25th Infantry Regiment (Argentina)

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The 25th Mechanised Infantry Regiment (RI Mec 25) is a unit of the Argentine Army based at Sarmiento, Chubut, Argentina. This Regiment was the first army unit to land in the Falkland Islands on 2 April 1982 and fought in the Falklands War.

History[]

In 1943 the 25th Infantry Regiment was created as part of the Patagonia Group. It was first headquartered in the town of Las Heras, Santa Cruz. In December 1943 the town of Puerto Deseado became the barracks of the 25th Regiment. On 31 August 1943 the town of Sarmiento, Chubut became the long term barracks of the 25th Regiment.

In the mid-1970s the 25th Regiment deployed officers and other ranks in the fighting taking place in Tucumán Province between military/police units and left-wing guerrillas/radicals.

The 25th Regiment was a member of Group B that traveled to the Tucumán province to reinforce the that carried out Operation Independence. Group B took turns with Group A and C, created for the same purpose.^[1] In 1977, the 25th Infantry Regiment dispatched the Combat Team “Águila” to the city of Campana, Buenos Aires, to integrate the Task Force “Campos”. The unit was made up of personnel from the three companies of the regiment and totaled 30 officers and 141 soldiers.^[2]

The 25th Regiment was the sole unit of the Argentine Army to take part in the amphibious landings that took place in the Falkland Islands on 2 April 1982, as part of Operation Rosario. A platoon of the 25th Regiment was detached to clear the obstructions on Stanley Airport in the form of abandoned vehicles and concrete blocks. During the Falklands War, the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Mohamed Ali Seineldin was entrusted with the defence of Stanley Airport. The 25th Regiment's C Company formed outposts at Goose Green and San Carlos, along with part of the 12th Infantry Regiment. C Company suffered heavy casualties on Darwin Ridge and Goose Green Airbase, but forced the British attackers to withdraw twice in the battle before the Argentines surrendered. During the British landings on 21 May, the 12th Regiment platoon under Sub-Lieutenant José Alberto Vásquez shot down 2 Gazelle helicopter-gunships, while at Fanning Head the majority in the 25th Regiment platoon under Sub-Lieutenant Roberto Oscar Reyes were able to successfully evade encirclement by British SBS Commandos. On 11 June, a platoon of Royal Marines under Lieutenant Martin Howell from 40 Commando's B Company finally caught up with Sub-Lieutenant Reyes and surrounded and captured his platoon that had taken refuge in New House and Moss Side House.^[3]

The 25th Regiment had received Commando training in February/March 1982, according to the book 9 Battles To Stanley (Nick Van Der Bijl, Leo Cooper, 1999). British Warrant Officer Nick Van Der Bijl, who interviewed key captured Argentine officers in the fighting has written:

Van Der Bijl even alleges that a mutiny was at one stage plotted, to replace Brigadier-General Mario Menéndez with Colonel Seineldín of the 25th 'Special' Infantry Regiment.^[4]

In recognition of their role in the Falklands War, the regimental battle flag was awarded the "Medalla de Campaña" of the Argentine Army, "To the flag that fought in the South Atlantic" of the Santa Fe Province and the Medal of the Municipality of Sarmiento.

In all, 35 officers and other ranks were decorated, including Lieutenant Roberto Néstor Estévez, a platoon commander during the Battle of Goose Green.

References[]

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