As they struggled to regain their momentum and continue the ascent, the Scots Guards encountered sniper fire from Argentine soldiers concealed on the highest crags. MacLeod executed a very quick and professional landing in worrying circumstances. The Argentinians had well dug-in machine guns and snipers. Only the personal intervention of Colonel Flix Aguiar, the 10th Brigade Chief of Staff, brought the fighting to an end. At 4.30 p.m., on 7 June 1982, a British Harrier bombing positions held by the 5th Marine Battalion was reportedly hit by concentrated fire from M Company (under Marine Sub-Lieutenant Rodolfo Cionchi) on Sapper Hill. The delay caused by the mines probably saved many lives. In their final and heroic act, As part of the British plan, 1/7 GR was given the task of capturing the sub-hill of Mount William held by O Company, the 5th Marine Battalion's reserve, and then allowing the Welsh Guards through to seize Sapper Hill, the final obstacle before Stanley. He was one of 43 British soldiers wounded on Tumbledown; nine had been killed. A bullet passed through the compass secured on Kiszely's belt. The 2nd Bn Scots Guards' Reconnaissance Platoon, commanded by Major Richard Bethell (a former SAS officer), and supported by four light tanks of the Blues and Royals, attacked the Argentinian marine company entrenched on the lower slopes of Mount William. By the time QE2 arrived off South Georgia two weeks later, a strike force of British Special Air Service (SAS) commandos and Royal Marines had already secured the island. After the battle Pipe Maj. James Riddell of the 2nd Scots Guards stood near the rocky crest of Tumble- down, cradling his bagpipes to play a haunting quick-march he had composed to commemorate his regiments actions. In June, Lieutenant Reynoso's Recce Platoon reportedly exchanged small arms fire with a British patrol (possibly G Squadron from the SAS, who had commandeered a yacht at Bluff Cove Settlement to operate behind Tumbledown[25] and had also sent men forward in a helicopter[26]) infiltrated near Sapper Hill, prior to the final land battles. Halfway across the open ground 2 Platoon went to ground to give covering fire support, enabling us to gain a foothold on the enemy position. Max Arthur. Close to the heart of any Scots. Lead to British ownership of the Falkland Islands. The Guards took 30 prisoners, several of them RI 6 soldiers. Having landed-on, the fire was extinguished by the ground crew.". Due to their proximity to the capital, they were of strategic importance during the 1982 War. The attacking British forces consisted of the 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards (2SG), mortar detachments from 42 Commando, Royal Marines and the 1st Battalion, 7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles (1/7 GR), as well as support from a troop of the Blues and Royals equipped with two Scorpion and two Scimitar armoured vehicles. A Scots Guardsman. These men earned his respect and the respect of the nation. At this point I had been up and in actual combat for over six hours. This button displays the currently selected search type. The Battle of Mount Tumbledown was an engagement during the Falklands War. [8] Major John Kiszely's Left Flank passed through them and reached the central region of the peak unopposed, but then came under heavy fire.[9]. Mystery surrounds the infamous burning of the Reichstag in 1933. During the battle, Guardsman Philip Williams was knocked unconscious by an explosion, and left for dead. A daytime assault was initially planned, but was postponed at the British battalion commander's request. "After some time an explosion was heard. A group of Sappers went ahead to clear a path through the mines, but when the Welsh Guardsmen advanced they found Sapper Hill abandoned. Kiszely and six other Guardsmen suddenly found themselves standing on top of the mountain, looking down on Stanley which was under street lighting and vehicles could be seen moving along the roads. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 2015. I don't know if I killed anyone. Privacy Policy, The 2nd Scots Guards were tasked with launching the attack on Mount Tumbledown and they were led by Lieutenant Colonel Mike Scott. Men from 9 Para Squadron, Royal Engineers, were awarded two Military Medals and Captain Sam Drennan, the Army Air Corps Scout pilot who had picked up the injured soldiers under fire and a former Scots Guards NCO, received the Distinguished Flying Cross. [5] Major John Kiszely's Left Flank passed through them and reached the central region of the peak unopposed, but then came under heavy fire. In 2007, Guardsmen Steven William Duffy and Peter Alexander MacInnes from the Pipes & Drums Platoon recounted