The "Fanning Head Mob" - Falklands

Platoon Level
PBEM or Play as Argentine
Normal Conditions

Fanning Head covered the northern entrance to San Carlos Water. British recon patrols had detected an Argentine unit at the mouth of the bay and nicknamed them the "Fanning Head Mob." Fearing that the Argentines could damage or sink the passing landing craft, much as the Royal Marines had done to an Argentine corvette on South Georgia, Brigadier Thompson and Commodore Clapp assigned a group from the SBS to try and convince the Argentines to surrender and if that failed, to reduce the position.

The Argentines were members of Combat Group Eagle, made up of members of the 12th and 25th Regiments from Goose Green. About half of the men manned the positions on Fanning Head, while the remainder were sheltered in San Carlos. They were equipped with recoilless rifles and mortars, justifying the British fears.

Marines from the SBS, supported by the SAS, were landed by Sea Kings to the northeast of the Argentine positions. The attempts to get the Argentines to surrender were met with gunfire. Naval gunfire from HMS Glamorgan damaged the recoilless rifle. Several of the Argentines surrendered after a sharp firefight, but more than half managed to evade the attackers. They slowly made their way towards the Argentine lines around Stanley. Many were captured, but the survivors of Task Combat Group Eagle trickled into the Argentine positions around Mount Longdon in time to see further action there.

The Argentines can hear the British landing force consisting of A Company of the 40th Royal Marines in LCVPs arrive at about 0225 hours.