Mullet Creek

This article is about the creek in the Falkland Islands. For the river in Wisconsin, see Mullet River. For the creek in Australia, see Wondabyne, New South Wales.

51°44′56″S 58°03′54″W / 51.749°S 58.065°W / -51.749; -58.065

Map of the 1982 Argentine invasion, showing Mullet Creek

Mullet Creek is a small river in East Falkland. It is not a major watercourse, but is best known for its part in the Falklands War On April 2, 1982, Argentinian marines led by Guillermo Sanchez-Sabarots, landed his squadron of special forces at Mullet Creek, and advanced on Stanley. By 08.30 the battle was over and the Governor had ordered his ten Royal Marines (Navy Party 8901) to surrender. The Royal Marines, the Governor and any others who wished it were shipped out to Britain.

The Argentine operation codenamed Azul (blue) began in the late evening of Thursday April 1, 1982 when the Argentine destroyer ARA Santisima Trinidad halted 500 metres off Mullet Creek and lowered 21 Gemini assault craft into the water. They contained 84 special forces troopers [1] of Lieutenant-Commander Guillermo Sanchez-Sabarots' 1st Amphibious Commandos Group and a small party[2] under Lieutenant-Commander Pedro Giachino, who was normally 2IC (second-in-command) of the 1st Marine Infantry Battalion, that was to capture Government House.[3] The Argentine Rear Admiral Jorge Allara had requested that Rex Hunt surrender peacefully, but the proposal was rejected.

  1. ^ Busser, Operación Rosario. The force was composed of 76 Amphibious Commandos and 8 members of the Buzos Tácticos elite group.
  2. ^ The so called Patrulla Techo (Roof patrol).
  3. ^ Naval Party 8901 And the Argentine Invasion (Britain's small wars) Archived 2006-10-10 at the Wayback Machine