Battle of Mount Kent facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Mount Kent |
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| Part of Falklands War | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United Kingdom |
 Argentina |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Lt. Col. Mike Rose Maj. Cedric Delves Cap. Gavin Hamilton Cap. Peter Babbington |
 Cap. Eduardo Villarruel Cap. Tomás Fernández Cap. Andrés Ferrero |
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| Units involved | |||||||
3 Commando Brigade
Royal Air Force |
601 Commando Company 602 Commando Company 601st Helicopter Battalion Special Operations Group 601st National Gendarmerie Special Forces Company 6th Infantry Regiment |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 1 destroyer HMS Glamorgan 1 Scorpion light tank 4 helicopters 1 Chinook 3 Sea king |
6 helicopters 1 Puma, 4 Hueys 2 Chinooks |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 5 killed (4 from friendly fire) 11 wounded 3 Royal Marines, 4 Gurkhas, and 4 SAS 1 Harrier shot down |
9 killed 18 wounded 5 captured 1 Puma helicopter shot down |
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The Battle of Mount Kent was a series of important fights during the Falklands War. These battles mostly involved special forces from both the United Kingdom and Argentina.
Mount Kent is a high area on East Falkland, about five miles west of Stanley, the capital. It stands at 1,093 feet (333 meters) tall. Because of its height and location, it was a very important spot for both sides. It allowed control over the main path the British forces were taking from San Carlos towards Stanley.
Contents
Why Mount Kent Was Important
In late May 1982, British Special Air Service (SAS) teams found that several tall hills near Port Stanley were not well protected. This happened because some Argentine troops had been sent to help in the fighting at Goose Green. Other Argentine units had also moved away from Mount Challenger to new positions.
Because Mount Kent was so important and not well guarded, British special forces quickly moved in. Major Cedric Delves' 'D' Squadron of the SAS arrived first by helicopter. They got there just in time to meet an Argentine Special Forces unit led by Captain Eduardo Villarruel. The Argentine plan was to secure the area and wait for more troops to arrive.
The SAS patrols and their command center fought several battles with the Argentine Special Forces. The Argentines were eventually forced to leave the area. One SAS patrol had to fight hard but managed to keep control of the top of Mount Kent until more British Royal Marine soldiers arrived to help.
The Battle Begins
The first major fight happened on the night of May 29–30, 1982. An Argentine commando team met an SAS patrol on the slopes of Mount Kent. The Argentine team had one soldier injured and had to leave much of their gear behind. Two SAS soldiers were also wounded in this clash.
That same night, a British warship, HMS Glamorgan (D19), fired shells at an Argentine Air Force special unit. This unit was guarding important radar equipment at Stanley Airfield. One Argentine officer was killed, and four others were wounded. They had been getting ready to join the fight for Mount Kent. The Argentines thought a special anti-radar missile had hit them, but it was actually a Seaslug missile fired from the ship.
The next day, May 30, an Argentine team of 12 men tried to capture Bluff Cove Peak. Their radio operator sent out a message saying, "We are in trouble" and later, "There are English all around us... you had better hurry up." Two Argentine soldiers, First Lieutenant Rubén Eduardo Márquez and Sergeant Oscar Humberto Blas, were killed in this fight. They were later honored for their bravery. The Argentine team had run into 15 SAS soldiers, who fought them off. Two SAS soldiers were wounded.
On Mount Simon, another Argentine team heard about the trouble their friends were in. They decided to leave their position and try to meet up with other Argentine forces.
Later, another SAS ambush took place. A team of Argentine Marine Special Forces was returning from a scouting mission. They were ambushed by Captain Gavin Hamilton's Mountain Troop. Several Argentine soldiers were injured and captured. During their scouting mission, one British soldier was accidentally shot and wounded by friendly fire.
On the night of May 30, British Royal Marines from K Company of 42 Commando and an artillery unit moved forward. They used three Sea King helicopters and the last working RAF Chinook helicopter, named Bravo November. Around the same time, the Argentine team that had been hiding all day tried to leave the area. They came under heavy fire from the British Mountain Troop. The Marines took cover, and after the fighting calmed down, Major Cedric Delves of the SAS appeared and told them everything was fine. No Argentines were killed in this specific clash, but one Argentine radio operator was captured after falling and hurting himself. One British intelligence officer working with the SAS was also reported wounded. The SAS said they were attacked with mortars while moving their wounded. Royal Marines from 7 'Sphinx' Battery also reported one gunner was injured while taking cover.
Flight-Lieutenant Andy Lawless, a co-pilot of the RAF Chinook, described a difficult mission to deliver artillery guns: "We had three 105-mm guns inside and ammunition pallets hanging underneath. It was very foggy, and we couldn't find a good place to land. We had to fly around carefully because the guns had to be placed exactly where the soldiers wanted them. After we dropped off the guns, we went back to San Carlos for more. Then we hit the water at 100 knots. Water splashed over the cockpit window as we settled, and the engines partly stopped. I knew we had landed in the water, but I wasn't sure if we had been shot. The other pilot thought we had been hit by ground fire. As the helicopter settled, the water splash went down, and the engine started up again as we came out of the water like a cork."
