[chico20854]

July 31, 1997

The Dutch 104th Recon Battalion holds the approaches to Augsburg against a determined assault by the Italian Folgore Airborne Brigade. Although nearly wiped out, the 104th succeeds in preventing the Italian paratroopers from seizing several vital road junctions.

Unofficially,

The 9th Airborne Command and Control Squadron deploys some of its "Blue Eagle" airborne command post aircraft (a mix of EC-135 and E-6s) to its dispersal field at Kona International Airport, Hawaii.

The freighter Galveston Bay and troop ship General Patrick are activated in Oakland, California. Galveston Bay moves to Concord NWS to load ammunition, while the General Patrick moves to Tacoma, Washington to load troops for movement to Alaska.

Two US Army aviation contractors deliver in time to meet the end-of-month goals called for in their contracts. First, the Erickson Air Crane company delivers its first all-new CH-54B Tarhe, the fourth of the type to be accepted by the Army since 1972 (three others have been provided to the Alaska National Guard earlier in the year, assembled from spares the company had on hand at its Oregon facility). Second, two contract flight schools graduate their first classes that have trained on Robinson R44 light helicopters, rather than Army-owned and operated TH-57s.

The attack submarine USS Topeka, lurking off the Soviet coast near Vladivostok, detects the Echo II-class submarine K-35. After two hours of tracking, it attacks the old Soviet boat with three Mk-48 torpedoes and sinks it, ending the Soviet boat's long career attacking NATO targets around the world. (Its tally is two warships, seven tankers and freighters, 150 trucks and several aircraft destroyed in cruise missile attacks on Diego Garcia and Ningbo, China).

The USS Olympia is pursued by a pair of Soviet Tu-142 Bear-F ASW aircraft operating out of northern Russia after it sank a Soviet SSBN the prior day. It is able to escape by going deep and slow.

7th Tank Army's attack at Brest continues to gain steam as the 30th Guards Tank Division's spot in the line is replaced by the 47th (my 37th Guards) Tank Division. In the Army's rear area, survivors of the 120th Guards Motor-Rifle Division are transferred to the 30th Guards Tank, making up many of the losses it suffered in yesterday's tactical nuclear attack.

In the Baltic, Danish and American minesweeping forces complete clearing a safe zone around the hulk of the battleship Iowa.

F-111Fs of the 495th Tactical Fighter Squadron strike Comiso AFB, Sicily.

The Italian fleet sorties to drive 6th Fleet back from the Ionian and Aegean Seas. The movement is reported to US Naval Intelligence before the first ship weighs anchor (by a Christian Democrat officer apalled by Italy's socialist and communist-dominated goverment and its war against its longstanding NATO allies). The American carriers America and John F Kennedy are alerted, and the Italian fleet is met by a hail of missiles and bombs when it reaches open water beyond the range of land-based anti-aircraft missiles. The Italian carrier Garibaldi is hit by seven Harpoons and breaks its back, and seven other combatants are sunk or damaged before the fleet turns back to port.

The 42nd Motor-Rifle Division's assault on Kars, Turkey is reinforced by the arrival of the 19th Motor-Rifle Divison from the north, having blasted its way through the mountain passes from Georgia. The 19th faces the Turkish 9th Division's third regiment (the 17th), which offers fierce resistance to the advancing Soviets.

The Victory ship Wayne Victory begins its voyage back to US as part of Convoy 418.

In Iran, I MEF directs the full weight of 1st and 4th Marine Air Wings to disrupt 40th Army's counterattack on the 1st Marine Division at Yadz. Meanwhile, 4th Marine Division consolidates its positions in Kerman, protecting the east flank of the Allied advance and forcing support to the isolated airborne garrison at Chah Bahar onto a remote and lonely road far to the east, nearly touching the Pakistani border. The paras are subjected to harassment attacks by airstrikes from the USS Independence, preventing them from building up stocks to sustain them should the road be blocked.

To the north, the last elements of the 101st Air Assault Division abandon the Shia holy city of Qom as XVIII Airborne Corps withdraws to more defensible positions. The Iranian secret service, however, uses the brief Allied occupation of the city as an opportunity to infiltrate and exfiltrate agents and establish hidden supply caches.