, Bruce Davies, Gary McKay, Allen & Unwin, 2013)</ref>

Terry Burstall, a private in the 12 Platoon section guarding D Company HQ during the battle, has contradicted Australian official accounts of Vietnamese losses:{{cquote|When I returned to the battlefield the day after the battle, there were bodies lying all through the area ... Would a shell-shocked digger count an arm, a trunk and a leg scattered over several metres as one body or three bodies? Nobody knew or cared at the time, and certainly not the people doing the counting. ...Looking back I don't really think that I would have seen more than 50 bodies and I spent three days in the area.<ref>Terry Burstall, A Soldier Returns, University of Queensland Press, Brisbane, 1990, pp 77-79</ref>}}

The more recent Australian claim that 2,500-3,000 Vietnamese were involved in the battle with D Company is not supported by all Australian authors. Lieutenant-Colonel [[Bob Breen]], author of ''First to Fight'' (the history of 1 RAR's first tour in Vietnam) has written that ''"the Viet Cong 275th Regiment ran into D Company in teeming monsoon rain"'' and that ''"for several hours just over 100 Diggers withstood the best efforts of over 1500 Viet Cong soldiers to kill them."''<ref>Duty First: The Royal Australian Regiment in War and Peace, p. 215, Allen & Unwin, Sydney, 1990</ref>

Vietnam veterans have also reported that Australian soldiers shot or bayoneted wounded VC no longer trying to defend themselves. [[Bob Buick]] faced criticism in 2000, after admitting that he killed a mortally-wounded Vietnamese soldier on the battlefield, the day after the battle. Such an act would have been in breach of the [[Geneva Convention]] and therefore a war crime. Buick was criticised by both Burstall and then president of the Australian Long Tan Association, John Heslewood. Burstall commented: ''"Bob says it was a mercy killing ... would he have done the same to an Australian?"''<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/stories/s164813.htm Hero of Long Tan's "mercy killing" upsets comrades]</ref>

Many Vietnamese participants are adamant that D Company was ambushed. They state that the VC had planned to draw the Australian force into a wooded area to the north of the rubber plantation, where heavy weapons had been set up on a rise known to the Australians as ''"Nui Dat 2 GR4868"''. A supporting company of D445 Battalion were in the south near the village of Long Tan with one anti-tank platoonplaced on the south western edge of the plantation, hoping to slow down any APC-mounted reinforcements, and cut off an Australian retreat. In 2006, [[Sau Thu]], a former major in D445 Battalion, was quoted as saying that he had been ordered to lure the Australians out of Nui Dat, kill as many of them as possible, capture their weapons and then take the base. ''We didn't know how many you had in Nui Dat. We tried to draw them out We thought they would go one way but the Australian soldiers went the wrong way and came behind us."''

According to Burstall, the Vietnamese commander at Long Tan, Colonel [[Nguyen Thanh Hong]], was amazed that the Australians could look on the battle as a victory:{{cquote|How can you claim a victory when you allowed yourselves to walk into a trap that we had set? Admittedly we did not finish the job, but that was only because time beat us and your reinforcements arrived. I mean you did not even attempt to follow us up. How can you claim a significant victory from that sort of behaviour?<ref>[http://www.hotkey.net.au/~marshalle/Terryb.htm Long Tan: The Other Side of the Hill]</ref>}}

Lieutenant-Colonel Townsend was reportedly unable to pursue the mauled 275th Regiment because of the vulnerability of the Nui Dat base to an attack from the 274th Regiment. However, seven days later the [[173rd Airborne Brigade]], a US marine battalion, several ARVN battalions and 5 RAR joined in Operation ''Toledo'' and from 25 August to 7 September were involved in a large-scale sweep of the area. Captain Robert O'Neill (Intelligence Officer, 5 RAR) wrote that no evidence of heavy casualties were found in the enemy retreat:{{cquote|...the battalion had been keyed up to the possibility of a major encounter with the Viet Cong-a battle which would have had a decisive effect on the Viet Cong in Phuoc Tuy Province. Instead all we found was dense jungle with no trace of any large Viet Cong force ever having been in the area.<ref>Robert O'Neill, Vietnam Task: The 5th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, 1966/67, Cassell, Melbourne, 1968, p. 93</ref>}}

==Aftermath==

A US Presidential Unit Citation (PUC) was awarded to D Company 6RAR, by President Lyndon B. Johnson on May 28, 1968, for the unit's actions at Long Tan:{{cquote|By virtue of the authority invested in me as the President of the United States and as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, I have today awarded the Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for extraordinary heroism to D Company, Sixth Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, The Australian Army.D Company distinguished itself by extraordinary heroism while engaged in military operations against an opposing armed force in Vietnam on 18 August 1966. While searching for Viet Cong in a rubber plantation northeast of Ba Ria, Phuoc Tuy, Province, Republic of Vietnam, D Company met and immediately engaged in heavy contact. As the battle developed, it became apparent that the men of D Company were facing a numerically superior force. The platoons of D Company were surrounded and attacked on all sides by an estimated reinforced enemy battalion using automatic weapons, small arms and mortars. Fighting courageously against a well armed and determined foe, the men on D Company maintained their formations in a common perimeter defence and inflicted heavy casualties on the Viet Cong. The enemy maintained a continuous, intense volume of fire and attacked repeatedly from all directions. Each successive assault was repulsed by the courageous Australians. Heavy rainfall and low ceiling prevented any friendly close air support during the battle. After three hours of savage attacks, having failed to penetrate the Australian lines, the enemy withdrew from the battlefield carrying many dead and wounded, and leaving 245 Viet Cong dead forward of the defence positions of D Company. The conspicuous courage, intrepidity and indomitable courage of D Company were to the highest tradition of military valour and reflect great credit upon D Company and the Australian Army.<ref>[http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-battles/long_tan.htm The Battle of Long Tan by the men who were there ]</ref>}}

Soldiers that served ino D Company 6 RAR still wear the PUC on their uniforms.

Townsend was awarded the [[Distinguished Service Order]] (DSO). Smith was recommended for a [[Distinguished Service Order]], but received the lower award of a [[Military Cross]]. Each of the three platoon commanders were recommended for Military Crosses but none were awarded. Two Distinguished Conduct Medals, and two Military Medals were also awarded. The lack of recognition paid to Australian veterans by the Australian government was remedied under the government of Prime Minister [[John Howard]]. In November 2006, Howard visited Long Tan, the first Australian Prime Minister to make the journey. At Long Tan, Howard acknowledged the poor treatment that Australian Vietnam veterans had received.

A total of 22 members of D Company were awarded South Vietnamese medals. However, it had long been the policy of the Australian military that its members could not accept awards from foreign powers, including allies. It was only in June 2004 that the awards were finally accepted by the Minister of Defence.

==Commemoration and reconciliation==

The Battle of Long Tan has become a symbol of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War and August 18th is now commemorated in Australia as ''Vietnam Veterans Day''. Almost 60,000 Australians served in Vietnam; 521 died and over 3,000 were wounded.

6 RAR erected a concrete cross to commemorate those that died. This was removed by the government of Vietnam following the Communist victory in 1975, but has now been replaced by a larger monument of similar design. The original, discovered by Terry Burstall in his trip, is now on display at Dong Nai province museum in Bien Hoa.

In more recent times former officers from D Company have visited Vietnam and met former adversaries.

In 1996, on the 30th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, [[The Sydney Morning Herald]] printed a special commemorative issue to do with the Battle of Long Tan and revealed to the Australian public for the very first time the Vietnamese version of events of VC soldiers involved and killed in the 275th Regiment:{{cquote|[The] senior Vietnamese officers made the startling claim that only 700 of their men had taken part in the battle — half the most conservative Australian estimate — and that only 30 had been killed.<ref>Mark Baker, ''Stilling The Ghosts Of Long Ta''n, Sydney Morning Herald, August 16, 1996</ref>}}

A feature film, a fictionalised account written and directed by ex-Australian Army Commando and filmmaker [[Bruce Beresford]], and entitled Long Tan, was released in 2008.

In 2013, [[Phan Chien]], chairman of the [[Ba Ria-Vung Tau Veterans' Association]], reported that the VC forces suffered over 170 killed from 1966 until 1971 in Phouc Tuy Province, which appeared to confirm Australian estimates over enemy numbers killed in the Battle of Long Tan.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Vietnam War]]

Battle of Long Tan

2017-03-01T01:49:28Z

Paulvani: /* Body count */

{{War
| image =
| conflict = [[Vietnam War]]
| date = August 17, 1966-August 19, 1966
| location = Phuoc Toy Province, Republic of Vietnam
| combatant1 = [[Australian Army]]
| combatant2 = [[Viet Cong]]
| commander1 = [[Colin Towsend]] Lieutenant Colonel, Australian Army
| commander2 = [[Nguyen Thanh Hong]] Colonel, VC
| strength1 = 1,100 (including rear-echelon troops)
| strength2 = 108 (not including reinforcements)
| casualties1 = '''42''' Killed: 18 Wounded: 24 Missing or captured: 2 (recovered)
| casualties2 = '''150''' Killed: 47 Wounded:100 Missing or captured: 3-4
}}
The '''Battle of Long Tần''' is arguably the most famous battle fought by the Australian Army during the Vietnam War. It was fought in a rubber plantation near the village of Long Tần, about 4 km north-east of Vung Tau, South Vietnam on August 18–19, 1966.

The action occurred when D Company of the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), part of the 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF), encountered the Viet Cong (VC) 275 Regiment and elements of the D445 Local Forces Battalion. D Company was supported by other Australian units, as well as New Zealand and United States personnel.

For several weeks prior to the battle, Australian field intelligence had tracked a radio transmitter moving south but were unsure about what unit it belonged to. Aggressive patrolling failed to find this unit.

On the night of 17–18 August, the Viet Cong 275th Regiment fired over 100 mortar rounds into the 103 Battery area and 22 Australian soldiers were wounded, one later dying from his wounds. B Company 6 RAR was sent out early on the morning of the 18th to find the VC heavy weapons. D Company (to which was attached three New Zealand Army personnel) relieved B Company at midday. The commander of B Company, Major Noel Ford, briefed the D Company commander, Major Harry Smith, and B Company returned to base. After discussing the situation with the 6 RAR battalion commander, Lt Col. Colin Townsend, D Company moved to the east towards the limit of their covering artillery range.

The battle is often used in Australian officer training as an example of the importance of combining and coordinating infantry, artillery, armour and military aviation.

==Background==

1ATF arrived in Vietnam in May 1966 and was based at the Nui Dat base, in Phuoc Tuy Province. (As of 2005, Nui Dat and Long Tan are both in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province.) 6 RAR was composed mainly of conscripts. The Australians faced formidable enemy forces, which were operating on home soil:{{cquote|Within Phouc Tuy and the neighbouring provinces of Bien Hoa, Long Khanh and Binh Tuy, the principle [sic] main force formation… was the 5th NLF Division, which usually had its headquarters in the Mây Tào Mountains. It consisted of 274th Regiment and the 275th Regiment plus supporting units. North Vietnamese regulars were used to boost and reinforce this South Vietnamese Viet Cong formation…<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060207035903/http://www.5rar.asn.au/tactics.htm THE ENEMY AND HIS TACTICS]</ref>}}

Members of D Company found new VC tracks and spread out into a wide formation, to maximise the chances of contact. Two platoons led the way, with company headquarters behind them and a third platoon in the rear.

==Battle==

Against overwhelming odds, all but 17 of 108 Australians survived wave after wave of attack until a relief force in the form of a company arrived in armoured personnel carriers (one soldier died later from his wounds, while 24 were wounded)

At 15:40, a small group of VC soldiers walked into the middle of 11 Platoon on the right flank of D Company. One was killed in the action, the area was cleared and 11 Platoon moved forward again.

Several light mortar rounds were fired towards the company position landing to the east, most likely the same mortars that had fired at the base on the night of 16 August, causing several casualties. The accompanying Forward Observation Officer (FO), New Zealand Army Captain Morrie Stanley, organised counter battery fire, probably destroying them, as the mortars were not fired again. This diversion separated the main company slightly from 11 Platoon, putting the main body behind a slight rise.

As 11 Platoon continued to advance they were attacked by heavy machine gun fire and sustained several casualties. Following normal contact procedures, the platoon went into a defensive position. The VC formed an assault and attacked 11 Platoon around 20 minutes after initial contact with support from their heavy machine guns.

Stanley called in all available artillery support from the 1 ATF artillery units, and 10 Platoon moved up to the left of 11 Platoon to relieve pressure on them and allow them to withdraw to the company defensive position out of the heavy machine gun fire. The commander of 11 Platoon, ex-conscript 2nd Lt Gordon Sharp, was killed and Sergeant Bob Buick assumed command of the platoon. During this engagement both platoons' radios went out.

Heavy monsoon rain began falling, obscuring the battlefield.

10 Platoon, under 2nd Lt Geoff Kendall, also came under fire and went into a defensive position. 12 Platoon, commanded by 2nd Lt Dave Sabben, had been the reserve platoon, and it was ordered to the right to support 11 Platoon. 12 Platoon left one section behind to support Company HQ.

Stanley called for close air support but when it arrived it was unable to identify targets due to the bad weather. The US aircraft dropped their bombs to the east causing disruption to the VC rear areas.

The Australian soldiers were carrying a light load, approximately five magazines, and quickly ran low on ammunition. At 5:00pm Smith called for an ammunition resupply. By coincidence, two Iroquois helicopters from 9 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force were available at the Nui Dat base, having just been used as transport for a Col Joye and Little Pattie concert. One of the Iroquois pilots, Flt Lt Bob Grandin, disobeyed orders by dropping supplies to D Company. He recalled: ''"[i]t did sound extremely bad on the radio. I recall Harry [Smith] saying, 'If you don't do this for us you all might as well start saying your prayers — it's all over'."''

The survivors of 11 Platoon withdrew under the cover provided by the torrential rain to the company position. Smith requested reinforcements from 6RAR. B Company HQ with its one platoon had not yet got back to Nui Dat and was ordered back to Long Tan. At Nui Dat, A Company was ordered to ready itself and the M-113 armoured personnel carriers of the 1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron to transport them.

The VC continually formed assault groups and moved forward but were broken up by artillery fire. Fortunately for the attackers, the soft boggy ground reduced the effect of the shell bursts, but there were a large number of wounded. The soldiers of D Company held their line and repulsed any VC that got through the artillery barrage. D Company were supported by 24 105 mm and 155 mm guns from the Australian 1st Field Regiment, the 161st Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery and the U.S. 2nd Battalion, 35th Artillery Regiment. Over 3,000 rounds of artillery were fired throughout the remainder of the battle and night, with fire concentrating on likely VC forming-up positions and escape routes. "A" Battery, 1st Field Regiment fired rounds every 15 seconds for three hours. The U.S. gunners were in the same base as "A" Battery and assisted the exhausted Australian gunners by carrying artillery rounds to their guns.

The reverse slope that D Company used for defense meant that the VC found it difficult to use their heavy calibre weapons effectively; the VC could only engage the Australians at close range. The VC tried to find the Australian flanks but the wide dispersal and excellent defensive position meant the VC thought they were up against a larger enemy.

At last light two rifle companies and APCs from 1 APC Squadron arrived under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Colin Townsend and assaulted the Vietnamese flank. In teeming rain, 3 Troop, A Company under Lieutenant Adrian Roberts and 2 Troop, A Company under Lieutenant Peter Dinham, also attacked the forward elements of D445 Battalion, taking them by surprise. A Company dismounted from 10 M-113s and attacked the fleeing enemy, withdrawing to the east. An Australian soldier from one of the rifle companies was killed as they attacked the D445 Battalion position.

The fresh reinforcements formed a perimeter around D Company allowing them to treat the wounded and rest. The supporting artillery repeatedly fired on likely escape routes of the VC and some wounded were evacuated by helicopter. A and B Companies were a strong force and should have been able to repulse any night attack. As it was there was no further contact.

The next day the dead and wounded from 11 Platoon’s position were recovered and 50 enemy dead buried. Australian historians later claimed US forces captured documents indicating 800 killed and 1,000 wounded. They also point out that the VC routinely carried away their dead during a battle, and this would have reduced the body count.

The Australian losses were 18 killed and 21 wounded. According to the 275th Regiment and D445 Battalion veterans and Vietnamese historians, forty-seven Viet Cong soldiers were killed in action and 100 wounded.

The author of ''First to Fight'', Lieutenant-Colonel Bob Breen later wrote:{{cquote|A combination of the battle discipline and bravery of the Australians, the cover provided by the torrential rain and the effects of hundreds of artillery and mortar rounds falling among the Viet Cong attackers resulted in a stunning victory for the Australians and a further enhancement for the fighting tradition of Australian infantry.<ref>Duty First: The Royal Australian Regiment in War and Peace, Edited by David Horner, p. 215, Allen & Unwin, 1990)</ref>}}

==Body count==

Both sides tried to evacuate the injured in the darkness, although several wounded Australians spent a long and terrifying night on the battlefield while the female and children members of the VC medical platoon (''Mrs Phuong's Medical Evacuation Unit'') moved around them. The morning light revealed the full extent of the horror. Around 50-245 Viet Cong bodies were found in the battle area and it was thought that many more were removed in the night. Eighteen Australians were killed at Long Tan and 24 wounded – over one third of the initial force engaged. In all, 188 enemy killed and wounded were reported by the CO of 6 RAR in his initial report on 19 August.<ref>"Enemy casualties [were] 188 and 3 Viet Cong captured". (See 6th RAR War Diary, available online)</ref>The platoon under 2nd Lieutenant Eric Andrews reported a body count of about fifty killed on 20 August.<ref>"50 enemy bodies buried in [D] company location." (6th RAR War Diary, available online)</ref>

The official Australian Army history ''To Long Tan'', by the Australian military historian Ian McNeill, lists the number of Vietnamese killed in action as 245 and three enemy captured. However, new research shows that Australian claims about 245 enemy soldiers killed in the battle may be highly inflated.<ref>''"The VC divisional planners estimated that four to six labourers would be needed for every wounded soldier requiring evacuation. A 30 percent casualty rate at Long Tan would mean a force of 1,200 would take 360 casualties. Using an 80:20 split for the casualties, 288 would be wounded and 72 killed. To get the seriously wounded and dead off the field, a labour force of something like 800 would be needed. If the casualty figures were increased to 245 dead, the wounded would be 980. Under the 30 per cent rule that would mean an attacking force of just over 4,000, plus a clearance labour force of 3,500. These are unimaginable numbers ..."'' (Vietnam: The Complete Story Of The Australian War, Bruce Davies, Gary McKay, Allen & Unwin, 2013)</ref>

==Controversies and conclusions==

Both the Vietnamese and Australian militaries have disputed each other’s version. The first North Vietnamese communiqué claimed that: ''"Liberation Fighters ... wiped out almost completely one Battalion of the Australian Mercenaries in an ambush in the Long Tan Village."''

There have also been accusations that the Australians also exaggerated enemy casualties. Casualty figures for the Viet Cong ranged from the 245 reportedly found dead on the field of action to the often quoted American Intelligence Officer's high count of 800 Vietnamese killed,<ref>Vietnam – The Australian War, Paul Ham, p 245 and p 704, HarperCollins 2007</ref> with some 6 RAR veterans<ref>[http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/helicopter-pilot-cliff-dohle-cited-for-gallantry-in-mission-to-resupply-long-tan-diggers/story-e6frg6nf-1225792091865 Helicopter pilot Cliff Dohle cited for gallantry in mission to resupply Long Tan diggers, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/...]</ref> accepting the reinforced 275th Regiment's count (including D445 losses) of 47 killed and one-hundred wounded. Australian Military Historians [[Bruce Davies]] and [[Gary McKay]] say claims citing the US Army Intelligence Officer's record purportedly showing that 800 Vietnamese were killed in the battle are wrong for the report does not exist.<ref>"Unfortunately, the diary or parts of it have never been produced. It is also difficult to understand why such an important document was not sent to the combined Document Exploitaton Centre, from where translated copies would have been despatched to all intelligence commanders." (Vietnam: The Complete Story Of The Australian War, Bruce Davies, Gary McKay, Allen & Unwin, 2013)</ref>

Terry Burstall, a private in the 12 Platoon section guarding D Company HQ during the battle, has contradicted Australian official accounts of Vietnamese losses:{{cquote|When I returned to the battlefield the day after the battle, there were bodies lying all through the area ... Would a shell-shocked digger count an arm, a trunk and a leg scattered over several metres as one body or three bodies? Nobody knew or cared at the time, and certainly not the people doing the counting. ...Looking back I don't really think that I would have seen more than 50 bodies and I spent three days in the area.<ref>Terry Burstall, A Soldier Returns, University of Queensland Press, Brisbane, 1990, pp 77-79</ref>}}

The more recent Australian claim that 2,500-3,000 Vietnamese were involved in the battle with D Company is not supported by all Australian authors. Lieutenant-Colonel [[Bob Breen]], author of ''First to Fight'' (the history of 1 RAR's first tour in Vietnam) has written that ''"the Viet Cong 275th Regiment ran into D Company in teeming monsoon rain"'' and that ''"for several hours just over 100 Diggers withstood the best efforts of over 1500 Viet Cong soldiers to kill them."''<ref>Duty First: The Royal Australian Regiment in War and Peace, p. 215, Allen & Unwin, Sydney, 1990</ref>

Vietnam veterans have also reported that Australian soldiers shot or bayoneted wounded VC no longer trying to defend themselves. [[Bob Buick]] faced criticism in 2000, after admitting that he killed a mortally-wounded Vietnamese soldier on the battlefield, the day after the battle. Such an act would have been in breach of the [[Geneva Convention]] and therefore a war crime. Buick was criticised by both Burstall and then president of the Australian Long Tan Association, John Heslewood. Burstall commented: ''"Bob says it was a mercy killing ... would he have done the same to an Australian?"''<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/stories/s164813.htm Hero of Long Tan's "mercy killing" upsets comrades]</ref>

Many Vietnamese participants are adamant that D Company was ambushed. They state that the VC had planned to draw the Australian force into a wooded area to the north of the rubber plantation, where heavy weapons had been set up on a rise known to the Australians as ''"Nui Dat 2 GR4868"''. A supporting company of D445 Battalion were in the south near the village of Long Tan with one anti-tank platoonplaced on the south western edge of the plantation, hoping to slow down any APC-mounted reinforcements, and cut off an Australian retreat. In 2006, [[Sau Thu]], a former major in D445 Battalion, was quoted as saying that he had been ordered to lure the Australians out of Nui Dat, kill as many of them as possible, capture their weapons and then take the base. ''We didn't know how many you had in Nui Dat. We tried to draw them out We thought they would go one way but the Australian soldiers went the wrong way and came behind us."''

According to Burstall, the Vietnamese commander at Long Tan, Colonel [[Nguyen Thanh Hong]], was amazed that the Australians could look on the battle as a victory:{{cquote|How can you claim a victory when you allowed yourselves to walk into a trap that we had set? Admittedly we did not finish the job, but that was only because time beat us and your reinforcements arrived. I mean you did not even attempt to follow us up. How can you claim a significant victory from that sort of behaviour?<ref>[http://www.hotkey.net.au/~marshalle/Terryb.htm Long Tan: The Other Side of the Hill]</ref>}}

Lieutenant-Colonel Townsend was reportedly unable to pursue the mauled 275th Regiment because of the vulnerability of the Nui Dat base to an attack from the 274th Regiment. However, seven days later the [[173rd Airborne Brigade]], a US marine battalion, several ARVN battalions and 5 RAR joined in Operation ''Toledo'' and from 25 August to 7 September were involved in a large-scale sweep of the area. Captain Robert O'Neill (Intelligence Officer, 5 RAR) wrote that no evidence of heavy casualties were found in the enemy retreat:{{cquote|...the battalion had been keyed up to the possibility of a major encounter with the Viet Cong-a battle which would have had a decisive effect on the Viet Cong in Phuoc Tuy Province. Instead all we found was dense jungle with no trace of any large Viet Cong force ever having been in the area.<ref>Robert O'Neill, Vietnam Task: The 5th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, 1966/67, Cassell, Melbourne, 1968, p. 93</ref>}}

==Aftermath==

A US Presidential Unit Citation (PUC) was awarded to D Company 6RAR, by President Lyndon B. Johnson on May 28, 1968, for the unit's actions at Long Tan:{{cquote|By virtue of the authority invested in me as the President of the United States and as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, I have today awarded the Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for extraordinary heroism to D Company, Sixth Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, The Australian Army.D Company distinguished itself by extraordinary heroism while engaged in military operations against an opposing armed force in Vietnam on 18 August 1966. While searching for Viet Cong in a rubber plantation northeast of Ba Ria, Phuoc Tuy, Province, Republic of Vietnam, D Company met and immediately engaged in heavy contact. As the battle developed, it became apparent that the men of D Company were facing a numerically superior force. The platoons of D Company were surrounded and attacked on all sides by an estimated reinforced enemy battalion using automatic weapons, small arms and mortars. Fighting courageously against a well armed and determined foe, the men on D Company maintained their formations in a common perimeter defence and inflicted heavy casualties on the Viet Cong. The enemy maintained a continuous, intense volume of fire and attacked repeatedly from all directions. Each successive assault was repulsed by the courageous Australians. Heavy rainfall and low ceiling prevented any friendly close air support during the battle. After three hours of savage attacks, having failed to penetrate the Australian lines, the enemy withdrew from the battlefield carrying many dead and wounded, and leaving 245 Viet Cong dead forward of the defence positions of D Company. The conspicuous courage, intrepidity and indomitable courage of D Company were to the highest tradition of military valour and reflect great credit upon D Company and the Australian Army.<ref>[http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-battles/long_tan.htm The Battle of Long Tan by the men who were there ]</ref>}}

Soldiers that served ino D Company 6 RAR still wear the PUC on their uniforms.

Townsend was awarded the [[Distinguished Service Order]] (DSO). Smith was recommended for a [[Distinguished Service Order]], but received the lower award of a [[Military Cross]]. Each of the three platoon commanders were recommended for Military Crosses but none were awarded. Two Distinguished Conduct Medals, and two Military Medals were also awarded. The lack of recognition paid to Australian veterans by the Australian government was remedied under the government of Prime Minister [[John Howard]]. In November 2006, Howard visited Long Tan, the first Australian Prime Minister to make the journey. At Long Tan, Howard acknowledged the poor treatment that Australian Vietnam veterans had received.

A total of 22 members of D Company were awarded South Vietnamese medals. However, it had long been the policy of the Australian military that its members could not accept awards from foreign powers, including allies. It was only in June 2004 that the awards were finally accepted by the Minister of Defence.

==Commemoration and reconciliation==

The Battle of Long Tan has become a symbol of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War and August 18th is now commemorated in Australia as ''Vietnam Veterans Day''. Almost 60,000 Australians served in Vietnam; 521 died and over 3,000 were wounded.

6 RAR erected a concrete cross to commemorate those that died. This was removed by the government of Vietnam following the Communist victory in 1975, but has now been replaced by a larger monument of similar design. The original, discovered by Terry Burstall in his trip, is now on display at Dong Nai province museum in Bien Hoa.

In more recent times former officers from D Company have visited Vietnam and met former adversaries.

In 1996, on the 30th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, [[The Sydney Morning Herald]] printed a special commemorative issue to do with the Battle of Long Tan and revealed to the Australian public for the very first time the Vietnamese version of events of VC soldiers involved and killed in the 275th Regiment:{{cquote|[The] senior Vietnamese officers made the startling claim that only 700 of their men had taken part in the battle — half the most conservative Australian estimate — and that only 30 had been killed.<ref>Mark Baker, ''Stilling The Ghosts Of Long Ta''n, Sydney Morning Herald, August 16, 1996</ref>}}

A feature film, a fictionalised account written and directed by ex-Australian Army Commando and filmmaker [[Bruce Beresford]], and entitled Long Tan, was released in 2008.

In 2013, [[Phan Chien]], chairman of the [[Ba Ria-Vung Tau Veterans' Association]], reported that the VC forces suffered over 170 killed from 1966 until 1971 in Phouc Tuy Province, which appeared to confirm Australian estimates over enemy numbers killed in the Battle of Long Tan.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Vietnam War]]

Battle of Long Tan

2017-03-01T01:44:31Z

Paulvani: /* Controversies and conclusions */

{{War
| image =
| conflict = [[Vietnam War]]
| date = August 17, 1966-August 19, 1966
| location = Phuoc Toy Province, Republic of Vietnam
| combatant1 = [[Australian Army]]
| combatant2 = [[Viet Cong]]
| commander1 = [[Colin Towsend]] Lieutenant Colonel, Australian Army
| commander2 = [[Nguyen Thanh Hong]] Colonel, VC
| strength1 = 1,100 (including rear-echelon troops)
| strength2 = 108 (not including reinforcements)
| casualties1 = '''42''' Killed: 18 Wounded: 24 Missing or captured: 2 (recovered)
| casualties2 = '''150''' Killed: 47 Wounded:100 Missing or captured: 3-4
}}
The '''Battle of Long Tần''' is arguably the most famous battle fought by the Australian Army during the Vietnam War. It was fought in a rubber plantation near the village of Long Tần, about 4 km north-east of Vung Tau, South Vietnam on August 18–19, 1966.

