The Ground War in the Falklands
British Victories at Goose Green, Tumbledown and Mt Longdon won the War
After an intial embarrasment, the Royal Marines and Royal Army retook the Falkland islands in a three week ground campaign
Elite Argentine naval Busco Tactico commandos in a three pronged predawn assault took the islands on April 2nd 1982 from a force of 55 Royal Marines. The Argentines suffered four of their own killed while inflicting no casualties to the British. The marines were flown back to the UK after a series of humiliating pictures flashed around the world press showing them surrendered laying face down with Argentine commandos over them. This initial battle was over before breakfast. A similar battle occurred on South Georgia Island on the same day with a 24 man Marine force giving Argentine naval units "a bloody nose" before surrendering without loss.
Once it was apparent that Britain was sending an invasion force to the island Argentina dispatched a large defensive garrison to the islands. Nine infantry regiments, a marine battalion, an armored car squadron, special operations troops, 37 105mm and 155mm cannon, engineer units, and aviation elements totaling more than 14000 troops were dispatched to the windswept islands. The British Task force was made up of the Royal Marines 3 Commando Brigade reinforced by two Paratrooper battalions as well as 5 Guards Brigade made up of guardsmen drawn from ceremonial duties showing off for tourists in London. The combined British strength was less than 9000 men.
The advantage however lay with the British due to the quality of troops involved. Most of the Argentine army units were made up of conscripts poorly equipped for the sub-arctic battlefield whereas the British sent what were considered elite units that were prepared for combat in Northern Europe. This factor was to prove decisive in every land engagement of the conflict.
Having an excellent picture of the Argentine positions provided by British SAS and SBS recon teams, the British land forces began landing at San Carlos harbor virtually unopposed and began to retake the main island of East Falkland on May 21st. A week later, on May 28-29 the outnumbered British 2 Para Battalion fought a thirty hour battle with two regiments of Argentines at the village of Goose Green losing its commander as well as sixteen of its men but inflicting fifty deaths on the argentine forces and taking some 1200 prisoners.
Forced to walk across the barren island due to having its helicopter force sunk on a ship at sea by Exocet missiles, the British task force 'yomped' toward Port Stanley and the Argentine defensive works. The final battle took place over a four day period June 11-14 on the series of treeless mountains around the small settlement. The mountain ring was taken in a series of night engagements with the British making full use of its night vision equipment and shock tactics to take the hills of Mounts Harriet, William, Two Sisters, and Wireless Ridge with nearly no loss of life. The two worst engagements were the battles for Mounts Longdon and Tumbledown. For Mount Longdon the British 3 Para Battalion took on the Argentine 7th Regiment on the night of June 12/13 suffering eighty casualties. Mount Tumbledown saw the Scots Guards fighting against the elite Argentine Marine Battalion for fifteen hours strait on the night of June 13/14 taking more than fifty casualties. From the heights guardsmen could see cars traveling the streets of Port Stanley below.
General Mario Menendez surrendered to Major General JJ Moore of the Royal Marines less than nine hours after the last shots were fired on Tumbledown and the campaign came to a close. Immediately 11,845 Argentine troops were made POWs and were repatriated to Argentina on the liner Canberra and a further 593 repatriated a month later.
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