The fighting in the Mount Kent area continued on the morning of May 31. The newly arrived Royal Marines saw Argentine 601 Commando Company advancing in jeeps and on motorbikes. They were trying to rescue the trapped Argentine patrols. The Argentine soldiers were forced to leave after coming under mortar fire. Their commander, Major Mario Castagneto, and another soldier were injured.
Aircraft Losses
Both sides lost aircraft during these special forces operations. On May 30, Royal Air Force Harrier jets were flying over Mount Kent. One Harrier, responding to a call for help from the SAS, was badly damaged by small arms fire while attacking the lower slopes of Mount Kent. An Argentine platoon was later given credit for hitting the Harrier jet. Another claim for hitting the jet went to Argentine anti-aircraft guns. The Harrier crashed into the ocean, but the pilot was able to eject and was rescued.
Around 11:00 AM on the same day, an Aerospatiale SA-330 Puma helicopter was shot down by a Stinger missile fired by the SAS. Six Argentine National Gendarmerie Special Forces soldiers were killed, and eight were wounded.
The only British death during the SAS operations in the Mount Kent area happened when an SAS patrol accidentally fired on a SBS patrol. This happened near Teal Inlet in the early hours of June 2. SBS Sergeant Ian ‘Kiwi’ Nicholas Hunt was killed.
British Success at Mount Kent
The Special Air Service (SAS) received much praise for defending Mount Kent and the hills around it. Major Delves, who led the SAS squadron, was given a special award for his actions. His award citation said:
"After the British forces successfully landed at San Carlos Water, Major Delves took his squadron 40 miles behind enemy lines. He set up a position overlooking the main enemy base in Port Stanley, where at least 7,000 enemy troops were known to be. By carrying out quick operations, hiding well, and making swift attacks against enemy patrols sent to find him, he was able to secure a strong hold on the area for ten days. This allowed regular British forces to be brought in."
After some of their soldiers were wounded, two SAS troops were pulled back from the front lines for rest. Other SAS troops began operations against Argentine bases in West Falkland. Mount Kent continued to be hit by Argentine artillery fire. A reporter named Kim Sabido described it as "just another version of hell."
Brigadier Julian Thompson, a British commander, later said he was glad he had sent SAS patrols to Mount Kent before the main British forces arrived. He believed that if the SAS hadn't been there, the Argentine Special Forces would have attacked the British soldiers as they were landing, causing many casualties.
A Scorpion tank from the Blues & Royals unit helped clear Mount Kent of any remaining Argentine special forces. It also fired at Argentine troops digging in on the lower slopes.
On June 1, British paratroopers reached Estancia House. Their patrols found bloodstains and bandages, showing that wounded Argentine soldiers had received first aid there before being taken away. During their march, one British paratrooper was seriously wounded by an accidental gun discharge.
With the British forces spread out, an Argentine commando team was able to return to the area on the night of June 3–4. They reached the top of Mount Challenger. When they returned to Port Stanley, their commander tried to convince a general to send more troops to attack the British artillery. However, the general told them to leave the decision-making to headquarters.
Argentine patrols also continued. On the night of June 6–7, an Argentine corporal and eight soldiers crossed a river and reached Estancia Mountain. They saw several British vehicles but came under mortar fire and had to retreat.
On June 9, the two Argentine Air Force Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters in the Falklands returned to Argentina. The plan was to pick up a 75-man commando company and special explosives. This force was meant to attack British artillery behind Mounts Kent and Challenger.
After the Battle
With the high ground lost, Argentine Air Force Canberra bombers attacked British troops in the Mount Kent area several times. In the first raid on June 1, six Canberras attacked British positions after Argentine captains gave them a map of where the British were.
On June 8, a British helicopter dropped off a three-man special forces team to set up an observation post on Mount Kent. But they were discovered, and long-range Argentine artillery fire wounded one man. The team had to leave their hiding spot and retreat with their wounded soldier.
During the night of June 9–10, a British patrol accidentally fired on members of a mortar team from 45 Commando on the lower slopes of Mount Kent. Four Royal Marines were killed, and three were wounded. The patrol thought they were firing at an Argentine patrol because the mortar team was coming from the direction of enemy positions.
Early on June 10, a Gurkha company moved towards Mount Kent to set up a patrol base. However, an Argentine officer on Mount Harriet saw the company and directed 155mm artillery fire at them. Four Gurkhas were wounded.
On June 11, the Royal Marine and Parachute battalions of 3 Commando Brigade attacked and captured Mounts Longdon, Harriet, Goat Ridge, and Two Sisters Mountain. This ended the Argentine Special Forces' plans to take back control of the Mount Kent area.
