Operation Sutton from San Carlos Bay to Goose Green
It must be said that choosing a landing site was not an easy task. West Falkland, San Carlos Bay, and Harbours were all proposed as landing points. Each location had its pros and cons. For example, a landing on West Falkland was easier due to the lack of enemy resistance (at least, serious resistance) and allowed for the unimpeded accumulation of forces for battle. However, a landing there meant the need to organize another landing—to force the Falkland Strait. Overall, considering the combined pros and cons, the San Carlos Bay option was chosen.
The British were also pressed for time. The fact is that the dispatch fleet The Falklands were forced for political reasons, but spring in Britain is autumn in the South Atlantic. June there is already winter, and a very harsh one at that, with frosts, storms, and all the other delights of these subantarctic regions. Back on Ascension Island, Rear Admiral John "Sandy" Woodworth drew up a schedule for the Task Force, according to which the war was to be ended before the onset of winter there.
A saboteur from the SBS in the Falklands
The landing itself was preceded by a special operation by a sabotage group (the "boat squadron") of the SBS on Cape Fanning Head. The 28-man special forces unit was armed to the teeth with American M-16A1 rifles, Colt CAR-15 carbines, L7A2 general-purpose machine guns, M203 grenade launchers, L42A1 sniper rifles, Sterling submachine guns, a pair of 60-mm mortars, and was equipped with the latest technology of the time (every soldier had night vision devices). Despite belonging to the "special boat service," the British arrived in a pair of Wessex helicopters from the destroyer Antrim (three flights were required - the group had a lot with them) weapons and ammunition). The squadron was commanded by Lieutenant Rod Bell, the son of a British diplomat who grew up in Latin America and spoke fluent Spanish. Captain Joseph McManners, an artillery spotter, was also part of the detachment.
Lieutenant Colonel Mohamed Ali Seineldin, nicknamed "The Turk," is the father of the Argentine commandos.
The Argentines from the 25th Infantry Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Mohamed Ali Seineldin, confronted the British special forces—a very challenging unit! Lieutenant Colonel Seineldin, whose family had immigrated to Argentina from Lebanon, is the founder of the Argentine commandos (in Spanish, the word is spelled with one "m," which I'll use to avoid confusion with the British commandos). He trained all the soldiers of his regiment according to this rigorous program, which even qualified them to wear green berets. Group Güemes from this regiment, commanded by First Lieutenant Carlos Daniel Esteban, was entrenched in the San Carlos Bay area, and specifically, Sub-Lieutenant Oscar Reyes's detachment of 20 fighters was positioned at Fanning Head (240 meters above sea level). The Argentine detachment had a pair of 81mm mortars and a 105mm recoilless howitzer.
A Wessex helicopter in the Falklands, 1982
On May 20, 1982, a British Wessex helicopter, commanded by Lieutenant Commander Ian Stanley, spotted enemy positions using night vision devices. Around midnight, British special forces approached the Argentine positions undetected to a distance of either 600 or 900 meters (according to various sources) and at 2:15 a.m. opened heavy fire with everything they could find. Fifteen minutes later, the Antrim joined the barrage, as McManners began adjusting fire.
The Argentines were unlucky: their radio was immediately damaged, preventing Sub-Lieutenant Reyes from contacting his superiors, and by dawn the detachment had abandoned the heights. The British commander offered the Argentines a surrender, but only six responded. The rest retreated, with the exception of three wounded, whom the muchachos abandoned at their positions. According to British recollections, all the captured Argentines were frostbitten and half-dead from hunger. Taking Fanning Head allowed the British to observe San Carlos Bay, and observations revealed that the Argentines were reluctant to patrol captured territory. Otherwise, the muchachos could have caused trouble for the British: just 20 kilometers from the landing site were the garrisons in the villages of Goose Green and Darwin—General Omar Edgaro Parada's 3rd Mechanized Infantry Brigade—and Condor Air Base was also located nearby.
SAS troops on the aircraft carrier Hermes wait to be loaded onto helicopters.
Woodworth writes that much of the success of the entire undertaking depended on the weather on May 20. The aircraft carrier Hermes' weather service, using a trial and error approach, forecast low clouds that would hinder the Argentine fleet's operations. aviation (Sometimes there are reports that the Americans shared weather reports with the British, but in my opinion, these are untrustworthy sources.) And she was right! The day was overcast until sunset, so the landing force reached San Carlos Bay unhindered and began landing on the night of May 20-21.
