Isolated clashes had occurred between patrols of the opposing armies, mainly in the north-western frontier zone, from July 2nd onward. On July 12th and 13th, Salvadorean and Honduran patrols clashed again in several points, with some casualties on both sides, sporadic small arms and mortar fire continuing along the entire frontier zone.

The Salvadorean Army had concentrated its forces in two main foci with some 3,000 men, under the command of Colonel Mario del Jesus Valazquez, in the so called "Teatro de Operaciones Norte", in the north-western frontier zone, and about 5,000 mcn in the "Teatro de Operaciones Oriente", in the eastern part of the country. Another 1,000 or so, under the command of General Guillermo Segundo Martinez, were concentrated in the "Teatro de Operaciones Norte-Oriente" in the north--cast and a similar number in the "Teatro de Operaciones Chalatenango", in the north-western provinces of the same name. These were faced? by less than 3,000 Hondurans, deployed along the entire length of the frontier zone.

At dawn on July 14th the 1st [Regular] and 8th [Reserve] Infantry Battalions of the Salvadorean Army, with some artillery support, crossed the frontier in the El Poy/Nueva Ocotepeque sector of the Northern Theatre of Operations, a special forces unit making a sweep to the west with the objective of capturing the airstrip at Nueva Ocotepeque. Simultaneously, a 700 man column of para-military National Guard commanded by Gen. Jose Alberto Medrano initiated a flanking movement to the east.

The Salvadorean main force rolled up the wcah Honduran right flank catching the main body of the defenders of the Nueva Ocotepeque sector in a defilade and inflicting heavy casualties. Nueva Ocotepeque itself was occupied by the evening of July 15th and the invading force pushed deeper into Honduran territory in the direction of Santa Rosa de Copan.

The main Salvadorean thrust came however in the Eastern Theatre where, meanwhile, their 5th Battalion had penetrated into Honduran territory in the region of Aramecina whilst the 4th and 11th [Reserve] