Battles of Mount Longdon and 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 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.