The moment the Marines land is the most dangerous part of the amphibious operation: troops not dug in and ammunition and equipment piled on the beach are extremely vulnerable to enemy action. But, to the surprise of the British command, the Argentines did not interfere with the landing in any way! The landing ships Fearless, Intrepid, Sir Galahad, Sir Lancelot, Sir Tristram, Sir Geraint, and Sir Percival led the way, carrying the 3rd Commando Brigade (excluding the 2nd Parachute Battalion and 22nd SAS) and the 5th Infantry Brigade (Guards and Gurkhas). They were followed by the Europic Ferry, Norland, Canberra, Stormness, and Fort Austin, carrying heavy equipment, spare parts, ammunition, and equipment.
Thanks to the weather, Woodworth himself decided to approach the Falkland Strait with aircraft carriers for the sake of air cover for the landing (the aircraft carriers were 100 miles from the entrance to the strait, and the frigates Brilliant and Broadsword carried out Defense landing detachment).
It must be said that the weather forecast proved correct, although not entirely: a pair of Argentine Skyhawks approached the British carrier force but did not attack and returned to base. British reconnaissance on the mainland also spotted a flight of Mirages heading toward the Falklands, but either they failed to spot the British ships or were hesitant to attack such a large concentration of forces. At 10:00 PM on May 20, the paratroopers received the order to prepare for landing.
The British land from LCVP landing craft.
On the morning of May 21, LCVP landing craft carrying members of the 2nd and 3rd Parachute Battalions and 40th and 45th Commando Troops of the Royal Marines rushed toward the shore. The 2nd Battalion landed on the "blue beach" south of the village of San Carlos at 4:15 a.m. The landing went awry from the start: the SAS reconnaissance team either failed to deploy beacons for the landing craft's helmsmen, or deployed them in the wrong place. As a result, they ran aground 50 meters from the shore, and the paratroopers were forced to trudge chest-deep through icy water in force 3 seas, lugging 50 kg of ammunition.
The 2nd Battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Herbert Jones, had a tense time rallying his companies, which had been dispersed. Nevertheless, his efforts were successful, and the battalion secured a beachhead on Mount Sussex. Almost simultaneously, but without incident, Lieutenant Colonel Malcolm Hunt's 40th Commando landed at Blue Beach 1. They quickly occupied the village of San Carlos, which was devoid of any enemy soldiers.
Gurkhas dig in at San Carlos Bay
Lieutenant Colonel Hugh Pike's 3rd Parachute Battalion and Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Whitehead's 45th Commando Troop were the second wave of the assault force, landing around 7:00 a.m. at Red Beach on the other side of the bay (commandos) and Green Beach north of the village (paratroopers). During the landing, A and C Companies of the 3rd Battalion mistook each other for the enemy and opened fire. A Company, breaking radio silence, called for armored vehicles, while C Company requested artillery support. This, in fact, saved the Marines: both sides heard the radio communications and understood what was happening. At the same time, D Company of the 22nd SAS detachment landed from helicopters in the village of Darwin: its task was to engage the garrison of the Argentine task force Mercedes in combat, preventing it from striking the marines, who were vulnerable at the moment of landing.
First Lieutenant Carlos Daniel Esteban is a true hero, which is why he didn't become a general...
However, the 3rd Parachute Battalion soon encountered a real enemy—Carlos Daniel Esteban's "Güemes" Group. It must be said that the first lieutenant, having received a report from his patrols about the appearance of British ships, contacted his immediate superior, Lieutenant Colonel Italo Piaggi, commander of the "Mercedes Group," expressing his opinion that this was the British invasion they had been waiting for so long.
But the lieutenant colonel disagreed with his subordinate: the muchachos were expecting a landing near Puerto Argentina (formerly Port Stanley), and the landing in San Carlos Bay was mistaken for a diversionary landing (the British had planted this misinformation—one of the SAS reconnaissance groups had "lost" a secret document with the landing plan at Port Stanley). Nevertheless, Piaggi reported the invasion to his superior, Brigadier General Mario Benjamín Menéndez, the governor of the Malvinas Islands. But Menéndez also disbelieved Esteban's report. Naval command decided to verify the report, sending Lieutenant Owen Crippa on a reconnaissance mission aboard the Aeromacchi. Crippa confirmed the presence of numerous British ships in the bay, but the report only arrived at 10:00 a.m., when the first lieutenant's soldiers were already engaged in combat with British paratroopers.
The Sea King that crash-landed was the first of the helicopters shot down by First Lieutenant Esteban's squadron.
