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APPROACH TO and BATTLE FOR STANLEY (Parts 41-49)

Part 47. 2 PARA'S APPROACH TO and BATTLE FOR WIRELESS RIDGE

13th/14th June 1982

Officers and Men of 2 Para above, after the Battle of Goose Green, now about to face Wireless Ridge

on to 48. 2nd Scots Battle for Tumbledown Mountain

 

BRITISH FORCES
2 Para
, including GPMG's, LAW's, MAW's, Milans and 81mm mortars, and in support 3 Troop, The Blues and Royals with 2 Scorpions and 2 Scimitars, two bty's of 6x105mm artillery of 7 and 8 Btys, 29 Cdo Regt RA, mortars of 3 Para and frigate "Ambuscade" with 1x4.5in (and "Yarmouth", 2x4.5in).

2 Para Commanders: Lt Col D R Chaundler, Maj C D Farrar-Hockley, A Coy, Maj J H Crosland, B Coy, Maj R Jenner, C Coy, Maj P Neame, D Coy

  ARGENTINE DEFENDERS
7th Inf Regt
defending (Mount Longdon and) Wireless Ridge area, supported by snipers, heavy mg's, mortars and artillery
 

 

Approach to Wireless Ridge - With 3 Para unable to exploit forward from Mount Longdon over Friday night, 2 Para, now commanded by Lt Col Chaundler and transferred back to 3 Cdo Bde, were given the task two nights later. First helicoptering in from Fitzroy on to the western slopes of Mount Kent on Friday, 2 Para spent the night in reserve for the Longdon and Two Sisters attacks, and early next morning, marched to Furze Bush Pass and dug in. The battalion was also joined by 3 Troop of The Blues and Royals, themselves back with 3 Cdo Bde.

Lt Col Chaundler's plan was in four 'noisy' phases using opening artillery fire. In phase one, D Coy was to attack the occupied feature ('Rough Diamond') north east of Mount Longdon, while in phase two, A and B Coys would take 'Apple Pie'. From 'Rough Diamond', D Coy would go on in phase three to take the length of Wireless Ridge ('Blueberry Pie') from the west and with fire support from A and B Coys. In phase four, C (Patrols) Coy would swing to the east to take ring contour 100.

Battle for Wireless Ridge - After 2 Para had finished marching that Sunday evening (13th) from Furze Bush Pass, supporting fire was opened on 'Rough Diamond' at 9.15 pm, and 30 minutes later, D Coy crossed its start line backed up by the fire of four Scimitars and Scorpions.

 
D Coy reached 'Rough Diamond' to find the Argentines had withdrawn under the attacking fire, leaving behind a few dead. As the Paras consolidated in the new position, it was their turn to come under defensive fire from the Argentine 155's. Now from behind them to the east, A and B Coys crossed their start line, but one man was killed by enemy shellfire. Then as the two companies approached 'Apple Pie', the enemy broke and withdrew under the weight of British artillery, mortars and GPMG's, although they themselves were heavily shelled for the rest of the night. With 2 Para moving ahead so quickly, Lt Col Chaundler gave C Coy the go ahead to occupy ring contour 100, which it did without opposition.

From 'Rough Diamond', D Coy moved to the western end of Wireless Ridge and prepared to advance through its length, as the light tanks and supporting Milans and GPMG's joined A and B Coys on 'Apple Pie' pouring in fire from the left flank. D Coy took the first half of the ridge without trouble, but the Argentines resisted fiercely over the second half, often fighting from bunker to bunker. They eventually broke, and all of Wireless Ridge was in D Coy's hands, although not before one man had been killed by British artillery and another by Argentine small arms. As the men of 2 Para dug in and came under more defensive fire, the Argentines were heard regrouping in the dark in the vicinity of Moody Brook.

With dawn, a small group of Argentines counter-attacked D Coy, but were soon driven off with the help of mortars and the Royal Artillery's 105's, by which time 2 Para had taken the whole feature at a cost of three men killed, considerably aided by the fire of the Scorpions and Scimitars and other supporting arms. From their positions, 2 Para watched the Argentines retreating towards Stanley in the morning light and pressed Brigadier Thompson to let them advance.

British Gallantry Awards

 

Battle for Wireless Ridge by 2 Para (all citations included Goose Green)
Lt C S Connor (MC), C Coy
Maj J H Crosland (MC), B Coy
Maj C D Farrar-Hockley (MC), A Coy
Sgt J C Meredith (DCM), D Coy
Sgt T I Barrett (MM), A Coy

Capt W A McCracken (MC) RA, NGFO, 29 Cdo Regt RA (citation also
included Mount Longdon)
Capt J G Greenhalgh (DFC) RCT, 656 AAC Sqdn (also included Goose Green)

 
 

Battle for Wireless Ridge - from the Art of Daniel Bechennec

 
 
 

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