Battle of Mount Kent
Who Fought
History & Significance
The Battle of Mount Kent was a series of engagements during the Falklands War, primarily between British and Argentine special forces.
Mount Kent and the surrounding hills is an area of high ground on East Falkland, five miles West of the capital Stanley. At 1,093 ft (333 m) it dominated the British axis of advance from San Carlos to Stanley and its proximity to the capital, made it of strategic interest to both British and Argentinian Forces.
In late May 1982 Special Air Service patrols from G Squadron found that a number of high peaks overlooking the Argentine defences around Port Stanley were largely undefended, after the Argentine heliborne reserve 'Combat Team Solari' (B Company, 12th Infantry Regiment) had been dispatched to support the fighting at Goose Green and the 4th Infantry Regiment had received orders to abandon Mount Challenger and take up positions on Mounts Two Sisters and Harriet.
An initial reconnaissance by Major Cedric Delves' 'D' Squadron was deployed by helicopter on 25 May, with the remaining of the squadron arriving on 27 May in time to counter the arrival of an Argentine Special Forces unit under the command of Captain Eduardo Marcelo Villarruel, second-in-command of 602 Commando Company. His commander, Major Aldo Rico, had instructed Argentine patrol leaders to move into positions around Mount Kent, secure the area and await reinforcement by Major Jose Ricardo Spadaro's 601st National Gendarmerie Special Forces Squadron, and Major Oscar Ramon Jaimet's heliborne trained. B Company, 6th Infantry Regiment who had also undergone night-combat training the previous year.
SAS patrols from Air and Boat Troops and Major Delves' tactical headquarters (THQ) fought a number of actions with the Argentine Special Forces before the Argentines were forced to withdraw. The SAS's Air Troop patrol was at first driven but managed to hold onto the summit of Mount Kent until Royal Marine reinforcements arrived.
The first engagement occurred during the night of the 29–30 May 1982 when the 3rd Assault Section of 602 Commando Company, led by Captain Andrés Ferrero, ran into Air Troop from D Squadron, 22nd SAS, on the slopes of Mount Kent, sustaining one badly wounded (First-Sergeant Raimundo Viltes), abandoning much of its equipment to the anger of Major Aldo Rico, their Commanding Officer. The SAS sustained two wounded during the contact. Another SAS man suffered a broken hand in the confusion of battle.
That night, HMS Glamorgan (D19) shelled Wing Commander Esteban Correa's 40-man Argentine Air Force Special Operations Group (GOE) at Stanley Airfield guarding the Skyguard fire-control radars, killing Lieutenant Luis Castagnari and wounding four others who were preparing to take part in the occupation of Smoko Mount in support of Argentine Army commandos. The Argentine survivors thought the missile was a Shrike anti-radar missile, but it was a Seaslug missile launched in the surface to surface role.
The ground they fought on
The site of Battle of Mount Kent lies on Triassic Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Triassic. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.
- 5 killed (4 from friendly fire); 11 wounded (3 Royal Marines, 4 Gurkhas, and 4 SAS); 1 Harrier jump jet
- 9 killed; 18 wounded; 5 captured; 1 Puma helicopter
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- Battle of Mount Kent · Wikipedia