16Feb DOD announces that 76,000 sorties have been flown (2,600 today) as air campaign continues battlefield preparation in the KTO (700 sorties), destruction of Republican Guards, and strikes and restrikes. Naval forces continue to support -air campaign with mine countermeasures and maritime interception operations. USMC and coalition ground forces continue to reposition to confuse Iraqi reconnaissance and exchange artillery and counter-artillery fire. The U.S. has lost three additional aircraft. Two A-10s crashed during com- bat missions, both pilots are missing. An F-16 crashed in a non- combat mishap. The pilot was killed. Two SCUD missiles were fired at Israel, both landed harmlessly. 17Feb DOD announces that 78,000 sorties have been flown (2,600 today) with air campaign objectives continuing to focus on battlefield preparation in the KTO (800 sorties), destruction of the Republican Guards (100 sorties), and resupply interdiction. Naval forces continue supporting the air campaign conducting air strikes, fighter cover, on-call combat search and rescue, mine countermea- sures and maritime interception operations. There have been seven significant engagements along the Kuwait and Iraq border involving USMC and coalition ground forces. In one incident, a U.S. Apache AH-64 mistakenly hit a Bradley Fighting Vehicle and an M-1 13 armored personnel carrier with a Hellfire missile causing 2 U.S. deaths and 6 injuries. 18 Feb DOD announces that 80,000 sorties have been flown (2,400 today) with the focus remaining on battlefield preparation in the KTO (870), 100 sorties against the Republican Guards, and strikes and restrikes on strategic targets. Within three hours and ten nautical miles, USS TRIPOLI (LPH-10) and USS PRINCETON (CG-59) struck mines while conducting operations in the northern Arabian Gulf. USS TRIPOLI, the flagship in one of the most extensive mine-sweeping operations since the Korean War, sustained a 16X20 foot hole- in forward starboard side below the waterline. Explosion caused minor flooding to six auxiliary spaces, minimized by damage control procedures. Four crewmembers were injured, and the amphibious assault ship remained fully mission capable. USS PRINCETON, underway on half power, sustained damage including a crack in her superstructure. Three crewmen were injured, one seriously, and an EOD team is enroute to assess the mission capability of the Aegis cruiser. Naval forces continue maritime interception and mine countermeasures operations. EOD team from USS MISSOURI destroys tenth mine. USMC Cobra helos teamed up with Saudi, Kuwaiti, and USMC observers and engaged six Iraqi armored personnel carriers. Two were de- stroyed, the other four returned north. A-34
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