Battle of Wireless Ridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Wireless Ridge |
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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. David Chaundler |
 Lt. Col. Omar Giménez |
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| Units involved | |||||||
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 Royal Navy |
7th Infantry Regiment 10th Cavalry Squadron |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 600 2 Scorpion light tanks 2 Scimitar light tanks 12 light guns 1 frigate |
500 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 3 killed 11 wounded |
25 killed 125 wounded 37 captured |
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The Battle of Wireless Ridge was an important fight during the Falklands War. It happened on the night of June 13 to 14, 1982. British and Argentine forces fought as the British moved towards Port Stanley, the capital of the Falkland Islands.
Wireless Ridge was one of seven key hills near Port Stanley. Taking these hills was necessary to reach the capital. The British attack was successful. The entire Argentine force on the islands surrendered later that day.
The British force included soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment (called 2 Para). They also had tanks from the Blues & Royals. These tanks were two FV101 Scorpion and two FV107 Scimitar light tanks. British forces also had artillery support from the 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery. A Royal Navy ship, HMS Ambuscade, also helped by firing its large 4.5-inch gun.
The Argentine force was mainly from the 7th Infantry Regiment. Some soldiers had been living in the Moody Brook Barracks. But they had to leave on June 11 after British fire hit the building. At first, the 7th Regiment on Wireless Ridge was quite comfortable. Soldiers even hunted sheep for food. One soldier said he shot 50 sheep during his time there.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened: Background
After a tough fight at the Battle of Goose Green, 2 Para got a new commander. His name was Lieutenant-Colonel David Chaundler. He was in England during the Goose Green battle. Chaundler quickly traveled to the Falklands.
He joined 2 Para four days after Goose Green. He promised his unit would always have strong fire support in future battles. This meant they would have lots of artillery and other weapons helping them.
From Fitzroy, 2 Para moved by helicopter to Bluff Cove Peak. They were kept ready as a backup force. Other British units captured the first line of hills. These included Two Sisters, Mount Longdon, and Mount Harriet. After that, three more hills were chosen to be captured. The Scots Guards would attack Mount Tumbledown. The Gurkhas would attack Mount William. And 2 Para would attack Wireless Ridge. Capturing these hills was the final step before the main attack on Port Stanley.
On the morning of June 13, the attacks on Tumbledown were successful. So, 2 Para marched around Mount Longdon. They took their positions for the attack on Wireless Ridge. They expected the fight to be quick. So, they only took their weapons and as much ammunition as possible. They left most of their other gear behind. Their mortars and heavy machine guns were attacked by Argentine A-4 Skyhawk planes. This delayed their move forward, but no soldiers were hurt.
Starting the Attack: Initial Assault
As June 13 was ending, D Company (D Coy) of 2 Para began the attack. They moved towards 'Rough Diamond' hill. This hill had been hit by heavy British artillery fire from land and sea.
Before the attack, British artillery fired 6,000 rounds from their guns. As the British paratroopers moved forward, they had more support. Naval guns and the light tanks' guns also fired. The British had learned from their losses at Goose Green. They did not want to take unnecessary risks this time. The Argentine commander, Lt. Col. Omar Giménez, said he almost died several times from the heavy shelling.
When D Coy reached the hill, they found it empty. The Argentine C Company had left because of the intense bombing. As Major Philip Neame's D Coy secured their spot, the Argentine 7th Regiment fired rockets and mortars at Mount Longdon. This caused injuries to the 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment (3 Para).
With so much fire support, A and B Coys were sure the enemy on 'Apple Pie' was defeated. They moved forward confidently. But they met strong resistance. They came under heavy machine-gun fire. The British machine-gunners and the Blues & Royals tanks fired back strongly.
One soldier from 3 Para, who survived the Mount Longdon battle, remembered the British attack. It was pushed back at first:
They tried going over the top first, but the incoming fire was too heavy so they went back behind the peat and waited for more artillery to soften them up.
The Argentine defenders eventually pulled back because of the fierce firing. A and B Coys then took their objective. By this point, many experienced Argentine officers were wounded. C Coy then moved to a position east of Wireless Ridge. They found an empty platoon spot there.
By about 4:30 AM, Lieutenant-Colonel Gimenez knew his 7th Infantry Regiment was defeated. He said, Communications are lost, my whole regiment is finished. But other attached units kept fighting.
A Clever Trick: SAS Diversionary Raid
The Special Air Service (SAS) and Special Boat Squadron (SBS) did a trick to distract the Argentines. They launched a fake attack north of Port Stanley. The plan was for 30 SAS and SBS commandos to speed across the Murrell River. They would attack the oil storage buildings on Cortley Ridge.
However, a spotlight from an Argentine hospital ship lit up the British boats. This ship was illegally getting ready to pick up Argentine special forces. Heavy fire, including anti-aircraft guns, rained down on the SAS/SBS force. The British raiders had to pull back. Three British commandos were hurt, and their boats were badly damaged. But the trick worked! The Argentines thought a big sea landing was about to happen.
The Final Push: Final Assault
Two platoons from the Argentine 10th Armoured Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron arrived as backup. They were led by Captain Rodrigo Alejandro Soloaga. They took over empty positions in the western rocks of Wireless Ridge.
Major Philip Neame's D Coy (2 Para) then began the final attack. They had cover from the HMS Ambuscade's big gun. Four light tanks, twelve 105mm artillery pieces, and several mortars also fired.