The action occurred when D Company of the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), part of the 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF), encountered the Viet Cong (VC) 275 Regiment and elements of the D445 Local Forces Battalion. D Company was supported by other Australian units, as well as New Zealand and United States personnel.

For several weeks prior to the battle, Australian field intelligence had tracked a radio transmitter moving south but were unsure about what unit it belonged to. Aggressive patrolling failed to find this unit.

On the night of 17–18 August, the Viet Cong 275th Regiment fired over 100 mortar rounds into the 103 Battery area and 22 Australian soldiers were wounded, one later dying from his wounds. B Company 6 RAR was sent out early on the morning of the 18th to find the VC heavy weapons. D Company (to which was attached three New Zealand Army personnel) relieved B Company at midday. The commander of B Company, Major Noel Ford, briefed the D Company commander, Major Harry Smith, and B Company returned to base. After discussing the situation with the 6 RAR battalion commander, Lt Col. Colin Townsend, D Company moved to the east towards the limit of their covering artillery range.

The battle is often used in Australian officer training as an example of the importance of combining and coordinating infantry, artillery, armour and military aviation.

==Background==

1ATF arrived in Vietnam in May 1966 and was based at the Nui Dat base, in Phuoc Tuy Province. (As of 2005, Nui Dat and Long Tan are both in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province.) 6 RAR was composed mainly of conscripts. The Australians faced formidable enemy forces, which were operating on home soil:{{cquote|Within Phouc Tuy and the neighbouring provinces of Bien Hoa, Long Khanh and Binh Tuy, the principle [sic] main force formation… was the 5th NLF Division, which usually had its headquarters in the Mây Tào Mountains. It consisted of 274th Regiment and the 275th Regiment plus supporting units. North Vietnamese regulars were used to boost and reinforce this South Vietnamese Viet Cong formation…<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060207035903/http://www.5rar.asn.au/tactics.htm THE ENEMY AND HIS TACTICS]</ref>}}

Members of D Company found new VC tracks and spread out into a wide formation, to maximise the chances of contact. Two platoons led the way, with company headquarters behind them and a third platoon in the rear.

==Battle==

Against overwhelming odds, all but 17 of 108 Australians survived wave after wave of attack until a relief force in the form of a company arrived in armoured personnel carriers (one soldier died later from his wounds, while 24 were wounded)

At 15:40, a small group of VC soldiers walked into the middle of 11 Platoon on the right flank of D Company. One was killed in the action, the area was cleared and 11 Platoon moved forward again.

Several light mortar rounds were fired towards the company position landing to the east, most likely the same mortars that had fired at the base on the night of 16 August, causing several casualties. The accompanying Forward Observation Officer (FO), New Zealand Army Captain Morrie Stanley, organised counter battery fire, probably destroying them, as the mortars were not fired again. This diversion separated the main company slightly from 11 Platoon, putting the main body behind a slight rise.

As 11 Platoon continued to advance they were attacked by heavy machine gun fire and sustained several casualties. Following normal contact procedures, the platoon went into a defensive position. The VC formed an assault and attacked 11 Platoon around 20 minutes after initial contact with support from their heavy machine guns.

Stanley called in all available artillery support from the 1 ATF artillery units, and 10 Platoon moved up to the left of 11 Platoon to relieve pressure on them and allow them to withdraw to the company defensive position out of the heavy machine gun fire. The commander of 11 Platoon, ex-conscript 2nd Lt Gordon Sharp, was killed and Sergeant Bob Buick assumed command of the platoon. During this engagement both platoons' radios went out.

Heavy monsoon rain began falling, obscuring the battlefield.

10 Platoon, under 2nd Lt Geoff Kendall, also came under fire and went into a defensive position. 12 Platoon, commanded by 2nd Lt Dave Sabben, had been the reserve platoon, and it was ordered to the right to support 11 Platoon. 12 Platoon left one section behind to support Company HQ.

Stanley called for close air support but when it arrived it was unable to identify targets due to the bad weather. The US aircraft dropped their bombs to the east causing disruption to the VC rear areas.

The Australian soldiers were carrying a light load, approximately five magazines, and quickly ran low on ammunition. At 5:00pm Smith called for an ammunition resupply. By coincidence, two Iroquois helicopters from 9 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force were available at the Nui Dat base, having just been used as transport for a Col Joye and Little Pattie concert. One of the Iroquois pilots, Flt Lt Bob Grandin, disobeyed orders by dropping supplies to D Company. He recalled: ''"[i]t did sound extremely bad on the radio. I recall Harry [Smith] saying, 'If you don't do this for us you all might as well start saying your prayers — it's all over'."''

The survivors of 11 Platoon withdrew under the cover provided by the torrential rain to the company position. Smith requested reinforcements from 6RAR. B Company HQ with its one platoon had not yet got back to Nui Dat and was ordered back to Long Tan. At Nui Dat, A Company was ordered to ready itself and the M-113 armoured personnel carriers of the 1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron to transport them.

The VC continually formed assault groups and moved forward but were broken up by artillery fire. Fortunately for the attackers, the soft boggy ground reduced the effect of the shell bursts, but there were a large number of wounded. The soldiers of D Company held their line and repulsed any VC that got through the artillery barrage. D Company were supported by 24 105 mm and 155 mm guns from the Australian 1st Field Regiment, the 161st Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery and the U.S. 2nd Battalion, 35th Artillery Regiment. Over 3,000 rounds of artillery were fired throughout the remainder of the battle and night, with fire concentrating on likely VC forming-up positions and escape routes. "A" Battery, 1st Field Regiment fired rounds every 15 seconds for three hours. The U.S. gunners were in the same base as "A" Battery and assisted the exhausted Australian gunners by carrying artillery rounds to their guns.

The reverse slope that D Company used for defense meant that the VC found it difficult to use their heavy calibre weapons effectively; the VC could only engage the Australians at close range. The VC tried to find the Australian flanks but the wide dispersal and excellent defensive position meant the VC thought they were up against a larger enemy.

At last light two rifle companies and APCs from 1 APC Squadron arrived under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Colin Townsend and assaulted the Vietnamese flank. In teeming rain, 3 Troop, A Company under Lieutenant Adrian Roberts and 2 Troop, A Company under Lieutenant Peter Dinham, also attacked the forward elements of D445 Battalion, taking them by surprise. A Company dismounted from 10 M-113s and attacked the fleeing enemy, withdrawing to the east. An Australian soldier from one of the rifle companies was killed as they attacked the D445 Battalion position.

The fresh reinforcements formed a perimeter around D Company allowing them to treat the wounded and rest. The supporting artillery repeatedly fired on likely escape routes of the VC and some wounded were evacuated by helicopter. A and B Companies were a strong force and should have been able to repulse any night attack. As it was there was no further contact.

The next day the dead and wounded from 11 Platoon’s position were recovered and 50 enemy dead buried. Australian historians later claimed US forces captured documents indicating 800 killed and 1,000 wounded. They also point out that the VC routinely carried away their dead during a battle, and this would have reduced the body count.

The Australian losses were 18 killed and 21 wounded. According to the 275th Regiment and D445 Battalion veterans and Vietnamese historians, forty-seven Viet Cong soldiers were killed in action and 100 wounded.

The author of ''First to Fight'', Lieutenant-Colonel Bob Breen later wrote:{{cquote|A combination of the battle discipline and bravery of the Australians, the cover provided by the torrential rain and the effects of hundreds of artillery and mortar rounds falling among the Viet Cong attackers resulted in a stunning victory for the Australians and a further enhancement for the fighting tradition of Australian infantry.<ref>Duty First: The Royal Australian Regiment in War and Peace, Edited by David Horner, p. 215, Allen & Unwin, 1990)</ref>}}

==Body count==

Both sides tried to evacuate the injured in the darkness, although several wounded Australians spent a long and terrifying night on the battlefield while the female VC medical platoon (''Mrs Phuong's Medical Evacuation Unit'') moved around them. The morning light revealed the full extent of the horror. 50-245 Viet Cong bodies were found in the battle area and it was thought that many more were removed in the night. 18 Australians were killed at Long Tan and 24 wounded – over one third of the initial force engaged. 188 enemy killed and wounded is the figure formally declared by the CO and 6 RAR in his initial report on 19 August.<ref>"Enemy casualties [were] 188 and 3 Viet Cong captured". (See 6th RAR War Diary, available online)</ref> The platoon under Second Lieutenant Eric Andrews reported a body count of about fifty killed on 20 August.<ref>"50 enemy bodies buried in [D] company location." (6th RAR War Diary, available online)</ref>

The official Australian Army history ''To Long Tan'', by the Australian military historian Ian McNeill, lists the number of Vietnamese killed in action as 245 and three enemy captured. However, new research shows that Australian claims about 245 enemy soldiers killed in the battle may be highly inflated.<ref>''"The VC divisional planners estimated that four to six labourers would be needed for every wounded soldier requiring evacuation. A 30 percent casualty rate at Long Tan would mean a force of 1,200 would take 360 casualties. Using an 80:20 split for the casualties, 288 would be wounded and 72 killed. To get the seriously wounded and dead off the field, a labour force of something like 800 would be needed. If the casualty figures were increased to 245 dead, the wounded would be 980. Under the 30 per cent rule that would mean an attacking force of just over 4,000, plus a clearance labour force of 3,500. These are unimaginable numbers ..."'' (Vietnam: The Complete Story Of The Australian War, Bruce Davies, Gary McKay, Allen & Unwin, 2013)</ref>

==Controversies and conclusions==

Both the Vietnamese and Australian militaries have disputed each other’s version. The first North Vietnamese communiqué claimed that: ''"Liberation Fighters ... wiped out almost completely one Battalion of the Australian Mercenaries in an ambush in the Long Tan Village."''

There have also been accusations that the Australians also exaggerated enemy casualties. Casualty figures for the Viet Cong ranged from the 245 reportedly found dead on the field of action to the often quoted American Intelligence Officer's high count of 800 Vietnamese killed,<ref>Vietnam – The Australian War, Paul Ham, p 245 and p 704, HarperCollins 2007</ref> with some 6 RAR veterans<ref>[http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/helicopter-pilot-cliff-dohle-cited-for-gallantry-in-mission-to-resupply-long-tan-diggers/story-e6frg6nf-1225792091865 Helicopter pilot Cliff Dohle cited for gallantry in mission to resupply Long Tan diggers, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/...]</ref> accepting the reinforced 275th Regiment's count (including D445 losses) of 47 killed and one-hundred wounded. Australian Military Historians [[Bruce Davies]] and [[Gary McKay]] say claims citing the US Army Intelligence Officer's record purportedly showing that 800 Vietnamese were killed in the battle are wrong for the report does not exist.<ref>"Unfortunately, the diary or parts of it have never been produced. It is also difficult to understand why such an important document was not sent to the combined Document Exploitaton Centre, from where translated copies would have been despatched to all intelligence commanders." (Vietnam: The Complete Story Of The Australian War, Bruce Davies, Gary McKay, Allen & Unwin, 2013)</ref>

Terry Burstall, a private in the 12 Platoon section guarding D Company HQ during the battle, has contradicted Australian official accounts of Vietnamese losses:{{cquote|When I returned to the battlefield the day after the battle, there were bodies lying all through the area ... Would a shell-shocked digger count an arm, a trunk and a leg scattered over several metres as one body or three bodies? Nobody knew or cared at the time, and certainly not the people doing the counting. ...Looking back I don't really think that I would have seen more than 50 bodies and I spent three days in the area.<ref>Terry Burstall, A Soldier Returns, University of Queensland Press, Brisbane, 1990, pp 77-79</ref>}}

The more recent Australian claim that 2,500-3,000 Vietnamese were involved in the battle with D Company is not supported by all Australian authors. Lieutenant-Colonel [[Bob Breen]], author of ''First to Fight'' (the history of 1 RAR's first tour in Vietnam) has written that ''"the Viet Cong 275th Regiment ran into D Company in teeming monsoon rain"'' and that ''"for several hours just over 100 Diggers withstood the best efforts of over 1500 Viet Cong soldiers to kill them."''<ref>Duty First: The Royal Australian Regiment in War and Peace, p. 215, Allen & Unwin, Sydney, 1990</ref>

Vietnam veterans have also reported that Australian soldiers shot or bayoneted wounded VC no longer trying to defend themselves. [[Bob Buick]] faced criticism in 2000, after admitting that he killed a mortally-wounded Vietnamese soldier on the battlefield, the day after the battle. Such an act would have been in breach of the [[Geneva Convention]] and therefore a war crime. Buick was criticised by both Burstall and then president of the Australian Long Tan Association, John Heslewood. Burstall commented: ''"Bob says it was a mercy killing ... would he have done the same to an Australian?"''<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/stories/s164813.htm Hero of Long Tan's "mercy killing" upsets comrades]</ref>

Many Vietnamese participants are adamant that D Company was ambushed. They state that the VC had planned to draw the Australian force into a wooded area to the north of the rubber plantation, where heavy weapons had been set up on a rise known to the Australians as ''"Nui Dat 2 GR4868"''. A supporting company of D445 Battalion were in the south near the village of Long Tan with one anti-tank platoonplaced on the south western edge of the plantation, hoping to slow down any APC-mounted reinforcements, and cut off an Australian retreat. In 2006, [[Sau Thu]], a former major in D445 Battalion, was quoted as saying that he had been ordered to lure the Australians out of Nui Dat, kill as many of them as possible, capture their weapons and then take the base. ''We didn't know how many you had in Nui Dat. We tried to draw them out We thought they would go one way but the Australian soldiers went the wrong way and came behind us."''

According to Burstall, the Vietnamese commander at Long Tan, Colonel [[Nguyen Thanh Hong]], was amazed that the Australians could look on the battle as a victory:{{cquote|How can you claim a victory when you allowed yourselves to walk into a trap that we had set? Admittedly we did not finish the job, but that was only because time beat us and your reinforcements arrived. I mean you did not even attempt to follow us up. How can you claim a significant victory from that sort of behaviour?<ref>[http://www.hotkey.net.au/~marshalle/Terryb.htm Long Tan: The Other Side of the Hill]</ref>}}

Lieutenant-Colonel Townsend was reportedly unable to pursue the mauled 275th Regiment because of the vulnerability of the Nui Dat base to an attack from the 274th Regiment. However, seven days later the [[173rd Airborne Brigade]], a US marine battalion, several ARVN battalions and 5 RAR joined in Operation ''Toledo'' and from 25 August to 7 September were involved in a large-scale sweep of the area. Captain Robert O'Neill (Intelligence Officer, 5 RAR) wrote that no evidence of heavy casualties were found in the enemy retreat:{{cquote|...the battalion had been keyed up to the possibility of a major encounter with the Viet Cong-a battle which would have had a decisive effect on the Viet Cong in Phuoc Tuy Province. Instead all we found was dense jungle with no trace of any large Viet Cong force ever having been in the area.<ref>Robert O'Neill, Vietnam Task: The 5th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, 1966/67, Cassell, Melbourne, 1968, p. 93</ref>}}

==Aftermath==

A US Presidential Unit Citation (PUC) was awarded to D Company 6RAR, by President Lyndon B. Johnson on May 28, 1968, for the unit's actions at Long Tan:{{cquote|By virtue of the authority invested in me as the President of the United States and as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, I have today awarded the Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for extraordinary heroism to D Company, Sixth Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, The Australian Army.D Company distinguished itself by extraordinary heroism while engaged in military operations against an opposing armed force in Vietnam on 18 August 1966. While searching for Viet Cong in a rubber plantation northeast of Ba Ria, Phuoc Tuy, Province, Republic of Vietnam, D Company met and immediately engaged in heavy contact. As the battle developed, it became apparent that the men of D Company were facing a numerically superior force. The platoons of D Company were surrounded and attacked on all sides by an estimated reinforced enemy battalion using automatic weapons, small arms and mortars. Fighting courageously against a well armed and determined foe, the men on D Company maintained their formations in a common perimeter defence and inflicted heavy casualties on the Viet Cong. The enemy maintained a continuous, intense volume of fire and attacked repeatedly from all directions. Each successive assault was repulsed by the courageous Australians. Heavy rainfall and low ceiling prevented any friendly close air support during the battle. After three hours of savage attacks, having failed to penetrate the Australian lines, the enemy withdrew from the battlefield carrying many dead and wounded, and leaving 245 Viet Cong dead forward of the defence positions of D Company. The conspicuous courage, intrepidity and indomitable courage of D Company were to the highest tradition of military valour and reflect great credit upon D Company and the Australian Army.<ref>[http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-battles/long_tan.htm The Battle of Long Tan by the men who were there ]</ref>}}

Soldiers that served ino D Company 6 RAR still wear the PUC on their uniforms.

Townsend was awarded the [[Distinguished Service Order]] (DSO). Smith was recommended for a [[Distinguished Service Order]], but received the lower award of a [[Military Cross]]. Each of the three platoon commanders were recommended for Military Crosses but none were awarded. Two Distinguished Conduct Medals, and two Military Medals were also awarded. The lack of recognition paid to Australian veterans by the Australian government was remedied under the government of Prime Minister [[John Howard]]. In November 2006, Howard visited Long Tan, the first Australian Prime Minister to make the journey. At Long Tan, Howard acknowledged the poor treatment that Australian Vietnam veterans had received.

A total of 22 members of D Company were awarded South Vietnamese medals. However, it had long been the policy of the Australian military that its members could not accept awards from foreign powers, including allies. It was only in June 2004 that the awards were finally accepted by the Minister of Defence.

==Commemoration and reconciliation==

The Battle of Long Tan has become a symbol of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War and August 18th is now commemorated in Australia as ''Vietnam Veterans Day''. Almost 60,000 Australians served in Vietnam; 521 died and over 3,000 were wounded.

6 RAR erected a concrete cross to commemorate those that died. This was removed by the government of Vietnam following the Communist victory in 1975, but has now been replaced by a larger monument of similar design. The original, discovered by Terry Burstall in his trip, is now on display at Dong Nai province museum in Bien Hoa.

In more recent times former officers from D Company have visited Vietnam and met former adversaries.

In 1996, on the 30th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, [[The Sydney Morning Herald]] printed a special commemorative issue to do with the Battle of Long Tan and revealed to the Australian public for the very first time the Vietnamese version of events of VC soldiers involved and killed in the 275th Regiment:{{cquote|[The] senior Vietnamese officers made the startling claim that only 700 of their men had taken part in the battle — half the most conservative Australian estimate — and that only 30 had been killed.<ref>Mark Baker, ''Stilling The Ghosts Of Long Ta''n, Sydney Morning Herald, August 16, 1996</ref>}}

A feature film, a fictionalised account written and directed by ex-Australian Army Commando and filmmaker [[Bruce Beresford]], and entitled Long Tan, was released in 2008.

In 2013, [[Phan Chien]], chairman of the [[Ba Ria-Vung Tau Veterans' Association]], reported that the VC forces suffered over 170 killed from 1966 until 1971 in Phouc Tuy Province, which appeared to confirm Australian estimates over enemy numbers killed in the Battle of Long Tan.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Vietnam War]]

Battle of Long Tan

2017-03-01T01:40:59Z

Paulvani: /* Controversies and conclusions */

{{War
| image =
| conflict = [[Vietnam War]]
| date = August 17, 1966-August 19, 1966
| location = Phuoc Toy Province, Republic of Vietnam
| combatant1 = [[Australian Army]]
| combatant2 = [[Viet Cong]]
| commander1 = [[Colin Towsend]] Lieutenant Colonel, Australian Army
| commander2 = [[Nguyen Thanh Hong]] Colonel, VC
| strength1 = 1,100 (including rear-echelon troops)
| strength2 = 108 (not including reinforcements)
| casualties1 = '''42''' Killed: 18 Wounded: 24 Missing or captured: 2 (recovered)
| casualties2 = '''150''' Killed: 47 Wounded:100 Missing or captured: 3-4
}}
The '''Battle of Long Tần''' is arguably the most famous battle fought by the Australian Army during the Vietnam War. It was fought in a rubber plantation near the village of Long Tần, about 4 km north-east of Vung Tau, South Vietnam on August 18–19, 1966.

The action occurred when D Company of the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), part of the 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF), encountered the Viet Cong (VC) 275 Regiment and elements of the D445 Local Forces Battalion. D Company was supported by other Australian units, as well as New Zealand and United States personnel.

For several weeks prior to the battle, Australian field intelligence had tracked a radio transmitter moving south but were unsure about what unit it belonged to. Aggressive patrolling failed to find this unit.

On the night of 17–18 August, the Viet Cong 275th Regiment fired over 100 mortar rounds into the 103 Battery area and 22 Australian soldiers were wounded, one later dying from his wounds. B Company 6 RAR was sent out early on the morning of the 18th to find the VC heavy weapons. D Company (to which was attached three New Zealand Army personnel) relieved B Company at midday. The commander of B Company, Major Noel Ford, briefed the D Company commander, Major Harry Smith, and B Company returned to base. After discussing the situation with the 6 RAR battalion commander, Lt Col. Colin Townsend, D Company moved to the east towards the limit of their covering artillery range.

The battle is often used in Australian officer training as an example of the importance of combining and coordinating infantry, artillery, armour and military aviation.

==Background==

1ATF arrived in Vietnam in May 1966 and was based at the Nui Dat base, in Phuoc Tuy Province. (As of 2005, Nui Dat and Long Tan are both in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province.) 6 RAR was composed mainly of conscripts. The Australians faced formidable enemy forces, which were operating on home soil:{{cquote|Within Phouc Tuy and the neighbouring provinces of Bien Hoa, Long Khanh and Binh Tuy, the principle [sic] main force formation… was the 5th NLF Division, which usually had its headquarters in the Mây Tào Mountains. It consisted of 274th Regiment and the 275th Regiment plus supporting units. North Vietnamese regulars were used to boost and reinforce this South Vietnamese Viet Cong formation…<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060207035903/http://www.5rar.asn.au/tactics.htm THE ENEMY AND HIS TACTICS]</ref>}}

Members of D Company found new VC tracks and spread out into a wide formation, to maximise the chances of contact. Two platoons led the way, with company headquarters behind them and a third platoon in the rear.

==Battle==

Against overwhelming odds, all but 17 of 108 Australians survived wave after wave of attack until a relief force in the form of a company arrived in armoured personnel carriers (one soldier died later from his wounds, while 24 were wounded)

At 15:40, a small group of VC soldiers walked into the middle of 11 Platoon on the right flank of D Company. One was killed in the action, the area was cleared and 11 Platoon moved forward again.

Several light mortar rounds were fired towards the company position landing to the east, most likely the same mortars that had fired at the base on the night of 16 August, causing several casualties. The accompanying Forward Observation Officer (FO), New Zealand Army Captain Morrie Stanley, organised counter battery fire, probably destroying them, as the mortars were not fired again. This diversion separated the main company slightly from 11 Platoon, putting the main body behind a slight rise.

As 11 Platoon continued to advance they were attacked by heavy machine gun fire and sustained several casualties. Following normal contact procedures, the platoon went into a defensive position. The VC formed an assault and attacked 11 Platoon around 20 minutes after initial contact with support from their heavy machine guns.

Stanley called in all available artillery support from the 1 ATF artillery units, and 10 Platoon moved up to the left of 11 Platoon to relieve pressure on them and allow them to withdraw to the company defensive position out of the heavy machine gun fire. The commander of 11 Platoon, ex-conscript 2nd Lt Gordon Sharp, was killed and Sergeant Bob Buick assumed command of the platoon. During this engagement both platoons' radios went out.

Heavy monsoon rain began falling, obscuring the battlefield.

10 Platoon, under 2nd Lt Geoff Kendall, also came under fire and went into a defensive position. 12 Platoon, commanded by 2nd Lt Dave Sabben, had been the reserve platoon, and it was ordered to the right to support 11 Platoon. 12 Platoon left one section behind to support Company HQ.

Stanley called for close air support but when it arrived it was unable to identify targets due to the bad weather. The US aircraft dropped their bombs to the east causing disruption to the VC rear areas.

The Australian soldiers were carrying a light load, approximately five magazines, and quickly ran low on ammunition. At 5:00pm Smith called for an ammunition resupply. By coincidence, two Iroquois helicopters from 9 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force were available at the Nui Dat base, having just been used as transport for a Col Joye and Little Pattie concert. One of the Iroquois pilots, Flt Lt Bob Grandin, disobeyed orders by dropping supplies to D Company. He recalled: ''"[i]t did sound extremely bad on the radio. I recall Harry [Smith] saying, 'If you don't do this for us you all might as well start saying your prayers — it's all over'."''

The survivors of 11 Platoon withdrew under the cover provided by the torrential rain to the company position. Smith requested reinforcements from 6RAR. B Company HQ with its one platoon had not yet got back to Nui Dat and was ordered back to Long Tan. At Nui Dat, A Company was ordered to ready itself and the M-113 armoured personnel carriers of the 1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron to transport them.

The VC continually formed assault groups and moved forward but were broken up by artillery fire. Fortunately for the attackers, the soft boggy ground reduced the effect of the shell bursts, but there were a large number of wounded. The soldiers of D Company held their line and repulsed any VC that got through the artillery barrage. D Company were supported by 24 105 mm and 155 mm guns from the Australian 1st Field Regiment, the 161st Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery and the U.S. 2nd Battalion, 35th Artillery Regiment. Over 3,000 rounds of artillery were fired throughout the remainder of the battle and night, with fire concentrating on likely VC forming-up positions and escape routes. "A" Battery, 1st Field Regiment fired rounds every 15 seconds for three hours. The U.S. gunners were in the same base as "A" Battery and assisted the exhausted Australian gunners by carrying artillery rounds to their guns.

The reverse slope that D Company used for defense meant that the VC found it difficult to use their heavy calibre weapons effectively; the VC could only engage the Australians at close range. The VC tried to find the Australian flanks but the wide dispersal and excellent defensive position meant the VC thought they were up against a larger enemy.

At last light two rifle companies and APCs from 1 APC Squadron arrived under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Colin Townsend and assaulted the Vietnamese flank. In teeming rain, 3 Troop, A Company under Lieutenant Adrian Roberts and 2 Troop, A Company under Lieutenant Peter Dinham, also attacked the forward elements of D445 Battalion, taking them by surprise. A Company dismounted from 10 M-113s and attacked the fleeing enemy, withdrawing to the east. An Australian soldier from one of the rifle companies was killed as they attacked the D445 Battalion position.

The fresh reinforcements formed a perimeter around D Company allowing them to treat the wounded and rest. The supporting artillery repeatedly fired on likely escape routes of the VC and some wounded were evacuated by helicopter. A and B Companies were a strong force and should have been able to repulse any night attack. As it was there was no further contact.

The next day the dead and wounded from 11 Platoon’s position were recovered and 50 enemy dead buried. Australian historians later claimed US forces captured documents indicating 800 killed and 1,000 wounded. They also point out that the VC routinely carried away their dead during a battle, and this would have reduced the body count.

The Australian losses were 18 killed and 21 wounded. According to the 275th Regiment and D445 Battalion veterans and Vietnamese historians, forty-seven Viet Cong soldiers were killed in action and 100 wounded.

