Thread by @FAB87F

OTD May 28th 1982 - The Falklands War - From the War Diaries of Admiral Woodward

On paper Piaggi had a full regiment, but it consisted of units from three separate regiments from two different brigades, none of whom had ever worked together.
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12IR consisted mostly of conscripts from the northern, sub-tropical province of Corrientes, while the 25IR Company was considered an elite formation and had received commando training.

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Some elements were well trained and displayed a high degree of morale and motivation.

Other units were less well-motivated, with the 12th Regiment chaplain, Santiago Mora, writing:
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“The conscripts of 25th Infantry wanted to fight and cover themselves in glory. The conscripts of the 12th Infantry Regiment fought because they were told to do so. This did not make them any less brave. On the whole, they remained admirably calm.”
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2 Para consisted of three rifle companies, one patrol company, one support company, and an HQ company.

Brigadier Thompson had assigned three 105 mm artillery pieces, with 960 shells from 29 Commando Regiment, Royal Artillery; one MILAN anti-tank missile platoon.
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Scout helicopters would provide air support. Close air support was available from three Royal Air Force Harriers and naval gunfire support was to be provided by HMS Arrow in the hours of darkness.

Arrow fired twenty two rounds of starshell and 135 rounds of high explosive during the first five hours of 2 Para’a advance. The 55lb HE shells had a devastating effect on the Argentine defenders as they arrived with great accuracy and regularity from ten miles away.
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Plan
C Coy was to secure the start line, and then;
A Coy was to launch the attack from the start line on the left (Darwin) side of the isthmus;
B Coy would launch their attack from the start line directly after A Coy & would advance on the right side of the isthmus.
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Once A and B companies had secured their initial objectives, D Company would advance from the start line between A and B companies and were to take defence positions once having reached their objective.
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This would be followed by C Company, who would pass through D Company & neutralise any remaining Argentine reserves;
C Company would then advance again & clear the Goose Green airfield & the settlements of Darwin & Goose Green would be secured by A & D companies.
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Soon after the attack started A Coy found itself pinned down outside Darwin by heavy fire from the easternmost trenches of that defence line.
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The o/c Colonel H Jones came up with his small Tactical HQ team to see for himself and led a two pronged charge on the Trench ahead.

It was incredibly brave, but not quite suicidal as the myth has led folk to believe. No-one knew about the chain of trenches.
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As Jones charged the first trench the next trench in line opened up with a submachine gun, cutting him down.

As Jones lay dying, his men radioed for urgent casualty evacuation. Jones 2IC Major Chris Keeble also needed to get to the front to take over from Jones.

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However, the British Scout helicopter sent to evacuate Jones was shot down by an Argentine FMA IA 58 Pucará ground-attack aircraft (this was to be the only Argentine air-to-air victory of the war).
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After that, A Coy realised what it was up against, and used their 66mm Anti Tank rockets to obliterate each trench in turn. Twenty minutes after his death, the Argentines around Darwin surrendered.
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Late in the day came an incident, Lt Jim Barry of D Coy and his platoon Sgt, were shot and killed by fire from a trench showing a White Flag. Whether this was by treachery or muddle nobody knows. It is true that in the attack which followed, no prisoners were taken.
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In front of School House, the Argentinians had trenches. The Paras were attacking these trenches when Lieutenant Jim Barry saw a white flag over the enemy positions. Relief must’ve flowed through him as thoughts of the fighting being finished entered his mind.
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He had to move forward to accept the surrender and end this battle. Upon moving towards the enemy they opened fire and killed him along with two NCOs.

According to Robert Fox on the right-hand side of the British forces, a machine gun fired on the enemy position.
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The enemy returned fire and killed the men. Fourteen men attacked school house shortly after, pushing through the fire and with a barrage of M79 and WP grenades and LMG firepower broke through the enemies defence.
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The explosions from the attack set the house on fire, turning it into a cauldron of death and an unknown number of men perished in the blaze.
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It was noon before the British advance resumed.

A Company cleared the eastern end of the Argentine position and opened the way forward towards Goose Green settlement.

There had been two battles for the Darwin hillocks—one around Darwin Hill "Black strong point"
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Overlooking Darwin Bay, and an equally fierce fight in front of Boca Hill (known as "White strong point"—also known as Boca House Ruins). Sub-Lieutenant Guillermo Ricardo Aliaga's 3rd Platoon of 8IR's C Company held Boca Hill but by 13:47 and after fierce fighting
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the position was taken by Major John Crosland's B Company, with support from the MILAN anti-tank platoon.

About the time of the final attack on Boca House, A Company overcame the Argentine defenders on Darwin Hill, finally reporting taking the BLACK strong point at
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13:13 and advanced to take strong point WHITE. After securing WHITE, the battle for Darwin Ridge was over and the Paras had belatedly secured their interim objectives after six hours of fighting.
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This was achieved with grievous loss: the commanding officer, the Adjutant, A Company Second-in-Command and nine non-commissioned officers and soldiers were killed and several wounded."
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