Battles of Mount Longdon and Wireless Ridge

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 2d 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. A marine heavy machine-gun position was causing considerable problems for Lieutenant Ian Bickerdicke's No. 4 Platoon who took the brunt of the enemy fire, with several killed and wounded, including the Platoon Commander and Platoon Sergeant Ian McKay. It was whilst engaging this position that McKay was killed in action. For this act Sergeant McKay was awarded the Victoria Cross. 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. Unfortunately the enemy heavy machine-gun wasn’t knocked out.

Meanwhile, A Company was supporting the attacking Paras from the northern side of Mount Longdon. However, 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. The Argentinians continued to defend Full Back but Milan missiles and artillery support systematically destroyed their remaining bunkers. Second Lieutenants John Kearton and Ian Moore mustered their platoons near the western summit and had briefed them on how to deal with the enemy reinforcements. They then attacked First Lieutenant Raúl Fernando Castañeda's 1st Rifle Platoon (C Company 7th Regiment), clearing it of the eastern peak with rifle, grenade and bayonet in close quarters combat.

As A Company was clearing the final positions, Corporal Stewart McLaughlin was wounded by a Czekalski recoilless rifle round fired from the 7th Regiment's Reconnaissance Platoon, he was subsequently killed by a mortar bomb fired from Wireless Ridge as he made his way to the aid post.

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.

19-year-old Private Grant Grinham, badly wounded in the action, in an interview with the Leicester Mercury in 2017, reported that the Argentinian conscripts had fought well:

“

Those Argentinian lads on Mount Longdon fought their hearts out. They were determined defenders. The battle was in the balance. We fought for every inch of ground. The Heavy Machine Gunners were regular Marines and their confidence was high. They were armed with .50-cal machine guns which would stop a car, and were well up for the fight. They're a big heavy weapon, mostly used in an anti-aircraft role. It was a formidable defensive weapon for us to engage. They also had snipers all along Mount Longdon who were very accurate. They had night sights and were far superior to anything we had - contrary to reports. It was a very difficult battle.

”

The Argentinianss lost thirty-one dead, 120 wounded and fifty prisoners. The night battle, previous patrol actions and retaliatory artillery bombardment cost the British Paras 23 killed and about 70 wounded.

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 June 2. 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 light tanks and Royal Navy warships, attacked Wireless Ridge. During the day British artillery had fired 6,000 rounds with their 105 mm guns and as the British Paratroopers began their push, they were further backed by naval fire and the 76mm and 30mm guns mounted on the light tanks. After their losses at Goose Green, the Paras were taking no chances.

By the time 2 PARA reached their first objective, Rough Diamond, the Argentinian 7th Infantry Regiment's C Company had withdrawn. As a result A and B Companies were convinced the enemy on the “Apple Pie” objective had been defeated, and began to advance confidently, but they encountered fierce machine-gun fire when they left their trenches. They retreated back to their positions and ordered massive retaliation from the British machine-gunners and the guns of the Blues and Royals light tanks. A and B Companies were able to advance again and take Apple Pie.

Major Philip Neame's D Company then began the final assault from the western end of Wireless Ridge, under the cover of heavy fire from HMS Ambuscade’s 4.5 inch gun, the light tanks, twelve 105 mm artillery pieces, several mortars and anti-tank rockets. D Company took the first half of the objective after a hard fight with Argentinian paratroopers of the 2nd Airborne Infantry Regiment.

Argentinian artillery responded vigorously and the Argentinian Land Forces Commander, Brigadier-General Oscar Luis Jofré sent Major Guillermo Rubén Berazay's A Company (3rd La Tablada Mechanized Infantry Regiment) west of Stanley Racecourse to counterattack. Major Neame’s officers and NCOs rallied the exhausted Paras to capture the final part of their objective and in the face of heavy fire, the Argentinians having run out of ammunition, broke and retreated, covered by supporting machine gun fire.

2 PARA had suffered three dead and 11 wounded. The Argentinians suffered approximately 25 dead and about 125 wounded, about 50 were taken prisoner. In the final stages of the battle, the Argentinian commander, Brigadier-General Jofré had been offered the use of Skyhawks to bomb Wireless Ridge with napalm but he declined, believing that the British response would be equally violent and the chances of a surrender being accepted, non-existent.

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.