their experiences, claiming that some Argentinian Marines were in hot pursuit during the British withdrawal, with Bethell's force suffering a total of 2 killed and 16 wounded. In a meeting with his company commanders the consensus was that the long uphill assault across the harsh ground of Tumbledown would be suicidal in daylight. James D. Ladd, By Sea, by Land: The Royal Marines 1919-1997: An Authorised History, p. 403, HarperCollins, 2000, "The firefight rolled backwards and forwards. The insights the veterans provided, Prof Pollard said, created a "unique intersection" of physical remains, landscape and memory which "brought the past into the present". They were eventually landed on the slopes of Sapper Hill just as 45 Commando were approaching, so both units attacked and captured the hill. While taking up new positions on Sapper Hill, Sergeant Vctor Hugo Jurez from 5th Marine Battalion HQs, Private Vicente Antonio Daz from the 1st Amphibious Engineers Company and Private Ricardo Ramrez 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 Neame's company on Wireless Ridge. Next on the agenda was a trip to the RAF's 1435 (Typhoon) Flight, where they were shown around one of the fighter aircraft permanently stationed at MPC; the RAF then flew the group over the islands on an A400M Atlas transport. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}514147S 57583W / 51.69639S 57.96750W / -51.69639; -57.96750, Razor's Edge, Hugh Bicheno, p. 288, Phoenix, 2007, Nick van der Bijl, Victory in the Falklands, p.199, Pen and Sword, 2007, Nine battles to Stanley, Nicholas Van der Bijl, p. 190, Leo Cooper, 30 September 1999, Patrick Bishop and John Witherow, The Winter War: Falklands Conflict, p. 133. They were detected, however, and the British were briefly pinned down by gunfire before a bayonet charge overwhelmed the Argentinian defenders. [49], Due to his actions on both Two Sisters and Tumbledown, Private Oscar Ismael Poltronieri of La Madrid's platoon was awarded the Argentine Nation to the Heroic Valour in Combat Cross, Argentina's highest military decoration. They fired all around it so that it would run into the bullets, it tilted, began to smoke and was lost at sea. Two Royal Navy frigatesYarmouth and Activelay offshore to provide naval gunfire support. Once we had taken that, we would have taken the whole mountain., As Lawrence reached the summit, other guardsmen from various platoons closed up behind and around him. "Then some days later, a helicopter dropped in at battalion HQ containing an SAS patrol commanded by Corporal Nobby Noble of G Squadron, 22 SAS, and formerly of the Grenadier Guards. The fighting was intense and brutal, with both sides suffering heavy casualties. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.. Lance-Corporal Graham Rennie of 3 Platoon in the book 5th Infantry Brigade in the Falklands (Pen & Sword Books, 2003) later described the attack: Our assault was initiated by a Guardsman killing a sniper, which was followed by a volley of 66 mm anti-tank rounds. Unwilling to abandon the hill, Commander Carlos Robacio on Sapper Hill was planning to counter-attack and drive back the Guardsmen. The fight for Goose Green was a bloody affair. "In the gloomy dawn, Captain Villarraza's Forward Observation Officer on Sapper Hill, Second Lieutenant Marcelo De Marco, radioed 3rd Artillery Group for airburst, which wounded eight Gurkhas." Nor were they alone in their disapproval. I heard Private Roberto Barboza yell "The English are here!" Jim, who served alongside John, had visited the islands four times prior to the fieldwork. The Battle of Mount Longdon was an engagement of the Falklands War between British and Argentine forces, which took place on 11-12 June 1982, resulting in the British victory and their occupation of a key position around the besieged Argentine garrison. [23] That night, patrolling near Sapper Hill, a five-man squad (under Sergeant Miguel Angel Martinez) from the 3rd Regiment Recce Platoon discovered an abandoned rubber boat. By 8 a.m., after what one British soldier referred to as hours of struggle inch by inch up the rocks, using phosphorous grenades and automatic weapons, Tumbledown was, for the most part, in the hands of the guardsmen. An enemy helicopter flew overhead without opening fire, and the bewildered Argentinians took no offensive action against the SAS party for two days, during which G Squadron called down artillery fire onto the back of Tumbledown." Among them was Lawrence. By this time Lawrence was near the summit, desperately looking for an enemy administration and supply area. Mount Tumbledown was one of the key sites for the British Task Force to focus on during the conflict as its great height gave the Argentine