[chico20854]

March 17, 1997

The Headquarters, 36th Infantry Division (Mechanized) is formed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

The Headquarters, 46th Infantry Division is formed at Camp Blanding, Florida, taking the 58th (Maryland), 116th (Virginia) & 92nd (Puerto Rico National Guard) Infantry Brigades under command. (I have the 27th Infantry Brigade (New York National Guard) and 36th Infantry Brigade (Texas National Guard) replacing the 58th and 116th).

Soviet troops reach the center of Borujerd, having destroyed much of the city. IPA troops fall back, using mortars and artillery to cover their retreat and inflict further damage on 7th Army.

Unofficially,

The Texas State Guard raises the 1st Texas Brigade, headquartered in San Antonio with detachments in Zapata, Corpus Christi and Westlaco, from the prewar 8th Military Police Group. With the outbreak of war and additional federal support it is renamed the 1st Brigade, known as the “Alamo Guards”, and issued M14 rifles, M79 grenade launchers and M1919 machineguns from reserve stockpiles as well as new shotguns from the Mossberg factory in Eagle Pass. It is assigned responsibility for protecting vital infrastructure in southern Texas as well as patrolling to deter and intercept Soviet infiltrators.

The British 44th Airborne Brigade is deployed to Germany. The formation is composed of three Territorial Army parachute battalions (4, 10 and 15 Para) plus pathfinders, artillery and air defense units.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army, taking advantage of the third day of above freezing weather in Harbin, launches a massive spring offensive. The 24th Group Army, with a complement of over 100,000 light infantry troops built up over the winter, goes on the attack. Soviet units fight back, inflicting grievous losses on the Chinese, but by the end of the day they are low on ammunition while further waves of Chinese infantry continue attacking.

The large Norwegian freighter Hugh Mascot is damaged by a mine (laid by a Soviet submarine) in the North Sea while carrying a cargo of replacement vehicles to Germany. A smaller ship would have been sunk, but the freighter is one of the world's largest.

The Soviet Victor III-class submarine K-412 fires its last three torpedoes at the Danish containership Marit Mae (which was travelling unescorted at 22 knots with a cargo of ammunition, parts and food). Two hit, leaving the ship listing, dead in the water and taking on water rapidly.

The USS John F Kennedy leaves drydock in Gibraltar and resumes operations in the Mediterranean.

The 150th Tactical Fighter Group (New Mexico Air National Guard) flies its first missions in the CENTCOM operational area, supporting IPA troops north of Khorramabad, Iran with precision strikes from the unit's A-7D fighter-bombers.

Clashes occur along the disputed Kashmir border between pro-Soviet India (which is trying hard to resist Soviet attempts to enlarge its role) and pro-Chinese Pakistan.