In the provinces just north and east of Saigon, some large-scale operations such as Cedar Falls and Junction City, involving up to a thousand U.S. troops supported by hundreds of sorties by helicopters and fighter-bombers, were mounted to destroy communist base areas and supplies.
The attack continued until 05:15, with 5,268 tons of bombs dropped by 1,136 sorties; this marked the largest attack by Bomber Command in terms of tonnage up to that point in the war.
Western officials were struck by helicopter sorties of more than 800 miles (1,290km), about the distance from Israel to Iran, to simulate the rescue of downed pilots.
Nearly 250 cruise missiles from seven warships and a submarine in the Persian Gulf, followed by 40 sorties from fighters from the carrier Enterprise, struck more than 50 targets in the first day of the attack, General Shelton announced.
The 51-page report, sent to the UN security council last week and obtained by the Guardian, documented 119 sorties by the Saudi-led coalition that were linked to violations of international law.
The dispute involves patrols by naval vessels, as well as air sorties, by both China and Japan.
Operation Kingly Pile, which involved two sorties by No. 1 Squadron and one by English Electric Canberra jet bombers of No. 12 Squadron RAF on 21 February 1956, was considered the most successful of the more than 4,000 missions conducted by the Lincolns, killing at least 14 communist troops.
Pentagon and military officials confirmed that sorties by aircraft loyal to the Qaddafi government had dropped by half over the past three days.
On top of the sorties by strike aircraft, there would also be a lot more sorties by heavy bombers than Libya saw, and a lot more cruise-missile salvoes.
No significant action took place during this period, except for an ambush near San Gabriel by André de Albuquerque, against a Spanish supply convoy sent from La Albuera, and various sorties by the garrison of Badajoz to try to obstruct the Portuguese works.