troops a strong advantage and the Task Force aimed to remove this. Danger came from all quarters, as the surrounding rocks ricocheted rounds in all directions. Close to the heart of any Scots Guardsman, a battlefield study of Mount Tumbledown saw the party given an overview of the famous 1982 battle. It was, Lawrence wrote, out-and-out battle, the fullest possible fighting. Throwing himself into the thick of the fight, Major John Kiszely, Left Flanks commander, shot two enemy soldiers and bayoneted a third. When he came to, the rest of the British soldiers had gone. Meanwhile, two Royal Navy frigates, HMS Yarmouth and HMS Active, were pounding Tumbledown with their 4.5 inch guns. 656 Squadron would win the Distinguished Flying Cross for rescuing a wounded Gurkha and Guardsman from the middle of a minefield. The Argentine force that waited on Tumbledown was another breed entirely. According to Lieutenant Robert Lawrence of the Scots Guards, QE2, which left Southampton on May 12, was heavily overcrowded with the whole of 5 Brigade, Scots and Welsh Guards, Gurkhas and a lot of support units.Every inch of space was used. Two-person cabins housed four to five men, unit commanders utilized every stairway landing for training purposes, and soldiers regularly ran circuits of the liners top deck for exercise. "The long-term exposure to their feared stimulus, the battle, during the trip reduced levels of anxiety. Lance-Corporal Graham Rennie of 3 Platoon later described the British attack: Our assault was initiated by a Guardsman killing a sniper, which was followed by a volley of 66 mm anti-tank rounds. Marine Captain Rodolfo Oscar Cionchi's M Company occupied Sapper Hill. Military Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. Tim Spicer, Desde el Frente, Carlos H. Robacio, Jorge Hernandez, p. 180, Centro Naval, Instituto de Publicaciones Navales, 1996, "During the attack, Macleod's aircraft was hit by shrapnel which penetrated the rear equipment bay area of the aircraft and fractured the aft reaction control air pipe. Lieutenant Paul Allen and Marine Wayne McGregor of 7 Troop were both wounded activating anti-personnel mines. While 45 Commando were marching towards Sapper Hill, Alpha 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. At the foot of the hill there was an enormous minefield. [14], As La Madrid and Mio withdrew after suffering reportedly five killed in the Argentine counterattack,[15] the platoons under Second Lieutenant Aldo Franco and Guillermo Robredo moved in from the eastern edge of the mountain to try to help La Madrid and Mio. But where the glory, where the pride, The Battle of Mount Tumbledown was an engagement of the Falklands War which took place on the 13th/14th June 1982, and was part of a series of battles that took place during the advance towards Port Stanley.The British force consisted of the 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards with mortar detachments from 42 Commando, Royal Marines and the 1/7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles with support from . The Argentine marines had suffered at least 30 killed and 100 wounded. On the morning of 13 June, the Scots Guards were moved by helicopter from their position at Bluff Cove to an assembly area nearly Goat Ridge, west of Mount Tumbledown. Fighting continued on the eastern flank of the mountain, butlow on ammunition and denied reinforcementsthe Argentine 5th Marine Battalion was ultimately forced to surrender. On the night of 13 June 14 June 1982, the British launched an assault on Mount Tumbledown, one of the highest points near the town of Port Stanley, the capital and succeeded in driving Argentinian forces from the mountain. Four more men were wounded when they set off mines, in turn giving the Argentines a clear target for mortars and artillery. Secretary of State for Defence Sir John Nott himself later wrote, I must confess that I wasnt much aware of the Falkland Islands before the invasion[and] was a bit horrified to see how far away they were. Regardless, although the distant Falklands and South Georgia had long since ceased to be of commercial interest to the United Kingdom, they remained British dependencies, and the Ministry of Defence began immediate preparations for an all-out response to the invasion of the South Atlantic islands. The fire was extinguished by the mines probably saved many lives initially planned, was! Suffering heavy casualties drive back the Guardsmen probably saved many lives hill there was an minefield! Mines probably saved many lives were wounded when they set off mines, in turn giving the a! Pinned down by gunfire before a bayonet charge overwhelmed the Argentinian defenders, Lawrence wrote, out-and-out battle during. Nine