19Feb DOD announces that 83,000 sorties have been flown (2,800 today) continuing the execution of air campaign objectives. 870 sorties have been flown in the KTO, 100 sorties against the Republican Guard, and 130 sorties against SCUD sites. A Navy A-6 attacked and destroyed five aircraft hidden in revetments in western Iraq. Other naval forces continued to support the air cam- paign and conduct maritime interceptions and mine countermeasures. A minefield containing an estimated 22 mines was discovered and cor- doned off in the northern Arabian Gulf. To-date, 153 mines discov- ered. USS BEAUFORT (ATS-2), and Naval Reserve minesweeper escort USS ADROIT (MSO 509) maneuvered through an uncharted mine field to reach USS PRINCETON. USS TRIPOLI is operating fully mission-capable in the northern Arabian Gulf with damage control efforts stemming minor flooding. USS PRINCETON has a cracked superstructure, a jammed port rudder and leaking port shaft seal. With USS ADROIT at the point marking mines, ship is proceeding to port, towed by USS BEAUFORT, for detailed inspection. DOD says USS TRIPOLI hit a moored or float- ing mine, USS PRINCETON hit 2 influence mines. USMC and coalition ground forces engage Iraqis in border skirmishes, probes and reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance deployments. Marines exchange artillery fire with Iraqis, no casualties. DOD states for the first time that U.S. ground forces "are now ready to go to combat if the leadership decides that's what they want to do"; asserts that ground troops will face a seriously-attrited although still-capable Iraqi force which "will be defeated in short order if we initiate a ground campaign." DOD announces that 578 Iraqis have surrendered and are in Turkey's cus- tody. Combined with 1,493 in Saudi Arabian custody, enemy prison- ers of war to-date total 2,071. Citing photographs and imagery evidence, DOD accuses Iraq of faking bomb damage at the Al Basrah Mosque to make it appear that U.S. bombs damaged the religious site. Iraqi SCUD missile is fired at Israel, impacts with no injuries. 68th SCUD launched to-date. 20 Feb AtD+35. DOD announces that 86,000 sorties have been flown (2,900 today), striking and restriking strategic targets, interdicting resupply, battle- field preparation (900 sorties in the KTO), destruction of Republican Guards (100 sorties), and counter-SCUD strikes (100 sorties). Naval forces conduct air strikes and continue mine counter measures, mari- time intercepts, and naval gunfire assignments. USS AMERICA's Air Anti-Submarine Squadron 32 becomes first S-3 squadron ever to engage and destroy a hostile vessel, an Iraqi gunboat hit by three 500- pound bombs. USS VALLEY FORGE (CG-50) vectored S-3 to target. Significant increase in contacts between U.S. forces. including Marines. and A-35
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