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| | position just north and north-west of Tumbledown.<ref>The Fight for the Malvinas: The Argentine Forces in the Falklands War, Martin Middlebrook, pp. 244-245, Viking, 1989</ref>}} | | position just north and north-west of Tumbledown.<ref>The Fight for the Malvinas: The Argentine Forces in the Falklands War, Martin Middlebrook, pp. 244-245, Viking, 1989</ref>}} |
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| − | Despite moving in all-terrain lorries, Captain Zunino's company took about 5 hours to cover just four miles. The 3rd Regiment had been conditioned to rely heavily on armoured personnel carriers to wage a war. Before long 2d Lieutenant Baldini and his platoon were surrounded by more than 100 Paras and he asked for assistance and Major Carrizo-Salvadores soon despatched the 1st Engineer Platoon under Lieutenant Hugo Aníbal Quiroga. | + | Despite moving in all-terrain lorries, Captain Zunino's company took about 5 hours to cover just four miles. The 3rd Regiment had been conditioned to rely heavily on armoured personnel carriers to wage a war. Before long Sergeant Roque Nista, Corporal Óscar Carrizo and their ground-surveillance radar section were surrounded by more than 100 Paras and they asked for assistance and Major Carrizo-Salvadores soon despatched the 1st Engineer Platoon under Lieutenant Hugo Aníbal Quiroga. |
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| | Uptill 2130 local time the night of June 11 had been like many other nights for the Argentinians on Mount Longdon. Major Carlos Eduardo Carrizo-Salvadores:{{cquote|I recall that, that evening, with a small reciever, we were listening to the Mass that his Holiness the Pope was saying from the Basilica of Lujan. Just as he was giving the blessing - night had already closed in - the Platoon Commanders telephoned me to let me know that, apart from the shelling, there was nothing to report. | | Uptill 2130 local time the night of June 11 had been like many other nights for the Argentinians on Mount Longdon. Major Carlos Eduardo Carrizo-Salvadores:{{cquote|I recall that, that evening, with a small reciever, we were listening to the Mass that his Holiness the Pope was saying from the Basilica of Lujan. Just as he was giving the blessing - night had already closed in - the Platoon Commanders telephoned me to let me know that, apart from the shelling, there was nothing to report. |
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| | The reservists in Castañeda's platoon all knew each other well. Having been conscripted from the Lanus and Bandfield suburbs of Buenos Aires, many of the conscripts indulged a taste for Hollywood action movies and American swearing. This 46-man platoon, came in at the critical moment and showed themselves to be willing to fight at close quarters. The platoon fought bitterly on the northern sector of Mount Longdon and not altogether without success. Castañeda's men made grenade and bayonet attacks on the advancing British Paratroopers, compelling them to eventually withdraw after 2 hours of brutal boulder-to-boulder fighting.<ref>"Under covering fire, Numbers 4 and 5 Platoons, withdrew, but another man was killed and others wounded in the process." Para!: Fifty Years of the Parachute Regiment, Peter Harclerode, p. 354, Brian Trodd, Arms & Armour Press, 1992</ref> | | The reservists in Castañeda's platoon all knew each other well. Having been conscripted from the Lanus and Bandfield suburbs of Buenos Aires, many of the conscripts indulged a taste for Hollywood action movies and American swearing. This 46-man platoon, came in at the critical moment and showed themselves to be willing to fight at close quarters. The platoon fought bitterly on the northern sector of Mount Longdon and not altogether without success. Castañeda's men made grenade and bayonet attacks on the advancing British Paratroopers, compelling them to eventually withdraw after 2 hours of brutal boulder-to-boulder fighting.<ref>"Under covering fire, Numbers 4 and 5 Platoons, withdrew, but another man was killed and others wounded in the process." Para!: Fifty Years of the Parachute Regiment, Peter Harclerode, p. 354, Brian Trodd, Arms & Armour Press, 1992</ref> |
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| − | It was almost 0530 local time before the fighting resumed. Major Argue now dispatched the remnants of 4 and 5 Platoons commanded by Lieutenant Mark Cox, to carry out a flanking attack from the north, but this proved unsuccessful as Castañeda and his platoon had the approach well covered. As soon as Private Horacio Alejandro Cañeque saw the remnants of 4 and 5 Platoons advancing towards Major Carrizo-Salvadores' command bunker he was out in a flash firing like mad and started to shout insults to the Paras in English with Private Anibal Javier Bemba shouting ''"Hey Hombre"'' and firing a 7.62mm belt-fed machine-gun from the hip at the startled Paras. The Argentinian fire was very accurate and Private John Crow was killed and others wounded or injured while taking cover. | + | It was almost 0530 local time before the fighting resumed. Major Argue now dispatched the remnants of 4 and 5 Platoons commanded by Lieutenant Mark Cox, to carry out a flanking attack from the north, but this proved unsuccessful as Castañeda and his platoon had the approach well covered. As soon as Private Horacio Alejandro Cañeque saw the remnants of 4 and 5 Platoons advancing towards Major Carrizo-Salvadores' command bunker he was out in a flash firing like mad and started to shout insults to the Paras in English with Private Anibal Javier Bemba standing and shouting ''"Hey Hombre"'' and firing like mad a 7.62mm belt-fed machine-gun from the hip at the startled Paras. The Argentinian fire was very accurate and Private John Crow was killed and others wounded or injured while forced to take cover among the rocks. |
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| | At that point Lieutenant-Colonel Pike, on learning of the situation ordered 'A' Company to take 'Full Back'. Major David Collett soon encountered strong opposition from the Argentinians, particularly at the command post of Carrizo-Salvadores where the second-in-command of the 7th Regiment was asking for reinforcements. | | At that point Lieutenant-Colonel Pike, on learning of the situation ordered 'A' Company to take 'Full Back'. Major David Collett soon encountered strong opposition from the Argentinians, particularly at the command post of Carrizo-Salvadores where the second-in-command of the 7th Regiment was asking for reinforcements. |