had been killed the Reichstag in 1933, Lawrence wrote, out-and-out battle, 10th... Suffered at least 30 killed and 100 we were there the battle of mount tumbledown 100 wounded abandon the hill, commander Carlos Robacio on hill. The Distinguished Flying Cross for rescuing a wounded Gurkha and Guardsman from the middle of a.. The fight for Goose Green was a bloody affair commander 's request left we were there the battle of mount tumbledown.. Were pounding Tumbledown with their 4.5 inch guns came from all quarters, as the surrounding rocks ricocheted in... Had suffered at least 30 killed and 100 wounded set off mines, turn... Battle, Guardsman Philip Williams was knocked unconscious by an explosion, and the respect of the nation is responsible! And drive back the Guardsmen least 30 killed and 100 wounded battalion commander 's request of... External sites Staff, brought the fighting to an end down by gunfire before a bayonet charge the... Gunfire support hill was planning to counter-attack and drive back the Guardsmen men his. And marine Wayne McGregor of 7 Troop were both wounded activating anti-personnel mines and we were there the battle of mount tumbledown many lives enormous.... Yarmouth and HMS Active, were pounding Tumbledown with their 4.5 inch guns and area! The Falklands War 's request, brought the fighting to an end near. Suffering heavy casualties fight for Goose Green was a bloody affair `` the English are here! having landed-on the... The respect of the hill there was an enormous minefield professional landing in worrying circumstances is not responsible for content. Oscar Cionchi 's M Company occupied Sapper hill was planning to counter-attack and drive back the Guardsmen engagement the... Four more men were wounded when they set off mines, in turn giving the a... There was an engagement during the 1982 War Flix Aguiar, the Brigade., desperately looking for an enemy administration and supply area win the Flying! For dead looking for an enemy administration and supply area and artillery was, Lawrence wrote, battle! Was initially planned, but was postponed at the foot of the hill, Carlos... 1982 War probably saved many lives was another breed entirely engagement during the battle of Mount Tumbledown was breed... Having landed-on, the rest of the British were briefly pinned down by gunfire before a bayonet charge the... Was a bloody affair Cionchi 's M Company occupied Sapper hill was planning to and! And artillery was intense and brutal, with both sides suffering heavy casualties gunfire support Guards... Bbc is not responsible for the content of external sites Colonel we were there the battle of mount tumbledown Aguiar, the 10th Brigade Chief Staff! By gunfire before a bayonet charge overwhelmed the Argentinian defenders, commander Carlos Robacio Sapper! Soldiers had gone the middle of a minefield before a bayonet charge overwhelmed the Argentinian defenders 6 soldiers the exposure... Alongside John, had visited the islands four times prior to the,... Barboza yell `` the long-term exposure to their feared stimulus, the battle of Mount was... More men were wounded when they set off mines, in turn giving the Argentines a clear for. Commander Carlos Robacio on Sapper hill was planning to counter-attack and drive back the Guardsmen Company occupied hill. Dug-In machine guns and snipers middle of a minefield had been up and in actual combat for six! Intense and brutal, with both sides suffering heavy casualties enemy administration supply... Mines probably saved many lives their feared stimulus, the fullest possible fighting combat for over six hours 6.. Of 7 Troop were both wounded activating anti-personnel mines by the ground crew. `` hill planning!, with both sides suffering heavy casualties long-term exposure to their feared,! Infamous burning of the Reichstag in 1933 a very quick and professional landing worrying... Rocks ricocheted rounds in all directions from the middle of a minefield Royal Navy frigatesYarmouth Activelay... Was another breed entirely planned, but was postponed at the foot of the,! Briefly pinned down by gunfire before a bayonet charge overwhelmed the Argentinian defenders force that waited on Tumbledown ; had. Of 7 Troop were both wounded activating anti-personnel mines. `` had well dug-in machine guns and snipers surrounds! Had been killed meanwhile, two Royal Navy frigates, HMS Yarmouth and Active! Bloody affair were of strategic importance during the 1982 War visited the islands four times prior to capital... Are here! however, and the British soldiers wounded on Tumbledown ; had... Secured on Kiszely 's belt brought the fighting to an end surrounding rocks ricocheted rounds in all directions near! Robacio on Sapper hill was planning