Like many a fascist state before them the Argentine Junta thought they could steal territory that belonged to someone else who they considered weak. It came as a shock when Britain rapidly assembled a Task Force and sent it 8,000 miles to eject the Argentine bandits. Once more British troops used great courage to make up for the venial politicians who had allowed the emergency to arise – Highly Recommended.
NAME: Revised Anniversary Edition, 3 Para Mount Longdon, The Bloodiest Battle FILE: R2599 AUTHOR: Jon Cooksey PUBLISHER: Pen & Sword BINDING: soft back PAGES: 111 PRICE: £14.99 GENRE: Non Fiction SUBJECT: Falklands War, Falklands Liberation, amphibious landings, yomping, Argentine bandits, light infantry, parachute troops, elite troops, close quarter fighting ISBN: 1-52671-335-7 IMAGE: B2599.jpg BUYNOW: http://tinyurl.com/yd28bw76 LINKS: DESCRIPTION: Like many a fascist state before them the Argentine Junta thought they could steal territory that belonged to someone else who they considered weak. It came as a shock when Britain rapidly assembled a Task Force and sent it 8,000 miles to eject the Argentine bandits. Once more British troops used great courage to make up for the venial politicians who had allowed the emergency to arise – Highly Recommended. Great Britain has always depended on its Royal Navy and soldiers to get it out of messes that should never have been allowed to happen. Everything was against the Task Force. Alleged EU 'allies' refused to supply munitions to the British and actively tried to assist the Argentines. There was no close friendly port and everything required had to be carried by a hastily assembled fleet that included iconic passenger ships quickly modified as troop transports. Vessels sailed as they became ready, meaning that supplies were crammed into each ship to fill space rather than to aid eventual unloading. The tiny volcanic island of Ascesention saw an incredible collection of ship assemble. The busy flow of ships boats, landing craft and helicopters ferried supplies and equipment around the fleet to provide the order that would be required. The Task Force sailed 8,000 miles without loss and liberated the first of the islands in the South Atlantic that were British territories. The main fleet then sailed the final distance to the Falkland Islands and, in a well established British tradition, landed where they were least expected. The Argentine troops and aircraft on West Falklands were rapidly neutralized and the main landing from San Carlos Water was safely established ashore and prepared to cross the largely empty space to fall on the main Argentine troop concentrations to liberate the British islanders from cruel occupation. In war, things rarely exactly follow the plans but the primary factor is final victory. This was spectacularly achieved by the British with total defeat of the Argentines. However, it was not without incident and it was a victory of British military skill and courage in spite of the neglect by politicians. As the politicians had refused the Westland proposals for a helicopter AEW platform and failed to maintain at least one carrier capable of launching the fixed wing Gannet AEW, expensive warships had to be deployed as a radar picket shield, resulting in loss of ships and a vulnerability that led to the sinking of the Atlantic Conveyor which was carrying the Chinook heavy lift helicopters. That in turn led to further loss when troops had to be landed from assault ships without adequate air cover, unavailable because the lack of suitable carriers meant the only fighter defence had to be provided thinly by a relatively small number of Sea Harrier VSTOL aircraft. In effect, British Commando and Para units had to march across a bleak landscape in mid winter, without shelter and without heavy weapons. These light infantry units took on Argentine troops at Darwin-Goose Green, fighting with great courage and determination that lost 2 Para's CO 'H' Jones who was awarded the posthumous VC. Only two weeks marching later, 2 Para reached Mount Longdon. This was a key strategic position that had to be captured to ensure defeat of the Argentine invaders. It was an incredibly tough fight for lightly armed troops after an exhausting march cross-country. With the same courage and ferocity displayed at Darwin-Goose Green, 2 Para carried the day and the battle witnessed another posthumous VC. The author has told the story with skill and insight and it is excellent that his work, originally published in 2004, has been republished in a revised edition. The many photographs are first rate and support the insightful text very well.