The author of ''First to Fight'', Lieutenant-Colonel Bob Breen later wrote:{{cquote|A combination of the battle discipline and bravery of the Australians, the cover provided by the torrential rain and the effects of hundreds of artillery and mortar rounds falling among the Viet Cong attackers resulted in a stunning victory for the Australians and a further enhancement for the fighting tradition of Australian infantry.<ref>Duty First: The Royal Australian Regiment in War and Peace, Edited by David Horner, p. 215, Allen & Unwin, 1990)</ref>}}

==Body count==

Both sides tried to evacuate the injured in the darkness, although several wounded Australians spent a long and terrifying night on the battlefield while the female VC medical platoon (''Mrs Phuong's Medical Evacuation Unit'') moved around them. The morning light revealed the full extent of the horror. 50-245 Viet Cong bodies were found in the battle area and it was thought that many more were removed in the night. 18 Australians were killed at Long Tan and 24 wounded – over one third of the initial force engaged. 188 enemy killed and wounded is the figure formally declared by the CO and 6 RAR in his initial report on 19 August.<ref>"Enemy casualties [were] 188 and 3 Viet Cong captured". (See 6th RAR War Diary, available online)</ref> The platoon under Second Lieutenant Eric Andrews reported a body count of about fifty killed on 20 August.<ref>"50 enemy bodies buried in [D] company location." (6th RAR War Diary, available online)</ref>

The official Australian Army history ''To Long Tan'', by the Australian military historian Ian McNeill, lists the number of Vietnamese killed in action as 245 and three enemy captured. However, new research shows that Australian claims about 245 enemy soldiers killed in the battle may be highly inflated.<ref>''"The VC divisional planners estimated that four to six labourers would be needed for every wounded soldier requiring evacuation. A 30 percent casualty rate at Long Tan would mean a force of 1,200 would take 360 casualties. Using an 80:20 split for the casualties, 288 would be wounded and 72 killed. To get the seriously wounded and dead off the field, a labour force of something like 800 would be needed. If the casualty figures were increased to 245 dead, the wounded would be 980. Under the 30 per cent rule that would mean an attacking force of just over 4,000, plus a clearance labour force of 3,500. These are unimaginable numbers ..."'' (Vietnam: The Complete Story Of The Australian War, Bruce Davies, Gary McKay, Allen & Unwin, 2013)</ref>

==Controversies and conclusions==

Both the Vietnamese and Australian militaries have disputed each other’s version. The first North Vietnamese communiqué claimed that: ''"Liberation Fighters ... wiped out almost completely one Battalion of the Australian Mercenaries in an ambush in the Long Tan Village."''

There have also been accusations that the Australians also exaggerated enemy casualties. Casualty figures for the Viet Cong ranged from the 245 reportedly found dead on the field of action to the often quoted American Intelligence Officer's high count of 800 Vietnamese killed,<ref>Vietnam – The Australian War, Paul Ham, p 245 and p 704, HarperCollins 2007</ref> with some 6 RAR veterans<ref>[http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/helicopter-pilot-cliff-dohle-cited-for-gallantry-in-mission-to-resupply-long-tan-diggers/story-e6frg6nf-1225792091865 Helicopter pilot Cliff Dohle cited for gallantry in mission to resupply Long Tan diggers, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/...]</ref> accepting the reinforced 275th Regiment's count (including D445 losses) of 47 killed and one-hundred wounded. Australian Military Historians [[Bruce Davies]] and [[Gary McKay]] say claims citing the US Army Intelligence Officer's record purportedly showing that 800 Vietnamese were killed in the battle are wrong for the report does not exist.<ref>"Unfortunately, the diary or parts of it have never been produced. It is also difficult to understand why such an important document was not sent to the combined Document Exploitaton Centre, from where translated copies would have been despatched to all intelligence commanders." (Vietnam: The Complete Story Of The Australian War, Bruce Davies, Gary McKay, Allen & Unwin, 2013)</ref>

Terry Burstall, a private in the 12 Platoon section guarding D Company HQ during the battle, has contradicted Australian official accounts of Vietnamese losses:{{cquote|When I returned to the battlefield the day after the battle, there were bodies lying all through the area ... Would a shell-shocked digger count an arm, a trunk and a leg scattered over several metres as one body or three bodies? Nobody knew or cared at the time, and certainly not the people doing the counting. ...Looking back I don't really think that I would have seen more than 50 bodies and I spent three days in the area.<ref>Terry Burstall, A Soldier Returns, University of Queensland Press, Brisbane, 1990, pp 77-79</ref>}}

The more recent Australian claim that 2,500-3,000 Vietnamese were involved in the battle with D Company is not supported by all Australian authors. Lieutenant-Colonel [[Bob Breen]], author of ''First to Fight'' (the history of 1 RAR's first tour in Vietnam) has written that ''"the Viet Cong 275th Regiment ran into D Company in teeming monsoon rain"'' and that ''"for several hours just over 100 Diggers withstood the best efforts of over 1500 Viet Cong soldiers to kill them."''<ref>Duty First: The Royal Australian Regiment in War and Peace, p. 215, Allen & Unwin, Sydney, 1990</ref>

Vietnam veterans have also reported that Australian soldiers shot or bayoneted wounded VC no longer trying to defend themselves. [[Bob Buick]] faced criticism in 2000, after admitting that he killed a mortally-wounded Vietnamese soldier on the battlefield, the day after the battle. Such an act would have been in breach of the [[Geneva Convention]] and therefore a war crime. Buick was criticised by both Burstall and then president of the Australian Long Tan Association, John Heslewood. Burstall commented: ''"Bob says it was a mercy killing ... would he have done the same to an Australian?"''<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/stories/s164813.htm Hero of Long Tan's "mercy killing" upsets comrades]</ref>

Many Vietnamese participants are adamant that D Company was ambushed. They state that the VC had planned to draw the Australian force into a wooded area to the north of the rubber plantation, where heavy weapons had been set up on a rise known to the Australians as ''"Nui Dat 2 GR4868"''. A supporting company of D445 Battalion were in the south near the village of Long Tan with one anti-tank platoonplaced on the south western edge of the plantation, hoping to slow down any APC-mounted reinforcements, and cut off an Australian retreat. In 2006, [[Sau Thu]], a former major in D445 Battalion, was quoted as saying that he had been ordered to lure the Australians out of Nui Dat, kill as many of them as possible, capture their weapons and then take the base. ''We didn't know how many you had in Nui Dat. We tried to draw them out We thought they would go one way but the Australian soldiers went the wrong way and came behind us."''

According to Burstall, the Vietnamese commander at Long Tan, Colonel [[Nguyen Thanh Hong]], was amazed that the Australians could look on the battle as a victory:{{cquote|How can you claim a victory when you allowed yourselves to walk into a trap that we had set? Admittedly we did not finish the job, but that was only because time beat us and your reinforcements arrived. I mean you did not even attempt to follow us up. How can you claim a significant victory from that sort of behaviour?<ref>[http://www.hotkey.net.au/~marshalle/Terryb.htm Long Tan: The Other Side of the Hill]</ref>}}

Lieutenant-Colonel Townsend was reportedly unable to pursue the mauled 275th Regiment because of the vulnerability of the Nui Dat base to an attack from the 274th Regiment. However, seven days later the 173rd Airborne Brigade, a US marine battalion, several ARVN battalions and 5 RAR joined Operation ''Toledo'' and from 25 August to 7 September were involved in a large-scale sweep of the area. Captain Robert O'Neill (Intelligence Officer, 5 RAR) wrote that no evidence of heavy enemy casualties were found:{{cquote|...the battalion had been keyed up to the possibility of a major encounter with the Viet Cong-a battle which would have had a decisive effect on the Viet Cong in Phuoc Tuy Province. Instead all we found was dense jungle with no trace of any large Viet Cong force ever having been in the area.<ref>Robert O'Neill, Vietnam Task: The 5th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, 1966/67, Cassell, Melbourne, 1968, p. 93</ref>}}

==Aftermath==

A US Presidential Unit Citation (PUC) was awarded to D Company 6RAR, by President Lyndon B. Johnson on May 28, 1968, for the unit's actions at Long Tan:{{cquote|By virtue of the authority invested in me as the President of the United States and as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, I have today awarded the Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for extraordinary heroism to D Company, Sixth Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, The Australian Army.D Company distinguished itself by extraordinary heroism while engaged in military operations against an opposing armed force in Vietnam on 18 August 1966. While searching for Viet Cong in a rubber plantation northeast of Ba Ria, Phuoc Tuy, Province, Republic of Vietnam, D Company met and immediately engaged in heavy contact. As the battle developed, it became apparent that the men of D Company were facing a numerically superior force. The platoons of D Company were surrounded and attacked on all sides by an estimated reinforced enemy battalion using automatic weapons, small arms and mortars. Fighting courageously against a well armed and determined foe, the men on D Company maintained their formations in a common perimeter defence and inflicted heavy casualties on the Viet Cong. The enemy maintained a continuous, intense volume of fire and attacked repeatedly from all directions. Each successive assault was repulsed by the courageous Australians. Heavy rainfall and low ceiling prevented any friendly close air support during the battle. After three hours of savage attacks, having failed to penetrate the Australian lines, the enemy withdrew from the battlefield carrying many dead and wounded, and leaving 245 Viet Cong dead forward of the defence positions of D Company. The conspicuous courage, intrepidity and indomitable courage of D Company were to the highest tradition of military valour and reflect great credit upon D Company and the Australian Army.<ref>[http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-battles/long_tan.htm The Battle of Long Tan by the men who were there ]</ref>}}

Soldiers that served ino D Company 6 RAR still wear the PUC on their uniforms.

Townsend was awarded the [[Distinguished Service Order]] (DSO). Smith was recommended for a [[Distinguished Service Order]], but received the lower award of a [[Military Cross]]. Each of the three platoon commanders were recommended for Military Crosses but none were awarded. Two Distinguished Conduct Medals, and two Military Medals were also awarded. The lack of recognition paid to Australian veterans by the Australian government was remedied under the government of Prime Minister [[John Howard]]. In November 2006, Howard visited Long Tan, the first Australian Prime Minister to make the journey. At Long Tan, Howard acknowledged the poor treatment that Australian Vietnam veterans had received.

A total of 22 members of D Company were awarded South Vietnamese medals. However, it had long been the policy of the Australian military that its members could not accept awards from foreign powers, including allies. It was only in June 2004 that the awards were finally accepted by the Minister of Defence.

==Commemoration and reconciliation==

The Battle of Long Tan has become a symbol of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War and August 18th is now commemorated in Australia as ''Vietnam Veterans Day''. Almost 60,000 Australians served in Vietnam; 521 died and over 3,000 were wounded.

6 RAR erected a concrete cross to commemorate those that died. This was removed by the government of Vietnam following the Communist victory in 1975, but has now been replaced by a larger monument of similar design. The original, discovered by Terry Burstall in his trip, is now on display at Dong Nai province museum in Bien Hoa.

In more recent times former officers from D Company have visited Vietnam and met former adversaries.

In 1996, on the 30th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, [[The Sydney Morning Herald]] printed a special commemorative issue to do with the Battle of Long Tan and revealed to the Australian public for the very first time the Vietnamese version of events of VC soldiers involved and killed in the 275th Regiment:{{cquote|[The] senior Vietnamese officers made the startling claim that only 700 of their men had taken part in the battle — half the most conservative Australian estimate — and that only 30 had been killed.<ref>Mark Baker, ''Stilling The Ghosts Of Long Ta''n, Sydney Morning Herald, August 16, 1996</ref>}}

A feature film, a fictionalised account written and directed by ex-Australian Army Commando and filmmaker [[Bruce Beresford]], and entitled Long Tan, was released in 2008.

In 2013, [[Phan Chien]], chairman of the [[Ba Ria-Vung Tau Veterans' Association]], reported that the VC forces suffered over 170 killed from 1966 until 1971 in Phouc Tuy Province, which appeared to confirm Australian estimates over enemy numbers killed in the Battle of Long Tan.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Vietnam War]]

Battle of Long Tan

2017-03-01T01:32:33Z

Paulvani: /* Controversies and conclusions */

{{War
| image =
| conflict = [[Vietnam War]]
| date = August 17, 1966-August 19, 1966
| location = Phuoc Toy Province, Republic of Vietnam
| combatant1 = [[Australian Army]]
| combatant2 = [[Viet Cong]]
| commander1 = [[Colin Towsend]] Lieutenant Colonel, Australian Army
| commander2 = [[Nguyen Thanh Hong]] Colonel, VC
| strength1 = 1,100 (including rear-echelon troops)
| strength2 = 108 (not including reinforcements)
| casualties1 = '''42''' Killed: 18 Wounded: 24 Missing or captured: 2 (recovered)
| casualties2 = '''150''' Killed: 47 Wounded:100 Missing or captured: 3-4
}}
The '''Battle of Long Tần''' is arguably the most famous battle fought by the Australian Army during the Vietnam War. It was fought in a rubber plantation near the village of Long Tần, about 4 km north-east of Vung Tau, South Vietnam on August 18–19, 1966.

The action occurred when D Company of the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), part of the 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF), encountered the Viet Cong (VC) 275 Regiment and elements of the D445 Local Forces Battalion. D Company was supported by other Australian units, as well as New Zealand and United States personnel.

For several weeks prior to the battle, Australian field intelligence had tracked a radio transmitter moving south but were unsure about what unit it belonged to. Aggressive patrolling failed to find this unit.

On the night of 17–18 August, the Viet Cong 275th Regiment fired over 100 mortar rounds into the 103 Battery area and 22 Australian soldiers were wounded, one later dying from his wounds. B Company 6 RAR was sent out early on the morning of the 18th to find the VC heavy weapons. D Company (to which was attached three New Zealand Army personnel) relieved B Company at midday. The commander of B Company, Major Noel Ford, briefed the D Company commander, Major Harry Smith, and B Company returned to base. After discussing the situation with the 6 RAR battalion commander, Lt Col. Colin Townsend, D Company moved to the east towards the limit of their covering artillery range.

The battle is often used in Australian officer training as an example of the importance of combining and coordinating infantry, artillery, armour and military aviation.

==Background==

1ATF arrived in Vietnam in May 1966 and was based at the Nui Dat base, in Phuoc Tuy Province. (As of 2005, Nui Dat and Long Tan are both in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province.) 6 RAR was composed mainly of conscripts. The Australians faced formidable enemy forces, which were operating on home soil:{{cquote|Within Phouc Tuy and the neighbouring provinces of Bien Hoa, Long Khanh and Binh Tuy, the principle [sic] main force formation… was the 5th NLF Division, which usually had its headquarters in the Mây Tào Mountains. It consisted of 274th Regiment and the 275th Regiment plus supporting units. North Vietnamese regulars were used to boost and reinforce this South Vietnamese Viet Cong formation…<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060207035903/http://www.5rar.asn.au/tactics.htm THE ENEMY AND HIS TACTICS]</ref>}}

Members of D Company found new VC tracks and spread out into a wide formation, to maximise the chances of contact. Two platoons led the way, with company headquarters behind them and a third platoon in the rear.

==Battle==

Against overwhelming odds, all but 17 of 108 Australians survived wave after wave of attack until a relief force in the form of a company arrived in armoured personnel carriers (one soldier died later from his wounds, while 24 were wounded)

At 15:40, a small group of VC soldiers walked into the middle of 11 Platoon on the right flank of D Company. One was killed in the action, the area was cleared and 11 Platoon moved forward again.

Several light mortar rounds were fired towards the company position landing to the east, most likely the same mortars that had fired at the base on the night of 16 August, causing several casualties. The accompanying Forward Observation Officer (FO), New Zealand Army Captain Morrie Stanley, organised counter battery fire, probably destroying them, as the mortars were not fired again. This diversion separated the main company slightly from 11 Platoon, putting the main body behind a slight rise.

As 11 Platoon continued to advance they were attacked by heavy machine gun fire and sustained several casualties. Following normal contact procedures, the platoon went into a defensive position. The VC formed an assault and attacked 11 Platoon around 20 minutes after initial contact with support from their heavy machine guns.

Stanley called in all available artillery support from the 1 ATF artillery units, and 10 Platoon moved up to the left of 11 Platoon to relieve pressure on them and allow them to withdraw to the company defensive position out of the heavy machine gun fire. The commander of 11 Platoon, ex-conscript 2nd Lt Gordon Sharp, was killed and Sergeant Bob Buick assumed command of the platoon. During this engagement both platoons' radios went out.

Heavy monsoon rain began falling, obscuring the battlefield.

10 Platoon, under 2nd Lt Geoff Kendall, also came under fire and went into a defensive position. 12 Platoon, commanded by 2nd Lt Dave Sabben, had been the reserve platoon, and it was ordered to the right to support 11 Platoon. 12 Platoon left one section behind to support Company HQ.

Stanley called for close air support but when it arrived it was unable to identify targets due to the bad weather. The US aircraft dropped their bombs to the east causing disruption to the VC rear areas.

The Australian soldiers were carrying a light load, approximately five magazines, and quickly ran low on ammunition. At 5:00pm Smith called for an ammunition resupply. By coincidence, two Iroquois helicopters from 9 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force were available at the Nui Dat base, having just been used as transport for a Col Joye and Little Pattie concert. One of the Iroquois pilots, Flt Lt Bob Grandin, disobeyed orders by dropping supplies to D Company. He recalled: ''"[i]t did sound extremely bad on the radio. I recall Harry [Smith] saying, 'If you don't do this for us you all might as well start saying your prayers — it's all over'."''

The survivors of 11 Platoon withdrew under the cover provided by the torrential rain to the company position. Smith requested reinforcements from 6RAR. B Company HQ with its one platoon had not yet got back to Nui Dat and was ordered back to Long Tan. At Nui Dat, A Company was ordered to ready itself and the M-113 armoured personnel carriers of the 1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron to transport them.

The VC continually formed assault groups and moved forward but were broken up by artillery fire. Fortunately for the attackers, the soft boggy ground reduced the effect of the shell bursts, but there were a large number of wounded. The soldiers of D Company held their line and repulsed any VC that got through the artillery barrage. D Company were supported by 24 105 mm and 155 mm guns from the Australian 1st Field Regiment, the 161st Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery and the U.S. 2nd Battalion, 35th Artillery Regiment. Over 3,000 rounds of artillery were fired throughout the remainder of the battle and night, with fire concentrating on likely VC forming-up positions and escape routes. "A" Battery, 1st Field Regiment fired rounds every 15 seconds for three hours. The U.S. gunners were in the same base as "A" Battery and assisted the exhausted Australian gunners by carrying artillery rounds to their guns.

The reverse slope that D Company used for defense meant that the VC found it difficult to use their heavy calibre weapons effectively; the VC could only engage the Australians at close range. The VC tried to find the Australian flanks but the wide dispersal and excellent defensive position meant the VC thought they were up against a larger enemy.

At last light two rifle companies and APCs from 1 APC Squadron arrived under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Colin Townsend and assaulted the Vietnamese flank. In teeming rain, 3 Troop, A Company under Lieutenant Adrian Roberts and 2 Troop, A Company under Lieutenant Peter Dinham, also attacked the forward elements of D445 Battalion, taking them by surprise. A Company dismounted from 10 M-113s and attacked the fleeing enemy, withdrawing to the east. An Australian soldier from one of the rifle companies was killed as they attacked the D445 Battalion position.

The fresh reinforcements formed a perimeter around D Company allowing them to treat the wounded and rest. The supporting artillery repeatedly fired on likely escape routes of the VC and some wounded were evacuated by helicopter. A and B Companies were a strong force and should have been able to repulse any night attack. As it was there was no further contact.

The next day the dead and wounded from 11 Platoon’s position were recovered and 50 enemy dead buried. Australian historians later claimed US forces captured documents indicating 800 killed and 1,000 wounded. They also point out that the VC routinely carried away their dead during a battle, and this would have reduced the body count.

The Australian losses were 18 killed and 21 wounded. According to the 275th Regiment and D445 Battalion veterans and Vietnamese historians, forty-seven Viet Cong soldiers were killed in action and 100 wounded.

The author of ''First to Fight'', Lieutenant-Colonel Bob Breen later wrote:{{cquote|A combination of the battle discipline and bravery of the Australians, the cover provided by the torrential rain and the effects of hundreds of artillery and mortar rounds falling among the Viet Cong attackers resulted in a stunning victory for the Australians and a further enhancement for the fighting tradition of Australian infantry.<ref>Duty First: The Royal Australian Regiment in War and Peace, Edited by David Horner, p. 215, Allen & Unwin, 1990)</ref>}}

==Body count==

Both sides tried to evacuate the injured in the darkness, although several wounded Australians spent a long and terrifying night on the battlefield while the female VC medical platoon (''Mrs Phuong's Medical Evacuation Unit'') moved around them. The morning light revealed the full extent of the horror. 50-245 Viet Cong bodies were found in the battle area and it was thought that many more were removed in the night. 18 Australians were killed at Long Tan and 24 wounded – over one third of the initial force engaged. 188 enemy killed and wounded is the figure formally declared by the CO and 6 RAR in his initial report on 19 August.<ref>"Enemy casualties [were] 188 and 3 Viet Cong captured". (See 6th RAR War Diary, available online)</ref> The platoon under Second Lieutenant Eric Andrews reported a body count of about fifty killed on 20 August.<ref>"50 enemy bodies buried in [D] company location." (6th RAR War Diary, available online)</ref>

The official Australian Army history ''To Long Tan'', by the Australian military historian Ian McNeill, lists the number of Vietnamese killed in action as 245 and three enemy captured. However, new research shows that Australian claims about 245 enemy soldiers killed in the battle may be highly inflated.<ref>''"The VC divisional planners estimated that four to six labourers would be needed for every wounded soldier requiring evacuation. A 30 percent casualty rate at Long Tan would mean a force of 1,200 would take 360 casualties. Using an 80:20 split for the casualties, 288 would be wounded and 72 killed. To get the seriously wounded and dead off the field, a labour force of something like 800 would be needed. If the casualty figures were increased to 245 dead, the wounded would be 980. Under the 30 per cent rule that would mean an attacking force of just over 4,000, plus a clearance labour force of 3,500. These are unimaginable numbers ..."'' (Vietnam: The Complete Story Of The Australian War, Bruce Davies, Gary McKay, Allen & Unwin, 2013)</ref>

==Controversies and conclusions==

Both the Vietnamese and Australian militaries have disputed each other’s version. The first North Vietnamese communiqué claimed that: ''"Liberation Fighters ... wiped out almost completely one Battalion of the Australian Mercenaries in an ambush in the Long Tan Village."''

There have also been accusations that the Australians also exaggerated enemy casualties. Casualty figures for the Viet Cong ranged from the 245 reportedly found dead on the field of action to the often quoted American Intelligence Officer's high count of 800 Vietnamese killed,<ref>Vietnam – The Australian War, Paul Ham, p 245 and p 704, HarperCollins 2007</ref> with some 6 RAR veterans<ref>[http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/helicopter-pilot-cliff-dohle-cited-for-gallantry-in-mission-to-resupply-long-tan-diggers/story-e6frg6nf-1225792091865 Helicopter pilot Cliff Dohle cited for gallantry in mission to resupply Long Tan diggers, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/...]</ref> accepting the reinforced 275th Regiment's count (including D445 losses) of 47 killed and one-hundred wounded. Australian Military Historians [[Bruce Davies]] and [[Gary McKay]] say claims citing the US Army Intelligence Officer's record purportedly showing that 800 Vietnamese were killed in the battle are wrong for the report does not exist.<ref>"Unfortunately, the diary or parts of it have never been produced. It is also difficult to understand why such an important document was not sent to the combined Document Exploitaton Centre, from where translated copies would have been despatched to all intelligence commanders." (Vietnam: The Complete Story Of The Australian War, Bruce Davies, Gary McKay, Allen & Unwin, 2013)</ref>

Terry Burstall, a private in the 12 Platoon section guarding D Company HQ during the battle, has contradicted Australian official accounts of Vietnamese losses:{{cquote|When I returned to the battlefield the day after the battle, there were bodies lying all through the area ... Would a shell-shocked digger count an arm, a trunk and a leg scattered over several metres as one body or three bodies? Nobody knew or cared at the time, and certainly not the people doing the counting. ...Looking back I don't really think that I would have seen more than 50 bodies and I spent three days in the area.<ref>Terry Burstall, A Soldier Returns, University of Queensland Press, Brisbane, 1990, pp 77-79</ref>}}

The recent Australian claim that 2,500-3,000 Vietnamese were involved in the battle with D Company is not supported by all Australian authors. Lieutenant-Colonel Bob Breen, author of ''First to Fight'' (the history of 1 RAR's first tour in Vietnam) has written that ''"the Viet Cong 275th Regiment ran into D Company in teeming monsoon rain"'' and that ''"for several hours just over 100 Diggers withstood the best efforts of over 1500 Viet Cong soldiers to kill them."''<ref>Duty First: The Royal Australian Regiment in War and Peace, p. 215, Allen & Unwin, Sydney, 1990</ref>

Vietnam veterans have also reported that Australian soldiers shot or bayoneted wounded VC no longer trying to defend themeselves. Bob Buick faced criticism in 2000, after admitting that he killed a mortally-wounded Vietnamese soldier on the battlefield, the day after the battle. Such an act would have been technically in breach of the [[Geneva Convention]] and therefore a war crime. Buick was criticised by both Burstall and the president of the Australian Long Tan Association, John Heslewood. Burstall commented: ''"Bob says it was a mercy killing ... would he have done the same to an Australian?"''<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/stories/s164813.htm Hero of Long Tan's "mercy killing" upsets comrades]</ref>

Many Vietnamese participants are adamant that D Company walked into an ambush. They state that the VC had planned to draw the Australian force into a wooded area to the north of the rubber plantation, where heavy weapons had been set up on a rise known to the Australians as ''"Nui Dat 2 GR4868"''. A company of D445 Battalion were in the south near the village of Long Tan. One platoon with several rocket launchers had been placed on the south western edge of the plantation, hoping to slow down any APC-mounted reinforcements, and cut off an Australian retreat. In 2006, Sau Thu, a former major in D445 Battalion, was quoted as saying that he had been ordered to lure the Australians out of Nui Dat, kill as many of them as possible, capture their weapons and then take the base. ''We didn't know how many you had in Nui Dat. We tried to draw them out… We thought they would go one way but the Australian soldiers went the wrong way and came behind us."''

According to Burstall, the Vietnamese commander at Long Tan, Colonel Nguyen Thanh Hong, was amazed that the Australians could look on the battle as a victory:{{cquote|How can you claim a victory when you allowed yourselves to walk into a trap that we had set? Admittedly we did not finish the job, but that was only because time beat us and your reinforcements arrived. I mean you did not even attempt to follow us up. How can you claim a significant victory from that sort of behaviour?<ref>[http://www.hotkey.net.au/~marshalle/Terryb.htm Long Tan: The Other Side of the Hill]</ref>}}

Lieutenant-Colonel Townsend was reportedly unable to pursue the mauled 275th Regiment because of the vulnerability of the Nui Dat base to an attack from the 274th Regiment. However, seven days later the 173rd Airborne Brigade, a US marine battalion, several ARVN battalions and 5 RAR joined Operation ''Toledo'' and from 25 August to 7 September were involved in a large-scale sweep of the area. Captain Robert O'Neill (Intelligence Officer, 5 RAR) wrote that no evidence of heavy enemy casualties were found:{{cquote|...the battalion had been keyed up to the possibility of a major encounter with the Viet Cong-a battle which would have had a decisive effect on the Viet Cong in Phuoc Tuy Province. Instead all we found was dense jungle with no trace of any large Viet Cong force ever having been in the area.<ref>Robert O'Neill, Vietnam Task: The 5th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, 1966/67, Cassell, Melbourne, 1968, p. 93</ref>}}

==Aftermath==

A US Presidential Unit Citation (PUC) was awarded to D Company 6RAR, by President Lyndon B. Johnson on May 28, 1968, for the unit's actions at Long Tan:{{cquote|By virtue of the authority invested in me as the President of the United States and as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, I have today awarded the Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for extraordinary heroism to D Company, Sixth Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, The Australian Army.D Company distinguished itself by extraordinary heroism while engaged in military operations against an opposing armed force in Vietnam on 18 August 1966. While searching for Viet Cong in a rubber plantation northeast of Ba Ria, Phuoc Tuy, Province, Republic of Vietnam, D Company met and immediately engaged in heavy contact. As the battle developed, it became apparent that the men of D Company were facing a numerically superior force. The platoons of D Company were surrounded and attacked on all sides by an estimated reinforced enemy battalion using automatic weapons, small arms and mortars. Fighting courageously against a well armed and determined foe, the men on D Company maintained their formations in a common perimeter defence and inflicted heavy casualties on the Viet Cong. The enemy maintained a continuous, intense volume of fire and attacked repeatedly from all directions. Each successive assault was repulsed by the courageous Australians. Heavy rainfall and low ceiling prevented any friendly close air support during the battle. After three hours of savage attacks, having failed to penetrate the Australian lines, the enemy withdrew from the battlefield carrying many dead and wounded, and leaving 245 Viet Cong dead forward of the defence positions of D Company. The conspicuous courage, intrepidity and indomitable courage of D Company were to the highest tradition of military valour and reflect great credit upon D Company and the Australian Army.<ref>[http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-battles/long_tan.htm The Battle of Long Tan by the men who were there ]</ref>}}

Soldiers that served ino D Company 6 RAR still wear the PUC on their uniforms.

