[chico20854]

April 22, 1998

Nothing official for the day. Unofficially,

Graebarde reports that the harvest of the winter wheat crop, which had already been in the ground prior to TDM, fairs better than expected given the situation. Strenuous efforts are made to get the crop harvested. Fuels are made available for the transport of combines and trucks necessary to do the harvest, and the slow process begins in Texas. (The harvest will move north as the weather warms).

RainbowSix reports that GCHQ Bude, a satellite ground station on the north Cornwall coast operated by GCHQ, the British Signals Intelligence Service, is abandoned by the Government, with personnel relocating to Plymouth Naval Base together with what equipment they can carry.

Pleased with the prior day's successful sortie over German front lines along the Oder, the trio of Yak light trainers (operated by the 74th Guards Shturmovik Regiment), this time accompanied by a single Su-25, return to the skies over the Oder River. The mixed flight is greeted by a hail of anti-aircraft fire, but they press the attack on NATO troops (the 4th Battalion, 34th Armor, part of the US 8th Infantry Division). The driver of one of the American tanks (named "the Pink Cadillac"), SSG Kent Venters, on watch in the commander's position, scores a lucky shot with the vehicle's .50 caliber machinegun and the Su-25 goes down. The Yaks turn back after discharging their rockets in the general direction of the American positions, themselves scoring a lucky shot that destroys the Headquarters and Service Company's NBC LMTV truck.

Local Italian authorities in the northern part of the nation begin planning efforts to restore operations at the clusters of hydroelectric power plants along the southern slopes of the Alps.

The near civil war in South Africa continues. The SADF rallies its formations in garrisons throughout the nation and orders the 73rd Motorized Brigade back from the frontier facing Mozambique to supplement beleaguered police and local security troops. The first roadblocks leaving towns outside garrisons are removed by the application of firepower, in some cases augmented by strikes from the SADF's fighter-bombers and armed helicopters.