On the night of 13-14 June 1982, the 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards, attacked Mount Tumbledown, one of the last heights between the British and Stanley, held by N Company of the Argentine 5th Marine Infantry Battalion (BIM 5) under Cdr Carlos Robacio, with Army soldiers among them. After a diversionary attack along the Fitzroy–Stanley track, the Guards came in silently from Goat Ridge in the west: G Company took the western end, Left Flank fought for some seven hours for the central crags and summit, ending with a bayonet charge, and Right Flank cleared the eastern end near dawn. Ordered to withdraw, the marines fell back toward Stanley, the Gurkhas moved onto Mount William, and a Royal Marines troop was fired on as it landed on Sapper Hill. The Argentine garrison surrendered that day. The Scots Guards lost eight killed, with a Royal Engineer, and 43 wounded; BIM 5 lost 16 dead and 45 wounded by the Argentine count, while British accounts report about 30 Argentine dead on the mountain.
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On the morning of 13 June, helicopters lifted the 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards, from Bluff Cove to the western end of Goat Ridge, where the battalion waited under Argentine shelling. The attack had been planned for daylight across the open southern slopes; Lt Col Mike Scott persuaded his brigade commander instead to make a silent night attack from the west, along the ridge itself, in three phases: G Company to take the western end, Left Flank the central crags and summit, and Right Flank the eastern end. Ahead, N Company of the Argentine 5th Marine Infantry Battalion (BIM 5) under Eduardo Villarraza held Tumbledown in a well-prepared system of bunkers among the rocks, with Army soldiers of the 4th and 12th Regiments among them and a company of the 6th Regiment in reserve. Cdr Carlos Robacio's battalion also held Mount William and Sapper Hill; its marines were well equipped for the cold, trained for night fighting, and had night sights. The 1st Battalion, 7th Gurkha Rifles, would follow to take Mount William, with the Welsh Guards and two 40 Commando companies in reserve.
At 20:30 a small force under Maj Richard Bethell, about 30 men from the Scots Guards reconnaissance and pipes and drums platoons with Royal Engineers and four light tanks of the Blues and Royals, attacked east along the Fitzroy–Stanley track to draw the defenders' attention south toward Mount William. It ran into Argentine marine positions; in a firefight of about two hours, Lance Corporal John Pashley of 9 Parachute Squadron RE was killed about 20 meters from an enemy machine gun, and Drill Sergeant Danny Wight was also killed. Bethell was wounded. Pulling back, the group crossed a minefield under mortar fire, and more men were wounded; one light tank was disabled by a mine. Argentine accounts say Obra Company called down artillery (105 mm, GA 3) and mortar fire that forced the force back.
Thirty minutes after the diversion began, G Company under Maj Iain Dalzell-Job moved off from Goat Ridge in silence, guided by Royal Marines Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre men. Its first objective was found abandoned. 7 Platoon and company headquarters took the first half of the western end, and 8 and 9 Platoons the second; by about 22:30 G Company held the western end of the mountain. Accounts differ slightly on the timings (one puts the start shortly after 22:00).
Left Flank under Maj John Kiszely passed through G Company and was soon pinned down by sniper and machine-gun fire from the crags held by Carlos Vazquez's 4th Platoon. 13 Platoon worked along the high crags on the left, clearing bunkers with grenades; 15 Platoon fought lower on the right, with 14 Platoon in reserve. For hours the company could barely move; snipers killed two men and mortally wounded a third. Guardsman James Reynolds took command of his section after his platoon sergeant was killed, silenced several snipers, and was killed by mortar fire while tending a wounded comrade; he was awarded a posthumous Distinguished Conduct Medal, and WO2 Bill Nicol also received the DCM. After artillery fire came down in front of 15 Platoon at about 02:30, Kiszely led a bayonet charge forward and up, much of it hand to hand. After some seven hours, only a handful of Left Flank men reached the summit.