Townsend was awarded the [[Distinguished Service Order]] (DSO). Smith was recommended for a [[Distinguished Service Order]], but received the lower award of a [[Military Cross]]. Each of the three platoon commanders were recommended for Military Crosses but none were awarded. Two Distinguished Conduct Medals, and two Military Medals were also awarded. The lack of recognition paid to Australian veterans by the Australian government was remedied under the government of Prime Minister [[John Howard]]. In November 2006, Howard visited Long Tan, the first Australian Prime Minister to make the journey. At Long Tan, Howard acknowledged the poor treatment that Australian Vietnam veterans had received.

A total of 22 members of D Company were awarded South Vietnamese medals. However, it had long been the policy of the Australian military that its members could not accept awards from foreign powers, including allies. It was only in June 2004 that the awards were finally accepted by the Minister of Defence.

==Commemoration and reconciliation==

The Battle of Long Tan has become a symbol of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War and August 18th is now commemorated in Australia as ''Vietnam Veterans Day''. Almost 60,000 Australians served in Vietnam; 521 died and over 3,000 were wounded.

6 RAR erected a concrete cross to commemorate those that died. This was removed by the government of Vietnam following the Communist victory in 1975, but has now been replaced by a larger monument of similar design. The original, discovered by Terry Burstall in his trip, is now on display at Dong Nai province museum in Bien Hoa.

In more recent times former officers from D Company have visited Vietnam and met former adversaries.

In 1996, on the 30th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, [[The Sydney Morning Herald]] printed a special commemorative issue to do with the Battle of Long Tan and revealed to the Australian public for the very first time the Vietnamese version of events of VC soldiers involved and killed in the 275th Regiment:{{cquote|[The] senior Vietnamese officers made the startling claim that only 700 of their men had taken part in the battle — half the most conservative Australian estimate — and that only 30 had been killed.<ref>Mark Baker, ''Stilling The Ghosts Of Long Ta''n, Sydney Morning Herald, August 16, 1996</ref>}}

A feature film, a fictionalised account written and directed by ex-Australian Army Commando and filmmaker [[Bruce Beresford]], and entitled Long Tan, was released in 2008.

In 2013, [[Phan Chien]], chairman of the [[Ba Ria-Vung Tau Veterans' Association]], reported that the VC forces suffered over 170 killed from 1966 until 1971 in Phouc Tuy Province, which appeared to confirm Australian estimates over enemy numbers killed in the Battle of Long Tan.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Vietnam War]]

Battle of Long Tan

2017-03-01T01:13:38Z

Paulvani: /* Aftermath */

{{War
| image =
| conflict = [[Vietnam War]]
| date = August 17, 1966-August 19, 1966
| location = Phuoc Toy Province, Republic of Vietnam
| combatant1 = [[Australian Army]]
| combatant2 = [[Viet Cong]]
| commander1 = [[Colin Towsend]] Lieutenant Colonel, Australian Army
| commander2 = [[Nguyen Thanh Hong]] Colonel, VC
| strength1 = 1,100 (including rear-echelon troops)
| strength2 = 108 (not including reinforcements)
| casualties1 = '''42''' Killed: 18 Wounded: 24 Missing or captured: 2 (recovered)
| casualties2 = '''150''' Killed: 47 Wounded:100 Missing or captured: 3-4
}}
The '''Battle of Long Tần''' is arguably the most famous battle fought by the Australian Army during the Vietnam War. It was fought in a rubber plantation near the village of Long Tần, about 4 km north-east of Vung Tau, South Vietnam on August 18–19, 1966.

The action occurred when D Company of the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), part of the 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF), encountered the Viet Cong (VC) 275 Regiment and elements of the D445 Local Forces Battalion. D Company was supported by other Australian units, as well as New Zealand and United States personnel.

For several weeks prior to the battle, Australian field intelligence had tracked a radio transmitter moving south but were unsure about what unit it belonged to. Aggressive patrolling failed to find this unit.

On the night of 17–18 August, the Viet Cong 275th Regiment fired over 100 mortar rounds into the 103 Battery area and 22 Australian soldiers were wounded, one later dying from his wounds. B Company 6 RAR was sent out early on the morning of the 18th to find the VC heavy weapons. D Company (to which was attached three New Zealand Army personnel) relieved B Company at midday. The commander of B Company, Major Noel Ford, briefed the D Company commander, Major Harry Smith, and B Company returned to base. After discussing the situation with the 6 RAR battalion commander, Lt Col. Colin Townsend, D Company moved to the east towards the limit of their covering artillery range.

The battle is often used in Australian officer training as an example of the importance of combining and coordinating infantry, artillery, armour and military aviation.

==Background==

1ATF arrived in Vietnam in May 1966 and was based at the Nui Dat base, in Phuoc Tuy Province. (As of 2005, Nui Dat and Long Tan are both in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province.) 6 RAR was composed mainly of conscripts. The Australians faced formidable enemy forces, which were operating on home soil:{{cquote|Within Phouc Tuy and the neighbouring provinces of Bien Hoa, Long Khanh and Binh Tuy, the principle [sic] main force formation… was the 5th NLF Division, which usually had its headquarters in the Mây Tào Mountains. It consisted of 274th Regiment and the 275th Regiment plus supporting units. North Vietnamese regulars were used to boost and reinforce this South Vietnamese Viet Cong formation…<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060207035903/http://www.5rar.asn.au/tactics.htm THE ENEMY AND HIS TACTICS]</ref>}}

Members of D Company found new VC tracks and spread out into a wide formation, to maximise the chances of contact. Two platoons led the way, with company headquarters behind them and a third platoon in the rear.

==Battle==

Against overwhelming odds, all but 17 of 108 Australians survived wave after wave of attack until a relief force in the form of a company arrived in armoured personnel carriers (one soldier died later from his wounds, while 24 were wounded)

At 15:40, a small group of VC soldiers walked into the middle of 11 Platoon on the right flank of D Company. One was killed in the action, the area was cleared and 11 Platoon moved forward again.

Several light mortar rounds were fired towards the company position landing to the east, most likely the same mortars that had fired at the base on the night of 16 August, causing several casualties. The accompanying Forward Observation Officer (FO), New Zealand Army Captain Morrie Stanley, organised counter battery fire, probably destroying them, as the mortars were not fired again. This diversion separated the main company slightly from 11 Platoon, putting the main body behind a slight rise.

As 11 Platoon continued to advance they were attacked by heavy machine gun fire and sustained several casualties. Following normal contact procedures, the platoon went into a defensive position. The VC formed an assault and attacked 11 Platoon around 20 minutes after initial contact with support from their heavy machine guns.

Stanley called in all available artillery support from the 1 ATF artillery units, and 10 Platoon moved up to the left of 11 Platoon to relieve pressure on them and allow them to withdraw to the company defensive position out of the heavy machine gun fire. The commander of 11 Platoon, ex-conscript 2nd Lt Gordon Sharp, was killed and Sergeant Bob Buick assumed command of the platoon. During this engagement both platoons' radios went out.

Heavy monsoon rain began falling, obscuring the battlefield.

10 Platoon, under 2nd Lt Geoff Kendall, also came under fire and went into a defensive position. 12 Platoon, commanded by 2nd Lt Dave Sabben, had been the reserve platoon, and it was ordered to the right to support 11 Platoon. 12 Platoon left one section behind to support Company HQ.

Stanley called for close air support but when it arrived it was unable to identify targets due to the bad weather. The US aircraft dropped their bombs to the east causing disruption to the VC rear areas.

The Australian soldiers were carrying a light load, approximately five magazines, and quickly ran low on ammunition. At 5:00pm Smith called for an ammunition resupply. By coincidence, two Iroquois helicopters from 9 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force were available at the Nui Dat base, having just been used as transport for a Col Joye and Little Pattie concert. One of the Iroquois pilots, Flt Lt Bob Grandin, disobeyed orders by dropping supplies to D Company. He recalled: ''"[i]t did sound extremely bad on the radio. I recall Harry [Smith] saying, 'If you don't do this for us you all might as well start saying your prayers — it's all over'."''

The survivors of 11 Platoon withdrew under the cover provided by the torrential rain to the company position. Smith requested reinforcements from 6RAR. B Company HQ with its one platoon had not yet got back to Nui Dat and was ordered back to Long Tan. At Nui Dat, A Company was ordered to ready itself and the M-113 armoured personnel carriers of the 1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron to transport them.

The VC continually formed assault groups and moved forward but were broken up by artillery fire. Fortunately for the attackers, the soft boggy ground reduced the effect of the shell bursts, but there were a large number of wounded. The soldiers of D Company held their line and repulsed any VC that got through the artillery barrage. D Company were supported by 24 105 mm and 155 mm guns from the Australian 1st Field Regiment, the 161st Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery and the U.S. 2nd Battalion, 35th Artillery Regiment. Over 3,000 rounds of artillery were fired throughout the remainder of the battle and night, with fire concentrating on likely VC forming-up positions and escape routes. "A" Battery, 1st Field Regiment fired rounds every 15 seconds for three hours. The U.S. gunners were in the same base as "A" Battery and assisted the exhausted Australian gunners by carrying artillery rounds to their guns.

The reverse slope that D Company used for defense meant that the VC found it difficult to use their heavy calibre weapons effectively; the VC could only engage the Australians at close range. The VC tried to find the Australian flanks but the wide dispersal and excellent defensive position meant the VC thought they were up against a larger enemy.

At last light two rifle companies and APCs from 1 APC Squadron arrived under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Colin Townsend and assaulted the Vietnamese flank. In teeming rain, 3 Troop, A Company under Lieutenant Adrian Roberts and 2 Troop, A Company under Lieutenant Peter Dinham, also attacked the forward elements of D445 Battalion, taking them by surprise. A Company dismounted from 10 M-113s and attacked the fleeing enemy, withdrawing to the east. An Australian soldier from one of the rifle companies was killed as they attacked the D445 Battalion position.

The fresh reinforcements formed a perimeter around D Company allowing them to treat the wounded and rest. The supporting artillery repeatedly fired on likely escape routes of the VC and some wounded were evacuated by helicopter. A and B Companies were a strong force and should have been able to repulse any night attack. As it was there was no further contact.

The next day the dead and wounded from 11 Platoon’s position were recovered and 50 enemy dead buried. Australian historians later claimed US forces captured documents indicating 800 killed and 1,000 wounded. They also point out that the VC routinely carried away their dead during a battle, and this would have reduced the body count.

The Australian losses were 18 killed and 21 wounded. According to the 275th Regiment and D445 Battalion veterans and Vietnamese historians, forty-seven Viet Cong soldiers were killed in action and 100 wounded.

The author of ''First to Fight'', Lieutenant-Colonel Bob Breen later wrote:{{cquote|A combination of the battle discipline and bravery of the Australians, the cover provided by the torrential rain and the effects of hundreds of artillery and mortar rounds falling among the Viet Cong attackers resulted in a stunning victory for the Australians and a further enhancement for the fighting tradition of Australian infantry.<ref>Duty First: The Royal Australian Regiment in War and Peace, Edited by David Horner, p. 215, Allen & Unwin, 1990)</ref>}}

==Body count==

Both sides tried to evacuate the injured in the darkness, although several wounded Australians spent a long and terrifying night on the battlefield while the female VC medical platoon (''Mrs Phuong's Medical Evacuation Unit'') moved around them. The morning light revealed the full extent of the horror. 50-245 Viet Cong bodies were found in the battle area and it was thought that many more were removed in the night. 18 Australians were killed at Long Tan and 24 wounded – over one third of the initial force engaged. 188 enemy killed and wounded is the figure formally declared by the CO and 6 RAR in his initial report on 19 August.<ref>"Enemy casualties [were] 188 and 3 Viet Cong captured". (See 6th RAR War Diary, available online)</ref> The platoon under Second Lieutenant Eric Andrews reported a body count of about fifty killed on 20 August.<ref>"50 enemy bodies buried in [D] company location." (6th RAR War Diary, available online)</ref>

The official Australian Army history ''To Long Tan'', by the Australian military historian Ian McNeill, lists the number of Vietnamese killed in action as 245 and three enemy captured. However, new research shows that Australian claims about 245 enemy soldiers killed in the battle may be highly inflated.<ref>''"The VC divisional planners estimated that four to six labourers would be needed for every wounded soldier requiring evacuation. A 30 percent casualty rate at Long Tan would mean a force of 1,200 would take 360 casualties. Using an 80:20 split for the casualties, 288 would be wounded and 72 killed. To get the seriously wounded and dead off the field, a labour force of something like 800 would be needed. If the casualty figures were increased to 245 dead, the wounded would be 980. Under the 30 per cent rule that would mean an attacking force of just over 4,000, plus a clearance labour force of 3,500. These are unimaginable numbers ..."'' (Vietnam: The Complete Story Of The Australian War, Bruce Davies, Gary McKay, Allen & Unwin, 2013)</ref>

==Controversies and conclusions==

Both the Vietnamese and Australian militaries have disputed each other’s version. The first North Vietnamese communiqué claimed that: ''"Liberation Fighters ... wiped out almost completely one Battalion of the Australian Mercenaries in an ambush in the Long Tan Village."''

There have also been accusations that the Australians also exaggerated enemy casualties. Casualty figures for the Viet Cong ranged from the 245 reportedly found dead on the field of action to the often quoted American Intelligence Officer's high count of 800 Vietnamese killed,<ref>Vietnam – The Australian War, Paul Ham, p 245 and p 704, HarperCollins 2007</ref> with some 6 RAR veterans<ref>[http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/helicopter-pilot-cliff-dohle-cited-for-gallantry-in-mission-to-resupply-long-tan-diggers/story-e6frg6nf-1225792091865 Helicopter pilot Cliff Dohle cited for gallantry in mission to resupply Long Tan diggers, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/...]</ref> accepting the reinforced 275th Regiment's count of fifty killed and one-hundred wounded. Australian Military Historians Bruce Davies and Gary McKay say claims citing the US Army Intelligence Officer's record purportedly showing that 800 Vietnamese were killed in the battle are wrong for the report does not exist.<ref>"Unfortunately, the diary or parts of it have never been produced. It is also difficult to understand why such an important document was not sent to the combined Document Exploitaton Centre, from where translated copies would have been despatched to all intelligence commanders." (Vietnam: The Complete Story Of The Australian War, Bruce Davies, Gary McKay, Allen & Unwin, 2013)</ref>

Terry Burstall, a private in the 12 Platoon section guarding D Company HQ during the battle, has contradicted Australian official accounts of Vietnamese losses:{{cquote|When I returned to the battlefield the day after the battle, there were bodies lying all through the area ... Would a shell-shocked digger count an arm, a trunk and a leg scattered over several metres as one body or three bodies? Nobody knew or cared at the time, and certainly not the people doing the counting. ...Looking back I don't really think that I would have seen more than 50 bodies and I spent three days in the area.<ref>Terry Burstall, A Soldier Returns, University of Queensland Press, Brisbane, 1990, pp 77-79</ref>}}

The recent Australian claim that 2,500-3,000 Vietnamese were involved in the battle with D Company is not supported by all Australian authors. Lieutenant-Colonel Bob Breen, author of ''First to Fight'' (the history of 1 RAR's first tour in Vietnam) has written that ''"the Viet Cong 275th Regiment ran into D Company in teeming monsoon rain"'' and that ''"for several hours just over 100 Diggers withstood the best efforts of over 1500 Viet Cong soldiers to kill them."''<ref>Duty First: The Royal Australian Regiment in War and Peace, p. 215, Allen & Unwin, Sydney, 1990</ref>

Vietnam veterans have also reported that Australian soldiers shot or bayoneted wounded VC no longer trying to defend themeselves. Bob Buick faced criticism in 2000, after admitting that he killed a mortally-wounded Vietnamese soldier on the battlefield, the day after the battle. Such an act would have been technically in breach of the [[Geneva Convention]] and therefore a war crime. Buick was criticised by both Burstall and the president of the Australian Long Tan Association, John Heslewood. Burstall commented: ''"Bob says it was a mercy killing ... would he have done the same to an Australian?"''<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/stories/s164813.htm Hero of Long Tan's "mercy killing" upsets comrades]</ref>

Many Vietnamese participants are adamant that D Company walked into an ambush. They state that the VC had planned to draw the Australian force into a wooded area to the north of the rubber plantation, where heavy weapons had been set up on a rise known to the Australians as ''"Nui Dat 2 GR4868"''. A company of D445 Battalion were in the south near the village of Long Tan. One platoon with several rocket launchers had been placed on the south western edge of the plantation, hoping to slow down any APC-mounted reinforcements, and cut off an Australian retreat. In 2006, Sau Thu, a former major in D445 Battalion, was quoted as saying that he had been ordered to lure the Australians out of Nui Dat, kill as many of them as possible, capture their weapons and then take the base. ''We didn't know how many you had in Nui Dat. We tried to draw them out… We thought they would go one way but the Australian soldiers went the wrong way and came behind us."''

According to Burstall, the Vietnamese commander at Long Tan, Colonel Nguyen Thanh Hong, was amazed that the Australians could look on the battle as a victory:{{cquote|How can you claim a victory when you allowed yourselves to walk into a trap that we had set? Admittedly we did not finish the job, but that was only because time beat us and your reinforcements arrived. I mean you did not even attempt to follow us up. How can you claim a significant victory from that sort of behaviour?<ref>[http://www.hotkey.net.au/~marshalle/Terryb.htm Long Tan: The Other Side of the Hill]</ref>}}

Lieutenant-Colonel Townsend was reportedly unable to pursue the mauled 275th Regiment because of the vulnerability of the Nui Dat base to an attack from the 274th Regiment. However, seven days later the 173rd Airborne Brigade, a US marine battalion, several ARVN battalions and 5 RAR joined Operation ''Toledo'' and from 25 August to 7 September were involved in a large-scale sweep of the area. Captain Robert O'Neill (Intelligence Officer, 5 RAR) wrote that no evidence of heavy enemy casualties were found:{{cquote|...the battalion had been keyed up to the possibility of a major encounter with the Viet Cong-a battle which would have had a decisive effect on the Viet Cong in Phuoc Tuy Province. Instead all we found was dense jungle with no trace of any large Viet Cong force ever having been in the area.<ref>Robert O'Neill, Vietnam Task: The 5th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, 1966/67, Cassell, Melbourne, 1968, p. 93</ref>}}

==Aftermath==

A US Presidential Unit Citation (PUC) was awarded to D Company 6RAR, by President Lyndon B. Johnson on May 28, 1968, for the unit's actions at Long Tan:{{cquote|By virtue of the authority invested in me as the President of the United States and as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, I have today awarded the Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for extraordinary heroism to D Company, Sixth Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, The Australian Army.D Company distinguished itself by extraordinary heroism while engaged in military operations against an opposing armed force in Vietnam on 18 August 1966. While searching for Viet Cong in a rubber plantation northeast of Ba Ria, Phuoc Tuy, Province, Republic of Vietnam, D Company met and immediately engaged in heavy contact. As the battle developed, it became apparent that the men of D Company were facing a numerically superior force. The platoons of D Company were surrounded and attacked on all sides by an estimated reinforced enemy battalion using automatic weapons, small arms and mortars. Fighting courageously against a well armed and determined foe, the men on D Company maintained their formations in a common perimeter defence and inflicted heavy casualties on the Viet Cong. The enemy maintained a continuous, intense volume of fire and attacked repeatedly from all directions. Each successive assault was repulsed by the courageous Australians. Heavy rainfall and low ceiling prevented any friendly close air support during the battle. After three hours of savage attacks, having failed to penetrate the Australian lines, the enemy withdrew from the battlefield carrying many dead and wounded, and leaving 245 Viet Cong dead forward of the defence positions of D Company. The conspicuous courage, intrepidity and indomitable courage of D Company were to the highest tradition of military valour and reflect great credit upon D Company and the Australian Army.<ref>[http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-battles/long_tan.htm The Battle of Long Tan by the men who were there ]</ref>}}

Soldiers that served ino D Company 6 RAR still wear the PUC on their uniforms.

Townsend was awarded the [[Distinguished Service Order]] (DSO). Smith was recommended for a [[Distinguished Service Order]], but received the lower award of a [[Military Cross]]. Each of the three platoon commanders were recommended for Military Crosses but none were awarded. Two Distinguished Conduct Medals, and two Military Medals were also awarded. The lack of recognition paid to Australian veterans by the Australian government was remedied under the government of Prime Minister [[John Howard]]. In November 2006, Howard visited Long Tan, the first Australian Prime Minister to make the journey. At Long Tan, Howard acknowledged the poor treatment that Australian Vietnam veterans had received.

A total of 22 members of D Company were awarded South Vietnamese medals. However, it had long been the policy of the Australian military that its members could not accept awards from foreign powers, including allies. It was only in June 2004 that the awards were finally accepted by the Minister of Defence.

==Commemoration and reconciliation==

The Battle of Long Tan has become a symbol of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War and August 18th is now commemorated in Australia as ''Vietnam Veterans Day''. Almost 60,000 Australians served in Vietnam; 521 died and over 3,000 were wounded.

6 RAR erected a concrete cross to commemorate those that died. This was removed by the government of Vietnam following the Communist victory in 1975, but has now been replaced by a larger monument of similar design. The original, discovered by Terry Burstall in his trip, is now on display at Dong Nai province museum in Bien Hoa.

In more recent times former officers from D Company have visited Vietnam and met former adversaries.

In 1996, on the 30th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, [[The Sydney Morning Herald]] printed a special commemorative issue to do with the Battle of Long Tan and revealed to the Australian public for the very first time the Vietnamese version of events of VC soldiers involved and killed in the 275th Regiment:{{cquote|[The] senior Vietnamese officers made the startling claim that only 700 of their men had taken part in the battle — half the most conservative Australian estimate — and that only 30 had been killed.<ref>Mark Baker, ''Stilling The Ghosts Of Long Ta''n, Sydney Morning Herald, August 16, 1996</ref>}}

A feature film, a fictionalised account written and directed by ex-Australian Army Commando and filmmaker [[Bruce Beresford]], and entitled Long Tan, was released in 2008.

In 2013, [[Phan Chien]], chairman of the [[Ba Ria-Vung Tau Veterans' Association]], reported that the VC forces suffered over 170 killed from 1966 until 1971 in Phouc Tuy Province, which appeared to confirm Australian estimates over enemy numbers killed in the Battle of Long Tan.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Vietnam War]]

Battle of Long Tan

2017-03-01T01:01:37Z

Paulvani: /* Commemoration and reconciliation */

{{War
| image =
| conflict = [[Vietnam War]]
| date = August 17, 1966-August 19, 1966
| location = Phuoc Toy Province, Republic of Vietnam
| combatant1 = [[Australian Army]]
| combatant2 = [[Viet Cong]]
| commander1 = [[Colin Towsend]] Lieutenant Colonel, Australian Army
| commander2 = [[Nguyen Thanh Hong]] Colonel, VC
| strength1 = 1,100 (including rear-echelon troops)
| strength2 = 108 (not including reinforcements)
| casualties1 = '''42''' Killed: 18 Wounded: 24 Missing or captured: 2 (recovered)
| casualties2 = '''150''' Killed: 47 Wounded:100 Missing or captured: 3-4
}}
The '''Battle of Long Tần''' is arguably the most famous battle fought by the Australian Army during the Vietnam War. It was fought in a rubber plantation near the village of Long Tần, about 4 km north-east of Vung Tau, South Vietnam on August 18–19, 1966.

The action occurred when D Company of the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), part of the 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF), encountered the Viet Cong (VC) 275 Regiment and elements of the D445 Local Forces Battalion. D Company was supported by other Australian units, as well as New Zealand and United States personnel.

For several weeks prior to the battle, Australian field intelligence had tracked a radio transmitter moving south but were unsure about what unit it belonged to. Aggressive patrolling failed to find this unit.

On the night of 17–18 August, the Viet Cong 275th Regiment fired over 100 mortar rounds into the 103 Battery area and 22 Australian soldiers were wounded, one later dying from his wounds. B Company 6 RAR was sent out early on the morning of the 18th to find the VC heavy weapons. D Company (to which was attached three New Zealand Army personnel) relieved B Company at midday. The commander of B Company, Major Noel Ford, briefed the D Company commander, Major Harry Smith, and B Company returned to base. After discussing the situation with the 6 RAR battalion commander, Lt Col. Colin Townsend, D Company moved to the east towards the limit of their covering artillery range.

The battle is often used in Australian officer training as an example of the importance of combining and coordinating infantry, artillery, armour and military aviation.

==Background==

1ATF arrived in Vietnam in May 1966 and was based at the Nui Dat base, in Phuoc Tuy Province. (As of 2005, Nui Dat and Long Tan are both in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province.) 6 RAR was composed mainly of conscripts. The Australians faced formidable enemy forces, which were operating on home soil:{{cquote|Within Phouc Tuy and the neighbouring provinces of Bien Hoa, Long Khanh and Binh Tuy, the principle [sic] main force formation… was the 5th NLF Division, which usually had its headquarters in the Mây Tào Mountains. It consisted of 274th Regiment and the 275th Regiment plus supporting units. North Vietnamese regulars were used to boost and reinforce this South Vietnamese Viet Cong formation…<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060207035903/http://www.5rar.asn.au/tactics.htm THE ENEMY AND HIS TACTICS]</ref>}}

Members of D Company found new VC tracks and spread out into a wide formation, to maximise the chances of contact. Two platoons led the way, with company headquarters behind them and a third platoon in the rear.

==Battle==

Against overwhelming odds, all but 17 of 108 Australians survived wave after wave of attack until a relief force in the form of a company arrived in armoured personnel carriers (one soldier died later from his wounds, while 24 were wounded)

At 15:40, a small group of VC soldiers walked into the middle of 11 Platoon on the right flank of D Company. One was killed in the action, the area was cleared and 11 Platoon moved forward again.

Several light mortar rounds were fired towards the company position landing to the east, most likely the same mortars that had fired at the base on the night of 16 August, causing several casualties. The accompanying Forward Observation Officer (FO), New Zealand Army Captain Morrie Stanley, organised counter battery fire, probably destroying them, as the mortars were not fired again. This diversion separated the main company slightly from 11 Platoon, putting the main body behind a slight rise.

As 11 Platoon continued to advance they were attacked by heavy machine gun fire and sustained several casualties. Following normal contact procedures, the platoon went into a defensive position. The VC formed an assault and attacked 11 Platoon around 20 minutes after initial contact with support from their heavy machine guns.

Stanley called in all available artillery support from the 1 ATF artillery units, and 10 Platoon moved up to the left of 11 Platoon to relieve pressure on them and allow them to withdraw to the company defensive position out of the heavy machine gun fire. The commander of 11 Platoon, ex-conscript 2nd Lt Gordon Sharp, was killed and Sergeant Bob Buick assumed command of the platoon. During this engagement both platoons' radios went out.

Heavy monsoon rain began falling, obscuring the battlefield.

10 Platoon, under 2nd Lt Geoff Kendall, also came under fire and went into a defensive position. 12 Platoon, commanded by 2nd Lt Dave Sabben, had been the reserve platoon, and it was ordered to the right to support 11 Platoon. 12 Platoon left one section behind to support Company HQ.

Stanley called for close air support but when it arrived it was unable to identify targets due to the bad weather. The US aircraft dropped their bombs to the east causing disruption to the VC rear areas.

The Australian soldiers were carrying a light load, approximately five magazines, and quickly ran low on ammunition. At 5:00pm Smith called for an ammunition resupply. By coincidence, two Iroquois helicopters from 9 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force were available at the Nui Dat base, having just been used as transport for a Col Joye and Little Pattie concert. One of the Iroquois pilots, Flt Lt Bob Grandin, disobeyed orders by dropping supplies to D Company. He recalled: ''"[i]t did sound extremely bad on the radio. I recall Harry [Smith] saying, 'If you don't do this for us you all might as well start saying your prayers — it's all over'."''

The survivors of 11 Platoon withdrew under the cover provided by the torrential rain to the company position. Smith requested reinforcements from 6RAR. B Company HQ with its one platoon had not yet got back to Nui Dat and was ordered back to Long Tan. At Nui Dat, A Company was ordered to ready itself and the M-113 armoured personnel carriers of the 1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron to transport them.

The VC continually formed assault groups and moved forward but were broken up by artillery fire. Fortunately for the attackers, the soft boggy ground reduced the effect of the shell bursts, but there were a large number of wounded. The soldiers of D Company held their line and repulsed any VC that got through the artillery barrage. D Company were supported by 24 105 mm and 155 mm guns from the Australian 1st Field Regiment, the 161st Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery and the U.S. 2nd Battalion, 35th Artillery Regiment. Over 3,000 rounds of artillery were fired throughout the remainder of the battle and night, with fire concentrating on likely VC forming-up positions and escape routes. "A" Battery, 1st Field Regiment fired rounds every 15 seconds for three hours. The U.S. gunners were in the same base as "A" Battery and assisted the exhausted Australian gunners by carrying artillery rounds to their guns.

