The Perfect Attack - Falklands

Battalion Level
Normal Night Conditions
Play as British or PBEM

Mount Harriet was the objective for Lieutenant Colonel Vaux's 42nd Royal Marine Commando. He had lost M Company from his command when it was detached to seize South Georgia from the Argentines. To replace the missing company, Brigade formed J Company from the repatriated marines of NP 8901 who surrendered in Stanley on April 2, along with any troops that could be spared from other commands. Lt. Colonel Vaux decided to use J Company to launch a diversionary attack on the west slope of Mount Harriet. His patrols had explored far to the south and east while his sappers had cleared paths through the minefields that attempted to block that approach. K and L Companies would take a long roundabout and attack from the south.

Mount Harriet was defended by B Company of the 4th Infantry Regiment. Their defenses had initially faced to the south when it was thought that the British would land next to Stanley. When the Commando Brigade landed as San Carlos Water instead, they re-orientated their defenses to the west. The eastern half of the hill was occupied by the Headquarters Company of III Infantry Brigade. This company was made up of several ad hoc platoons and there was little unit cohesion.

The previous nights had seen the Argentine positions probed by fighting patrols of Royal Marines. On this night, they could hear the fighting to the north as Mount Longdon and then Two Sisters were engulfed by tracers and explosions. Unlike the other two assaults taking place, this one was a "noisy" assault, meaning it was preceded by an artillery barrage. The conscripts sought whatever cover they could find as the shells rained down. Unlike their own artillery, the British used a combination of contact fused and airburst rounds and those troops without overhead cover started to take loses.

As the artillery dominated the attention of the Argentine troops on the summit, K and L companies advanced unseen from the south. They were amongst the positions of the Headquarters Company before they were even noticed. They quickly launched what many would consider the perfect night-time assault.