It must be said that Esteban's men (and himself) were clearly not berserkers and understood that 42 men could not handle the battalion. Therefore, the first lieutenant decided to retreat to Puerto Argentina (the road to Goose Green was cut off). Seeing the retreating Muchachos, the British opened fire on them with all their weapons, but hit no one. Then a Sea King helicopter was sent after Esteban's unit, which was a mistake: the Argentines opened such intense small arms and machine gun fire on the helicopter that it was shot down. The pilots managed to steer the helicopter to the bay, where they made an emergency landing on the water. Then paratroopers followed the first lieutenant, supported by a Gazelle helicopter launched from the Intrepid. The Muchachos shot it down as well, and then finished off the floundering crew in the water. This fact later became the British justification for executing Argentine prisoners after the battle at Port Stanley.
The pursuers targeted Esteban's unit with naval artillery, which inflicted no casualties on the Argentines but forced them to abandon their heavy weapons (mortars and a howitzer). En route to Puerto Argentina, the group was attacked again by a pair of Gazelles. The result was the same: both helicopters were shot down by machine gun fire: one helicopter managed to reach the British lines, and the pilots were rescued, while the other crashed into a mountainside with its crew. The British generally agree with this Argentine version of events, but clarified that one of the Gazelles was subsequently recovered.
In principle, the first land battle, which cost the British four helicopters, three of which were destroyed, demonstrated that the Muchachos are no pushovers and, under competent command, can be a formidable adversary. However, competent commanders were scarce, and Lieutenant Colonel Mukhamed Seineldin, who trained the 25th Infantry Regiment as a commando, was the only one available.
The Rapira air defense missile systems were the ones that allowed for the reduction of ship losses after they were deployed.
The land war in the Falklands was not a classic one. While a landing force is usually expected to immediately launch an offensive, regardless of losses, simply to expand the beachhead and tie down the enemy's reserves, the British were in no hurry. In fact, the Argentine army played a significant role in this: while the Air Force in San Carlos Bay fought desperately and skillfully, the ground forces... General Menendez preferred to dig in on the isthmus near Darwin and keep a low profile—there was no attempt to drive the British into the sea.
Within 24 hours, the British expanded the bridgehead to 13 square kilometers, and brought in up to 5,000 troops. The second echelon included light infantry. Tanks Scorpion and Scimitar missile systems, Rapira air defense systems, 81mm mortars, and 105mm howitzers were installed, along with helicopter landing pads and buried fuel and fresh water tanks. After six air defense systems were deployed on the beachhead, the ships were withdrawn from the Falkland Sound.
It must be said that the unloading of the landing ships and transports took a long time for a good reason: there were no ports on the islands capable of receiving them, so it was originally planned to use heavy Chinook helicopters for unloading, but three of the four were lost on the Atlantic Conveyor (Sea King helicopters were used as additional transport, having removed their anti-submarine equipment, but their lifting capacity was much worse).
Lieutenant Colonel Piaggi, the photo is lousy, but the bastard doesn't deserve better.
The defense of the isthmus was held by Task Force Mercedes, whose core was Lieutenant Colonel Piaggi's 12th Infantry Regiment. Just before the battle, reinforcements were sent: 80 fighters and our acquaintance, First Lieutenant Carlos Daniel Esteban, along with ammunition (a fact Piaggi would later deny). The muchachos dug in well: across the entire width of the isthmus, from the abandoned hamlet of Boca House in the west to the village of Darwin in the east.
True, there was no cement in the Falklands (and the British had blocked supplies), so there was no concrete in the fortifications. Digging continuous trenches in the local rocky soil wasn't the best idea, especially without entrenching tools, of which the soldados had few. However, they dug plenty of rifle pits and machine-gun nests. To strengthen the defensive structures, they used local boulders and the remains of building materials from destroyed barns. True, instead of the now-fashionable strongpoints, the Argentines built old-fashioned linear positions, but they built them competently, with good fields of fire, the ability to provide flanking fire, and all that.
Argentines at a covered firing point on the Darwin Isthmus - Boca House
The British encountered Argentine defenses on May 27: scouts from the 2nd Parachute Battalion, commanded by Lieutenant Colin Spencer, were fired upon by the enemy. Soon after, the British captured the Argentine scouts led by Lieutenant Carlos Morales, whose interrogation revealed that a serious battle was imminent on the isthmus: the Argentines had ample machine guns, three 105mm howitzers, two twin 35mm anti-aircraft guns, 120mm and two 81mm mortars, and either one or two 12,7mm Brownings.
Lieutenant Colonel Herbert Jones developed an attack plan: on the night of May 27–28, the 2nd Parachute Battalion was to breach the Argentine fortifications and take the villages of Darwin and Goose Green on May 28. For the assault, the paratroopers received reinforcements—three 105mm howitzers—but that evening, an Argentine Skyhawk raided the positions, wounding one of the artillery crew commanders and requiring urgent replacement.