As the Argentine 7th Infantry fought back, Soloaga's patrol fought British forces. This included the tanks and machine gun teams. Over two hours, the 10th Squadron lost six soldiers killed and 50 wounded.
D Coy took the first part of their objective after a tough fight. They fought a platoon of Argentine paratroopers. D Coy managed to defeat them, but the British lost two soldiers killed. Neame's men then came under strong attack from another Argentine company.
A soldier from the Argentine side, Private Horacio Benítez, described the intense fighting:
The first of them to be hit was Private Eduardo Rinaldi, hit in the knee. Then Lieutenant Carlos Aristegui was hit in the neck, the bullet hitting his rosary beads. While that was happening, we moved up. There was a machine-gun position which I got behind; I was only a few metres away from them but I was able to climb up under the fire because of the slope of the ground. Sergeant Juan Vallejos told me to open fire with my FAP [Fusil Automático Pesado, or heavy automatic rifle]. I fired a magazine of twenty rounds; when I was replacing the magazine, it seemed to me that the British were laughing. I opened fire again. Then the British rushed at us. I fired another magazine and then got into some cover. They started throwing grenades at us. Next to me was another boy called Jorge Aumassanne. A grenade fell near him, and the force of the explosion blew him up into the air. He was badly hurt; he had six lumps of metal in his back. He walked across to me ― he didn't know what he was doing ― and told me he was going back. He gave his rifle to one man, his ammunition to another and off he went. Then another grenade came, a phosphorus one, and his clothes were on fire. We told him to get away because he was like a torch. He started to roll over the ground and tear his clothes off. I don't know how he saved himself. We did crazy things ― we were so desperate. One of our men, Private Ricardo Barrios, was also in the rocks not far from the British and was firing anti-tank grenades at them with his rifle. Perhaps the British thought there were many more of us but we were only a few. On our side, we thought it was only a patrol in front of us. but it was the whole of that Parachute Battalion, and we didn't know it. We had no communications with our headquarters. We were isolated. I was trying to get some ammunition from a dead man. I got a handful but, when I had filled my magazine and loading my weapon, I looked up and the British were right in front of me; one was pointing his rifle at me and he opened fire. The bullet hit the side of my helmet, entered and ripped my ear and lodged at the back of my head. That finished me off.
Another Argentine platoon launched a direct attack. They got very close to the British 12 Platoon. The fight went back and forth. The British 12 Platoon managed to hold their ground, but it was very difficult.
Retired Major-General John Dutton Frost, who led 2 Para in a famous battle in 1944, described the attack. He said, "For two very long hours the company remained under pressure. Small-arms fire mingled with all types of HE [high explosive rifle-grenades] fell in and around 12 Platoon's position as the men crouched in the abandoned enemy sangars [a type of small fort] and in shell holes."
Neame said that a counterattack came from the east. He praised Lieutenant Jonathan Page for doing a "bloody good job" by getting artillery support. This helped break up the Argentine attack.
Neame's officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) encouraged their men. They captured the final part of their objective. The Argentines ran out of ammunition. They broke and retreated, covered by machine gun fire. Two Argentine soldiers stayed behind to rescue their wounded sergeant.
Some Argentine soldiers who survived Wireless Ridge reached Port Stanley. They were shocked to see staff officers there. These officers were well-dressed and comfortable. One soldier recalled, "They had been sleeping in houses, in warm beds. They had shiny shoes, pristine ironed uniforms and waxed moustaches. They even had heating in their cars. I was so furious with them."
The battle was not completely over. An Argentine officer, Lt-Col. Eugenio Dalton, gathered tired soldiers. He led them into Stanley's western area to form a last line of defense. Near the church in Stanley, another officer, Maj. Carrizo-Salvadores, gathered about 50 survivors. They launched a bayonet charge, singing their 'Malvinas March'. But they were stopped by heavy British fire. The British paratroopers were surprised. Neame called it "quite a sporting effort, but one without a sporting chance."
2 Para had three soldiers killed and 11 wounded. Their mortar team also had four soldiers with broken ankles. This happened from firing powerful rounds for extra range. The Argentines had about 25 killed and 125 wounded. About 50 were taken prisoner.
What Happened Next: Aftermath
The success at Wireless Ridge was one of the last major battles of the war. It happened along with other key fights like the Battle of Mount Tumbledown. After these battles, Argentina surrendered. British forces saw the Argentine soldiers pulling back towards Stanley. The British kept firing at them as they retreated. One officer said it was a "most pathetic sight."
The British had learned from the heavy losses at Goose Green. So, they used a very strong artillery bombardment before the main attack on Wireless Ridge. This greatly affected the Argentine soldiers' morale. The heavy shelling made them lose their will to fight. It spread a feeling of hopelessness as they retreated. Experts who studied the battle believe that even a well-trained British battalion would have struggled under the same conditions.
With the enemy retreating and key positions captured, the British got permission to advance on Stanley. 2 Para led the first troops into the town. This was the first time British forces had been in Stanley since the Argentines took it in April 1982. After Stanley was recaptured, Argentina officially surrendered on June 14.
For their bravery at Wireless Ridge, 2 Para received several awards. These included three Military Crosses, one Military Medal, and one Distinguished Conduct Medal. 29 Commando also received one Military Cross.
In 2022, two retired officers, Víctor Hugo Rodríguez-Perez (Argentine) and Philip Neame (British), met in London. They exchanged signed copies of their books about the war.
See also
