The 602 Commando Company () is a one of three commando (special operations capable) units of the Argentine Army (EA).
Unit insignia The members of the unit wear green berets with unit badges. The company is divided into three assault sections.
History Today's unit was created 21 May 1982.
Falklands War The unit had its baptism of fire in the Falklands War (2 April–14 June 1982). The commander of the company was 39-year-old Major Aldo Rico.
On the night of 29–30 May, Captain Andrés Antonio Ferrero's 3rd Assault Section attempted to seize Mount Kent but was beaten back in a Special Air Service (SAS) ambush from 16 Air Troop, although wounding two SAS men (Dick Palmer and Carl Rhodes"It was about fully dark when the flanking team took casualties, Dick Palmer a round in the buttocks, Carl Rhodes high-velocity splinters in a knee." Cedric Delves, Across an Angry Sea: The SAS in the Falklands War, p. 253, Oxford University Press, 2019) in the process."Ferrero's men advanced up the steep slopes, the thought of bumping into a British patrol or walking into an ambush keeping them alert. After about 500 metres Ferrero went forward with two men to investigate a noise. They had hardly covered 50 metres when they came under accurate machine gun and mortar fire from Air Troop, D Squadron. First-Sergeant Raimundo Viltes was badly wounded when a bullet shattered his heel." Van Der Bijl, Aldea, p. 63"Two SAS men had been flown in with gunshot wounds that were quite obviously more than 24 hours old. We knew better than to ask them about the circumstances of their injuries, and instead simply operated on them. The anaesthetist, Malcolm Jowitt, used Ketalar, in injectable and steroid-based general anaesthetic that had some occasional and highly interesting side effects. One of the SAS men, a big ex-Sapper, came from round his op and started singing bawdy rugby songs, quite tunefully, at the top of his voice!" The Red and Green Life Machine: A Diary of the Falklands Field Hospital, Rick Jolly, pp. 87-88, Century Publishing, 1983 Another SAS man suffered a broken hand in the confusion of battle."We had three of our own injured in the fight. Karl and Dick both had shrapnel wounds, but nothing critical. Digger had broken his hand and so I placed a back slap (a splint of sorts) on it to hold it firm." Born For War: One SAS Trooper's Extraordinary Account of the Falklands War, p. ?, Tony Hoare, Hachette, 2022
On the morning of 30 May, Captain Tomas Victor Fernandez's 2nd Assault Section from 602 Commando Company suffered two killed on Bluff Cove Peak during the Mount Kent Skirmish, First Lieutenant Rubén Eduardo Márquez and Sergeant Oscar Humberto Blas,Línea de fuego: historia oculta de una frustración, Héctor Rubén Simeoni & Eduardo Allegri, p. 55, Editorial Sudamericana, 1991 in an action with 17 Boat Troop and Major Cedric Delves' Tactical Headquarters (including part of the Intelligence Corps) from the British 22nd Special Air Service Regiment (22 SAS Regiment). The dead men were posthumously awarded the Argentine Nation for Valour in Combat Medal for showing great personal courage and leadership in the action.Conflicto Malvinas:Informe Oficial del Ejército Argentino, Circulo Militar, p. 56, Volume II, 1983 During this contact the SAS suffered two more casualties (Ewen Pearcy and Don Masters) from grenades (including an Intelligence NCO assigned to the SAS"Suddenly there was a burst of firing, and the distinct crack of at least one grenade going off ... One of the blokes took splinter wounds from the grenade in his back and was brought up to our position to be looked after ... The other casualty's shrapnel wounds were unpleasant but not serious." SAS: Sea King Down, Mark Aston & Stuart Tootal, Penguin Books, 2021"Two more men were wounded, but the SAS remained in control of its main positions by the morning of 30 May." Twilight Warriors: Inside the World's Special Forces, Martin C. Arostegui, p. 181, St. Martin's Press, 1997"Among prisoners captured by