The Argentine defensive line at Goose Green
At 18:00 PM, the paratrooper companies began moving toward the attack line. Sappers from 59 Squadron SAS led the way, followed by C Company, with A and B Companies in the second echelon, advancing at 22:00 PM. The advance was supported by the frigate Arrow's guns, with the Argentines providing harassing fire that didn't bother the British paratroopers (at least, it didn't cause any casualties). At 2:35 AM, A Company encountered a reconnaissance platoon from the 12th Infantry Regiment: the British had more troops, so by establishing fire superiority, they forced the Argentines to abandon their position, losing two soldiers killed. The paratroopers discovered six civilians inside Burnside House.
The battle plan at Goose Green. To call THIS a "great battle"... is a bit immodest.
An hour later, Captain John Crosland's B Company engaged the Argentines. It was night, so the battlefield was illuminated only by tracer fire. The firefight lasted over two hours, after which the Argentines from A Company, 12th Infantry Regiment, retreated to Cronation Hill. B Company advanced on Goose Green, A Company on Darwin, and D Company suppressed the machine-gun emplacements they had discovered. Nevertheless, all the paratroopers expected to have breakfast in the captured villages.
But in the morning, the paratroopers suddenly (oh, my!) found themselves in open terrain, under fire from all Argentine weapons. The battalion was bombarded with mortar and howitzer fire, Company A was ambushed and lay low under machine-gun fire, and the paratroopers retreated for almost an hour—crawling is slow! Company B came under fire from Argentine positions, led by soldiers of Captain Manersa's 12th Regiment's reconnaissance platoon, who had recently been driven from their positions. The British suffered no losses during the night, but with the dawn they perished one after another: Corporal Mike Meliy of the engineer platoon was the first to depart, followed by several more men, and the paratroopers lay low under machine-gun and artillery fire.
British paratroopers on the isthmus
The British artillery began counter-battery fire, but it soon became clear that the Argentines were significantly outgunned. Additional ammunition had to be ordered by helicopter. Misfortunes never come alone: the frigate Arrow's gun mount jammed, leaving the British without the support of its powerful 4,5-inch gun, and the ship withdrew, fearing an enemy air strike.
Pilots of the Pucará-Malvinos squadron, Lieutenant Roberto Simbaro, third from the right
Things got really bad at 8:30 a.m.—the first raid on the paratrooper positions was carried out by Pucara attack aircraft led by Lieutenants Hugo Argañaros and Roberto Simbaro. The British attempted to shoot down the aircraft with Blowpipe MANPADS, but to no avail. Furthermore, an attempt by Argentine pilots to destroy the British battery was also unsuccessful. But at 10:00 a.m., a pair of attack aircraft led by Captain Ricardo Günther and Lieutenant Alcides Russo struck the prone British paratroopers. The situation was becoming critical; the British had already suffered more than ten casualties.
Lieutenant Colonel Jones, the commander of the 2nd Parachute Battalion, decided that an attack on a machine-gun nest on Darwin Ridge could change the situation. He took 16 paratroopers and personally led them against the machine-gun crew of C Company, 25th Regiment. The result was clear: nine paratroopers were killed, including the lieutenant colonel himself, his deputy company commander, Captain Christopher Dent, Captain Dave Wood, and Corporal Dave Hardman. However, Herbert Jones was killed not by machine-gun fire, but by a sniper's bullet. Major Christopher Keeble assumed command.
Colonel Herbert Jones on Mount Sussex, shortly before his death at Goose Green.
The machine-gun nest was suppressed at the cost of several paratroopers, after which the battle turned: the British, using their machine guns and grenade launchers, crushed one firing point after another. As a result, within a few hours, the British from Company "A" reached the Darwin Ridge line, having lost three more men killed and 12 wounded. The Argentine Company "C" lost 18 men killed and 39 wounded, after which the muchachos raised the white flag. More than 70 men surrendered, and the village of Darwin came under British control.
British paratroopers with Argentine soldiers at Goose Green
Taking advantage of A Company's success, Christopher Keeble decided to attack Goose Green via Boca House, where B Company had stalled. The Argentines were outflanked by machine gunners and Milan antitank missile crews, who opened up a barrage of fire on the positions of C Company, 8th Infantry Regiment. The company commander, Lieutenant Guillermo Alagí, was seriously wounded in the head. Left leaderless under machine gun and antitank missile fire, the Muchachos began to surrender. The British discovered 12 Argentines dead at their positions, and 15 were captured (including Lieutenant Alagí), mostly wounded. The success was not complete: the Argentines still held the defensive lines of Task Force Mercedes and Base Condor.
