| Mount Kent Skirmish | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Falklands War | |||||
|
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| Belligerents | |||||
| Argentina | United Kingdom
22nd Special Air Service |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||
| Captain Eduardo Villarruel,
Captain Tomas Fernandez |
Lieutenant-Colonel Mike Rose, | ||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||
| None | None | ||||
The Mount Kent Skirmish occurred during the Falklands War on 30-31 May 1982 when an Argentine patrol from 602 Commando Company commanded by Captain Eduardo Villarruel ran into a British patrol from D Squadron 22nd Special Air Service on the slopes of Mount Kent. The British took control of the situation.[1]
The Argentines are noted as to having passed out the radio message: "We are in trouble" and then forty minutes later: "There are English all around us... you had better hurry up".[1]
The following night on 31 May, K Company of 42 Commando, Royal Marines arrived nearby. The sight of a night firefight in progress confronted them. The Marines quickly took cover and after the fire fight had died down Major Cedric Delves of D Squadron, 22 SAS appeared and assured them that all was well and that the SAS had destroyed an Argentine patrol.[2]
One historian's account states the following:[3]
| “ | The SAS finally managed to surround the main commando group, consolidating into a position near the peak, and ambushed them with one of those devastating, explosive onslaughts of automatic fire and GPMG fire for which the regiment is famous. On sighting the 2nd Assault Section, the SAS spread out and opened a sharp fire on the Commandos from the cover of boulders. Within minutes, the Argentine patrol began to crumble as the Commandos came under fire from an enemy they couldn't even see. "We would have fought,” said Captain Tomas Fernandez, "if we had seen anyone to fight with”. One of the Argentine Commandos, Sergeant Alfredo Flores, was captured on Bluff Cove Peak and he stated later that he had been "left behind by his commander”. | ” |