the Commando Brigade were five 602 Commando Company at Top Malo House and an Argentine Special forces Group sergeant knocked unconscious during a clash with the SAS on Mount Kent. During this engagement, a member of the Intelligence Corps badged as SAS was wounded." Sharing the Secret: The History of the Intelligence Corps 1940-2010, Nick Van Der Bijl, p. 293, Pen and Sword, 2013"Also involved from the start was an Intelligence Corps NCO serving at the time with 22 SAS Regiment, who was later wounded. Following almost immediately were a detachment from Communications and Security Group (UK) who arrived aboard HMS Intrepid, an Imagery Analyst at work aboard HMS Hermes and the Intelligence Cell of 5 Infantry Brigade who arrived in style aboard Queen Elizabeth." Forearmed: A History of the Intelligence Corps, Anthony Clayton, p. 226, Brassey's, 1993). The Argentine commandos literally stumbled on a camp occupied by 15 SAS troopers."At about 11 am next day, the 30th, Captain Fernandez and his 2nd Assault Section, knowing that Ferrero had been in contact with British, emerged from their hide intending to occupy Bluff Cove Peak. With Sergeant Humberto Bias and First-Lieutenant Daniel Oneto, First Lieutenant Ruben Marquez scouting ahead, the section collided with the SAS Tactical Headquarters and a firefight developed. Marquez threw some grenades but was still killed because he was wearing gloves and was unable to use his FAL rifle. Blas also died." Van Der Bijl, Aldea, p. 63. That night, Captain Peter Babbington's K Company of 42 Commando, Royal Marines and 7 'Sphinx' Battery from the Royal Artillery arrived nearby via helicopters. At about the same time, the 2nd Assault Section, having hidden all day, emerged from their hides intending to withdraw from the area, but came under prompt and heavy fire from the SAS in the form of Mountain Troop, and lost one NCO (Sergeant Vicente Alfredo Flores) captured."Fernandez broke contact and in the scramble down the hill Sergeant Alfredo Flores, the section radio operator, fell and was knocked out. When he came to his senses he was the prisoner of a SAS clearing patrol and was later interrogated at 'Hotel Galtieri' in the farmyard at San Carlos along with the Army commandos captured at Top Malo House." Van Der Bijl, Aldea, p. 65. The SAS claim on their part, to have come under mortar bombardment while evacuating their wounded. The British artillery battery report one gunner (Van Rooyen) suffering a broken arm while taking cover among the slippery rocks in the bombardment.The National Archives
During the Argentine retreat from the Mount Kent area on 30 May, Sergeant Mario Antonio CisneroEn medio de lo que parecia un corredor de aviones, aparecieron dos Harrier. El Perro, ni corto ni perezoso, volvio a dispararles. -¡Perro, dejáte de boludear y no les tires más porque van a saber dónde estamos y nos van a hacer pelota!, le pidieron sus compañeros a los gritos. Malvinas: 20 Años, 20 Héroes, p. 204, Fundación Soldados, 2002 from 602 Commando Company and Sergeant Luis Alberto Kovalski[El alacrán Kovalski participó de la evocación del bautismo de fuego de Gendarmería Nacional https://www.stopenlinea.com.ar/noticias/2019/06/06/45005-el-alacran-kovalski-participo-de-la-evocacion-del-bautismo-de-fuego-de-gendarmeria-nacional] from 601 National Gendarmerie Special Forces Squadron, armed with machine guns, repeatedly fired at low-flying Royal Air Force fighter-bombers conducting strafing runs; the British reported the loss of one GR-3 Harrier (XZ 963, piloted by Squadron-Leader Jerry Pook) to small-arms fire.British Aircraft lost - Falklands War 1982 - Naval-History.Net
