17 Jan (continuing) 3 USMC/1 USN injured in bunkers in Saudi Arabia by Iraqi artillery fire near Kuwaiti border. Eight Iraqi SCUD missiles impact in Tel Aviv and Haifa, Israel. Seven civilian injuries. U.S. Patriot missile intercepts one SCUD over Dhahran, S.A~ - SECNAV activates 421 additional Naval Reservists from 36 units. 18 Jan DOD announces 196 TOMAHAWK cruise missiles have been launched. Ad- ditionally, 2,107 attack sorties have been flown by USN, USMC, USAF, USA and coalition forces; assessed as 80% effective. In air-to-air engagements, eight Iraqi MIG-29s and Mirage F-is are destroyed; two by 2 USN F/A-18s of USS SARATOGA-based Strike Fighter Squadron-81 (directed by E-2Cs from Carrier Air Wing-17). First Navy combat "kills". F/A-18s then transitioned, and bombed targets. Navy has lost two additional aircraft, both A-6s. The crewmen, LT Jeffrey Zaun and LT Robert Wetzel of the USS SARATOGA's Attack Squad- ron 35, and LT Charles Turner and LT William Costen of USS RANGER's Attack Squadron 155 are missing. A USMC OV-10 is downed, the first Marine combat aircraft loss. The two aircrewmen, LtCol Clifford Acree and CWO Guy Hunter are missing. USS NICHOLAS (FFG-47), operating with embarked Helicopter Anti-Subma- rine Squadron (Light) 44, Det. 8/USA helos and a Kuwaiti patrol boat, engaged and neutralized Iraqi forces firing on coalition aircraft with anti- aircraft artillery and shoulder-fired SAMs from eleven Kuwaiti oil platforms in northern Arabian Gulf. In the first combined helicopter missile and surface ship gun engagement, five Iraqis are killed, 3 wounded and 23 Iraqis, the first enemy prisoners of war, were taken board USS NICHOLAS for transfer to USMC holding facility and Saudi Arabian EPW camp. USS MOOSBRUGGER (DD-980) SEALs board Sudanese vessel EL OBEID, the first boarding by a Navy ship since commencement of hostilities. Iraqi SCUD missiles impact in Israel, 10-12 civilian injuries. SECDEF declares an airlift emergency, activates Stage II of Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) plan, authorizing government to contract with civil air carriers to use up to 181 aircraft to move supplies and equipment in support of pPERA~ON DESERT STORM. SECNAV activates 498 additional Naval Reservists from 37 units 19 Jan DOD announces that U.S. troop strength is 460,000 (75,000 USN, 85,000 USMC) and over 100 ships in AOR. 216 TOMAHAWK cruise missiles have been launched and over 4,000 sorties (bombing, combat, attack sup- pression, refueling) have been flown. Air campaign is satisfactory, causing Iraq to move aircraft north. USN A-6s and A-7s from USS JOHN F. KENNEDY and USS SARATOGA successfully launch a Standoff Land Attack Missile (SLAM) against an Iraqi target for the first time. USS LOUISVILLE (SSN-724) fires the first submarine-launched TOMA- HAWK cruise missile in combat history while submerged in the Red Sea. A-16
| Table of Contents | First Page | Prev Page | Next Page | Src Image |