Right Flank under Maj Simon Price passed through to the eastern end, attacking with 66 mm and 84 mm anti-tank weapons, grenades and bayonets. Lt Robert Lawrence led his platoon against a machine-gun post and, by his own and other accounts, reached the eastern summit before he was shot in the head; he survived, partly paralyzed, and was awarded the Military Cross. (Accounts differ on which Right Flank platoons gave covering fire and which assaulted.) Sergeant Robert Jackson and Guardsman Andrew Pengelly received the Military Medal. A counterattack by 2nd Lt Augusto La Madrid's platoon of the 6th Regiment's B Company (Maj Oscar Jaimet), with marine engineers, was beaten back. The Argentine government's history says the eastern side fell at about 06:45; other accounts have the survivors of Vazquez's 4th Platoon resisting until about 07:00.
At about 08:15 Robacio was ordered to break off and fall back, and by 08:15–09:00 (British and Argentine accounts) the Scots Guards held the whole mountain. BIM 5's survivors withdrew toward Sapper Hill and Stanley, covered by rearguards. In daylight the 1st Battalion, 7th Gurkha Rifles, moved round onto Mount William; Argentine troops near them were already heading for the Scots Guards to surrender. Meanwhile two Sea Kings (Argentine accounts say Wessex) carrying 7 Troop of C Company, 40 Commando, meant to land on the lower slopes of Mount William, overshot by about 3 km and landed on Sapper Hill itself, where marines of BIM 5 fired on them; two helicopters were hit but lifted off. The Argentine government's account calls this the last combat action of the war. Argentine accounts say three marines were killed covering the withdrawal and the position was abandoned; a Royal Marines account says the rest surrendered. Six Royal Marines and attached men were wounded, mostly by mines. Around midday the Argentine command ordered all fighting to stop while a ceasefire was arranged, and the Welsh Guards and Royal Marines occupied Sapper Hill.
With Tumbledown, Wireless Ridge and Mount William lost, the Argentine garrison of Stanley surrendered later on 14 June. The Scots Guards' battle cost them eight men killed, with the Royal Engineer killed in the diversion, and 43 wounded (other counts give about 60 wounded across all units). The Argentine government's history gives BIM 5's losses as 16 dead and 45 wounded; British accounts report about 30 Argentine dead found on the mountain and 30 prisoners taken. Tumbledown was the last major land battle of the war. A cross and many small personal memorials now stand at the summit.
One British battalion attacked a position held by one company of Argentine marines, reinforced by Army platoons and a reserve company, with the rest of BIM 5 on Mount William and Sapper Hill. Few sources give exact headcounts, so most figures are approximate.
| BIM 5 and attached Army troopsFigure from the Wikipedia infobox (lead only, not confirmed elsewhere). It covers the whole battalion area, including Mount William and Sapper Hill, not just the defenders of Tumbledown. Wikipedia, 'Battle of Mount Tumbledown' (lead only) | about 700 marines and 200 soldiers |
| Fire supportAs given by HistoryNet. HistoryNet, 'The Crags of Tumbledown' | six 81 mm and six 106 mm weapons, a howitzer battery and two Army artillery groups |
| Attacking forceG, Left Flank and Right Flank Companies of 2nd Scots Guards, with a diversion of about 30 men and four light tanks. Naval-History.net, 'Battle of Tumbledown Mountain'; HistoryNet, 'The Crags of Tumbledown' | one battalion (three rifle companies) plus a diversion group |
| Fire supportIncluding the mortars of 42 Commando and 1/7th Gurkha Rifles. Naval-History.net, 'Battle of Tumbledown Mountain' | up to five batteries of six 105 mm guns; HMS Active and HMS Avenger (4.5-inch guns); mortars |
The Scots Guards lost nine killed (eight Guardsmen and a Royal Engineer) and about 43 wounded. Argentine losses are given as 16 dead and 45 wounded for BIM 5 by the Argentine count, and about 30 dead by British accounts, which may include Army soldiers. Certainty: fair.
