Goose Green 1982 by Gregory Fremont-Barnes

Author:Gregory Fremont-Barnes [Fremont-Barnes, Gregory]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dundurn
Published: 2016-01-26T16:00:00+00:00

B Company’s position at first light: highly vulnerable and exposed.

This platoon possessed no training in counter-attacking and he had no support from artillery; in any event the guns were running short of ammunition. Estevez could, however, bolster Manresa’s defence by deploying his machine-guns. Accordingly, Estevez proceeded north, passing over the gorse line until he reached Pelufo’s platoon on the ridge to the west of Darwin. Estevez did not, in the event, carry on to assist Manresa’s A Company, for Pelufo objected, claiming he needed reinforcements to remedy his own precarious position at a time when a counter-attack, carried out in darkness, was impossible – as well as pointless – in light of the withdrawal of Manresa’s company then already underway. Estevez concurred, and instead positioned his platoon in the trenches on Pelufo’s right. This made eminent sense, and yet, for the moment at least, Darwin Hill remained unoccupied, together with the gully between it and a ridge running north-west, and it will be recalled that upon this ridge, occupied by Estevez and Pelufo, stood the main Argentine defensive position.

These positions were held by approximately 200 Argentines drawn from formations under Aliaga on the left, Pelufo in the centre, and Estevez on the right, plus elements of Manresa’s company, which had retreated from further north. No proper cohesion existed within this composite unit, for all three platoons belonged to different regiments. With no overall commander, this role belonged by default to Manresa, who had no time in which to draw up a proper plan of defence. Indeed, having only returned to the position just before dawn, Manresa was not even aware of the composition of the forces now under his command. Still, with the British clearly visible in the gathering light and with open ground stretching before them – so facilitating fire at long range – even unsteady infantry were likely to be able to maintain fire from entrenched positions, which they had prepared over the preceding weeks. After all, 2 Para’s journey south had taken seven weeks.

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