[chico20854]

July 8, 1998

The replica USS Constitution departs the Azores, its crew swelled with the addition of American servicemen (some Navy and Air Force personnel effectively abandoned there, others that escaped Eastern Europe, in an incredible saga, in Greek fishing boats). The ship is also carrying paying passengers, 40 French school girls and their teacher.

Unofficially,

Division Cuba begins the process of expanding from a motor-rifle brigade to a division. An census is performed of the military advisors and civilian technicians evacuated alongside the 7th Motor-Rifle Brigade to assess their skills and rank (if any), while the brigade commander sits down with General Femerov to discuss his subordinate commanders. A process is identified - to the extent that the advisor pool can supply qualified officers (such as motor-rifle colonels and lieutenant colonels), it will be relied on to provide leaders for the expanded unit. (The basic plan is to take the existing motor-rifle brigade and increase the size of each element - the BMP battalion, for example, will become a BMP regiment; if a suitable colonel cannot be identified the existing battalion commander will become the regimental commander, while if experienced majors or lieutenant colonels cannot be tasked to serve as battalion commanders some or all of the company commanders will be promoted to major and given the job. This evaluation is carried out division-wide.) Advisors and civilian technicians that can be assigned staff or support jobs are assigned appropriately, while the rest (such as many of the sailors from the transport fleet) are handed over to the 7th Brigade's sergeants to be trained up as motor-riflemen, tank drivers or artillery privates.

While fighting in Los Angeles continues to be intense, the troops of 63 (my XVI) Corps are gradually finding themselves outnumbered by the ever-increasing numbers of Mexican forces, while the daily deliveries of ammunition are growing smaller. While the MPs of the 221st MP Brigade and the teens of the 10th California Cadet Brigade are attempting to secure the rear area, the corps' supply columns are coming under more frequent attack.

The appearance of Soviet armor in the 47th Infantry Division's rear causes considerable distress, especially since it has been months since the war-weary National Guard division received a resupply of anti-tank weapons. Many squads are down to just a single LAW and the division's cavalry squadron, the 1st Squadron, 194th Cavalry, which has been set up as the division's anti-tank reserve, has eight TOW missiles remaining, the last ATGMs in the entire 47th. (The Canadians, composed of reserve units, are equally devoid of anti-tank weapons). The commanding general radios to Fort Lewis seeking any assistance that can be provided; in the interim the Allied troops hunker down and prepare for a siege of Prince George.

Under cover of a smokescreen laid by its escorts, the American LST USS Frederick makes a run for shore in San Diego with a load of vitally needed supplies. The attempt goes disastrously wrong, with Mexican troops ashore taking the ship's bridge under fire, inflicting massive losses on the command crew. The ship broaches, turned parallel to the beach by the waves, which then rock the ship back and forth, digging its hull into the sand. The sand kicked up by the transport's props as the chief engineer desperately tries to free the ship gets sucked into the engine's cooling water intakes, forcing the propulsion system to be cut back lest the filters clog. As the tide comes in the ship remains stuck and it takes more and more enemy fire, despite the efforts of the hovering escorts to support it.

In Duluth, Minnesota the refugees make a second assault on the downtown port's grain elevator; this time the assault force advances behind the cover of a mass of children and teenagers from the refugee camp established at the nearby state park campground. The remaining defenders are reluctant to open fire on the children, allowing the armed and desperate men seeking shelter among them to advance to within striking range. The teens, worked into a frenzy by the deceptive teachings of the camp leaders, savagely beat the remaining militiamen to death as they overrun the grain elevator.

The NATO defenders of Heidelberg try to slip away in the fog of the early morning hours, crossing the few remaining bridges before the opposing Soviets realize they are leaving.

In the Balkans, the reforming Jugoslav Army has in many cases swept Soviet occupation forces out of the mountains of Bosnia, reaching the banks of the Sava River, where they pause to distribute the vast quantities of captured and abandoned Soviet kit and integrate reinforcements. Their opponents in the various puppet armed forces are trying equally hard to increase their strength.