Batallón de Infantería de Marina 5
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The Batallón de Infantería de Marina 5 (5th Marine Corps Battalion, BIM-5) is a battalion of the Argentine Navy Marine Corps.
Currently BIM-5, together with the 4th Marine Corps Battalion (BIM-4), is based at Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego Province as part of the Argentine Navy's Fuerza de Infantería de Marina Austral (Southern Marine Corps Force, FAIA), formerly "Fuerza de Infantería de Marina N°1 (N°1 Marine Force, FIM1). They started the "Black Beret" tradition around 1977, with Commander Manuel Tomé as its CO. After a gruelling Mountain and Cold Weather commando fighting course, they were dubbed the "Aguilas Australes" (Southern Eagles) and wore a black beret with a silver flash. Later on, the flash was changed to the unit's crest, and the use of the said beret spread throughout FIM1/FAIA.
History
Commanded by Commander (Marine Corps) Carlos H. Robacio (now retired as a Rear Admiral), BIM-5 was arguably the best Argentine infantry unit in the Falklands War. Although made up by conscripts, the unit's core of highly-professional NCOs and commissioned officers, along with a well developed training and logistics system, rendered BIM-5 a tough unit that fought well in the defense of Tumbledown Mountain. Different Argentine authorities have repeatedly decorated BIM-5's colors, while Admiral Robacio is a holder of the French Légion d'Honneur, along with other Argentine and foreign orders and medals.
Falklands War and Tumbledown Mountain battle
Tumbledown Mountain, Mount William and Sapper Hill lie west of Port Stanley. They were held by BIM-5, a reinforced, cold weather trained and equipped, marine battalion. During preparations for movement to the Falklands the Marine battalion was brought up to full strength of a light brigade with a company of the amphibious engineer company and a battery of the 1st Marine Artillery Regiment. The 5th Marines were further strengthened by three Tigercat SAM batteries of the 1st Marine Anti-Aircraft Regiment, and a heavy machine-gun company of Headquarters Battalion.
The BIM-5 positions around Port Stanley were mercilessly bombarded, both from the sea by naval gunfire and from the air by the RAF's Harriers. Despite the firepower advantage available to the British forces, the battle for Port Stanley was not easily won thanks in large part to the Marines. On 31 May, the Argentine Marine Corps fired a Tigercat missile at a Royal Air Force Harrier GR.3 attack fighter flying over Port Stanley. The missile exploded close enough to the British warplane (XV 789) flown by Wing-Commander Peter Squire (who would go on to become the RAF's Chief of the Air Staff) for it to require an engine change. However,this claim is disputed by the fact that the BIM-5 launchers were located around Port Stanley itself, while Squire's mission took place over the eastern part of Stanley's airport, about five miles to the east, well beyond the reach of the BIM TigerCats. According to argentinean sources, the Harrier was actually hit either by 35mm Oerlikon rounds or by the TigerCats emplaced near the airstrip, both belonging to the 601 Army Antiaircraft Battalion (GADA 601). During the night of 11/12 June an Exocet was launched from an Argentine Naval shore battery -headed by Commander Julio Perez, an Argentine Navy missile engineer who later became a Rear Admiral and dean of the Argentine Naval University, and two Argentine Marine Lieutenants-, with a makeshift launcher, causing serious damage to the light cruiser HMS Glamorgan which had been bombarding Two Sisters Mountain, killing thirteen sailors.
12 June proved to be the toughest day for the Argentine Marines. From the moment the 2nd Battalion, the Scots Guards had finally been moved to Goat Ridge by helicopter, 3,000 rounds of artillery, descended upon the Marines, in preparation for the coming infantry assault. But the Argentine Marines were still resisting. During the morning, a British Royal Air Force Harrier bombing positions held by the Argentine Marine brigade was hit by fire from that unit. The crippled Harrier (XW 919) piloted by Flight Lieutenant Murdo McLeod was however landed successfully on board the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes. First reports suggested a bullet, but John Smith who later wrote 74 Days: An Islander's Account of the [Argentine] Occupation indicated that it was a Marine Tigercat proximity fuzed missile, which caused substantial damage to the engine and showered the powerhouse roof with shrapnel, fracturing the aft reaction control pipe. Subsequently, in the process of deceleration during recovery,the aircraft become to leaking fuel and caught fire,which was promptly extinguished by the groundcrew. Declared non effective, it was shipped back to Britain for repairs.An Argentine unofficial account about their artillery battalions' perfomance, citing a Lieutenant in the field, blames instead AAA splinters for the damage. At 11 p.m. on 13 June, a diversionary action was fought to the northeast in order to raid the Cortley Ridge fuel dump. The incursion was carried out by the SAS and SBS. The attack proved unsuccessful, for the Marine Batallion had sent a platoon to guard the fuel dump. The Marine Infantry platoon destroyed several landing crafts with machinegun fire.
Further south, action was initiated shortly after 8 p.m. as the 2nd Scots Guards Battalion's Reconnaissance Platoon carried out a diversionary attack, advancing with four Blues & Royals light tanks. Just as the British tanks came into the range of the Argentine Marine Battalion, one of the Scorpion tanks was blasted out of action by a booby-trap. In a determined firefight which lasted two hours, three Marines were killed. The Scots Guards decided to fall back toward the south, but the Marines had foreseen that possibility and had carefully sown the area with mines, just in case it was employed as an escape route. The Guards were then caught in a well-time cross fire from the massed heavy weapons of the Argentine Marines' mortars and 105 mm pieces. BIM-5 even coordinated support fires from not only Bravo Battery of Marine Artillery Batallion, but also guns of the Argentine Army's 3rd and 4th (Airborne) Artillery Groups. They sustained casualties. They withdrew, leaving two dead, as was verified when the abandoned British webbing were removed from the battlefield. At about 1.30 a.m. on 14 June, the commander of the 5th Marines ordered the 'O' Company of Marines, who had fought so well along the lower slopes of Mount William, to withdraw with the British bergens in order to stand in reserve.
