right
- The forbidding terrain of South Georgia, in this case
the peaks behind Grytviken
All this time the SBS were no
more fortunate in their first attempts to approach
Grytviken. Accounts somewhat differ, but apparently they
landed at Hound Bay from "Endurance" early on Thursday
morning, and made their way across Sorling Valley before
trying to cross Cumberland Bay East by Gemini. Stopped by
glacier ice, they laid up, were later picked up and
reportedly landed at Moraine Fiord by Wasp on Saturday
24th.
Before then RFA tanker
"Brambleleaf" arrived and started to refuel "Tidespring",
but in a sub alert on Friday 23rd, broke away damaging
some of her gear. (The transfer was completed on Saturday
and the tanker headed for England.) Then the Task Group
was warned that the "Santa Fe" (Lt Cmdr Bicain) was on her
way into Grytviken with men and supplies. Apart from
"Endurance" which stayed close to the coast amongst the
ice, the ships headed away taking with them the main
landing force of M Coy 42 Cdo on "Tidespring". A Boeing
707 of Grupo 1 now overflew "Endurance" on Saturday, and
"Antrim", "Plymouth" and the newly arrived "Brilliant"
were ordered to close South Georgia to deal with the
submarine threat leaving "Tidespring" some 200 miles away
in comparative safety. Armed with a variety of weapons,
the ship's helicopters prepared to hunt down the submarine
which got into Grytviken that evening.
On Sunday morning (25th) as
"Santa Fe" headed out on the surface, she was spotted off
Cumberland Bay by Lt Cmdr Stanley's Wessex. Near-missed by
two Mk.11 depth charges and with some damage, the
submarine limped back towards Grytviken. As she did, one
of "Brilliant's" Lynx attacked with a Mk.46 torpedo, the
two "Endurance" Wasps (Flight Commander, Lt Cmdr
Ellerbeck) fired AS.12 missiles hitting her fin,
"Plymouth's" Wasp fired another AS.12 and both of
"Brilliant's" Wasps strafed with machine guns. The
warships meanwhile headed for the action at high speed.
Although the attacks only slightly damaged the "Santa Fe"
and wounded one crewman, by noon she was abandoned
alongside the jetty at King Edward Point. (Later, on being
moved to Grytviken, one of "Santa Fe's" crew was shot and
killed in the mistaken belief he was trying to scuttle the
boat.)
With the submarine's return and
the potential defenders now numbering some 140, the
decision was made to land whatever force could be mustered
under covering naval gunfire and without waiting for the
bulk of M Coy to arrive on "Tidespring". Under the command
of Major Sheriden RM, a company of 75 men was assembled
from the SAS, SBS and other Royal Marines with Major
Delves and Capt Nunn RM as troop commanders. In the early
afternoon (25th still) from out in Cumberland Bay and
under the control of a naval gunfire observer landed by
"Endurance's" Wasp, "Antrim" and "Plymouth" laid down a
4.5 inch barrage all around the Argentine positions at
King Edward Point. Landed by "Antrim's" Wessex and
"Brilliant's" two Lynx at Hestesletten, the first wave of
the ad hoc force advanced through the whaling station at
Grytviken and across an unsuspected minefield towards the
BAS base. As they approached, white flags were hoisted and
around 5 pm local time, the Argentines surrendered without
a shot being fired. When contacted by radio, the small
detachment of marines at Leith under the command of Lt
Cmdr Astiz refused to surrender.
Next morning (Monday 26th),
"Endurance" and "Plymouth" sailed along to Leith and the
Marines gave in. "Plymouth" and "Brilliant" left on
Wednesday 28th to join the CVBG, but "Tidespring" now with
nearly 150 Argentine POW's and the 40 civilian workers
from Leith embarked, and escorted by "Antrim" did not head
north for Ascension until Sunday 2nd. A disappointed M Coy
42 Cdo stayed on to garrison South Georgia, and
"Endurance" remained as guardship.
British
Gallantry Awards included: