Thread by @FAB87F

OTD May 27th 1982 - The Falklands War - From the War Diaries of Admiral Woodward

WITH LAND FORCES

On 23rd May, two days after landing, 2 Para's c/o Lt Col H Jones emerged from a planning meeting aboard INTREPID with a timetable to attack Goose Green on May 25th.
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Next day the operation was cancelled, because it 'was not favoured' in London. However, its military necessity could not be denied and at noon on 26th, the attack was re-instated.
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The BBC reported, on May 27th, speculation in the British press that Goose Green had fallen, before the attack had even taken place. Lt Col Jones was furious when he heard this news on the BBC World Service radio.
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After a healthy round of cussing, Jones vowed to sue the BBC for treason. Ditto with the War Cabinet. Oh, and the entire Thatcher government.

The Argentine commander at Goose Green Piaggi was listening to the same broadcast and shook his head in disbelief.
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Did the British really think he was that stupid!? Hah!

They were obviously going to attack somewhere else and were using the announcement as a diversion. So he told his men to relax.
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Even so during the night of 27th / 28th May more troops were flown in by helicopter from Port Stanley.

Goose Green was held by the 12th Regiment, (an elite Regiment), plus hundreds of Marine and HQ elements.
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C Coy scouted the area and did a superb job of mapping all the strongpoints, allowing H Jones to formulate his battle plan, however they could not see the long line of trenches along Darwin Hill as contours of the land hid them from view.
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By dawn on the 27th 2 Para were camped at Camilla Creek House, their jumping off point for the attack. They lay up in dead ground, less than five miles from Darwin, out of sight of the enemy and without detection.
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Meanwhile, B Company, 40 Commando was the first to detect Argentine infiltration in the beachhead are. A patrol in the Verde Mountains overlooking San Carlos Water uncovered a very dirty Argentine Lieutenant Commander Dante Camilette of the Argentine Marines.
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He had been found observing British warship movements from a concealed position above San Carlos Water. He had a well concealed hide and had been there for several days, radioing back reports of the buildup of troops in San Carlos.
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45 Commando and 3 Para set out on their epic hike for Teal Inlet on the 27th May - in the process introducing us to two new words.
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YOMP

Yomp is Royal Marines slang describing a long-distance loaded march carrying full kit. It was popularised by journalistic coverage in 1982 during the Falklands War. Some sources attest to it meaning Your Own Marching Pace.
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TAB

Tactical Advance to Battle is the Parachute Regiment equivalent to the Marines Yomp.
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At sea Queen Elizabeth II, Canberra and Norland rendezvous at South Georgia; 5 Infantry Brigade begins cross-decking on to troopships.