The reverse slope that D Company used for defense meant that the VC found it difficult to use their heavy calibre weapons effectively; the VC could only engage the Australians at close range. The VC tried to find the Australian flanks but the wide dispersal and excellent defensive position meant the VC thought they were up against a larger enemy.

At last light two rifle companies and APCs from 1 APC Squadron arrived under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Colin Townsend and assaulted the Vietnamese flank. In teeming rain, 3 Troop, A Company under Lieutenant Adrian Roberts and 2 Troop, A Company under Lieutenant Peter Dinham, also attacked the forward elements of D445 Battalion, taking them by surprise. A Company dismounted from 10 M-113s and attacked the fleeing enemy, withdrawing to the east. An Australian soldier from one of the rifle companies was killed as they attacked the D445 Battalion position.

The fresh reinforcements formed a perimeter around D Company allowing them to treat the wounded and rest. The supporting artillery repeatedly fired on likely escape routes of the VC and some wounded were evacuated by helicopter. A and B Companies were a strong force and should have been able to repulse any night attack. As it was there was no further contact.

The next day the dead and wounded from 11 Platoon’s position were recovered and 50 enemy dead buried. Australian historians later claimed US forces captured documents indicating 800 killed and 1,000 wounded. They also point out that the VC routinely carried away their dead during a battle, and this would have reduced the body count.

The Australian losses were 18 killed and 21 wounded. According to the 275th Regiment and D445 Battalion veterans and Vietnamese historians, forty-seven Viet Cong soldiers were killed in action and 100 wounded.

The author of ''First to Fight'', Lieutenant-Colonel Bob Breen later wrote:{{cquote|A combination of the battle discipline and bravery of the Australians, the cover provided by the torrential rain and the effects of hundreds of artillery and mortar rounds falling among the Viet Cong attackers resulted in a stunning victory for the Australians and a further enhancement for the fighting tradition of Australian infantry.<ref>Duty First: The Royal Australian Regiment in War and Peace, Edited by David Horner, p. 215, Allen & Unwin, 1990)</ref>}}

==Body count==

Both sides tried to evacuate the injured in the darkness, although several wounded Australians spent a long and terrifying night on the battlefield while the female VC medical platoon (''Mrs Phuong's Medical Evacuation Unit'') moved around them. The morning light revealed the full extent of the horror. 50-245 Viet Cong bodies were found in the battle area and it was thought that many more were removed in the night. 18 Australians were killed at Long Tan and 24 wounded – over one third of the initial force engaged. 188 enemy killed and wounded is the figure formally declared by the CO and 6 RAR in his initial report on 19 August.<ref>"Enemy casualties [were] 188 and 3 Viet Cong captured". (See 6th RAR War Diary, available online)</ref> The platoon under Second Lieutenant Eric Andrews reported a body count of about fifty killed on 20 August.<ref>"50 enemy bodies buried in [D] company location." (6th RAR War Diary, available online)</ref>

The official Australian Army history ''To Long Tan'', by the Australian military historian Ian McNeill, lists the number of Vietnamese killed in action as 245 and three enemy captured. However, new research shows that Australian claims about 245 enemy soldiers killed in the battle may be highly inflated.<ref>''"The VC divisional planners estimated that four to six labourers would be needed for every wounded soldier requiring evacuation. A 30 percent casualty rate at Long Tan would mean a force of 1,200 would take 360 casualties. Using an 80:20 split for the casualties, 288 would be wounded and 72 killed. To get the seriously wounded and dead off the field, a labour force of something like 800 would be needed. If the casualty figures were increased to 245 dead, the wounded would be 980. Under the 30 per cent rule that would mean an attacking force of just over 4,000, plus a clearance labour force of 3,500. These are unimaginable numbers ..."'' (Vietnam: The Complete Story Of The Australian War, Bruce Davies, Gary McKay, Allen & Unwin, 2013)</ref>

==Controversies and conclusions==

Both the Vietnamese and Australian militaries have disputed each other’s version. The first North Vietnamese communiqué claimed that: ''"Liberation Fighters ... wiped out almost completely one Battalion of the Australian Mercenaries in an ambush in the Long Tan Village."''

There have also been accusations that the Australians also exaggerated enemy casualties. Casualty figures for the Viet Cong ranged from the 245 reportedly found dead on the field of action to the often quoted American Intelligence Officer's high count of 800 Vietnamese killed,<ref>Vietnam – The Australian War, Paul Ham, p 245 and p 704, HarperCollins 2007</ref> with some 6 RAR veterans<ref>[http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/helicopter-pilot-cliff-dohle-cited-for-gallantry-in-mission-to-resupply-long-tan-diggers/story-e6frg6nf-1225792091865 Helicopter pilot Cliff Dohle cited for gallantry in mission to resupply Long Tan diggers, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/...]</ref> accepting the reinforced 275th Regiment's count of fifty killed and one-hundred wounded. Australian Military Historians Bruce Davies and Gary McKay say claims citing the US Army Intelligence Officer's record purportedly showing that 800 Vietnamese were killed in the battle are wrong for the report does not exist.<ref>"Unfortunately, the diary or parts of it have never been produced. It is also difficult to understand why such an important document was not sent to the combined Document Exploitaton Centre, from where translated copies would have been despatched to all intelligence commanders." (Vietnam: The Complete Story Of The Australian War, Bruce Davies, Gary McKay, Allen & Unwin, 2013)</ref>

Terry Burstall, a private in the 12 Platoon section guarding D Company HQ during the battle, has contradicted Australian official accounts of Vietnamese losses:{{cquote|When I returned to the battlefield the day after the battle, there were bodies lying all through the area ... Would a shell-shocked digger count an arm, a trunk and a leg scattered over several metres as one body or three bodies? Nobody knew or cared at the time, and certainly not the people doing the counting. ...Looking back I don't really think that I would have seen more than 50 bodies and I spent three days in the area.<ref>Terry Burstall, A Soldier Returns, University of Queensland Press, Brisbane, 1990, pp 77-79</ref>}}

The recent Australian claim that 2,500-3,000 Vietnamese were involved in the battle with D Company is not supported by all Australian authors. Lieutenant-Colonel Bob Breen, author of ''First to Fight'' (the history of 1 RAR's first tour in Vietnam) has written that ''"the Viet Cong 275th Regiment ran into D Company in teeming monsoon rain"'' and that ''"for several hours just over 100 Diggers withstood the best efforts of over 1500 Viet Cong soldiers to kill them."''<ref>Duty First: The Royal Australian Regiment in War and Peace, p. 215, Allen & Unwin, Sydney, 1990</ref>

Vietnam veterans have also reported that Australian soldiers shot or bayoneted wounded VC no longer trying to defend themeselves. Bob Buick faced criticism in 2000, after admitting that he killed a mortally-wounded Vietnamese soldier on the battlefield, the day after the battle. Such an act would have been technically in breach of the [[Geneva Convention]] and therefore a war crime. Buick was criticised by both Burstall and the president of the Australian Long Tan Association, John Heslewood. Burstall commented: ''"Bob says it was a mercy killing ... would he have done the same to an Australian?"''<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/stories/s164813.htm Hero of Long Tan's "mercy killing" upsets comrades]</ref>

Many Vietnamese participants are adamant that D Company walked into an ambush. They state that the VC had planned to draw the Australian force into a wooded area to the north of the rubber plantation, where heavy weapons had been set up on a rise known to the Australians as ''"Nui Dat 2 GR4868"''. A company of D445 Battalion were in the south near the village of Long Tan. One platoon with several rocket launchers had been placed on the south western edge of the plantation, hoping to slow down any APC-mounted reinforcements, and cut off an Australian retreat. In 2006, Sau Thu, a former major in D445 Battalion, was quoted as saying that he had been ordered to lure the Australians out of Nui Dat, kill as many of them as possible, capture their weapons and then take the base. ''We didn't know how many you had in Nui Dat. We tried to draw them out… We thought they would go one way but the Australian soldiers went the wrong way and came behind us."''

According to Burstall, the Vietnamese commander at Long Tan, Colonel Nguyen Thanh Hong, was amazed that the Australians could look on the battle as a victory:{{cquote|How can you claim a victory when you allowed yourselves to walk into a trap that we had set? Admittedly we did not finish the job, but that was only because time beat us and your reinforcements arrived. I mean you did not even attempt to follow us up. How can you claim a significant victory from that sort of behaviour?<ref>[http://www.hotkey.net.au/~marshalle/Terryb.htm Long Tan: The Other Side of the Hill]</ref>}}

Lieutenant-Colonel Townsend was reportedly unable to pursue the mauled 275th Regiment because of the vulnerability of the Nui Dat base to an attack from the 274th Regiment. However, seven days later the 173rd Airborne Brigade, a US marine battalion, several ARVN battalions and 5 RAR joined Operation ''Toledo'' and from 25 August to 7 September were involved in a large-scale sweep of the area. Captain Robert O'Neill (Intelligence Officer, 5 RAR) wrote that no evidence of heavy enemy casualties were found:{{cquote|...the battalion had been keyed up to the possibility of a major encounter with the Viet Cong-a battle which would have had a decisive effect on the Viet Cong in Phuoc Tuy Province. Instead all we found was dense jungle with no trace of any large Viet Cong force ever having been in the area.<ref>Robert O'Neill, Vietnam Task: The 5th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, 1966/67, Cassell, Melbourne, 1968, p. 93</ref>}}

==Aftermath==

A US Presidential Unit Citation (PUC) was awarded to D Company 6RAR, by President Lyndon B. Johnson on May 28, 1968, for the unit's actions at Long Tan (Soldiers posted to D Company 6 RAR still wear the PUC on their uniforms):{{cquote|By virtue of the authority invested in me as the President of the United States and as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, I have today awarded the Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for extraordinary heroism to D Company, Sixth Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, The Australian Army.D Company distinguished itself by extraordinary heroism while engaged in military operations against an opposing armed force in Vietnam on 18 August 1966. While searching for Viet Cong in a rubber plantation northeast of Ba Ria, Phuoc Tuy, Province, Republic of Vietnam, D Company met and immediately engaged in heavy contact. As the battle developed, it became apparent that the men of D Company were facing a numerically superior force. The platoons of D Company were surrounded and attacked on all sides by an estimated reinforced enemy battalion using automatic weapons, small arms and mortars. Fighting courageously against a well armed and determined foe, the men on D Company maintained their formations in a common perimeter defence and inflicted heavy casualties on the Viet Cong. The enemy maintained a continuous, intense volume of fire and attacked repeatedly from all directions. Each successive assault was repulsed by the courageous Australians. Heavy rainfall and low ceiling prevented any friendly close air support during the battle. After three hours of savage attacks, having failed to penetrate the Australian lines, the enemy withdrew from the battlefield carrying many dead and wounded, and leaving 245 Viet Cong dead forward of the defence positions of D Company. The conspicuous courage, intrepidity and indomitable courage of D Company were to the highest tradition of military valour and reflect great credit upon D Company and the Australian Army.<ref>[http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-battles/long_tan.htm The Battle of Long Tan by the men who were there ]</ref>}}

Townsend was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). Smith was recommended for a Distinguished Service Order, but received the lower award of a Military Cross. Each of the three platoon commanders were recommended for Military Crosses but none were awarded. Two Distinguished Conduct Medals, and two Military Medals were also awarded. The lack of recognition paid to Australian veterans by the Australian government has been recently remedied. In November 2006, John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia, visited Long Tan, the first Australian PM to make the journey. At Long Tan, Howard acknowledged the poor treatment that Australian Vietnam veterans had received.

A total of 22 members of D Company were awarded South Vietnamese medals. However, it had long been the policy of the Australian military that its members could not accept awards from foreign powers, including allies. It was only in June 2004 that the awards were finally accepted by the Minister of Defence.

==Commemoration and reconciliation==

The Battle of Long Tan has become a symbol of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War and August 18th is now commemorated in Australia as ''Vietnam Veterans Day''. Almost 60,000 Australians served in Vietnam; 521 died and over 3,000 were wounded.

6 RAR erected a concrete cross to commemorate those that died. This was removed by the government of Vietnam following the Communist victory in 1975, but has now been replaced by a larger monument of similar design. The original, discovered by Terry Burstall in his trip, is now on display at Dong Nai province museum in Bien Hoa.

In more recent times former officers from D Company have visited Vietnam and met former adversaries.

In 1996, on the 30th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, [[The Sydney Morning Herald]] printed a special commemorative issue to do with the Battle of Long Tan and revealed to the Australian public for the very first time the Vietnamese version of events of VC soldiers involved and killed in the 275th Regiment:{{cquote|[The] senior Vietnamese officers made the startling claim that only 700 of their men had taken part in the battle — half the most conservative Australian estimate — and that only 30 had been killed.<ref>Mark Baker, ''Stilling The Ghosts Of Long Ta''n, Sydney Morning Herald, August 16, 1996</ref>}}

A feature film, a fictionalised account written and directed by ex-Australian Army Commando and filmmaker [[Bruce Beresford]], and entitled Long Tan, was released in 2008.

In 2013, [[Phan Chien]], chairman of the [[Ba Ria-Vung Tau Veterans' Association]], reported that the VC forces suffered over 170 killed from 1966 until 1971 in Phouc Tuy Province, which appeared to confirm Australian estimates over enemy numbers killed in the Battle of Long Tan.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Vietnam War]]

Battle of Darwin and Goose Green

2017-02-28T01:00:54Z

Paulvani: /* Condor Military Air Base */

==Background==
Following [[Operation Rosario (Falklands/Malvinas War)]], Argentinian occupation of the Falkland/Malvinas Islands, the 2nd and 3rd British Parachute Battalions (2 and 3 PARA) of the British 1st Parachute Regiment were deployed as part of Brigadier Julian Thompson's 3 Commando Brigade to retake the islands in [[Operation Corporate]].

==San Carlos==

3 Commando Brigade went ashore at San Carlos on the night of May 21/22. 2 PARA established itself on Sussex Mountain protecting the south of the Bridgehead without opposition. 3 PARA landed in the near Port San Carlos driving off a platoon of 40 enemy.

On May 26, 2 PARA was ordered to move south and engage the Argentinian 12th Infantry Regiment and Condor Military Airbase on the Darwin/Goose Green Peninsula.

==Darwin Parks==

The attack began under the cover of darkness of 28 May with heavy naval and artillery support.

At 3.35 am, A Company moved off on the left and attacked Burntside House believed to be occupied by an Argentinian platoon, but found no-one there other than four civilians. B Company started forward from the other side of Burntside Pond down the right flank with D Company following them long the middle. With artillery support on both sides, B and D Companies were soon in close-quarter combat with the 12th Regiment's A Company (under 1st Lieutenant Jorge Antonio Manresa and Sergeant-Major Juan Carlos Coelho). Leaving No. 13 Platoon of A Company to provide covering fire from the north side of Darwin Bay, the remainder started to circle round to take Darwin Settlement.

==Darwin Ridge==

By daylight, however, the British attack was held up by strong enemy defensive positions on Darwin Hill and Boca Hill (Darwin Ridge) and the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert Jones, was killed trying to take out a machine-gun post. Major Chris Keeble was called up from the rear, and leaving A Company to slowly wrestle control of Darwin Hill and pulling B Company back to Middle Hill, ordered D Company to move round Boca Hill, advancing from the nearby beach. Support Company used MILAN anti-tank rockets to destroy these trenches. Approximately, 3 hours after the death of Jones, the last Argentinian defenders on Boca Hill surrendered.

In the meantime, the Argentinians helicoptered in their first reinforcements and the Stanley Air Base flew in support missions. The first attack took place earlier when a ''Grupo 3'' Pucara was hit, probably by a Blowpipe shoulder-launched SAM, but the aircraft limped back to Stanley. The next sortie by two more Pucaras caught two Royal Marine Scouts on their way in to evacuate Lieutenant-Colonel Jones. Captain Jeff Niblett managed to evade them, but Lieutenant Richard Nunn was killed by cannon fire and crashed down near Camilla Creek House. One of the Pucaras was later found to have crashed into high ground returning to Stanley after attacking Sea King Helicopters near San Carlos.

==''Condor'' Military Air Base==

At 2.15 pm the final British attacks began. Elements of the Argentinian Air Force tried to defend ''Condor'' Military Airbase, but withdrew under intense British mortar fire. However, as Major Hugh Jenner's "C" Company moved down the forward slope of Darwin Ridge, 2nd Lieutenant Claudio Cesar Braghini brought his 35 mm anti-aircraft guns into action and they did some damage, killing one paratrooper and wounding eleven.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131029202548/http://www.britains-smallwars.com/Falklands/David/Goosegreen.htm Goose Green The Argentinian Story]</ref>

Still under fire, D and C Companies headed towards the Argentinian Air Base while B Company circled east to cut off Goose Green Settlement. During the attack, three Paratroopers were killed in an ambush involving a 25th Regiment platoon. According to Private Graham Carter from 12 Platoon{{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>}}

Private Carter led the men forward at bayonet point to clear the Argentinian positions, winning the Military Medal in the process. The 25th Regiment Platoon disengaged, and, single-handedly covered by Sergeant Sergio Ismael García, managed to escape.<ref>"'C' Company sustained heavy losses and 'D' Company also saw some extremely fierce fighting, particulary No. 12 Platoon of 'D' Company, who managed to fight off an ambush before Private Graham Carter led the men forward at bayonet point to take the airfield. The RI 25 Platoon fled, and, single-handedly covered by Sergeant Sergio Ismael García, managed to escape." Paratroopers, RW Press</ref>García was posthumously awarded the Gallantry In Combat Medal<ref>"Desempeñándose como Encargado de Sección en un contraataque y al quedar fuera de servicio una ametralladora, se hizo cargo de ella, abriendo el fuego con eficacia, provocando la detención del avance enemigo en su sector. Posteriormente, al efectuar una maniobra para silenciar las armas pesadas enemigas que lo batían y próximo a alcanzar el objetivo, ofrendó su vida." Informe Oficial del Ejército Argentino, p. 56, Ejército Argentino, 1983</ref>

In the late afternoon, aircraft from both sides intervened, starting with two [[Argentinian Navy]] MB.339's and two IA.58 Pucaras which attacked D Company. One of the Navy jets was brought down by a Royal Marine shoulder-launched Blowpipe, and minutes later the Pucaras dropped napalm with one shot down by small arms fire. Then three Harrier GR.3's brought much needed relief by silencing the anti-aircraft guns at Goose Green with cluster bombs and rockets.

==Argentinian surrender==

The assault continued with some ferocious close-quarter combat 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, more reinforcements arrived to the south by helicopter, while to the north, ''Juliet'' Company 42 Commando was flown in reinforce 2 PARA but too late to join in the fighting. 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 1st Lieutenant Fernandez's C Company, 12th Regiment, now dug in around Goose Green Settlement. 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 Goose Green's outskirts.

Negotiations with the Argentinians produced their surrender the next day. Around 50 Argentinians were killed, and ''The Official History of the Falklands Campaign'' reports that 961 Argentinians were captured, with other British accounts of the battle have reported a larger count of 1,400 prisoners. British losses were fifteen men from 2 PARA, a Royal Engineer, a Sea Harrier pilot, a Scout pilot, a Gurkha and 64 wounded.

==Aftermath==

Forty two members of The Parachute Regiment and attached personnel were killed in the Falklands War, with a further 140 personnel from the two Battalions wounded in action. Two Victoria Croses were posthumously awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel 'H' Jones, 2 PARA, and Sergeant Ian McKay of 3 PARA. In total, some 71 gallantry awards for actions in the Falklands were made to parachute members and attached personnel.

The fighting showed that "H" Jones was a strict CO who had to have complete control over every aspect and demanded his company commanders to stray from the battle plan. Major Neame was the only officer who commanded his company with flexibility and allowed initiative among his officers and NCOs, something which benefited his platoons greatly.<ref>To what extent does the Battle for Goose Green reveal command problems in the British army of the period?, James Wallis, University of Kent</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:War]]
[[Category:Argentina]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:1980s]]

Battle of Darwin and Goose Green

2017-02-28T00:50:06Z

Paulvani:

==Background==
Following [[Operation Rosario (Falklands/Malvinas War)]], Argentinian occupation of the Falkland/Malvinas Islands, the 2nd and 3rd British Parachute Battalions (2 and 3 PARA) of the British 1st Parachute Regiment were deployed as part of Brigadier Julian Thompson's 3 Commando Brigade to retake the islands in [[Operation Corporate]].

==San Carlos==

3 Commando Brigade went ashore at San Carlos on the night of May 21/22. 2 PARA established itself on Sussex Mountain protecting the south of the Bridgehead without opposition. 3 PARA landed in the near Port San Carlos driving off a platoon of 40 enemy.

On May 26, 2 PARA was ordered to move south and engage the Argentinian 12th Infantry Regiment and Condor Military Airbase on the Darwin/Goose Green Peninsula.

==Darwin Parks==

The attack began under the cover of darkness of 28 May with heavy naval and artillery support.

At 3.35 am, A Company moved off on the left and attacked Burntside House believed to be occupied by an Argentinian platoon, but found no-one there other than four civilians. B Company started forward from the other side of Burntside Pond down the right flank with D Company following them long the middle. With artillery support on both sides, B and D Companies were soon in close-quarter combat with the 12th Regiment's A Company (under 1st Lieutenant Jorge Antonio Manresa and Sergeant-Major Juan Carlos Coelho). Leaving No. 13 Platoon of A Company to provide covering fire from the north side of Darwin Bay, the remainder started to circle round to take Darwin Settlement.

==Darwin Ridge==

By daylight, however, the British attack was held up by strong enemy defensive positions on Darwin Hill and Boca Hill (Darwin Ridge) and the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert Jones, was killed trying to take out a machine-gun post. Major Chris Keeble was called up from the rear, and leaving A Company to slowly wrestle control of Darwin Hill and pulling B Company back to Middle Hill, ordered D Company to move round Boca Hill, advancing from the nearby beach. Support Company used MILAN anti-tank rockets to destroy these trenches. Approximately, 3 hours after the death of Jones, the last Argentinian defenders on Boca Hill surrendered.

In the meantime, the Argentinians helicoptered in their first reinforcements and the Stanley Air Base flew in support missions. The first attack took place earlier when a ''Grupo 3'' Pucara was hit, probably by a Blowpipe shoulder-launched SAM, but the aircraft limped back to Stanley. The next sortie by two more Pucaras caught two Royal Marine Scouts on their way in to evacuate Lieutenant-Colonel Jones. Captain Jeff Niblett managed to evade them, but Lieutenant Richard Nunn was killed by cannon fire and crashed down near Camilla Creek House. One of the Pucaras was later found to have crashed into high ground returning to Stanley after attacking Sea King Helicopters near San Carlos.

==''Condor'' Military Air Base==

At 2.15 pm the final British attacks began. Elements of the Argentinian Air Force tried to defend ''Condor'' Military Airbase, but withdrew under intense British mortar fire. However, as Major Hugh Jenner's "C" Company moved down the forward slope of Darwin Ridge, 2nd Lieutenant Claudio Cesar Braghini brought his 35 mm anti-aircraft guns into action and they did some damage, killing one paratrooper and wounding eleven.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131029202548/http://www.britains-smallwars.com/Falklands/David/Goosegreen.htm Goose Green The Argentinian Story]</ref>

Still under fire, D and C Companies headed towards the Argentinian Air Base while B Company circled east to cut off Goose Green Settlement. During the attack, three Paratroopers were killed in an ambush involving a 25th Regiment platoon. According to Private Graham Carter from 12 Platoon{{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>}}

Private Carter led the men forward at bayonet point to clear the Argentinian positions. The 25th Regiment Platoon disengaged, and, single-handedly covered by Sergeant Sergio Ismael García, managed to escape.<ref>"'C' Company sustained heavy losses and 'D' Company also saw some extremely fierce fighting, particulary No. 12 Platoon of 'D' Company, who managed to fight off an ambush before Private Graham Carter led the men forward at bayonet point to take the airfield. The RI 25 Platoon fled, and, single-handedly covered by Sergeant Sergio Ismael García, managed to escape." Paratroopers, RW Press</ref>García was posthumously awarded the Gallantry In Combat Medal<ref>"Desempeñándose como Encargado de Sección en un contraataque y al quedar fuera de servicio una ametralladora, se hizo cargo de ella, abriendo el fuego con eficacia, provocando la detención del avance enemigo en su sector. Posteriormente, al efectuar una maniobra para silenciar las armas pesadas enemigas que lo batían y próximo a alcanzar el objetivo, ofrendó su vida." Informe Oficial del Ejército Argentino, p. 56, Ejército Argentino, 1983</ref>

In the late afternoon, aircraft from both sides intervened, starting with two [[Argentinian Navy]] MB.339's and two IA.58 Pucaras which attacked D Company. One of the Navy jets was brought down by a Royal Marine shoulder-launched Blowpipe, and minutes later the Pucaras dropped napalm with one shot down by small arms fire. Then three Harrier GR.3's brought much needed relief by silencing the anti-aircraft guns at Goose Green with cluster bombs and rockets.

==Argentinian surrender==

The assault continued with some ferocious close-quarter combat 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, more reinforcements arrived to the south by helicopter, while to the north, ''Juliet'' Company 42 Commando was flown in reinforce 2 PARA but too late to join in the fighting. 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 1st Lieutenant Fernandez's C Company, 12th Regiment, now dug in around Goose Green Settlement. 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 Goose Green's outskirts.

Negotiations with the Argentinians produced their surrender the next day. Around 50 Argentinians were killed, and ''The Official History of the Falklands Campaign'' reports that 961 Argentinians were captured, with other British accounts of the battle have reported a larger count of 1,400 prisoners. British losses were fifteen men from 2 PARA, a Royal Engineer, a Sea Harrier pilot, a Scout pilot, a Gurkha and 64 wounded.

==Aftermath==

Forty two members of The Parachute Regiment and attached personnel were killed in the Falklands War, with a further 140 personnel from the two Battalions wounded in action. Two Victoria Croses were posthumously awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel 'H' Jones, 2 PARA, and Sergeant Ian McKay of 3 PARA. In total, some 71 gallantry awards for actions in the Falklands were made to parachute members and attached personnel.

The fighting showed that "H" Jones was a strict CO who had to have complete control over every aspect and demanded his company commanders to stray from the battle plan. Major Neame was the only officer who commanded his company with flexibility and allowed initiative among his officers and NCOs, something which benefited his platoons greatly.<ref>To what extent does the Battle for Goose Green reveal command problems in the British army of the period?, James Wallis, University of Kent</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:War]]
[[Category:Argentina]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:1980s]]

Battle of Darwin and Goose Green

2017-02-28T00:48:16Z

Paulvani:

==Background==
Following [[Operation Rosario (Falklands/Malvinas War)]], Argentinian occupation of the Falkland/Malvinas Islands, the 2nd and 3rd British Parachute Battalions (2 and 3 PARA) of the British 1st Parachute Regiment were deployed as part of Brigadier Julian Thompson's 3 Commando Brigade to retake the islands in [[Operation Corporate]].

==San Carlos==

3 Commando Brigade went ashore at San Carlos on the night of May 21/22. 2 PARA established itself on Sussex Mountain protecting the south of the Bridgehead without opposition. 3 PARA landed in the near Port San Carlos driving off a platoon of 40 enemy.

On May 26, 2 PARA was ordered to move south and engage the Argentinian 12th Infantry Regiment and Condor Military Airbase on the Darwin/Goose Green Peninsula.

==Darwin Parks==

The attack began under the cover of darkness of 28 May with heavy naval and artillery support.

At 3.35 am, A Company moved off on the left and attacked Burntside House believed to be occupied by an Argentinian platoon, but found no-one there other than four civilians. B Company started forward from the other side of Burntside Pond down the right flank with D Company following them long the middle. With artillery support on both sides, B and D Companies were soon in close-quarter combat with the 12th Regiment's A Company (under 1st Lieutenant Jorge Antonio Manresa and Sergeant-Major Juan Carlos Coelho). Leaving No. 13 Platoon of A Company to provide covering fire from the north side of Darwin Bay, the remainder started to circle round to take Darwin Settlement.

==Darwin Ridge==

By daylight, however, the British attack was held up by strong enemy defensive positions on Darwin Hill and Boca Hill (Darwin Ridge) and the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert Jones, was killed trying to take out a machine-gun post. Major Chris Keeble was called up from the rear, and leaving A Company to slowly wrestle control of Darwin Hill and pulling B Company back to Middle Hill, ordered D Company to move round Boca Hill, advancing from the nearby beach. Support Company used MILAN anti-tank rockets to destroy these trenches. Approximately, 3 hours after the death of Jones, the last Argentinian defenders on Boca Hill surrendered.

