The Pebble Island Raid

DATE: 23/05/2024

TIME (GMT): 18:00

ERA: Cold War

MAP(S): Everon

TYPE: COOP

GAME: Arma 3

EVENT: Official

AUTHOR(S): Jarvis for Brothers in Arms

SLOTS: 60 / 79

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RATING: (15)

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The Raid on Pebble Island, or simply the Pebble Island Raid, was a demolitions raid conducted by elements of the British Special Air Service against Argentine Air and Naval assets in May of 1982. With the initial invasion of the Falklands by Argentina in April, Pebble Island, or Isla Borbón as it was known to the Argentinians, was seized by elements of the 5th Marine Infantry Battalion; quickly moving in assets to establish a military airfield to be used by the Navy and Air Force, naming the site Aeródromo Auxiliar Calderón, or Auxiliary Airfield 'Calderón' in English. Within weeks the small airfield would become home for several flights of Air Force FMA IA 58 Pucará and Navy T-34 Mentor ground attack aircraft. British intelligence operatives soon learned of the base and theatre commanders were briefed on the threat that Auxiliary Airfield 'Calderón' could pose to the planned landings on the East of the Falkland Islands; delegating its decommission to the Special Air Service.

The resources assigned to the operation included D Squadron of the 22nd Special Air Service Regiment as the offensive force, supported by the County Class Destroyer HMS Glamorgan and inserted by the Carrier HMS Hermes. The Boat Troop from D Squadron would be covertly inserted beforehand in order to perform reconnaissance on the airfield and measure weather conditions. Under the cover of darkness the raiding party would be inserted onto Pebble Island via helicopter before moving to staging positions for the raid; the rest of D Squadron would land uncontested and join the Boat Troop in assaulting the airfield. Due to poor patrolling and a lack of sentries, the SAS Troopers were able to sneak onto the airfield and plant explosive charges on numerous aircraft before regrouping. After regrouping, a trooper would be wounded by an Argentinian mine, resulting in a brief firefight between the SAS and Argentine Marines. This would be a one sided engagement with British forces using M203 UGLs, GPMGs and the naval gunfire provided by HMS Glamorgan to keep the Argentinians at bay while extraction helicopters arrived.

Exact casualty figures on both sides are debated, though the loss of aircraft is less so, being confirmed by British aerial reconnaissance. The Argentine Air Force and Navy had lost a total of 11 aircraft of various models and roles, the ammunition dump and fuel station had been destroyed in the firefight between British and Argentine forces, and the airfield itself had been greatly damaged by naval gunfire as well as possible explosives set off by the Argentinians themselves in order to deny the British access to the airfield. Based off its operational objectives, the raid had been a major victory for the British, suffering only one casualty and reducing the effective range of the Argentine aircraft stationed on the West of the Falkland Islands; the audacious nature of the raid being compared to the exploits of the Long Range Desert Group in the African theatre of the Second World War.

In the early hours of the 15th of May 1982, D Squadron from the 22nd Regiment of the Special Air Service is inserted onto Pebble Island with the task of eliminating the threat posed by the Argentine held Calderón Auxiliary Airfield.