# Operation Sutton

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British landings during the Falklands War

Operation Sutton Date 21–23 May 1982 Location San Carlos Water, Falkland Islands Result British victory Belligerents United Kingdom Argentina Commanders and leaders Sandy Woodward Julian Thompson Michael Clapp Ernesto Horacio Crespo Lt. Esteban Strength 2 destroyers 6 frigates Amphibious Task Force Sea Harrier CAPs 50–60 fighters 62 ground troops Casualties and losses 1 Frigate sunken 3 killed 1 captured 2 helicopters 1 RAF Harrier GR3 6 killed 8 captured

v t e Falklands War Operation Rosario South Georgia Occupation Operation Corporate Paraquet Black Buck Santa Fe Belgrano Sobral Sheffield Isla de los Estados Pebble Island Mikado Sutton San Carlos Ardent Seal Cove Antelope Atlantic Conveyor Coventry Goose Green Mount Kent Top Malo House Bluff Cove Many Branch Point Mount Harriet Two Sisters Glamorgan Mount Longdon Cortley Ridge Wireless Ridge Mount Tumbledown Port Stanley Thule & South Sandwich Islands British logistics

**Operation Sutton** was the code name for the British landings on the shores of [San Carlos Water](/source/San_Carlos_Water), at [Ajax Bay](/source/Ajax_Bay) and [Port San Carlos](/source/Port_San_Carlos), near [San Carlos](/source/San_Carlos%2C_Falkland_Islands) on [East Falkland](/source/East_Falkland).

## Landings

During the night, [3 Commando Brigade](/source/3_Commando_Brigade) along with attached units of the [Parachute Regiment](/source/Parachute_Regiment_(United_Kingdom)) were landed from the liner [SS *Canberra*](/source/SS_Canberra) and the [LPD](/source/Fearless_class_landing_platform_dock) [HMS *Fearless*](/source/HMS_Fearless_(L10)). There was very limited enemy resistance on the ground.

The [Argentine Army](/source/Argentine_Army) force on site was a section from the [25th Infantry Regiment](/source/25th_Infantry_Regiment_(Argentina)), named Combat Team Güemes ([Spanish](/source/Spanish_language): *Equipo de Combate Güemes*), or EC *Güemes*, located at Fanning Head.[1] After the British fleet was spotted at 02:50, EC *Güemes* opened fire with [81mm mortars](/source/M252_mortar) and two [105mm recoilless rifles](/source/Model_1968_recoilless_gun). The British warships replied with naval gunfire, and a 25-man [SBS](/source/Special_Boat_Service) team also returned fire.[2]

During the firefight, two British helicopters, a [Sea King](/source/Westland_Sea_King) and a [Gazelle](/source/A%C3%A9rospatiale_Gazelle), passed overhead, and the Argentine troops fired at them with machine guns. The Gazelle's pilot, [Sergeant Andrew Evans - RM](http://www.commandoveterans.org/AndrewEvansRM), was hit and fatally injured, but he managed to crash-land the aircraft into the sea. Evans and the other crewman, Sergeant Edward Candlish, were thrown out of the aircraft. Argentine troops shot at them for about 15 minutes as they struggled in the water, ignoring orders from their commanding officer to ceasefire.[3]

When the firing ceased, Candlish managed to drag Evans to shore, where he died. Minutes later, a second British Gazelle helicopter, following the same route as the first, was hit by [small arms](/source/Small_arms) fire from the Argentine platoon and shot down, killing the crew, Lt. Ken Francis and L/Cpl. Pat Giffin.[4]

The Argentinians eventually retreated from Fanning Head, abandoning their communications equipment. At least eight members of another Argentinian platoon who fled the scene were left behind and captured by the British.

Argentine commandos of the [601 Commando Company](/source/601_Commando_Company) shot down a GR.3 Harrier on a reconnaissance mission on [Port Howard](/source/Port_Howard) with a [Blowpipe missile](/source/Blowpipe_(missile)). The pilot, Flight Lieutenant Glover, bailed out, breaking his arm and collar bone in the process. He was taken prisoner by Argentine soldiers shortly afterward, and flown to a military hospital in [Comodoro Rivadavia](/source/Comodoro_Rivadavia), Argentina. Six Argentine pilots were killed during the operation.[5][6]

The invasion, part of the overall [Operation Corporate](/source/Operation_Corporate), sparked a strong response from the [Argentine Air Force](/source/Argentine_Air_Force) and [Argentine Naval Aviation](/source/Argentine_Naval_Aviation), and led to the [Battle of San Carlos](/source/Battle_of_San_Carlos_(1982)).[7]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTERuiz_Moreno_(h)2016133_1-0)** [Ruiz Moreno (h) 2016](#CITEREFRuiz_Moreno_(h)2016), p. 133.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["One of Our Aircraft is Missing"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130605055316/http://www.britains-smallwars.com/Falklands/brit-aircraftlosses.htm). Archived from [the original](http://www.britains-smallwars.com/Falklands/brit-aircraftlosses.htm) on 5 June 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["One of Our Aircraft is Missing"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130605055316/http://www.britains-smallwars.com/Falklands/brit-aircraftlosses.htm). Archived from [the original](http://www.britains-smallwars.com/Falklands/brit-aircraftlosses.htm) on 5 June 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["One of Our Aircraft is Missing"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130605055316/http://www.britains-smallwars.com/Falklands/brit-aircraftlosses.htm). Archived from [the original](http://www.britains-smallwars.com/Falklands/brit-aircraftlosses.htm) on 5 June 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["British Aircraft Lost 22nd April - 12th June 1982"](http://www.naval-history.net/F63braircraftlost.htm) Naval-History.net

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTERuiz_Moreno_(h)2016147–148_6-0)** [Ruiz Moreno (h) 2016](#CITEREFRuiz_Moreno_(h)2016), pp. 147–148.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [The falkland Islands San Carlos landings at Think defence.co.uk](https://www.thinkdefence.co.uk/ship-to-shore-logistics/the-falkland-islands-san-carlos-landings)

### Sources

- Ruiz Moreno (h), Isidoro J. (2016) [1986]. *Comandos en acción* (in Spanish) (2nd ed.). Buenos Aires: Claridad. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-950-620-312-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-950-620-312-2).

v t e Falklands War Timeline Background Causes Invasion of the Falklands Invasion of South Georgia Occupation Total Exclusion Zone Surrender Battles Sinking of the ARA General Belgrano San Carlos Goose Green Many Branch Point Mount Harriet Mount Longdon Mount Tumbledown Top Malo House Two Sisters Wireless Ridge Seal Cove Mount Kent Bluff Cove Cortley Ridge Operations Algeciras Black Buck Corporate Keyhole Paraquet Rosario Sutton Mikado Forces Argentine: Air Ground Naval British: Air Ground Naval Falkland Islands Defence Force Ships Argentine: ARA General Belgrano ARA Alférez Sobral British: HMS Sheffield HMS Antelope HMS Ardent HMS Arrow HMS Coventry HMS Glamorgan RFA Sir Galahad SS Atlantic Conveyor Related 24 horas de las Malvinas Aftermath Argentine cemetery British cemetery British logistics British nuclear weapons Cultural impact Land mines Memorial Yomp

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Operation Sutton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Sutton) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Sutton?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.