In the meantime, the Argentinians helicoptered in their first reinforcements and the Stanley Air Base flew in support missions. The first attack took place earlier when a ''Grupo 3'' Pucara was hit, probably by a Blowpipe shoulder-launched SAM, but the aircraft limped back to Stanley. The next sortie by two more Pucaras caught two Royal Marine Scouts on their way in to evacuate Lieutenant-Colonel Jones. Captain Jeff Niblett managed to evade them, but Lieutenant Richard Nunn was killed by cannon fire and crashed down near Camilla Creek House. One of the Pucaras was later found to have crashed into high ground returning to Stanley after attacking Sea King Helicopters near San Carlos.

==''Condor'' Military Air Base==

At 2.15 pm the final British attacks began. Elements of the Argentinian Air Force tried to defend ''Condor'' Military Airbase, but withdrew under intense British mortar fire. However, as Major Hugh Jenner's "C" Company moved down the forward slope of Darwin Ridge, 2nd Lieutenant Claudio Cesar Braghini brought his 35 mm anti-aircraft guns into action and they did some damage, killing one paratrooper and wounding eleven.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131029202548/http://www.britains-smallwars.com/Falklands/David/Goosegreen.htm Goose Green The Argentinian Story]</ref>

Still under fire, D and C Companies headed towards the Argentinian Air Base while B Company circled east to cut off Goose Green Settlement. During the attack, three Paratroopers were killed in an ambush involving a 25th Regiment platoon. According to Private Graham Carter from 12 Platoon{{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>}}

Private Carter led the men forward at bayonet point to clear the Argentinian positions. The 25th Regiment Platoon disengaged, and, single-handedly covered by Sergeant Sergio Ismael García, managed to escape.<ref>"'C' Company sustained heavy losses and 'D' Company also saw some extremely fierce fighting, particulary No. 12 Platoon of 'D' Company, who managed to fight off an ambush before Private Graham Carter led the men forward at bayonet point to take the airfield. The RI 25 Platoon fled, and, single-handedly covered by Sergeant Sergio Ismael García, managed to escape." Paratroopers, RW Press</ref>García was posthumously awarded the Gallantry In Combat Medal<ref>"Desempeñándose como Encargado de Sección en un contraataque y al quedar fuera de servicio una ametralladora, se hizo cargo de ella, abriendo el fuego con eficacia, provocando la detención del avance enemigo en su sector. Posteriormente, al efectuar una maniobra para silenciar las armas pesadas enemigas que lo batían y próximo a alcanzar el objetivo, ofrendó su vida." Informe Oficial del Ejército Argentino, p. 56, Ejército Argentino, 1983</ref>

In the late afternoon, aircraft from both sides intervened, starting with two [[Argentinian Navy]] MB.339's and two IA.58 Pucaras which attacked D Company. One of the Navy jets was brought down by a Royal Marine shoulder-launched Blowpipe, and minutes later the Pucaras dropped napalm with one shot down by small arms fire. Then three Harrier GR.3's brought much needed relief by silencing the anti-aircraft guns at Goose Green with cluster bombs and rockets.

==Argentinian surrender==

The assault continued with some ferocious close-quarter combat 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, more reinforcements arrived to the south by helicopter, while to the north, ''Juliet'' Company 42 Commando was flown in reinforce 2 PARA but too late to join in the fighting. 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 1st Lieutenant Fernandez's C Company, 12th Regiment, now dug in around Goose Green Settlement. 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 Goose Green's outskirts.

Negotiations with the Argentinians produced their surrender the next day. Around 50 Argentinians were killed, and ''The Official History of the Falklands Campaign'' reports that 961 Argentinians were captured, with other British accounts of the battle have reported a larger count of 1,400 prisoners. British losses were fifteen men from 2 PARA, a Royal Engineer, a Sea Harrier pilot, a Scout pilot, a Gurkha and 64 wounded.

==Breakout==

Meanwhile, on 27 May 3 PARA set off on foot by a Northern route to capture Teal Inlet Settlement which it did on May 29 taking some prisoners. On June 11, 2 PARA moved north to rejoin 3 Commando Brigade for the final [[Battle of Stanley]]. An early but vital objective was Mount Longdon and this was attacked by 3 PARA during the night of June 11/12. The enemy was well dug in and prepared and it was only after twelve hours of bloody fighting that 3 PARA secured the objective. They then held it for 48 hours under intense and accurate artillery fire.

==Aftermath==

Forty two members of The Parachute Regiment and attached personnel were killed in the Falklands War, with a further 140 personnel from the two Battalions wounded in action. Two Victoria Croses were posthumously awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel 'H' Jones, 2 PARA, and Sergeant Ian McKay of 3 PARA. In total, some 71 gallantry awards for actions in the Falklands were made to parachute members and attached personnel.

The fighting showed that "H" Jones was a strict CO who had to have complete control over every aspect and demanded his company commanders to stray from the battle plan. Major Neame was the only officer who commanded his company with flexibility and allowed initiative among his officers and NCOs, something which benefited his platoons greatly.<ref>To what extent does the Battle for Goose Green reveal command problems in the British army of the period?, James Wallis, University of Kent</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:War]]
[[Category:Argentina]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:1980s]]

Battle of Darwin and Goose Green

2017-02-28T00:44:39Z

Paulvani: /* Darwin Ridge */

==Background==
Following [[Operation Rosario (Falklands/Malvinas War)]], Argentinian occupation of the Falkland/Malvinas Islands, the 2nd and 3rd British Parachute Battalions (2 and 3 PARA) of the British 1st Parachute Regiment were deployed as part of Brigadier Julian Thompson's 3 Commando Brigade to retake the islands in [[Operation Corporate]].

==San Carlos==

3 Commando Brigade went ashore at San Carlos on the night of May 21/22. 2 PARA established itself on Sussex Mountain protecting the south of the Bridgehead without opposition. 3 PARA landed in the near Port San Carlos driving off a platoon of 40 enemy.

On May 26, 2 PARA was ordered to move south and engage the Argentinian 12th Infantry Regiment and Condor Military Airbase on the Darwin/Goose Green Peninsula.

==Darwin Ridge==

The attack began under the cover of darkness of 28 May with heavy naval and artillery support.

At 3.35 am, A Company moved off on the left and attacked Burntside House believed to be occupied by an Argentinian platoon, but found no-one there other than four civilians. B Company started forward from the other side of Burntside Pond down the right flank with D Company following them long the middle. With artillery support on both sides, B and D Companies were soon in close-quarter combat with the 12th Regiment's A Company (under 1st Lieutenant Jorge Antonio Manresa and Sergeant-Major Juan Carlos Coelho). Leaving No. 13 Platoon of A Company to provide covering fire from the north side of Darwin Bay, the remainder started to circle round to take Darwin Settlement.

By daylight, however, the British attack was held up by strong enemy defensive positions on Darwin Hill and Boca Hill (Darwin Ridge) and the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert Jones, was killed trying to take out a machine-gun post. Major Chris Keeble was called up from the rear, and leaving A Company to slowly wrestle control of Darwin Hill and pulling B Company back to Middle Hill, ordered D Company to move round Boca Hill, advancing from the nearby beach. Support Company used MILAN anti-tank rockets to destroy these trenches. Approximately, 3 hours after the death of Jones, the last Argentinian defenders on Boca Hill surrendered.

In the meantime, the Argentinians helicoptered in their first reinforcements and the Stanley Air Base flew in support missions. The first attack took place earlier when a ''Grupo 3'' Pucara was hit, probably by a Blowpipe shoulder-launched SAM, but the aircraft limped back to Stanley. The next sortie by two more Pucaras caught two Royal Marine Scouts on their way in to evacuate Lieutenant-Colonel Jones. Captain Jeff Niblett managed to evade them, but Lieutenant Richard Nunn was killed by cannon fire and crashed down near Camilla Creek House. One of the Pucaras was later found to have crashed into high ground returning to Stanley after attacking Sea King Helicopters near San Carlos.

At 2.15 pm the final British attacks began. Elements of the Argentinian Air Force tried to defend ''Condor'' Military Airbase, but withdrew under intense British mortar fire. However, as Major Hugh Jenner's "C" Company moved down the forward slope of Darwin Ridge, 2nd Lieutenant Claudio Cesar Braghini brought his 35 mm anti-aircraft guns into action and they did some damage, killing one paratrooper and wounding eleven.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131029202548/http://www.britains-smallwars.com/Falklands/David/Goosegreen.htm Goose Green The Argentinian Story</ref>

Still under fire, D and C Companies headed towards the Argentinian Air Base while B Company circled east to cut off Goose Green Settlement. During the attack, three Paratroopers were killed in an ambush involving a 25th Regiment platoon. According to Private Graham Carter from 12 Platoon{{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>}}

Private Carter led the men forward at bayonet point to clear the Argentinian positions. The 25th Regiment Platoon disengaged, and, single-handedly covered by Sergeant Sergio Ismael García, managed to escape.<ref>"'C' Company sustained heavy losses and 'D' Company also saw some extremely fierce fighting, particulary No. 12 Platoon of 'D' Company, who managed to fight off an ambush before Private Graham Carter led the men forward at bayonet point to take the airfield. The RI 25 Platoon fled, and, single-handedly covered by Sergeant Sergio Ismael García, managed to escape." Paratroopers, RW Press</ref>García was posthumously awarded the Gallantry In Combat Medal<ref>"Desempeñándose como Encargado de Sección en un contraataque y al quedar fuera de servicio una ametralladora, se hizo cargo de ella, abriendo el fuego con eficacia, provocando la detención del avance enemigo en su sector. Posteriormente, al efectuar una maniobra para silenciar las armas pesadas enemigas que lo batían y próximo a alcanzar el objetivo, ofrendó su vida." Informe Oficial del Ejército Argentino, p. 56, Ejército Argentino, 1983</ref>

In the late afternoon, aircraft from both sides intervened, starting with two [[Argentinian Navy]] MB.339's and two IA.58 Pucaras which attacked D Company. One of the Navy jets was brought down by a Royal Marine shoulder-launched Blowpipe, and minutes later the Pucaras dropped napalm with one shot down by small arms fire. Then three Harrier GR.3's brought much needed relief by silencing the anti-aircraft guns at Goose Green with cluster bombs and rockets.

==Argentinian surrender==

The assault continued with some ferocious close-quarter combat 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, more reinforcements arrived to the south by helicopter, while to the north, ''Juliet'' Company 42 Commando was flown in reinforce 2 PARA but too late to join in the fighting. 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 1st Lieutenant Fernandez's C Company, 12th Regiment, now dug in around Goose Green Settlement. 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 Goose Green's outskirts.

Negotiations with the Argentinians produced their surrender the next day. Around 50 Argentinians were killed, and ''The Official History of the Falklands Campaign'' reports that 961 Argentinians were captured, with other British accounts of the battle have reported a larger count of 1,400 prisoners. British losses were fifteen men from 2 PARA, a Royal Engineer, a Sea Harrier pilot, a Scout pilot, a Gurkha and 64 wounded.

==Breakout==

Meanwhile, on 27 May 3 PARA set off on foot by a Northern route to capture Teal Inlet Settlement which it did on May 29 taking some prisoners. On June 11, 2 PARA moved north to rejoin 3 Commando Brigade for the final [[Battle of Stanley]]. An early but vital objective was Mount Longdon and this was attacked by 3 PARA during the night of June 11/12. The enemy was well dug in and prepared and it was only after twelve hours of bloody fighting that 3 PARA secured the objective. They then held it for 48 hours under intense and accurate artillery fire.

==Aftermath==

Forty two members of The Parachute Regiment and attached personnel were killed in the Falklands War, with a further 140 personnel from the two Battalions wounded in action. Two Victoria Croses were posthumously awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel 'H' Jones, 2 PARA, and Sergeant Ian McKay of 3 PARA. In total, some 71 gallantry awards for actions in the Falklands were made to parachute members and attached personnel.

The fighting showed that "H" Jones was a strict CO who had to have complete control over every aspect and demanded his company commanders to stray from the battle plan. Major Neame was the only officer who commanded his company with flexibility and allowed initiative among his officers and NCOs, something which benefited his platoons greatly.<ref>To what extent does the Battle for Goose Green reveal command problems in the British army of the period?, James Wallis, University of Kent</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:War]]
[[Category:Argentina]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:1980s]]

Battle of Darwin and Goose Green

2017-02-28T00:35:46Z

Paulvani: /* Darwin Ridge */

==Background==
Following [[Operation Rosario (Falklands/Malvinas War)]], Argentinian occupation of the Falkland/Malvinas Islands, the 2nd and 3rd British Parachute Battalions (2 and 3 PARA) of the British 1st Parachute Regiment were deployed as part of Brigadier Julian Thompson's 3 Commando Brigade to retake the islands in [[Operation Corporate]].

==San Carlos==

3 Commando Brigade went ashore at San Carlos on the night of May 21/22. 2 PARA established itself on Sussex Mountain protecting the south of the Bridgehead without opposition. 3 PARA landed in the near Port San Carlos driving off a platoon of 40 enemy.

On May 26, 2 PARA was ordered to move south and engage the Argentinian 12th Infantry Regiment and Condor Military Airbase on the Darwin/Goose Green Peninsula.

==Darwin Ridge==

The attack began under the cover of darkness of 28 May with heavy naval and artillery support.

At 3.35 am, A Company moved off on the left and attacked Burntside House believed to be occupied by an Argentinian platoon, but found no-one there other than four civilians. B Company started forward from the other side of Burntside Pond down the right flank with D Company following them long the middle. With artillery support on both sides, B and D Companies were soon in close-quarter combat with the 12th Regiment's A Company (under 1st Lieutenant Jorge Antonio Manresa and Sergeant-Major Juan Carlos Coelho). Leaving No. 13 Platoon of A Company to provide covering fire from the north side of Darwin Bay, the remainder started to circle round to take Darwin Settlement.

By daylight, however, the British attack was held up by strong enemy defensive positions on Darwin Hill and Boca Hill (Darwin Ridge) and the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert Jones, was killed trying to take out a machine-gun post. Major Chris Keeble was called up from the rear, and leaving A Company to slowly wrestle control of Darwin Hill and pulling B Company back to Middle Hill, ordered D Company to move round Boca Hill, advancing from the nearby beach. Support Company used MILAN anti-tank rockets to destroy these trenches. Approximately, 3 hours after the death of Jones, the last Argentinian defenders on Boca Hill surrendered.

In the meantime, the Argentinians helicoptered in their first reinforcements and the Stanley Air Base flew in support missions. The first attack took place earlier when a ''Grupo 3'' Pucara was hit, probably by a Blowpipe shoulder-launched SAM, but the aircraft limped back to Stanley. The next sortie by two more Pucaras caught two Royal Marine Scouts on their way in to evacuate Lieutenant-Colonel Jones. Captain Jeff Niblett managed to evade them, but Lieutenant Richard Nunn was killed by cannon fire and crashed down near Camilla Creek House. One of the Pucaras was later found to have crashed into high ground returning to Stanley after attacking Sea King Helicopters near San Carlos.

At 2.15 pm the final British attacks began. Elements of the Argentinian Air Force tried to defend ''Condor'' Military Airbase, but withdrew under intense British mortar fire. However, as Major Hugh Jenner's "C" Company moved down the forward slope of Darwin Ridge, 2nd Lieutenant Claudio Cesar Braghini brought his 35 mm anti-aircraft guns into action and they did some damage, killing one paratrooper and wounding eleven.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131029202548/http://www.britains-smallwars.com/Falklands/David/Goosegreen.htm Goose Green The Argentinian Story</ref>

Still under fire, D and C Companies headed towards the Argentinian Air Base while B Company circled east to cut off Goose Green Settlement. During the attack, three Paratroopers were killed in an ambush involving a 25th Regiment platoon. According to Private Graham Carter from 12 Platoon{{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>}}

Private Carter led the men forward at bayonet point to clear the Argentinian positions. The 25th Regiment Platoon disengaged, and, single-handedly covered by Sergeant Sergio Ismael García, managed to escape.<ref>"'C' Company sustained heavy losses and 'D' Company also saw some extremely fierce fighting, particulary No. 12 Platoon of 'D' Company, who managed to fight off an ambush before Private Graham Carter led the men forward at bayonet point to take the airfield. The RI 25 Platoon fled, and, single-handedly covered by Sergeant Sergio Ismael García, managed to escape." Paratroopers, RW Press</ref>

In the late afternoon, aircraft from both sides intervened, starting with two [[Argentinian Navy]] MB.339's and two IA.58 Pucaras which attacked D Company. One of the Navy jets was brought down by a Royal Marine shoulder-launched Blowpipe, and minutes later the Pucaras dropped napalm with one shot down by small arms fire. Then three Harrier GR.3's brought much needed relief by silencing the anti-aircraft guns at Goose Green with cluster bombs and rockets.

==Argentinian surrender==

The assault continued with some ferocious close-quarter combat 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, more reinforcements arrived to the south by helicopter, while to the north, ''Juliet'' Company 42 Commando was flown in reinforce 2 PARA but too late to join in the fighting. 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 1st Lieutenant Fernandez's C Company, 12th Regiment, now dug in around Goose Green Settlement. 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 Goose Green's outskirts.

Negotiations with the Argentinians produced their surrender the next day. Around 50 Argentinians were killed, and ''The Official History of the Falklands Campaign'' reports that 961 Argentinians were captured, with other British accounts of the battle have reported a larger count of 1,400 prisoners. British losses were fifteen men from 2 PARA, a Royal Engineer, a Sea Harrier pilot, a Scout pilot, a Gurkha and 64 wounded.

==Breakout==

Meanwhile, on 27 May 3 PARA set off on foot by a Northern route to capture Teal Inlet Settlement which it did on May 29 taking some prisoners. On June 11, 2 PARA moved north to rejoin 3 Commando Brigade for the final [[Battle of Stanley]]. An early but vital objective was Mount Longdon and this was attacked by 3 PARA during the night of June 11/12. The enemy was well dug in and prepared and it was only after twelve hours of bloody fighting that 3 PARA secured the objective. They then held it for 48 hours under intense and accurate artillery fire.

==Aftermath==

Forty two members of The Parachute Regiment and attached personnel were killed in the Falklands War, with a further 140 personnel from the two Battalions wounded in action. Two Victoria Croses were posthumously awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel 'H' Jones, 2 PARA, and Sergeant Ian McKay of 3 PARA. In total, some 71 gallantry awards for actions in the Falklands were made to parachute members and attached personnel.

The fighting showed that "H" Jones was a strict CO who had to have complete control over every aspect and demanded his company commanders to stray from the battle plan. Major Neame was the only officer who commanded his company with flexibility and allowed initiative among his officers and NCOs, something which benefited his platoons greatly.<ref>To what extent does the Battle for Goose Green reveal command problems in the British army of the period?, James Wallis, University of Kent</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:War]]
[[Category:Argentina]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:1980s]]

Battle of Darwin and Goose Green

2017-02-28T00:27:37Z

Paulvani: /* Darwin Ridge */

==Background==
Following [[Operation Rosario (Falklands/Malvinas War)]], Argentinian occupation of the Falkland/Malvinas Islands, the 2nd and 3rd British Parachute Battalions (2 and 3 PARA) of the British 1st Parachute Regiment were deployed as part of Brigadier Julian Thompson's 3 Commando Brigade to retake the islands in [[Operation Corporate]].

==San Carlos==

3 Commando Brigade went ashore at San Carlos on the night of May 21/22. 2 PARA established itself on Sussex Mountain protecting the south of the Bridgehead without opposition. 3 PARA landed in the near Port San Carlos driving off a platoon of 40 enemy.

On May 26, 2 PARA was ordered to move south and engage the Argentinian 12th Infantry Regiment and Condor Military Airbase on the Darwin/Goose Green Peninsula.

==Darwin Ridge==

The attack began under the cover of darkness of 28 May with heavy naval and artillery support.

At 3.35 am, A Company moved off on the left and attacked Burntside House believed to be occupied by an Argentinian platoon, but found no-one there other than four civilians. B Company started forward from the other side of Burntside Pond down the right flank with D Company following them long the middle. With artillery support on both sides, B and D Companies were soon in close-quarter combat with the 12th Regiment's A Company (under 1st Lieutenant Jorge Antonio Manresa and Sergeant-Major Juan Carlos Coelho). Leaving No. 13 Platoon of A Company to provide covering fire from the north side of Darwin Bay, the remainder started to circle round to take Darwin Settlement.

By daylight, however, the British attack was held up by strong enemy defensive positions on Darwin Hill and Boca Hill (Darwin Ridge) and the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert Jones, was killed trying to take out a machine-gun post. Major Chris Keeble was called up from the rear, and leaving A Company to slowly wrestle control of Darwin Hill and pulling B Company back to Middle Hill, ordered D Company to move round Boca Hill, advancing from the nearby beach. Support Company used MILAN anti-tank rockets to destroy these trenches. Approximately, 3 hours after the death of Jones, the last Argentinian defenders on Boca Hill surrendered.

In the meantime, the Argentinians helicoptered in their first reinforcements and the Stanley Air Base flew in support missions. The first attack took place earlier when a ''Grupo 3'' Pucara was hit, probably by a Blowpipe shoulder-launched SAM, but the aircraft limped back to Stanley. The next sortie by two more Pucaras caught two Royal Marine Scouts on their way in to evacuate Lieutenant-Colonel Jones. Captain Jeff Niblett managed to evade them, but Lieutenant Richard Nunn was killed by cannon fire and crashed down near Camilla Creek House. One of the Pucaras was later found to have crashed into high ground returning to Stanley after attacking Sea King Helicopters near San Carlos.

Still under fire, D and C Companies headed towards the Argentinian Air Base while B Company circled east to cut off Goose Green Settlement. During the attack, three Paratroopers were killed in an ambush involving a 25th Regiment platoon. According to Private Graham Carter from 12 Platoon{{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>}}

Private Carter led the men forward at bayonet point to clear the Argentinian positions. The 25th Regiment Platoon disengaged, and, single-handedly covered by Sergeant Sergio Ismael García, managed to escape.<ref>"'C' Company sustained heavy losses and 'D' Company also saw some extremely fierce fighting, particulary No. 12 Platoon of 'D' Company, who managed to fight off an ambush before Private Graham Carter led the men forward at bayonet point to take the airfield. The RI 25 Platoon fled, and, single-handedly covered by Sergeant Sergio Ismael García, managed to escape." Paratroopers, RW Press</ref>

In the late afternoon, aircraft from both sides intervened, starting with two [[Argentinian Navy]] MB.339's and two IA.58 Pucaras which attacked D Company. One of the Navy jets was brought down by a Royal Marine shoulder-launched Blowpipe, and minutes later the Pucaras dropped napalm with one shot down by small arms fire. Then three Harrier GR.3's brought much needed relief by silencing the anti-aircraft guns at Goose Green with cluster bombs and rockets.

==Argentinian surrender==

The assault continued with some ferocious close-quarter combat 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, more reinforcements arrived to the south by helicopter, while to the north, ''Juliet'' Company 42 Commando was flown in reinforce 2 PARA but too late to join in the fighting. 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 1st Lieutenant Fernandez's C Company, 12th Regiment, now dug in around Goose Green Settlement. 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 Goose Green's outskirts.

Negotiations with the Argentinians produced their surrender the next day. Around 50 Argentinians were killed, and ''The Official History of the Falklands Campaign'' reports that 961 Argentinians were captured, with other British accounts of the battle have reported a larger count of 1,400 prisoners. British losses were fifteen men from 2 PARA, a Royal Engineer, a Sea Harrier pilot, a Scout pilot, a Gurkha and 64 wounded.

==Breakout==

Meanwhile, on 27 May 3 PARA set off on foot by a Northern route to capture Teal Inlet Settlement which it did on May 29 taking some prisoners. On June 11, 2 PARA moved north to rejoin 3 Commando Brigade for the final [[Battle of Stanley]]. An early but vital objective was Mount Longdon and this was attacked by 3 PARA during the night of June 11/12. The enemy was well dug in and prepared and it was only after twelve hours of bloody fighting that 3 PARA secured the objective. They then held it for 48 hours under intense and accurate artillery fire.

==Aftermath==

Forty two members of The Parachute Regiment and attached personnel were killed in the Falklands War, with a further 140 personnel from the two Battalions wounded in action. Two Victoria Croses were posthumously awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel 'H' Jones, 2 PARA, and Sergeant Ian McKay of 3 PARA. In total, some 71 gallantry awards for actions in the Falklands were made to parachute members and attached personnel.

The fighting showed that "H" Jones was a strict CO who had to have complete control over every aspect and demanded his company commanders to stray from the battle plan. Major Neame was the only officer who commanded his company with flexibility and allowed initiative among his officers and NCOs, something which benefited his platoons greatly.<ref>To what extent does the Battle for Goose Green reveal command problems in the British army of the period?, James Wallis, University of Kent</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:War]]
[[Category:Argentina]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:1980s]]

Battle of Darwin and Goose Green

2017-02-28T00:25:19Z

Paulvani: /* Darwin Ridge */

==Background==
Following [[Operation Rosario (Falklands/Malvinas War)]], Argentinian occupation of the Falkland/Malvinas Islands, the 2nd and 3rd British Parachute Battalions (2 and 3 PARA) of the British 1st Parachute Regiment were deployed as part of Brigadier Julian Thompson's 3 Commando Brigade to retake the islands in [[Operation Corporate]].

==San Carlos==

3 Commando Brigade went ashore at San Carlos on the night of May 21/22. 2 PARA established itself on Sussex Mountain protecting the south of the Bridgehead without opposition. 3 PARA landed in the near Port San Carlos driving off a platoon of 40 enemy.

On May 26, 2 PARA was ordered to move south and engage the Argentinian 12th Infantry Regiment and Condor Military Airbase on the Darwin/Goose Green Peninsula.

==Darwin Ridge==

The attack began under the cover of darkness of 28 May with heavy naval and artillery support.

At 3.35 am, A Company moved off on the left and attacked Burntside House believed to be occupied by an Argentinian platoon, but found no-one there other than four civilians. B Company started forward from the other side of Burntside Pond down the right flank with D Company following them long the middle. With artillery support on both sides, B and D Companies were soon in close-quarter combat with the 12th Regiment's A Company (under 1st Lieutenant Jorge Antonio Manresa and Sergeant-Major Juan Carlos Coelho). Leaving No. 13 Platoon of A Company to provide covering fire from the north side of Darwin Bay, the remainder started to circle round to take Darwin Settlement.

By daylight, however, the British attack was held up by strong enemy defensive positions on Darwin Hill and Boca Hill (Darwin Ridge) and the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert Jones, was killed trying to take out a machine-gun post. Major Chris Keeble was called up from the rear, and leaving A Company to slowly wrestle control of Darwin Hill and pulling B Company back to Middle Hill, ordered D Company to move round Boca Hill, advancing from the nearby beach. Support Company used MILAN anti-tank rockets to destroy these trenches. Approximately, 3 hours after the death of Jones, the last Argentinian defenders on Boca Hill surrendered.

In the meantime, the Argentinians helicoptered in their first reinforcements and the Stanley Air Base flew in support missions. The first attack took place earlier when a ''Grupo 3'' Pucara was hit, probably by a Blowpipe shoulder-launched SAM, but the aircraft limped back to Stanley. The next sortie by two more Pucaras caught two Royal Marine Scouts on their way in to evacuate Lieutenant-Colonel Jones. Captain Jeff Niblett managed to evade them, but Lieutenant Richard Nunn was killed by cannon fire and crashed down near Camilla Creek House. One of the Pucaras was later found to have crashed into high ground returning to Stanley after attacking Sea King Helicopters near San Carlos.

Still under fire, D and C Companies headed towards the Argentinian Air Base while B Company circled east to cut off Goose Green Settlement. During the attack, three Paratroopers were killed in an ambush involving a 25th Regiment platoon. According to Private Graham Carter from 12 Platoon{{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>}}

Private Carter led the men forward at bayonet point to clear the Argentinian positions. The 25th Regiment Platoon disengaged, and, single-handedly covered by Sergeant Sergio Ismael García, managed to escape.<ref>"'C' Company sustained heavy losses and 'D' Company also saw some extremely fierce fighting, particulary No. 12 Platoon of 'D' Company, who managed to fight off an ambush before Private Graham Carter led the men forward at bayonet point to take the airfield. The RI 25 Platoon fled, and, single-handedly covered by Sergeant Sergio Ismael García, managed to escape." Paratroopers, RW Press</ref>

In the late afternoon, aircraft from both sides intervened, starting with two [[Argentinian Navy]] MB.339's and two IA.58 Pucaras which attacked D Company. One of the Navy jets was brought down by a Royal Marine shoulder-launched Blowpipe, and minutes later the Pucaras dropped napalm with one shot down by small arms fire. Then three Harrier GR.3's brought much needed relief by silencing the anti-aircraft guns at Goose Green with cluster bombs and rockets.