The 1st Assault Section fought in the Battle of Top Malo House on 31 May 1982. In an action lasting 45 minutes,"After about forty-five minutes of fighting, the Argentines finally gave up." Twilight Warriors: Inside the World's Special Forces, Martin C. Arostegui, p. 208, St. Martin's Press, 1997 the Argentine Army Special Forces patrol under Captain José Arnobio Vercesi was defeated and the survivors captured in the encounter with the British Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre, a Royal Marines unit, attached to the 3 Commando Brigade (3 Cdo Bde)Van Der Bijl, Nicholas: Argentine Forces in the Falklands. Osprey Publishing, 1992. page 20. that reported 3 British badly wounded in the gun battle."The Royal Marines Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre took out an Argentine Special Forces lying-up position near Top Malo House. There was a brisk and vicious firefight, and three of the marines were injured in achieving total success against their opponents. I recognise two of them, Touche Groves and Taff Doyle, both old friends from skiing and rugby days. Touche's 'magic lantern show' is a sod's opera highlight whenever he performs it, but now he's fighting for breath with a nasty chest wound." The Red and Green Life Machine: A Diary of the Falklands Field Hospital, Rick Jolly, p. 87, Century Publishing, 1983. Another British Marine (Sergeant McClean) suffered bone bruising when hit in the hand while attempting to fire a 66mm anti-tank rocket."Sergeant McLean was wounded in the hand when a round hit the 66mm LAW he was about to fire." Nine Battles to Stanley, Nick Van Der Bijl, Pen & Sword, 2014
On the night of 5–6 June Captain Andres Ferrero's 3rd Assault Section dislodged Lieutenant Tony Hornby's 11 Troop, 42 Commando from Mount Wall, that had been calling down softening-up fire on the Mount Harriet defenders. According to Ferrero:
On 8 June, Private 1st Class Argentino Foremny of the 602 Commando Company Blowpipe Team that Major Rico had sent forward to Mount Harriet, using the zoom sight of his portable surface-to-air missile launcher, reported the presence of two British transport ships (troopships Sir Galahad and Sir Tristram) at Port Pleasant:
Captain Ferrero's 3rd Assault Section suffered one killed (Sergeant Mario Antonio Cisnero)Comandos en Accion: El Ejercito en Malvinas, Isidoro J. Ruiz Moreno, p. 353, Emece editores, 1986 and one wounded (First Lieutenant Jorge Manuel Vizoso-Posse), while Captain Eduardo Miguel Santo's supporting National Gendarmerie section suffered another death (Sergeant Ramon Acosta) and another wounded (Sergeant Pablo Daniel Parada) in a fierce action near Murrell River on the night of 9/10 June, seizing much equipment and forcing the attacking Royal Marines platoon to withdraw, with Major Rico belatedly calling down fire support from Lieutenant-Colonel Martin Balza's 3rd Artillery Group in an attempt to cut off the British escape route and take prisoners."A fighting patrol crossing the open ground between Mount Kent and Mount Challenger forded the Murrell River; however, the defence of the enemy sector had been reinforced by 602 Commando Company and the National Gendarmerie and the patrol became involved in a tough battle. At risk of being cut off, it withdrew under accurate artillery fire." My Friends: The Enemy, Nick Van Der Bijl, Amberley Publishing Limited, 2020
In this action in the early hours of Thursday 10 June 1982, 50 Argentine Army and National Gendarmerie Commandos fought against a reinforced platoon of Royal Marines.Comandos en Accion: El Ejercito en Malvinas, Isidoro J. Ruiz Moreno, p. 358, Emece editores, 1986 One Royal Marine (Corporal Peter Fitton "Corporal Peter Fitton was killed by a mis-directed friendly mortar bomb." The Falklands War: Then and Now, Gordon Ramsey, p. 590, After the Battle, 2009) was reportedly killed by either friendly or defensive mortar fire in the action or in the approach to Murrell River."Three men, including Sgt Leeming on reconnaissance patrol, killed by friendly fire just before the main assault on Two Sisters, another Royal Marine was killed by mortar fire early in the attack..." Royal Navy casualties, killed and died, 1980-89 - Naval-History.Net
According to the British military historian Bruce Quarrie, it was a hard-fought and costly action for both sides: