Battle of Mount Harriet - Battle

Battle

The battle for Mount Harriet began on the evening of 11 June with a blistering naval bombardment that killed two Argentines and wounded twenty-five.John Witheroe, one of the British war correspondents, later recalled the softening up fire:

Captain Peter Babbington's K Company crossed their start line first and proceeded up the mountain undetected, knifing two sentries on the way. They remained undetected until they approached Sub-Lieutenant Mario Juarez' 120-mm Mortar Platoon positions and decided to engage them. They were assisted in the advance by HMS Yarmouth, artillery, and mortars. During the engagement, Corporal Laurence G Watts was killed.

About 150 metres from Soria's HQ, Corporal Steve Newland circled behind a group of Argentines (under First Lieutenant Jorge Alejandro Echeverria, the 4th Regiment's intelligence officer) who were setting up an ambush. Although half a dozen Argentines and a MAG were placed to engage anyone who broke cover, Newland darted out from under cover to charge the enemy machine gun. He grenaded two of the crew, but reaching the rear of the machine gun position, he was shot through both legs.

With the enemy machine gun out of action, Corporals Mick Eccles and Sharky Ward were able to clear the position with some help from Marine Lingard. The three corporals were awarded the Military Medal. Increasing numbers of Argentine soldiers, mainly conscripts from RI 4's Recce Platoon, began to surrender, but the Commanding Officer and Intelligence Officer and several senior NCOs still fought on, according to their orders. The heavy machine gun teams, in general, stood in their positions continuing the fight.

L Company crossed their start line shortly after K Company and were almost immediately engaged by effective machine gun fire from Sub-Lieutenant Pablo Oliva's platoon defending the lower southern slopes. These weapons would not be silenced until being hit by several MILAN anti-tank missiles and six 105mm artillery guns from Mount Challenger.The L Company Marines took nearly 6 hours to advance 600 metres in the face of stiff resistance and contend they took fire from at least seven machine guns that wounded five men, including the company's second-in-command and a signaller. Hugh Bicheno contends that the 4th Regiment's passive night goggles were all with B Company.

Before first light, Lieutenant Jerry Burnell's 5 Troop of L Company proceeded to an outcrop of rocks towards Goat Ridge. As they advanced, the Royal Marine platoon came under heavy fire from a machine-gun squad of grenadiers from the Regimiento de Granaderos a Caballo del General San Martín covering the Argentinean retreat and were forced to withdraw under cover of machine guns pre-positioned behind them and further up the hill.The Troop took one casualty in this action. L Company requested mortar fire onto the Argentines; a mixture of HE and WP; then 5 Troop moved forward again. They took 3 prisoners although most of the granaderos had withdrawn, along with two rifle platoons. Further fighting went on throughout the morning of 12 June, including a determined conscript, in a position just below the summit, who held up L Company with accurate shooting until killed by an 84mm anti-tank rocket fired at short range.