An Argentine Rheinmetall Rh 202 anti-aircraft gun fires at British aircraft. Artist Ezequiel Martinez.
On the afternoon of May 28, the paratroopers began their advance on Goose Green but encountered resistance from Argentines holed up in the school building. This was the 2nd Platoon of A Company, 12th Infantry Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant José Vásquez. D Company was advancing on the airfield, while B and C Companies were storming the school. An unpleasant incident occurred: the British noticed a piece of white cloth drifting on the airfield flagpole, which they mistook for a white flag. A negotiator, Lieutenant Jim Barry, was dispatched to the Argentine positions.
The Argentine platoon commander, Sub-Lieutenant Juan Gomez Centurion, used a full range of Latin American idioms to explain to Barry that he had no intention of surrendering. During the heated negotiations, a burst of machine gun fire erupted from the British-held Darwin Hill, and the muchachos, already on edge, shot the British envoy and the corporal and lance corporal accompanying him at point-blank range. Meanwhile, paratroopers from C Company launched a surprise attack and occupied the school. As it turned out, the attack wasn't entirely surprise—the Argentines had quietly abandoned the school under cover of Oerlikons from the airfield.
Harrier pilots of No. 1 Squadron RAF aboard the Atlantic Conveyor
At 17:00, another air raid occurred: a pair of Argentine Aeromacchi, commanded by Corvette Captain Carlos Molteni and Corvette Lieutenant Daniel Miguel, attacked the positions of Company D. The British launched aircraft rocket with a Blowpipe MANPADS, but missed. However, Daniel Miguel's plane failed to exit the dangerous turn and crashed into the ground. Captain Molteni returned to base unharmed.
The paratroopers were then attacked by two Pucará attack aircraft. The aircraft were met with heavy fire, and Lieutenant Miguel Cruzado's aircraft was hit. The pilot ejected and was captured. Lieutenant Juan Michelode's aircraft safely reached the airfield in Puerto Argentino. An hour later, another air raid took place, this time by the British: three Harriers attacked the Argentine airbase, hitting air defense radars, ammunition dumps, and infantry positions with cluster bombs.
Company Commander, 42 Commando Troop, Major Michael Norman
As darkness fell, Keeble ordered the battalion to withdraw to the ridgeline along the coast. The battle resulted in 17 dead, including the battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Herbert Jones, and 64 wounded—more than half of them seriously or moderately. The Argentines also suffered losses, but they held their main defensive lines at Goose Green and Condor Air Base, a remarkable achievement considering they were facing elite British professionals against Argentine conscripts. Realizing he couldn't cope on his own, Keeble requested reinforcements. General Julian Thompson dispatched Major Michael Norman's company from 42 Commando to the commander of the 2nd Parachute Battalion. Envoys were sent to Lieutenant Colonel Piaggi with a proposal to provide an escape corridor for the residents of Goose Green and to consider the possibility of surrender.
Brigadier General Mario Benjamín Menéndez
Piaggi contacted Puerto Argentino and requested reinforcements from General Menéndez, but was told that they had already sent him everything they could, so now he was on his own, everything on his own... But he had to hold out to the last! Realizing there would be no breakthrough, Piaggi decided to surrender. He was supported (fully living up to his surname) by the commander of Condor Air Base, Wilson Pedroso. Against him were Major Alberto Frontera, the deputy commander of the 12th Infantry Regiment, and First Lieutenant Carlos Esteban, who argued that the British were no more than a reinforced battalion, meaning they could hold out at Goose Green until Lent. But Piaggi was certain that at least a brigade would attack them, meaning it was time to find a suitable sheet for sewing a white flag.
Argentines are heading into "honorable" captivity
Ultimately, the senior officers decided to make an "honorable" surrender. 1007 Muchachos, well-positioned and well-supplied, surrendered to the British battalion. In the battle for Goose Green, the British lost 17 killed and 64 wounded (sometimes quoted figures as 19 killed and 100 wounded). The Argentines lost 47 killed and 120 (or 150) wounded. Several groups of Argentines attempted to break through to Puerto Argentino, but were intercepted by the British and captured en route.
The Battle of Goose Green was the first land battle of the Falklands War and, without a doubt, the most famous. But it was not the last. Ahead of the British lay the march on Puerto Argentino, several diversionary landings, and the final transformation of the Malvinas Islands into the Falkland Islands. But that's a story for another day.
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