Battle of Seal Cove

Battle of Seal Cove
Part of Falklands War
Sketch depicting the chase of the Argentine coastal vessel Monsunen by British Frigates The coastal ship ARA Monsunen, after sailing out from Fox bay, is tracked by the British frigates HMS Brilliant and HMS Yarmouth under orders of capturing her. The British force pin up the supply vessel off Lively island The Brilliant Sea Lynx helicopter, with SBS troops onboard, is forced to withdraw under heavy machine gun fire. The Monsunen radar detects the two frigates about 8 miles behind her and approaching at high speed. The warships start to shell the small vessel, which evades the British salvos by running aground on Seal Cove, blinding the British radar After further shelling, the British gave up their chase, making back to San Carlos. ARA Monsunen is rescued by another coastal ship, ARA Forrest, and taken in tow to Darwin. After uploading Monsunens cargo, Forrest managed to reach Port Stanley on 25 May.
Date 23 May 1982 Location Off Lively Island, Falkland Islands 52°2′S 58°40′W / 52.033°S 58.667°W / -52.033; -58.667Coordinates: 52°2′S 58°40′W / 52.033°S 58.667°W / -52.033; -58.667 Result Argentine tactical success Supply ship avoided capture and completed her mission
Belligerents
United Kingdom	Argentina
Commanders and leaders
Captain Anthony Morton (HMS Yarmouth) Captain John Coward (HMS Brilliant)	Captain Jorge A. Gopcevich-Canevari (ARA Monsunen)
Strength
1 Type 22 frigate Frigate 1 Rothesay class Frigate	1 armed coastal ship
Casualties and losses
None	1 Coastal ship beached (later taken in tow and rescued by ARA Forrest) 1 wounded
Location within Falkland Islands

The Battle of Seal Cove was a minor naval action west of Lively Island, during the 1982 Falklands War. On 22 May 1982, while supporting Operation Sutton off San Carlos Bay, the British frigates HMS Brilliant and HMS Yarmouth received orders to stop and seize the Argentine Navy armed coastal supply boat ARA Monsunen.

The coaster ARA Monsunen was actually a small British vessel that had been captured in the course of the Argentine invasion. The ship was spotted by a Royal Air Force Hawker Siddeley Harrier while sailing from Fox Bay towards Stanley with a cargo of 150 drums of fuel and 250 sacks of flour.

At 4:00 am GMT on 23 May, a Lynx helicopter from HMS Brilliant identified the Monsunen while the latter was heading to the north, west of Lively Island. After a surrender order was radioed to the motorboat, another helicopter transporting a SBS team tried to intercept her. The aircraft was greeted with heavy machine gun and small arms fire, so it was forced to abort the mission. At the same time, the coastal ship’s radar detected the British squadron about eight miles to stern and approaching aggressively.

Almost immediately, HMS Yarmouth began to fire her 4.5 inch (114 mm) deck gun on the Argentine vessel, forcing her to manoeuvre in order to avoid the incoming rounds. When the distance fell to 4 miles, Captain Gopcevich, the Argentine commander, decided that the only way to deceive the British radar was to beach the boat on Seal Cove, a large inlet nearby.