| KilledThe Argentine government's history of BIM 5 gives 16 dead for the battalion; HistoryNet and a British auction-house account give at least 30 Argentines killed, and Wikipedia attributes the figure of about 30 bodies found on the mountain to Freedman's Official History. The totals may count different units (Army soldiers of RI 4, RI 6 and RI 12 also fought). At Sapper Hill, Argentine accounts say three marines were killed covering the withdrawal and the position was abandoned; a Royal Marines account says the rest surrendered. Argentine government, history of BIM 5; HistoryNet, 'The Crags of Tumbledown'; Royal Marines History, 'Tumbledown, Wireless Ridge, Sapper Hill' | 16 (BIM 5, Argentine count) to about 30 (16–30) |
| Wounded45 wounded by the Argentine government's BIM 5 history; HistoryNet gives about 100 wounded. Argentine government, history of BIM 5; HistoryNet, 'The Crags of Tumbledown' | 45 (BIM 5) to about 100 (45–100) |
| CapturedTaken by the Scots Guards on the mountain; the rest of the garrison surrendered at Stanley the same day. Noonans lot archive, Gdsm J. G. Mitchell, G Company | about 30 |
| KilledEight Scots Guards (named on the regiment's Tumbledown memorial plaque) and L/Cpl John Pashley of 9 Parachute Squadron RE, killed in the diversion; Naval-History.net and HistoryNet agree on nine. Wikipedia's infobox gives 10, and a Welsh Guards soldier was also killed that day. Scots Guards, Mount Tumbledown memorial; Airborne Engineers roll of honor, L/Cpl John Pashley; Naval-History.net, 'Battle of Tumbledown Mountain' | 9 (9–10) |
| WoundedHistoryNet and the Noonans account give 43 wounded; other compilations give about 60 across all units. Six Royal Marines and attached men were wounded at Sapper Hill. HistoryNet, 'The Crags of Tumbledown'; Royal Marines History, 'Tumbledown, Wireless Ridge, Sapper Hill' | 43 (43 to about 60) |
| British vehiclesA Blues and Royals light tank was disabled by a mine (HistoryNet: a booby trap) during the diversion; its crew had minor injuries. HistoryNet, 'The Crags of Tumbledown' | 1 light tank disabled |
| British helicoptersTwo Sea Kings carrying 7 Troop, 40 Commando, meant to land on the lower slopes of Mount William, overshot by about 3 km and were hit as they landed on Sapper Hill; both lifted off. Argentine accounts identify them as Wessex. Royal Marines History, 'Tumbledown, Wireless Ridge, Sapper Hill'; Argentine government, history of BIM 5 | 2 hit, none lost (Sea Kings; Argentine accounts say Wessex) |
The treeless rocky ridge, peat and stone runs of Tumbledown look much as they did in 1982, and Argentine bunkers and shell holes can still be seen. The main changes are the memorials on the summit, clearance of the 1982 minefields (the islands were declared mine-free in 2020), and walking tracks from Moody Brook.
At Mount Tumbledown: The L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle, standard rifle of the Scots Guards at Tumbledown.
The standard rifle of Australian infantry in Vietnam, an Australian-built version of the FN FAL. Some section commanders carried the American M16 (the 'Armalite').
Free for everyone every year on its anniversary: June 13–14.
Naval-History.net, the Argentine government's BIM 5 history and regimental, museum and Royal Marines pages give the battle at company and platoon level; no staff ride handbook exists and the Official History is used only through quotation.
The summit and memorial cross, Sapper Hill, Moody Brook and Stanley come from published coordinates; Mount William and Goat Ridge are rounded to the minute, two Sapper Hill positions disagree, and the track line is schematic.
The phases, company tasks and timings are well documented, but no route traces exist; the ridge frontages and Argentine platoon positions are interpretive.
British and Argentine accounts agree on the sequence; casualty totals, some timings and the positions of the southern Argentine companies differ and are given as such.
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