==Argentinian surrender==

The assault continued with some ferocious close-quarter combat 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, more reinforcements arrived to the south by helicopter, while to the north, ''Juliet'' Company 42 Commando was flown in reinforce 2 PARA but too late to join in the fighting. 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 1st Lieutenant Fernandez's C Company, 12th Regiment, now dug in around Goose Green Settlement. 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 Goose Green's outskirts.

Negotiations with the Argentinians produced their surrender the next day. Around 50 Argentinians were killed, and ''The Official History of the Falklands Campaign'' reports that 961 Argentinians were captured, with other British accounts of the battle have reported a larger count of 1,400 prisoners. British losses were fifteen men from 2 PARA, a Royal Engineer, a Sea Harrier pilot, a Scout pilot, a Gurkha and 64 wounded.

==Breakout==

Meanwhile, on 27 May 3 PARA set off on foot by a Northern route to capture Teal Inlet Settlement which it did on May 29 taking some prisoners. On June 11, 2 PARA moved north to rejoin 3 Commando Brigade for the final [[Battle of Stanley]]. An early but vital objective was Mount Longdon and this was attacked by 3 PARA during the night of June 11/12. The enemy was well dug in and prepared and it was only after twelve hours of bloody fighting that 3 PARA secured the objective. They then held it for 48 hours under intense and accurate artillery fire.

==Aftermath==

Forty two members of The Parachute Regiment and attached personnel were killed in the Falklands War, with a further 140 personnel from the two Battalions wounded in action. Two Victoria Croses were posthumously awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel 'H' Jones, 2 PARA, and Sergeant Ian McKay of 3 PARA. In total, some 71 gallantry awards for actions in the Falklands were made to parachute members and attached personnel.

The fighting showed that "H" Jones was a strict CO who had to have complete control over every aspect and demanded his company commanders to stray from the battle plan. Major Neame was the only officer who commanded his company with flexibility and allowed initiative among his officers and NCOs, something which benefited his platoons greatly.<ref>To what extent does the Battle for Goose Green reveal command problems in the British army of the period?, James Wallis, University of Kent</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:War]]
[[Category:Argentina]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:1980s]]

Battle of Darwin and Goose Green

2017-02-28T00:14:00Z

Paulvani: /* Darwin Ridge */

==Background==
Following [[Operation Rosario (Falklands/Malvinas War)]], Argentinian occupation of the Falkland/Malvinas Islands, the 2nd and 3rd British Parachute Battalions (2 and 3 PARA) of the British 1st Parachute Regiment were deployed as part of Brigadier Julian Thompson's 3 Commando Brigade to retake the islands in [[Operation Corporate]].

==San Carlos==

3 Commando Brigade went ashore at San Carlos on the night of May 21/22. 2 PARA established itself on Sussex Mountain protecting the south of the Bridgehead without opposition. 3 PARA landed in the near Port San Carlos driving off a platoon of 40 enemy.

On May 26, 2 PARA was ordered to move south and engage the Argentinian 12th Infantry Regiment and Condor Military Airbase on the Darwin/Goose Green Peninsula.

==Darwin Ridge==

The attack began under the cover of darkness of 28 May with heavy naval and artillery support.

At 3.35 am, A Company moved off on the left and attacked Burntside House believed to be occupied by an Argentinian platoon, but found no-one there other than four civilians. B Company started forward from the other side of Burntside Pond down the right flank with D Company following them long the middle. With artillery support on both sides, B and D Companies were soon in close-quarter combat with the 12th Regiment's A Company (under 1st Lieutenant Jorge Antonio Manresa and Sergeant-Major Juan Carlos Coelho). Leaving No. 13 Platoon of A Company to provide covering fire from the north side of Darwin Bay, the remainder started to circle round to take Darwin Settlement.

By daylight, however, the British attack was held up by strong enemy defensive positions on Darwin Hill and Boca Hill (Darwin Ridge) and the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert Jones, was killed trying to take out a machine-gun post. Major Chris Keeble was called up from the rear, and leaving A Company to slowly wrestle control of Darwin Hill and pulling B Company back to Middle Hill, ordered D Company to move round Boca Hill, advancing from the nearby beach. Support Company used MILAN anti-tank rockets to destroy these trenches. Approximately, 3 hours after the death of Jones, the last Argentinian defenders on Boca Hill surrendered.

In the meantime, the Argentinians helicoptered in their first reinforcements and the Stanley Air Base flew in support missions. The first attack took place earlier when a ''Grupo 3'' Pucara was hit, probably by a Blowpipe shoulder-launched SAM, but the aircraft limped back to Stanley. The next sortie by two more Pucaras caught two Royal Marine Scouts on their way in to evacuate Lieutenant-Colonel Jones. Captain Jeff Niblett managed to evade them, but Lieutenant Richard Nunn was killed by cannon fire and crashed down near Camilla Creek House. One of the Pucaras was later found to have crashed into high ground returning to Stanley after attacking Sea King Helicopters near San Carlos.

Still under fire, D and C Companies headed towards the Argentinian Air Base while B Company circled east to cut off Goose Green Settlement. During the attack, three Paratroopers were killed in an ambush involving a 25th Regiment platoon. According to Private Graham Carter from 12 Platoon{{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>}}

In the late afternoon, aircraft from both sides intervened, starting with two [[Argentinian Navy]] MB.339's and two IA.58 Pucaras which attacked D Company. One of the Navy jets was brought down by a Royal Marine shoulder-launched Blowpipe, and minutes later the Pucaras dropped napalm with one shot down by small arms fire. Then three Harrier GR.3's brought much needed relief by silencing the anti-aircraft guns at Goose Green with cluster bombs and rockets.

==Argentinian surrender==

The assault continued with some ferocious close-quarter combat 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, more reinforcements arrived to the south by helicopter, while to the north, ''Juliet'' Company 42 Commando was flown in reinforce 2 PARA but too late to join in the fighting. 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 1st Lieutenant Fernandez's C Company, 12th Regiment, now dug in around Goose Green Settlement. 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 Goose Green's outskirts.

Negotiations with the Argentinians produced their surrender the next day. Around 50 Argentinians were killed, and ''The Official History of the Falklands Campaign'' reports that 961 Argentinians were captured, with other British accounts of the battle have reported a larger count of 1,400 prisoners. British losses were fifteen men from 2 PARA, a Royal Engineer, a Sea Harrier pilot, a Scout pilot, a Gurkha and 64 wounded.

==Breakout==

Meanwhile, on 27 May 3 PARA set off on foot by a Northern route to capture Teal Inlet Settlement which it did on May 29 taking some prisoners. On June 11, 2 PARA moved north to rejoin 3 Commando Brigade for the final [[Battle of Stanley]]. An early but vital objective was Mount Longdon and this was attacked by 3 PARA during the night of June 11/12. The enemy was well dug in and prepared and it was only after twelve hours of bloody fighting that 3 PARA secured the objective. They then held it for 48 hours under intense and accurate artillery fire.

==Aftermath==

Forty two members of The Parachute Regiment and attached personnel were killed in the Falklands War, with a further 140 personnel from the two Battalions wounded in action. Two Victoria Croses were posthumously awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel 'H' Jones, 2 PARA, and Sergeant Ian McKay of 3 PARA. In total, some 71 gallantry awards for actions in the Falklands were made to parachute members and attached personnel.

The fighting showed that "H" Jones was a strict CO who had to have complete control over every aspect and demanded his company commanders to stray from the battle plan. Major Neame was the only officer who commanded his company with flexibility and allowed initiative among his officers and NCOs, something which benefited his platoons greatly.<ref>To what extent does the Battle for Goose Green reveal command problems in the British army of the period?, James Wallis, University of Kent</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:War]]
[[Category:Argentina]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:1980s]]

Battle of Darwin and Goose Green

2017-02-28T00:11:21Z

Paulvani: /* Darwin Ridge */

==Background==
Following [[Operation Rosario (Falklands/Malvinas War)]], Argentinian occupation of the Falkland/Malvinas Islands, the 2nd and 3rd British Parachute Battalions (2 and 3 PARA) of the British 1st Parachute Regiment were deployed as part of Brigadier Julian Thompson's 3 Commando Brigade to retake the islands in [[Operation Corporate]].

==San Carlos==

3 Commando Brigade went ashore at San Carlos on the night of May 21/22. 2 PARA established itself on Sussex Mountain protecting the south of the Bridgehead without opposition. 3 PARA landed in the near Port San Carlos driving off a platoon of 40 enemy.

On May 26, 2 PARA was ordered to move south and engage the Argentinian 12th Infantry Regiment and Condor Military Airbase on the Darwin/Goose Green Peninsula.

==Darwin Ridge==

The attack began under the cover of darkness of 28 May with heavy naval and artillery support.

At 3.35 am, A Company moved off on the left and attacked Burntside House believed to be occupied by an Argentinian platoon, but found no-one there other than four civilians. B Company started forward from the other side of Burntside Pond down the right flank with D Company following them long the middle. With artillery support on both sides, B and D Companies were soon in close-quarter combat with the 12th Regiment's A Company (under 1st Lieutenant Jorge Antonio Manresa and Sergeant-Major Juan Carlos Coelho). Leaving No. 13 Platoon of A Company to provide covering fire from the north side of Darwin Bay, the remainder started to circle round to take Darwin Settlement.

By daylight, however, the British attack was held up by strong enemy defensive positions on Darwin Hill and Boca Hill (Darwin Ridge) and the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert Jones, was killed trying to take out a machine-gun post. Major Chris Keeble was called up from the rear, and leaving A Company to slowly wrestle control of Darwin Hill and pulling B Company back to Middle Hill, ordered D Company to move round Boca Hill, advancing from the nearby beach. Support Company used MILAN anti-tank rockets to destroy these trenches. Approximately, 3 hours after the death of Jones, the last Argentinian defenders on Boca Hill surrendered.

In the meantime, the Argentinians helicoptered in their first reinforcements and the Stanley Air Base flew in support missions. The first attack took place earlier when a ''Grupo 3'' Pucara was hit, probably by a Blowpipe shoulder-launched SAM, but the aircraft limped back to Stanley. The next sortie by two more Pucaras caught two Royal Marine Scouts on their way in to evacuate Lieutenant-Colonel Jones. Captain Jeff Niblett managed to evade them, but Lieutenant Richard Nunn was killed by cannon fire and crashed down near Camilla Creek House. One of the Pucaras was later found to have crashed into high ground returning to Stanley after attacking Sea King Helicopters near San Carlos.

Still under fire, D and C Companies headed towards the Argentinian Air Base while B Company circled east to cut off Goose Green Settlement. During the attack, three Paratroopers were killed in an ambush involving a 25th Regiment platoon. According to Private Graham Carter from 12 Platoon: ''"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>

In the late afternoon, aircraft from both sides intervened, starting with two [[Argentinian Navy]] MB.339's and two IA.58 Pucaras which attacked D Company. One of the Navy jets was brought down by a Royal Marine shoulder-launched Blowpipe, and minutes later the Pucaras dropped napalm with one shot down by small arms fire. Then three Harrier GR.3's brought much needed relief by silencing the anti-aircraft guns at Goose Green with cluster bombs and rockets.

==Argentinian surrender==

The assault continued with some ferocious close-quarter combat 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, more reinforcements arrived to the south by helicopter, while to the north, ''Juliet'' Company 42 Commando was flown in reinforce 2 PARA but too late to join in the fighting. 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 1st Lieutenant Fernandez's C Company, 12th Regiment, now dug in around Goose Green Settlement. 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 Goose Green's outskirts.

Negotiations with the Argentinians produced their surrender the next day. Around 50 Argentinians were killed, and ''The Official History of the Falklands Campaign'' reports that 961 Argentinians were captured, with other British accounts of the battle have reported a larger count of 1,400 prisoners. British losses were fifteen men from 2 PARA, a Royal Engineer, a Sea Harrier pilot, a Scout pilot, a Gurkha and 64 wounded.

==Breakout==

Meanwhile, on 27 May 3 PARA set off on foot by a Northern route to capture Teal Inlet Settlement which it did on May 29 taking some prisoners. On June 11, 2 PARA moved north to rejoin 3 Commando Brigade for the final [[Battle of Stanley]]. An early but vital objective was Mount Longdon and this was attacked by 3 PARA during the night of June 11/12. The enemy was well dug in and prepared and it was only after twelve hours of bloody fighting that 3 PARA secured the objective. They then held it for 48 hours under intense and accurate artillery fire.

==Aftermath==

Forty two members of The Parachute Regiment and attached personnel were killed in the Falklands War, with a further 140 personnel from the two Battalions wounded in action. Two Victoria Croses were posthumously awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel 'H' Jones, 2 PARA, and Sergeant Ian McKay of 3 PARA. In total, some 71 gallantry awards for actions in the Falklands were made to parachute members and attached personnel.

The fighting showed that "H" Jones was a strict CO who had to have complete control over every aspect and demanded his company commanders to stray from the battle plan. Major Neame was the only officer who commanded his company with flexibility and allowed initiative among his officers and NCOs, something which benefited his platoons greatly.<ref>To what extent does the Battle for Goose Green reveal command problems in the British army of the period?, James Wallis, University of Kent</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:War]]
[[Category:Argentina]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:1980s]]

Battle of Darwin and Goose Green

2017-02-27T23:55:42Z

Paulvani: /* Aftermath */

==Background==
Following [[Operation Rosario (Falklands/Malvinas War)]], Argentinian occupation of the Falkland/Malvinas Islands, the 2nd and 3rd British Parachute Battalions (2 and 3 PARA) of the British 1st Parachute Regiment were deployed as part of Brigadier Julian Thompson's 3 Commando Brigade to retake the islands in [[Operation Corporate]].

==San Carlos==

3 Commando Brigade went ashore at San Carlos on the night of May 21/22. 2 PARA established itself on Sussex Mountain protecting the south of the Bridgehead without opposition. 3 PARA landed in the near Port San Carlos driving off a platoon of 40 enemy.

On May 26, 2 PARA was ordered to move south and engage the Argentinian 12th Infantry Regiment and Condor Military Airbase on the Darwin/Goose Green Peninsula.

==Darwin Ridge==

The attack began under the cover of darkness of 28 May with heavy naval and artillery support.

At 3.35 am, A Company moved off on the left and attacked Burntside House believed to be occupied by an Argentinian platoon, but found no-one there other than four civilians. B Company started forward from the other side of Burntside Pond down the right flank with D Company following them long the middle. With artillery support on both sides, B and D Companies were soon in close-quarter combat with the 12th Regiment's A Company (under 1st Lieutenant Jorge Antonio Manresa and Sergeant-Major Juan Carlos Coelho). Leaving No. 13 Platoon of A Company to provide covering fire from the north side of Darwin Bay, the remainder started to circle round to take Darwin Settlement.

By daylight, however, the British attack was held up by strong enemy defensive positions on Darwin Hill and Boca Hill (Darwin Ridge) and the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert Jones, was killed trying to take out a machine-gun post. Major Chris Keeble was called up from the rear, and leaving A Company to slowly wrestle control of Darwin Hill and pulling B Company back to Middle Hill, ordered D Company to move round Boca Hill, advancing from the nearby beach. Support Company used MILAN anti-tank rockets to destroy these trenches. Approximately, 3 hours after the death of Jones, the last Argentinian defenders on Boca Hill surrendered.

In the meantime, the Argentinians helicoptered in their first reinforcements and the Stanley Air Base flew in support missions. The first attack took place earlier when a ''Grupo 3'' Pucara was hit, probably by a Blowpipe shoulder-launched SAM, but the aircraft limped back to Stanley. The next sortie by two more Pucaras caught two Royal Marine Scouts on their way in to evacuate Lieutenant-Colonel Jones. Captain Jeff Niblett managed to evade them, but Lieutenant Richard Nunn was killed by cannon fire and crashed down near Camilla Creek House. One of the Pucaras was later found to have crashed into high ground returning to Stanley after attacking Sea King Helicopters near San Carlos.

Still under fire, D and C Companies headed towards the Argentinian Air Base while B Company circled east to cut off Goose Green Settlement. During the attack, three Paratroopers were killed in an ambush involving a 25th Regiment platoon.

In the late afternoon, aircraft from both sides intervened, starting with two [[Argentinian Navy]] MB.339's and two IA.58 Pucaras which attacked D Company. One of the Navy jets was brought down by a Royal Marine shoulder-launched Blowpipe, and minutes later the Pucaras dropped napalm with one shot down by small arms fire. Then three Harrier GR.3's brought much needed relief by silencing the anti-aircraft guns at Goose Green with cluster bombs and rockets.

==Argentinian surrender==

The assault continued with some ferocious close-quarter combat 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, more reinforcements arrived to the south by helicopter, while to the north, ''Juliet'' Company 42 Commando was flown in reinforce 2 PARA but too late to join in the fighting. 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 1st Lieutenant Fernandez's C Company, 12th Regiment, now dug in around Goose Green Settlement. 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 Goose Green's outskirts.

Negotiations with the Argentinians produced their surrender the next day. Around 50 Argentinians were killed, and ''The Official History of the Falklands Campaign'' reports that 961 Argentinians were captured, with other British accounts of the battle have reported a larger count of 1,400 prisoners. British losses were fifteen men from 2 PARA, a Royal Engineer, a Sea Harrier pilot, a Scout pilot, a Gurkha and 64 wounded.

==Breakout==

Meanwhile, on 27 May 3 PARA set off on foot by a Northern route to capture Teal Inlet Settlement which it did on May 29 taking some prisoners. On June 11, 2 PARA moved north to rejoin 3 Commando Brigade for the final [[Battle of Stanley]]. An early but vital objective was Mount Longdon and this was attacked by 3 PARA during the night of June 11/12. The enemy was well dug in and prepared and it was only after twelve hours of bloody fighting that 3 PARA secured the objective. They then held it for 48 hours under intense and accurate artillery fire.

==Aftermath==

Forty two members of The Parachute Regiment and attached personnel were killed in the Falklands War, with a further 140 personnel from the two Battalions wounded in action. Two Victoria Croses were posthumously awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel 'H' Jones, 2 PARA, and Sergeant Ian McKay of 3 PARA. In total, some 71 gallantry awards for actions in the Falklands were made to parachute members and attached personnel.

The fighting showed that "H" Jones was a strict CO who had to have complete control over every aspect and demanded his company commanders to stray from the battle plan. Major Neame was the only officer who commanded his company with flexibility and allowed initiative among his officers and NCOs, something which benefited his platoons greatly.<ref>To what extent does the Battle for Goose Green reveal command problems in the British army of the period?, James Wallis, University of Kent</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:War]]
[[Category:Argentina]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:1980s]]

Battle of Darwin and Goose Green

2017-02-27T23:37:24Z

Paulvani:

Battle of Darwin and Goose Green

2017-02-27T23:33:27Z

Paulvani: /* Argentinian surrender */

Battle of Darwin and Goose Green

2017-02-27T23:22:04Z

Paulvani: /* Argentinian surrender */

Battle of Darwin and Goose Green

2017-02-19T01:11:49Z

Paulvani: /* Background */

Battle of Darwin and Goose Green

2017-02-19T01:04:00Z

Paulvani: /* Darwin Ridge */

==Background==

Following [[Operation Rosario (Falklands/Malvinas War), Argentinian occupation of the Falkland/Malvinas Islands, the 2nd and 3rd British Parachute Battalions (2 and 3 PARA) of the British 1st Parachute Regiment were deployed as part of Brigadier Julian Thompson's 3 Commando Brigade to retake the islands in [[Operation Corporate]].

==San Carlos==

3 Commando Brigade went ashore at San Carlos on the night of May 21/22. 2 PARA established itself on Sussex Mountain protecting the south of the Bridgehead without opposition. 3 PARA landed in the near Port San Carlos driving off a platoon of 40 enemy.

On May 26, 2 PARA was ordered to move south and engage the Argentinian 12th Infantry Regiment and Condor Military Airbase on the Darwin/Goose Green Peninsula.

==Darwin Ridge==

The attack began under the cover of darkness of 28 May with heavy naval and artillery support.

At 3.35 am, A Company moved off on the left and attacked Burntside House believed to be occupied by an Argentinian platoon, but found no-one there other than four civilians. B Company started forward from the other side of Burntside Pond down the right flank with D Company following them long the middle. With artillery support on both sides, B and D Companies were soon in close-quarter combat with the 12th Regiment's A Company (under 1st Lieutenant Jorge Antonio Manresa and Sergeant-Major Juan Carlos Coelho). Leaving No. 13 Platoon of A Company to provide covering fire from the north side of Darwin Bay, the remainder started to circle round to take Darwin Settlement.

By daylight, however, the British attack was held up by strong enemy defensive positions on Darwin Hill and Boca Hill (Darwin Ridge) and the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert Jones, was killed trying to take out a machine-gun post. Major Chris Keeble was called up from the rear, and leaving A Company to slowly wrestle control of Darwin Hill and pulling B Company back to Middle Hill, ordered D Company to move round Boca Hill, advancing from the nearby beach. Support Company used MILAN anti-tank rockets to destroy these trenches. Approximately, 3 hours after the death of Jones, the last Argentinian defenders on Boca Hill surrendered.

In the meantime, the Argentinians helicoptered in their first reinforcements and the Stanley Air Base flew in support missions. The first attack took place earlier when a ''Grupo 3'' Pucara was hit, probably by a Blowpipe shoulder-launched SAM, but the aircraft limped back to Stanley. The next sortie by two more Pucaras caught two Royal Marine Scouts on their way in to evacuate Lieutenant-Colonel Jones. Captain Jeff Niblett managed to evade them, but Lieutenant Richard Nunn was killed by cannon fire and crashed down near Camilla Creek House. One of the Pucaras was later found to have crashed into high ground returning to Stanley after attacking Sea King Helicopters near San Carlos.

Still under fire, D and C Companies headed towards the Argentinian Air Base while B Company circled east to cut off Goose Green Settlement. During the attack, three Paratroopers were killed in an ambush involving a 25th Regiment platoon.

In the late afternoon, aircraft from both sides intervened, starting with two [[Argentinian Navy]] MB.339's and two IA.58 Pucaras which attacked D Company. One of the Navy jets was brought down by a Royal Marine shoulder-launched Blowpipe, and minutes later the Pucaras dropped napalm with one shot down by small arms fire. Then three Harrier GR.3's brought much needed relief by silencing the anti-aircraft guns at Goose Green with cluster bombs and rockets.

==Argentinian surrender==

The assault continued with some ferocious close-quarter combat 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, more reinforcements arrived to the south by helicopter, while to the north, ''Juliet'' Company 42 Commando was flown in reinforce 2 PARA but too late to join in the fighting. Negotiations with the Argentinians produced their surrender the next day. Around 50 Argentinians were killed, and ''The Official History of the Falklands Campaign'' reports that 961 Argentinians were captured, with other British accounts of the battle have reported a larger count of 1,400 prisoners. British losses were fifteen men from 2 PARA, a Royal Engineer, a Sea Harrier pilot, a Scout pilot, a Gurkha and 64 wounded.

==Breakout==

Meanwhile on 27 May 3 PARA set off on foot by a Northern route to capture Teal Inlet Settlement which it did on May 29 taking some prisoners. On June 11, 2 PARA moved north to rejoin 3 Commando Brigade for the final [[Battle of Stanley]]. An early but vital objective was Mount Longdon and this was attacked by 3 PARA during the night of June 11/12. The enemy was well dug in and prepared and it was only after twelve hours of bloody fighting that 3 PARA secured the objective. They then held it for 48 hours under intense and accurate artillery fire.

==Aftermath==

Forty two members of The Parachute Regiment and attached personnel were killed in the Falklands War, with a further 140 personnel from the two Battalions wounded in action. Two Victoria Croses were posthumously awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel 'H' Jones, 2 PARA, and Sergeant Ian McKay of 3 PARA. In total, some 71 gallantry awards for actions in the Falklands were made to parachute members and attached personnel.

Battle of Darwin and Goose Green

2017-02-19T00:49:03Z

Paulvani:

==Background==

Following [[Operation Rosario (Falklands/Malvinas War), Argentinian occupation of the Falkland/Malvinas Islands, the 2nd and 3rd British Parachute Battalions (2 and 3 PARA) of the British 1st Parachute Regiment were deployed as part of Brigadier Julian Thompson's 3 Commando Brigade to retake the islands in [[Operation Corporate]].

==San Carlos==

3 Commando Brigade went ashore at San Carlos on the night of May 21/22. 2 PARA established itself on Sussex Mountain protecting the south of the Bridgehead without opposition. 3 PARA landed in the near Port San Carlos driving off a platoon of 40 enemy.

On May 26, 2 PARA was ordered to move south and engage the Argentinian 12th Infantry Regiment and Condor Military Airbase on the Darwin/Goose Green Peninsula.

==Darwin Ridge==

The attack began under the cover of darkness of 28 May with heavy naval and artillery support.

At 3.35 am, A Company moved off on the left and attacked Burntside House believed to be occupied by an Argentinian platoon, but found no-one there other than four civilians. B Company started forward from the other side of Burntside Pond down the right flank with D Company following them long the middle. With artillery support on both sides, B and D Companies were soon in close-quarter combat with the 12th Regiment's A Company (under 1st Lieutenant Jorge Antonio Manresa and Sergeant-Major Juan Carlos Coelho). Leaving No. 13 Platoon of A Company to provide covering fire from the north side of Darwin Bay, the remainder started to circle round to take Darwin Settlement.

By daylight, however, the British attack was held up by strong enemy defensive positions on Darwin Hill and Boca Hill (Darwin Ridge) and the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert Jones, was killed trying to take out a machine-gun post. A Company used 66mm anti-tank rockets to destroy these trenches. Approximately, 3 hours after the death of Jones, the last Argentinian defenders on Boca Hill surrendered.

Still under fire, D and C Companies headed towards the Argentinian Air Base while B Company circled east to cut off Goose Green Settlement. During the attack, three Paratroopers were killed in an ambush involving a 25th Regiment platoon.

In the late afternoon, aircraft from both sides intervened, starting with two [[Argentinian Navy]] MB.339's and two IA.58 Pucaras which attacked D Company. One of the Navy jets was brought down by a Royal Marine shoulder-launched Blowpipe, and minutes later the Pucaras dropped napalm with one shot down by small arms fire. Then three Harrier GR.3's brought much needed relief by silencing the anti-aircraft guns at Goose Green with cluster bombs and rockets.

==Argentinian surrender==

The assault continued with some ferocious close-quarter combat 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, more reinforcements arrived to the south by helicopter, while to the north, ''Juliet'' Company 42 Commando was flown in reinforce 2 PARA but too late to join in the fighting. Negotiations with the Argentinians produced their surrender the next day. Around 50 Argentinians were killed, and ''The Official History of the Falklands Campaign'' reports that 961 Argentinians were captured, with other British accounts of the battle have reported a larger count of 1,400 prisoners. British losses were fifteen men from 2 PARA, a Royal Engineer, a Sea Harrier pilot, a Scout pilot, a Gurkha and 64 wounded.

==Breakout==

Meanwhile on 27 May 3 PARA set off on foot by a Northern route to capture Teal Inlet Settlement which it did on May 29 taking some prisoners. On June 11, 2 PARA moved north to rejoin 3 Commando Brigade for the final [[Battle of Stanley]]. An early but vital objective was Mount Longdon and this was attacked by 3 PARA during the night of June 11/12. The enemy was well dug in and prepared and it was only after twelve hours of bloody fighting that 3 PARA secured the objective. They then held it for 48 hours under intense and accurate artillery fire.

==Aftermath==

Forty two members of The Parachute Regiment and attached personnel were killed in the Falklands War, with a further 140 personnel from the two Battalions wounded in action. Two Victoria Croses were posthumously awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel 'H' Jones, 2 PARA, and Sergeant Ian McKay of 3 PARA. In total, some 71 gallantry awards for actions in the Falklands were made to parachute members and attached personnel.

Battle of Darwin and Goose Green

2017-02-19T00:29:09Z

Paulvani:

Battle of Darwin and Goose Green

2017-02-18T01:11:24Z

Paulvani:

Battle of Darwin and Goose Green

2017-02-18T01:07:11Z

Paulvani: /* Battle */

==Background==

Following the Argentine occupation of the Falkland/Malvinas Islands, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions (2 and 3 PARA) of the British 1st Parachute Regiment were deployed as part of Brigadier Julian Thompson's 3 Commando Brigade to retake the Islands in Operation Corporate.

