March 13, 1997
Nothing official for today!
The Freedom-class cargo ship Arkansas Freedom is delivered in San Diego, California.
The American transport Nevada Freedom is sunk by a Soviet submarine while returning from Europe.
A third Soviet Whiskey-class submarine arrives in the North Sea to lay mines.
Special Boat Unit One launches another raid in the Kuriles, attacking the headquarters of the 1257th Independent Machinegun-Artillery Battalion on the island of Shikotan.
North Korean commandos infiltrate the port of Chinhae in a minisubmarine. Once there, they attack the American attack submarine USS Sunfish in port for replenishing, sinking it with a large explosive charge. None of the commandos survive and the sub's reactor vessel is intact.
Convoy 126 departs the New York area, adding the Ohio Freedom and six other ships.
The ships carrying the 187th Infantry Brigade (US Army Reserve) from Iceland arrive in Bremerhaven, Germany.
The Soviet raider Buliny is spotted by a South African Air Force Buccaneer strike aircraft. The destroyer opens fire, driving the fast jet off.
A Soviet mechanized task force consisting of a BMP battalion reinforced with a tank company, 2S1 artillery battery, engineer platoon and six ZSU-23-4s makes a lightning drive into the center of Borujerd. Once there the column stops, waiting for reinforcements. Those fail to arrive before the inevitable Iranian counterattack. Led by fanatical Pasdaran infantry, the defenders overrun the Soviets, striking from buildings, rooftops and using mortars to pin down the motor-riflemen.
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I love the smell of napalm in the morning. You know, one time we had a hill bombed, for 12 hours. When it was all over, I walked up. We didn't find one of 'em, not one stinkin' body. The smell, you know that gasoline smell, the whole hill. Smelled like... victory. Someday this war's gonna end...
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