Meanwhile, to the north of Mount William, Mount Tumbledown started to receive unusually heavy incoming fire. Just N Company of the 5th Marines - only a hundred conscripts and regulars at the most - occupied Mount Tumbledown. At 10.30 p.m., they were attacked from Goat Ridge. It was the 2nd Battalion the Scots Guards. About 300 metres from the first Argentinian position, the Marines opened fire with MAG machine-guns and FAL rifles. Both British forward platoons started to take casualties from the well sited Marine machine-guns and sniper rifles. Before Left Flank Company could get within stabbing distance the Marines were able to rifle grenade one Guardsman and then drive off the others with machinegun fire. In shock the Scots Guards retreated 300 metres to the western rocks and reorganized themeselves. Argentinian shells also started landing among the Guardsmen. By 2.30 a.m., part of the high ground was in enemy hands. The situation of the defenders became uncertain. In the centre of the mountain, one Scots Guards platoon managed to secure a small piece of high ground where they were able to set up a fire base that pinned down several Marine positions for the remaining seven hours of the battle. Using the cover of the British artillery, the Scots Guards dashed across 300 metres of no man's land and were on top of the Marines before they could get out of their bunkers. Marine Private Jorge Sanchez, in the book 5th Infantry Brigade in the Falklands (Leo Cooper, 2003), recalled:
The fighting was sporadic, but at times fierce, as we tried to maintain our position. By this time we had ten or twelve dead including one officer [Second Lieutenant Oscar Silva]. I hadn't fired directly at a British soldier, as they had been to hard to get a clear shot at. I can remember lying there with all this firing going over my head. They were everywhere. The platoon commander [First Lieutenant Carlos Vazquez] then called Private Ramon Rotela manning the 60 millimetre mortar and Rotela fired it straight up into the air so that the bombs landed on ourselves. At this point I had been up and in actual combat for over six hours. It was snowing and we were tired. Some of the guys had surrendered, but I didn't want to do this. I had only twenty rounds left and I decided to continue the fight from Mount William. I popped up, fired a rifle grenade in the direction of 8 to 10 British soldiers to keep their heads down, and then ran for the 2nd Platoon. I can remember saying some type of prayer hoping the British wouldn't shoot me in the back.
Two Argentinian platoons (Second Lieutenant Augusto La Madrid ad First Lieutenant Hector Mino) on the eastern end of Tumbledown counter-attacked, and Right Flank Company, 2nd Scots Guards, went out to meet them. During this heroic action Marine First Lieutenant Hector Mino was wounded, in the leg but refused medical assistance. Mino and La Madrid were decorated. However, the fall of Wireless Ridge and the heavy expenditure of mortar and machine-gun ammuntion in support of the 7th Infantry Regiment rendered the situation of the Argentinian Marines very tenuous.
At 7 a.m., the Commanding Officer of the 5th Marines reported his command post near Moody Brook had come under enemy fire from Wireless Ridge. By dawn the approach of more British companies was detected by the Argentinians. They were the Gurkhas, advancing to secure Mount William. The 5th Marines were thus facing off with three battalions (2nd Battalion the Scots Guards, 2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment and 1st Battalion the 7th Gurkha Rifles).
As the 5th Marines awaited reinforcements, they received orders to withdraw. Despite these orders, the Marines continued to hold out. By 9 a.m., the Marines had again been ordered to withdraw. In a daring action, Major Oscar Jaimet and his RI 6 company in spite of numerous casualties sustained, succeeded in holding up the enemy advance while the 5th Marines carried out an orderly withdrawal to Sapper Hill still determined to put up a fight. Around eight RI 6 personnel were killed and eighteen captured, many of them wounded. Five of the 5th Marine Battalion platoon positions now fell to the British. The Marines, though were still not finished. Taking positions on Sapper Hill, three companies of Marines prepared to make their last stand. Commander Robacio began to reorganize his defences. These Marine conscripts believed in their battalion motto "Fighting I Die For The Fatherland." By 10 a.m. the 5th Marine Battalion's position had stabilized.
Generals Mario Menendez (the commander of the Argentinian garrison) and Oscar Jofre (commander of the crack 10th Brigade, responsible for the defence of Stanley), following a quick conference, agreed that to continue resistance would entail the useless loss of lives. Commander Robacio had no choice but to call off the planned counter-attacks. By 1 p.m., the 5th Marines had initiated their withdrawal, after destroying their vehicles and heavy equipment. Minutes later Marine Second Lieutenant Alejandro Koch's 3rd Platoon M Company covering the withdrawal of the 5th Marines were attacked by sixty Royal Marines of 40 Commando jumping off from three Sea King helicopters, two of which were riddled with bullets and had to be taken out of service for several months while repairs were completed #redirect . Three Argentinian Marines were killed covering the last withdrawal.
As they entered Port Stanley BIM 5 marched in parade order, carrying their individual weapons. The Marines felt far from defeated. The Argentinian Marines had made the British Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy pay a heavy price. The twelve hour battle had cost 5th Infantry Brigade 9 killed and missing and sixty wounded, the majority from the 2nd Scots Guards Battalion. The 5th Marine Battalion had 16 dead and 64 wounded. Thirty-four Argentinian Marines were killed and a hundred and five wounded.
External links
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