3 Commando Brigade went ashore at San Carlos on the night of 21/22 May. 2 PARA established itself on Sussex Mountain protecting the South of the Bridgehead without opposition. 3 PARA landed in the near Port San Carlos driving off a group of 40 enemy.

On 26 May, 2 PARA was ordered to move south and engage the Argentinian 12th Infantry Regiment and Airbase on the Darwin/Goose Green Peninsula.

==Battle==

The attack began under the cover of darkness of 28 May with heavy naval and artillery support. By daylight, however, it was held up by strong enemy defensive positions on Darwin Hill and Boca Hill (Darwin Ridge) and the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert Jones, was killed trying to take out a machine-gun post.

The assault continued with some ferocious close-quarter combat and by last light the whole peninsula less the Goose Green Settlement was taken. Negotiations with the Argentinians produced their surrender the next day. Around 50 Argentinians were killed, and ''The Official History of the Falklands Campaign'' reports that 961 Argentinians were captured, with other British accounts of the battle have reported a larger count of 1,400 prisoners. A total of 15 British paratroopers were killed and 64 wounded during this battle.

==Breakout==

Meanwhile on 27 May 3 PARA set off on foot by a Northern route to capture Teal Inlet Settlement which it did on May 29 taking some prisoners. On June 11, 2 PARA moved north to rejoin 3 Commando Brigade for the final [[Battle of Stanley]]. An early but vital objective was Mount Longdon and this was attacked by 3 PARA during the night of June 11/12. The enemy was well dug in and prepared and it was only after twelve hours of bloody fighting that 3 PARA secured the objective. They then held it for 48 hours under intense and accurate artillery fire.

==Aftermath==

Forty two members of The Parachute Regiment and attached personnel were killed in the Falklands War, with a further 140 personnel from the two Battalions wounded in action. Two Victoria Croses were posthumously awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel 'H' Jones, 2 PARA, and Sergeant Ian McKay of 3 PARA. In total, some 71 gallantry awards for actions in the Falklands were made to parachute members and attached personnel.

Battles of Mount Longdon and Wireless Ridge

2017-02-16T01:26:42Z

Paulvani:

Following [[Operation Rosario (Falklands/Malvinas War)]], the Argentinian occupation of the Falkland Islands in April 1982, the 2nd and 3rd British Parachute Battalions (2 and 3 PARA) were deployed as part of [[3 Commando Brigade]] to retake the Islands in [[Operation Corporate]].

==Mount Longdon==

Having landed at Port San Carlos on May 21, 3 PARA 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.

Before the British 3rd and 5th Brigades could retake Port Stanley, it was essential that the high ground around the capital was taken. This included Mount Longdon, Wireless Ridge and Cortley Ridge.

Of these objectives, 3 PARA was tasked with taking Mount Longdon on the night of June 11/12, to coincide with attacks on Two Sisters Mountain by Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew Whitehead's 45 Commando and Mount Harriet by Lieutenant-Colonel Nick Vaux's 42 Commando.

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 800 Argentinian soldiers from Lieutenant-Colonel Omar Giménez's 7th Mechanized Infantry Regiment ''La Plata'' defending the positions who were well dug in and provided with artillery cover from 18 Argentine 105mm Oto Melara howitzers from Lieutenant-Colonel Martín Balza's 3rd Artillery Group and a further 18 Oto Melaras near Government House from Lieutenant-Colonel Alberto Quevedo's 4th Airborne Artillery Group. In addition, the area had been heavily mined.

Mount Longdon is a long narrow feature of rocky terrain, running from east to west with two summits. As a result of its geography only one company attacking could advance along it. The plan was that the rifle companies would be led to the start line at the stream, west of Mount Longdon by members of D (Patrol) Company. The start line would be known as ‘Free Kick’.

Major Mike Argue's B Company, on the right would take the two summits named ‘Fly Half’ and ‘Full Back’ following the ridge line. Meanwhile, Major David Collett's A Company would be on the left to take ‘Wing Forward’, a spur running from the western side of the summit. C Company would seize 'Rough Diamond' before clearing the rest of Wireless Ridge.

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.

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.

==Wireless Ridge==

Briefly under command of Brigadier Tony Wilon's 5 Infantry Brigade, elements of 2 PARA conducted a helicopter insertion deep behind forward [[Argentinian Army]] Special Forces patrols and [[Argentinian Air Force]]'s Observation Posts (OPs) on 2 June. They liberated the settlements of Bluff Cove and Fitzroy, opening a southern flank of operations. On the night of June 13/14 2 PARA deployed 3 PARA and, supported by British lights and [[Royal Navy warships]], attacked Wireless Ridge. Argentinian artillery responded vigorously and the Argentinian Land Forces Commander, Brigadier-General [[Oscar Luis Jofré]] sent Major Guillermo Rubén Berazay's A Company (3rd Mechanized Infantry Regiment ''La Tablada'') west of Stanley Racecourse to counterattack Wireless Ridge. However, this stronghold again was secure by first light and shortly afterwards Argentinian resistance collapsed. Both British battalions followed up and were the first troops to enter Port Stanley.

==Aftermath==

The Battles of Mount Longdon and Wireless Ridge cost the British 1st Parachute Regiment and supporting Special Air Service (SAS) and Special Boat Squadron (SBS) 26 dead, and 130 requiring CASEVAC (evacuation of casualties by air). Argentinean casualties were fifty-six killed, 245 wounded a 100 taken prisoner.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:War]]
[[Category:Argentina]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:1980s]]

Battles of Mount Longdon and Wireless Ridge

2017-02-16T01:16:57Z

Paulvani: /* Wireless Ridge */

Following [[Operation Rosario (Falklands/Malvinas War)]], the Argentinian occupation of the Falkland Islands, the 2nd and 3rd British Parachute Battalions (2 and 3 PARA) were deployed as part of [[3 Commando Brigade]] to retake the Islands in [[Operation Corporate]].

==Mount Longdon==

Having landed at Port San Carlos, 3 PARA 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.

Before the British 3rd and 5th Brigades could retake Port Stanley, it was essential that the high ground around the capital was taken. This included Mount Longdon, Wireless Ridge and Cortley Ridge.

Of these objectives, 3 PARA was tasked with taking Mount Longdon on the night of the 11/12 June 1982, to coincide with attacks on Two Sisters Mountain by Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew Whitehead's 45 Commando and Mount Harriet by Lieutenant-Colonel Nick Vaux's 42 Commando.

On 10 June 1982, 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 800 Argentinian soldiers from Lieutenant-Colonel Omar Giménez's 7th Mechanized Infantry Regiment ''La Plata'' defending the positions who were well dug in and provided with artillery cover from 18 Argentine 105mm Oto Melara howitzers from Lieutenant-Colonel Martín Balza's 3rd Artillery Group and a further 18 Oto Melaras near Government House from Lieutenant-Colonel Alberto Quevedo's 4th Airborne Artillery Group. In addition, the area had been heavily mined.

Mount Longdon is a long narrow feature of rocky terrain, running from east to west with two summits. As a result of its geography only one company attacking could advance along it. The plan was that the rifle companies would be led to the start line at the stream, west of Mount Longdon by members of D (Patrol) Company. The start line would be known as ‘Free Kick’.

Major Mike Argue's B Company, on the right would take the two summits named ‘Fly Half’ and ‘Full Back’ following the ridge line. Meanwhile, Major David Collett's A Company would be on the left to take ‘Wing Forward’, a spur running from the western side of the summit. C Company would seize 'Rough Diamond' before clearing the rest of Wireless Ridge.

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.

Mount Longdon was secure by 09.30 am on the 12 June. 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.

==Wireless Ridge==

Briefly under command of Brigadier Tony Wilon's 5 Infantry Brigade, elements of 2 PARA conducted a helicopter insertion deep behind forward [[Argentinian Army]] Special Forces patrols and [[Argentinian Air Force]]'s Observation Posts (OPs) on 2 June. They liberated the settlements of Bluff Cove and Fitzroy, opening a southern flank of operations. On the night of 13/14 June 2 PARA deployed 3 PARA and, supported by British lights and [[Royal Navy warships]], attacked Wireless Ridge. Argentinian artillery responded vigorously and the Argentinian Land Forces Commander, Brigadier-General [[Oscar Luis Jofré]] sent Major Guillermo Rubén Berazay's A Company (3rd Mechanized Infantry Regiment ''La Tablada'') west of Stanley Racecourse to counterattack Wireless Ridge. However, this stronghold again was secure by first light and shortly afterwards Argentinian resistance collapsed. Both British battalions followed up and were the first troops to enter Port Stanley.

==Aftermath==

The Battles of Mount Longdon and Wireless Ridge cost the British 1st Parachute Regiment twenty-six dead, and one-hundred wounded/inujured. Argentinean casualties were fifty-six killed, 245 wounded a 100 taken prisoner.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:War]]
[[Category:Argentina]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:1980s]]

Battles of Mount Longdon and Wireless Ridge

2017-02-16T01:10:11Z

Paulvani: /* Mount Longdon */

Following [[Operation Rosario (Falklands/Malvinas War)]], the Argentinian occupation of the Falkland Islands, the 2nd and 3rd British Parachute Battalions (2 and 3 PARA) were deployed as part of [[3 Commando Brigade]] to retake the Islands in [[Operation Corporate]].

==Mount Longdon==

Having landed at Port San Carlos, 3 PARA 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.

Before the British 3rd and 5th Brigades could retake Port Stanley, it was essential that the high ground around the capital was taken. This included Mount Longdon, Wireless Ridge and Cortley Ridge.

Of these objectives, 3 PARA was tasked with taking Mount Longdon on the night of the 11/12 June 1982, to coincide with attacks on Two Sisters Mountain by Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew Whitehead's 45 Commando and Mount Harriet by Lieutenant-Colonel Nick Vaux's 42 Commando.

On 10 June 1982, 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 800 Argentinian soldiers from Lieutenant-Colonel Omar Giménez's 7th Mechanized Infantry Regiment ''La Plata'' defending the positions who were well dug in and provided with artillery cover from 18 Argentine 105mm Oto Melara howitzers from Lieutenant-Colonel Martín Balza's 3rd Artillery Group and a further 18 Oto Melaras near Government House from Lieutenant-Colonel Alberto Quevedo's 4th Airborne Artillery Group. In addition, the area had been heavily mined.

Mount Longdon is a long narrow feature of rocky terrain, running from east to west with two summits. As a result of its geography only one company attacking could advance along it. The plan was that the rifle companies would be led to the start line at the stream, west of Mount Longdon by members of D (Patrol) Company. The start line would be known as ‘Free Kick’.

Major Mike Argue's B Company, on the right would take the two summits named ‘Fly Half’ and ‘Full Back’ following the ridge line. Meanwhile, Major David Collett's A Company would be on the left to take ‘Wing Forward’, a spur running from the western side of the summit. C Company would seize 'Rough Diamond' before clearing the rest of Wireless Ridge.

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.

Mount Longdon was secure by 09.30 am on the 12 June. 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.

==Wireless Ridge==

Briefly under command of Brigadier Tony Wilon's 5 Infantry Brigade, elements of 2 PARA conducted a helicopter insertion deep behind forward [[Argentinian Army]] Special Forces patrols and [[Argentinian Air Force]]'s Observation Posts (OPs) on 2 June. They liberated the settlements of Bluff Cove and Fitzroy, opening a southern flank of operations. On the night of 13/14 June 2 PARA deployed 3 PARA and, supported by British lights and [[Royal Navy warships]], attacked Wireless Ridge. This stronghold again was secure by first light and shortly afterwards Argentinian resistance collapsed. Both British battalions followed up and were the first troops to enter Port Stanley.

==Aftermath==

The Battles of Mount Longdon and Wireless Ridge cost the British 1st Parachute Regiment twenty-six dead, and one-hundred wounded/inujured. Argentinean casualties were fifty-six killed, 245 wounded a 100 taken prisoner.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:War]]
[[Category:Argentina]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:1980s]]

Battles of Mount Longdon and Wireless Ridge

2017-02-16T01:04:17Z

Paulvani: /* Mount Longdon */

Following [[Operation Rosario (Falklands/Malvinas War)]], the Argentinian occupation of the Falkland Islands, the 2nd and 3rd British Parachute Battalions (2 and 3 PARA) were deployed as part of [[3 Commando Brigade]] to retake the Islands in [[Operation Corporate]].

==Mount Longdon==

Having landed at Port San Carlos, 3 PARA marched across the East Falkland via Teal Inlet to Estancia House from where they began to send out patrols to recce the area around Mount Longdon situated to the north west of [[Port Stanley]], the capital of the Islands.

Before the British 3rd and 5th Brigades could retake Port Stanley, it was essential that the high ground around the capital was taken. This included Mount Longdon, Wireless Ridge and Cortley Ridge.

Of these objectives, 3 PARA was tasked with taking Mount Longdon on the night of the 11/12 June 1982, to coincide with attacks on the Two Sisters by 45 Commando and Mount Harriet by 42 Commando.

On 10 June 1982, Lieutenant Colonel Hew Pike gave his orders in the Regimental Headquarters at the sheep farm settlement of Estancia House for the attack on Mount Longdon and Wireless Ridge. They were told to expect around 800 Argentinian soldiers from Lieutenant-Colonel Omar Giménez's 7th Mechanized Infantry Regiment ''La Plata'' defending the positions who were well dug in and provided with artillery cover from 18 Argentine 105mm Oto Melara howitzers from Lieutenant-Colonel Martín Balza's 3rd Artillery Group and a further 18 Oto Melaras near Government House from Lieutenant-Colonel Alberto Quevedo's 4th Airborne Artillery Group. In addition, the area had been heavily mined.

Mount Longdon is a long narrow feature of rocky terrain, running from east to west with two summits. As a result of its geography only one company attacking could advance along it. The plan was that the rifle companies would be led to the start line at the stream, west of Mount Longdon by members of D (Patrol) Company. The start line would be known as ‘Free Kick’.

Major Mike Argue's B Company, on the right would take the two summits named ‘Fly Half’ and ‘Full Back’ following the ridge line. Meanwhile, Major David Collett's A Company would be on the left to take ‘Wing Forward’, a spur running from the western side of the summit. C Company would seize 'Rough Diamond' before clearing the rest of Wireless Ridge.

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.

Mount Longdon was secure by 09.30 am on the 12 June. 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.

==Wireless Ridge==

Briefly under command of Brigadier Tony Wilon's 5 Infantry Brigade, elements of 2 PARA conducted a helicopter insertion deep behind forward [[Argentinian Army]] Special Forces patrols and [[Argentinian Air Force]]'s Observation Posts (OPs) on 2 June. They liberated the settlements of Bluff Cove and Fitzroy, opening a southern flank of operations. On the night of 13/14 June 2 PARA deployed 3 PARA and, supported by British lights and [[Royal Navy warships]], attacked Wireless Ridge. This stronghold again was secure by first light and shortly afterwards Argentinian resistance collapsed. Both British battalions followed up and were the first troops to enter Port Stanley.

==Aftermath==

The Battles of Mount Longdon and Wireless Ridge cost the British 1st Parachute Regiment twenty-six dead, and one-hundred wounded/inujured. Argentinean casualties were fifty-six killed, 245 wounded a 100 taken prisoner.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:War]]
[[Category:Argentina]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:1980s]]

Battles of Mount Longdon and Wireless Ridge

2017-02-16T00:45:55Z

Paulvani: /* Mount Longdon */

Following [[Operation Rosario (Falklands/Malvinas War)]], the Argentinian occupation of the Falkland Islands, the 2nd and 3rd British Parachute Battalions (2 and 3 PARA) were deployed as part of [[3 Commando Brigade]] to retake the Islands in [[Operation Corporate]].

==Mount Longdon==

Having landed at Port San Carlos, 3 PARA marched across the East Falkland via Teal Inlet to Estancia House from where they began to send out patrols to recce the area around Mount Longdon situated to the north west of [[Port Stanley]], the capital of the Islands.

Before the British 3rd and 5th Brigades could retake Port Stanley, it was essential that the high ground around the capital was taken. This included Mount Longdon, Wireless Ridge and Cortley Ridge.

Of these objectives, 3 PARA was tasked with taking Mount Longdon on the night of the 11/12 June 1982, to coincide with attacks on the Two Sisters by 45 Commando and Mount Harriet by 42 Commando.

On 10 June 1982, Lt Col 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 800 Argentine soldiers defending the positions who were well dug in and provided with artillery cover from 18 Argentine 105mm howitzers from 3rd Artillery Group and a further 18 105mm howitzers near Stanley. In addition, the area had been heavily mined.

Mount Longdon is a long narrow feature of rocky terrain, running from east to west with two summits. As a result of its geography only one company attacking could advance along it. The plan was that the rifle companies would be led to the start line at the stream, west of Mount Longdon by members of D (Patrol) Company. The start line would be known as ‘Free Kick’.

Major Mike Argue'sB Company, on the right would take the two summits named ‘Fly Half’ and ‘Full Back’ following the ridge line. Meanwhile, A Company would be on the left to take ‘Wing Forward’, a spur running from the western side of the summit. C Company would seize 'Rough Diamond' before clearing the rest of Wireless Ridge.

It was a silent approach until Corporal Brian Milne stepped on a land mine, which alerted 2d Lt Juan Domingo Baldini's 1st Rifle Platoon 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 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 B Company having finally taken the western peak, A Company moved eastwards, under heavy from First Lieutenant Raúl Castañeda's 1st Rifle Platoon, C Company 7th Regiment, before taking the eastern peak.

Mount Longdon was secure by 09.30 am on the 12 June. 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.

==Wireless Ridge==

Briefly under command of Brigadier Tony Wilon's 5 Infantry Brigade, elements of 2 PARA conducted a helicopter insertion deep behind forward [[Argentinian Army]] Special Forces patrols and [[Argentinian Air Force]]'s Observation Posts (OPs) on 2 June. They liberated the settlements of Bluff Cove and Fitzroy, opening a southern flank of operations. On the night of 13/14 June 2 PARA deployed 3 PARA and, supported by British lights and [[Royal Navy warships]], attacked Wireless Ridge. This stronghold again was secure by first light and shortly afterwards Argentinian resistance collapsed. Both British battalions followed up and were the first troops to enter Port Stanley.

==Aftermath==

The Battles of Mount Longdon and Wireless Ridge cost the British 1st Parachute Regiment twenty-six dead, and one-hundred wounded/inujured. Argentinean casualties were fifty-six killed, 245 wounded a 100 taken prisoner.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:War]]
[[Category:Argentina]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:1980s]]

Battles of Mount Longdon and Wireless Ridge

2017-02-16T00:35:38Z

Paulvani: /* Wireless Ridge */

Following [[Operation Rosario (Falklands/Malvinas War)]], the Argentinian occupation of the Falkland Islands, the 2nd and 3rd British Parachute Battalions (2 and 3 PARA) were deployed as part of [[3 Commando Brigade]] to retake the Islands in [[Operation Corporate]].

==Mount Longdon==

Having landed at Port San Carlos, 3 PARA marched across the East Falkland via Teal Inlet to Estancia House from where they began to send out patrols to recce the area around Mount Longdon situated to the north west of [[Port Stanley]], the capital of the Islands.

Before the British 3rd and 5th Brigades could retake Port Stanley, it was essential that the high ground around the capital was taken. This included Mount Longdon, Wireless Ridge and Cortley Ridge.

Of these objectives, 3 PARA was tasked with taking Mount Longdon on the night of the 11/12 June 1982, to coincide with attacks on the Two Sisters by 45 Commando and Mount Harriet by 42 Commando.

On 10 June 1982, Lt Col 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 800 Argentine soldiers defending the positions who were well dug in and provided with artillery cover from 18 Argentine 105mm howitzers from 3rd Artillery Group and a further 18 105mm howitzers near Stanley. In addition, the area had been heavily mined.

Mount Longdon is a long narrow feature of rocky terrain, running from east to west with two summits. As a result of its geography only one company attacking could advance along it. The plan was that the rifle companies would be led to the start line at the stream, west of Mount Longdon by members of D (Patrol) Company. The start line would be known as ‘Free Kick’.

Major Mike Argue'sB Company, on the right would take the two summits named ‘Fly Half’ and ‘Full Back’ following the ridge line. Meanwhile, A Company would be on the left to take ‘Wing Forward’, a spur running from the western side of the summit. C Company would seize 'Rough Diamond' before clearing the rest of Wireless Ridge.

It was a silent approach until Corporal Brian Milne stepped on a land mine, which alerted 2d Lt Juan Domingo Baldini's 1st Rifle Platoon 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 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 enemy fire 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’. Having taken the western peak, they moved eastwards, under heavy from First Lieutenant Castañeda's 1 Platoon, C Company 7th Regiment before taking the eastern peak.

Mount Longdon was taken by 0930 hours on the 12 June. By this time, 3 PARA had been fighting for 12 hours and they would remain under heavy artillery fire for a further 48 hours from Mount Tumbledown. During this period an additional four soldiers were killed in action.

==Wireless Ridge==

Briefly under command of Brigadier Tony Wilon's 5 Infantry Brigade, elements of 2 PARA conducted a helicopter insertion deep behind forward [[Argentinian Army]] Special Forces patrols and [[Argentinian Air Force]]'s Observation Posts (OPs) on 2 June. They liberated the settlements of Bluff Cove and Fitzroy, opening a southern flank of operations. On the night of 13/14 June 2 PARA deployed 3 PARA and, supported by British lights and [[Royal Navy warships]], attacked Wireless Ridge. This stronghold again was secure by first light and shortly afterwards Argentinian resistance collapsed. Both British battalions followed up and were the first troops to enter Port Stanley.

==Aftermath==

The Battles of Mount Longdon and Wireless Ridge cost the British 1st Parachute Regiment twenty-six dead, and one-hundred wounded/inujured. Argentinean casualties were fifty-six killed, 245 wounded a 100 taken prisoner.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:War]]
[[Category:Argentina]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:1980s]]

Battles of Mount Longdon and Wireless Ridge

2017-02-16T00:29:06Z

Paulvani:

Following [[Operation Rosario (Falklands/Malvinas War)]], the Argentinian occupation of the Falkland Islands, the 2nd and 3rd British Parachute Battalions (2 and 3 PARA) were deployed as part of [[3 Commando Brigade]] to retake the Islands in [[Operation Corporate]].

==Mount Longdon==

Having landed at Port San Carlos, 3 PARA marched across the East Falkland via Teal Inlet to Estancia House from where they began to send out patrols to recce the area around Mount Longdon situated to the north west of [[Port Stanley]], the capital of the Islands.

Before the British 3rd and 5th Brigades could retake Port Stanley, it was essential that the high ground around the capital was taken. This included Mount Longdon, Wireless Ridge and Cortley Ridge.

Of these objectives, 3 PARA was tasked with taking Mount Longdon on the night of the 11/12 June 1982, to coincide with attacks on the Two Sisters by 45 Commando and Mount Harriet by 42 Commando.

On 10 June 1982, Lt Col 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 800 Argentine soldiers defending the positions who were well dug in and provided with artillery cover from 18 Argentine 105mm howitzers from 3rd Artillery Group and a further 18 105mm howitzers near Stanley. In addition, the area had been heavily mined.

Mount Longdon is a long narrow feature of rocky terrain, running from east to west with two summits. As a result of its geography only one company attacking could advance along it. The plan was that the rifle companies would be led to the start line at the stream, west of Mount Longdon by members of D (Patrol) Company. The start line would be known as ‘Free Kick’.

Major Mike Argue'sB Company, on the right would take the two summits named ‘Fly Half’ and ‘Full Back’ following the ridge line. Meanwhile, A Company would be on the left to take ‘Wing Forward’, a spur running from the western side of the summit. C Company would seize 'Rough Diamond' before clearing the rest of Wireless Ridge.

It was a silent approach until Corporal Brian Milne stepped on a land mine, which alerted 2d Lt Juan Domingo Baldini's 1st Rifle Platoon 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 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 enemy fire 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’. Having taken the western peak, they moved eastwards, under heavy from First Lieutenant Castañeda's 1 Platoon, C Company 7th Regiment before taking the eastern peak.

Mount Longdon was taken by 0930 hours on the 12 June. By this time, 3 PARA had been fighting for 12 hours and they would remain under heavy artillery fire for a further 48 hours from Mount Tumbledown. During this period an additional four soldiers were killed in action.

==Wireless Ridge==

Briefly under command of Brigadier Tony Wilon's 5 Infantry Brigade, elements of 2 PARA conducted a helicopter insertion deep behind enemy lines on 2 June. They secured the objectives of Bluff Cove and Fitzroy, with a view to opening a southern flank of operations. On the night of 13/14 June 2 PARA passed behind 3 PARA and, supported by 3 PARA mortars, attacked Wireless Ridge. This stronghold again was secure by first light and shortly afterwards Argentinian resistance collapsed. Both British battalions followed up and were the first troops to enter Port Stanley.

==Aftermath==

The Battles of Mount Longdon and Wireless Ridge cost the British 1st Parachute Regiment twenty-six dead, and one-hundred wounded/inujured. Argentinean casualties were fifty-six killed, 245 wounded a 100 taken prisoner.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:War]]
[[Category:Argentina]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:1980s]]

Operation Rosario (Falklands/Malvinas War)

2017-02-16T00:13:49Z

Paulvani:

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==
Argentinian invasion plans accelerated when Britain protested about the presence of scrap-metal workers on South Georgia. With talks on the future of the Falklands stalled, the Argentinian Military Junta reacted strongly and by March 26, 1982, two frigates were on their way south, and more ships had put to sea ostensibly for exercises with the Uruguayan Navy. But it seemed that only now was the final decision taken to invade and they headed for Stanley although bad weather delayed their arrival. By March 31, British intelligence had to assume landings were imminent, Governor [[Rex Hunt]] was warned, and next evening he announced over the radio that invasion was expected early on April 2.

==British defenders==
Before the broadcast took place, the defence of Port Stanley was already being organized by the company-sized garrison of Naval Party 8901 (NP8901, all volunteers from 42 and 45 Commandos), under Major Gary Noote and Falkland Islands Defence Force (FIDF, Royal Marines-trained), under Major Phil Sommers. Usually consisting of 160 defenders, Majors Noote and Sommers, had been reinforced by Major Mike Norman and his platoon-sized garrison replacement that had disembarked from the RRS "John Biscoe". Assuming the main landing would be near Stanley Airfield followed by an advance on Port Stanley, Noote, Sommers and Norman deployed their 120 men accordingly, and positioned four sniper/anti-tanks squads on the Airport Road ready to fall back on the main 40-man position at Government House. By the early hours of April 2, they were mostly in position and the small patrol ship "Forrest" was out in Port William on radar watch. Governor Hunt also ordered the arrest of 30 Argentinian workers from Gas del Estado.

==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 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==
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>

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.

==British surrender==
With daybreak and Government House surrounded, under sniper fire and the Amtracks approaching, Governor Hunt attempted to negotiate. Faced with the overwhelming forces at Rear-Admiral Büsser's disposal, he ordered the defenders to lay down their arms, which they did at 9:30 a.m. without having suffered any casualties. The Royal Marines had held out against two Argentinian Marine battalions and Special Forces for three hours, firing 6,450 small-arms rounds and 12 anti-tank rockets<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/9582471/Rear-Admiral-Carlos-Busser.html Rear-Admiral Carlos Büsser ]</ref>in a firefight that cost the life of the 2ic of BIM 1 and wounded five invaders, including a military chaplain (Natalio Astolfo) and an Army NCO that stepped on a mine or booby-trap. According to one of Norman's men, Colour-Sergeant Bill Muir, ''"It was initially estimated that we had killed five and injured seventeen, but we only counted the bodies that we saw drop in front of us."''

That evening, the Governor, his family and most of the Royal Marines and captured sailors from "Endurance" were flown out. Major Norman and his men volunteered to fight again with Juliet Company, 42 Commando, suffering four wounded in the final mountain battles.

==South Georgia==
On April 3, the 1st Marine Infantry Battalion captured South Georgia, 1,350 kilometres to the east of the Falklands. In that action, the Argentinian corvette ARA ''Guerrico'' was lured too close to shore and hit by anti-tank missiles from the 22-man Royal Marines platoon under Lieutenant Keith Mill and one Argentinian sailor, Corporal Patricio Guanca was killed in the action. Soon after this Argentinian setback, another two Marines, Privates Mario Almonacid and Jorge Aguila were killed and seven wounded when the Puma helicopter transporting their platoon was hit by concentrated small-arms fire and forced to make a crash-landing. However, one British Royal Marine was wounded in an exchange of fire with the Argentinian Marines. The Marines platoon under Lieutenant Mills eventually surrendered when their position was bombarded by the ''Guerrico'''s main 100mm gun.

==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>

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>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:War]]
[[Category:Argentina]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:1980s]]