At 4:00 am GMT on 23 May, a Lynx helicopter from HMS Brilliant identified 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 to stern and approaching aggressively. Almost immediately, HMS Yarmouth began to fire her 4.5-inch deck gun on the Argentine vessel, forcing her to manoeuvre in order to avoid the incoming rounds. When the distance fell to, 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. Shortly after he succeeded in running aground his ship and ordering the crew to abandon her, the British shelling resumed. The fire was inaccurate and aimed at the general area of landing. In the process of evacuating the vessel, one of the ratings fell overboard and suffered some serious bruises, but he was successfully rescued by a young sailor. The crew members took refuge in an improvised inland shelter.
Aftermath
After effectively losing the track of their small enemy, the British frigates gave up and returned to San Carlos waters. Monsunen was found by her complement at dawn, with her engine still running; apparently after refloating by the rising tide. However, a sling had become entangled with her propeller, disabling the transmission. With the ship's speed now dramatically reduced, Gopcevich radioed for help to Stanley. A few hours later, another British trawler seized by the Argentines, ARA Forrest, towed Monsunen to Darwin. The much needed cargo was uploaded by ARA Forrest, which made for Stanley. The coaster successfully completed Monsunens relief mission on 25 May. ARA Monsunen was later recovered at Darwin by British forces on 29 May, after the Battle of Goose Green. The action is thought to be the only naval encounter between armed surface ships in the war. Jorge Gopcevich Canevari was awarded the La Nación Argentina al Valor en Combate cross.