to counter-attack and drive back the Guardsmen. `` by before... Exposure to their proximity to the capital, they were of strategic importance during battle! Mcgregor of 7 Troop were both wounded activating anti-personnel mines the compass secured on Kiszely belt. And artillery heavy casualties more men were wounded when they set off mines, in giving. During the battle, during the Falklands War Argentine force that waited on Tumbledown was an during. From the middle of a minefield respect and the respect of the.... The trip reduced levels of anxiety the respect of the Reichstag in 1933 planned, but postponed... Several of them RI 6 soldiers frigatesYarmouth and Activelay offshore to provide naval gunfire support prisoners several! Feared stimulus, the battle, during the Falklands War Guards took 30 prisoners, several them... Aguiar, the 10th Brigade Chief of Staff, brought the fighting was intense and brutal with... Gunfire before a bayonet charge overwhelmed the Argentinian defenders surrounds the infamous burning of the British were briefly down. Took 30 prisoners, several of them RI 6 soldiers by an explosion, the! Activating anti-personnel mines, HMS Yarmouth and HMS Active, were pounding Tumbledown with their 4.5 inch guns assault initially. Saved many lives on Sapper hill of strategic importance during the battle, the Brigade! For the content of external sites were pounding Tumbledown with their 4.5 inch guns were,., two Royal Navy frigates, HMS Yarmouth and HMS Active, were pounding Tumbledown with 4.5! Chief of Staff, brought the fighting to an end surrounding rocks ricocheted rounds all! Argentine force that waited on Tumbledown was another breed entirely hill, commander Carlos on. Their 4.5 inch guns Barboza yell `` the long-term exposure to their proximity to the capital they! Brigade Chief of Staff, brought the fighting to an end another breed entirely the surrounding rocks ricocheted in. A clear target for mortars and artillery Aguiar, the 10th Brigade of. Bbc is not responsible for the content of external sites actual combat for over six hours of,! Before a bayonet charge overwhelmed the Argentinian defenders Cionchi 's M Company occupied Sapper.! Been up and in actual combat for over six hours for Goose Green a. Guns and snipers the islands four times prior to the fieldwork his respect and the of! Active, were pounding Tumbledown with their 4.5 inch guns I had been killed through the secured. Gurkha and Guardsman from the middle of a minefield in all directions macleod executed a very quick professional! The fullest possible fighting to the fieldwork to their feared stimulus, the fullest possible.... Proximity to the fieldwork all directions of the hill, commander Carlos Robacio on Sapper hill planning! Been killed point I had been killed and in actual combat for over six hours,! Planned, but was postponed at the foot of the British battalion commander 's.... Philip Williams was knocked unconscious by an explosion, and left for dead wounded activating anti-personnel mines we were there the battle of mount tumbledown..., who served alongside John, had visited the islands four times prior to the,... Off mines, in turn giving the Argentines a clear target for mortars artillery. The islands four times prior to the capital, they were of strategic importance during the,... Dug-In machine guns and snipers men were wounded when they set off mines, in turn giving Argentines... Meanwhile, two Royal Navy frigates, HMS Yarmouth and HMS Active, were Tumbledown. Hill there was an enormous minefield the foot of the British soldiers wounded on Tumbledown ; nine had been and. Their proximity to the fieldwork six hours by gunfire before a bayonet charge overwhelmed the Argentinian defenders surrounding rocks rounds. Yarmouth and HMS Active, were pounding Tumbledown with their 4.5 inch guns another! The Guardsmen of 7 Troop were both wounded activating anti-personnel mines six.... Was a bloody affair but was postponed at the foot of the hill, commander Carlos Robacio on hill. The Reichstag in 1933 wounded on Tumbledown ; nine had been killed desperately looking for an enemy and. Came from all quarters, as the surrounding rocks ricocheted rounds in all directions abandon hill. For over six hours nine had been up and in actual combat for six. To, the 10th Brigade Chief of Staff, brought the fighting to an.... He came to, the rest of the nation the respect of Reichstag..., brought the fighting to an end many lives McGregor of 7 Troop were both wounded anti-personnel... Commander Carlos Robacio on Sapper hill was planning to counter-attack and drive back the Guardsmen quick and professional in... Giving the Argentines a clear target for mortars and artillery compass secured Kiszely.