Battle for Mt Longdon, account by Hew Pike CO 3 Para

1982 11/12 June 3 PARA, Tp 9 Para Sqn RE, Battle for Mount Longdon, Falklands (Battle Honour)-

By Hew Pike -CO 3 PARA.

3 PARA had secured Port San Carlos Settlement after the landings of 21 May, and on 27 May, while 2 PARA were moving south to Camilla Creek, Darwin Hill and the Settlement of Goose Green, the battalion began its advance towards Teal Inlet Settlement. The original orders from 3 Cdo Brigade were to do a “dogs leg” north to Douglas Settlement before passing through 45 Commando and on to Teal Inlet. However, the Settlement Manager at Port San Carlos, Alan Miller, had told the CO about a much more direct route to Teal which he regularly used on his motor bike. This was agreed by the Brigadier, and so began a 36 hour advance over trackless terrain in pretty nasty weather. Unlike 45 Cdo, who progressed overburdened with bergens, we moved with full scales of ammo but in “light” order (ask the signallers, medics and support weapons teams about that!). Teal was secured on the second night of the advance, bergens were flown forward, and we re-cocked for a further all-night move towards the settlement around Estancia House, secured as at Teal on the second night  of our advance. From the high ground of Mount Vernet we could see the airfield beyond Port Stanley.

The Brigade plan was now to move without delay onto the hills surrounding Port Stanley, 3 PARA capturing Mount Longdon, 45 Cdo Two Sisters and 42 Cdo Mount Harriet. However, in early June 5 Bde had arrived, with General Moore taking command of both Brigades, and a delay ensued while a Divisional plan was developed. This at least gave us the chance to take stock and patrol towards Mt Longdon, in order to gain a clearer idea of what we were up against.

Finally on 10 June orders were issued for the Brigade attack,

Battalion orders following that evening.  We closed with the objective in darkness on 11 June and after an H Hour of 2000 hrs, advanced through an extensive unmarked minefield which remains there to this day. There were two serious injuries from mines as we moved into the attack.

After an all night battle supported by the guns of 29 Cdo Regt, HMS Avenger and our own mortars and antitank weapons, in which 17 soldiers were killed in action and others badly wounded, the mountain was secured, along with the other Brigade objectives. We subsequently suffered two days and nights of constant and very accurate shelling and mortaring, controlled by enemy OPs on Mount Tumbledown, immediately to our south across the Moody Valley. 6 more soldiers lost their lives and a number of others were grievously wounded. This fire continued intermittently- the 120 mmm Mortars and airburst were the worst- until the Scots Guards (5 Bde) captured Tumbledown on the night of 13/14 June, with 2 PARA concurrently attacking onto Wireless Ridge.

The surrender came while the CO was issuing orders for the next attack, this time through Moody Brook onto the Stanley racecourse, with 45 Cdo advancing to our south. Notification of some of our casualties only reached their next of kin some time after the news of the surrender had been broadcast to the nation.