[chico20854]

July 7, 1998

Canon is silent on the day. Unofficially,

Fighting is now widespread throughout the Los Angeles basin; while there are no defined front lines Mexican forces have overrun the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station and are carefully navigating the less-heavily-damaged corridor between the Torrance and Carson refinery nuclear strikes.

After a hard overnight's steam, the small American task force of the USS Frederick, the USS Joyce and the USCG Chase arrive off of San Diego. The Chase's helicopter is able to drop a sling load of ammunition and food in an open area between burning Marine barracks before briefly hovering to pick up five wounded Marines. It takes heavy Mexican fire as it departs over the international airport. Despite this, it returns to the area an hour later, accompanied by another HH-65 from the Joyce. This mission brings in more food and water as well as three corpsmen from the ships who volunteer to remain ashore assisting the wounded. The helicopters once again take heavy fire, forcing the commander of the Frederic to delay beaching his LST or landing boats until after dark.

In eastern California, 89 (my II) Corps is still immobilized by lack of fuel; water supplies for the troops in the 120+ degree heat are also a vital logistical concern. Brigade LaPaz has almost completely withdrawn from American territory, shifting west to come to the aid of Brigade Mexicali.

Brigade Chihuahua's garrison in Artesia, New Mexico is crushed by a predawn American attack. The cadets of the New Mexico Military Institute attack the town from the north, while three battalions of the School Brigade (the 2nd, 3rd and 6th Battalions, 56th Air Defense Artillery), reinforced with the veteran gunners of the Air Defense School, attack from the south, east and west, respectively. The 300 or so Mexican defenders last less than 45 minutes before the Americans have restored control of the town.

The Mexican Coastal Column's effort in eastern Texas has proven spectacularly successful, with the 46th Infantry Division disintegrating under relentless, widely dispersed attacks. The success comes at the cost of the gradual dissolution of the Mexican force, as it spreads out over an ever-increasing area in pursuit of fleeing American troops and resources.

The Soviet assault on Prince George, British Columbia, defended by the 47th Infantry Division and remnants of the Canadian 39th Brigade, resumes. This time, the Soviets launch numerous dismounted infantry assaults, forcing the 47th to commit its reserves. With Allied troops and reserves suitably tied up, the Soviet hammer blow falls, with the 114th (my 202nd) Motor-Rifle Division dispatching its 414th Tank Regiment, down to 32 T-55s accompanied by a half-dozen BTR-50s and several dozen riflemen clinging to the turret sides, cross-country to cut the defenders off from the south.

Soviet tanks and troops rush north through the Dead Zone north of Mannheim, opposed only by scattered detachments of German territorials, reaching Darmstadt by sundown. The commander of SOUTHAG orders NATO troops south of the Main (mostly in the Heidelberg area) to evacuate behind that barrier, taking advantage of the rough terrain to the east of the Dead Zone.

The Bulgarian freighter A.B. Buzko departs the Mexican port of Altamira; having received decent treatment while in Cuba and low on fuel, the ship's captain decides to head to the port of Cienfuegos on Cuba's southern coast.

In the early morning hours, the teenage girl held hostage by a pair of deserters outside Volkhov, Russia emerges from the farmhouse, escorted by one of the men. A MVD sniper shoots at the deserter, killing him with one shot, and the girl flees. The remaining desperado remains in the cabin, killing the elderly couple inside before the MVD troopers can rush in and overwhelm him. The troops execute him on the spot.