The most crazy wars and battles Russia ever fought

here's one you might not have heard about. Back in the height of the Cold War, an RAF Shackleton (a post-war development of the famous Lancaster bomber) maritime recce aircraft was out patrolling the Atlantic. Ten hour flights over open ocean are somewhat dull and coming across the US Navy on manoevers, decided to make life interesting by practising an emergency approach on an aircraft carrier (landing was unlikely anyway given the size of the four engined aeroplane and lack of arrestor gear). Wheels down, landing light on, throttle down, standby to go around....

But communication was lacking. The Americans, convinced that the landing was real, pushed brand new jet fighters over the side to make the landing possible. Hey? Where are those guys going?

Actually the incident is apocryphal but you get the point?

The craziest war that I can think of in my own lifetime was the short weeklong 'Soccer War' fought between El Salvador and Honduras in the summer of 1969. There had been bad blood brewing for several years between these two neighbouring Central American nations. El Salvador was a smaller nation in terms of size, but it was densely-populated. Honduras was larger in size, but with a smaller population. For many years, El Salvadorean peasants had been moving into Honduras in search of land for their little subsistence farm plots. Eventually, the Honduran government began to take action to expel these peasants, which it considered to be illegal squatters. And so relations became tense between the two nations. El Salvador accused Honduras of brutalizing the peasants who were being evicted, and forced to return to El Salvador. Honduras and El Salvador evidently also had somelong-standing  border disagreements

In June 1969, both nations were in the World Soccer (FIFA) Championship playoffs. The first playoff game between El Salvador and Honduras was held in the Honduran capital in early June, and Honduras won. Fighting broke out between the Honduran and El Salvadoran fans and spectators. The second game was held in mid-June, in the El Salvadoran capital, and El Salvador won. There was more fighting between the fans. The last game, if I remember rightly, was played in Mexico City. Tensions between the two nations were very high by that time and  both countries had severed diplomatic relations with each other. I don't remember which side won. But relations between the two nations reached a boiling-point.

A couple of weeks later, both nations mobilized their armies and air-forces, and confronted each other. Both air-forces began bombing each other, and the El Salvadoran army invaded Honduras, and marched on the capital city.  Honduras appealled to the OAS (Organization of American States) for assistance. The OAS arranged a cease-fire. Soon the El Salvadoran army withdrew from Honduras.  The war had lasted for about a week or so. I don't remember how many casualties there were.  Over the next several  years, negotiations took place, facilitated by the OAS. Eventually the situation calmed down, and peace was restored.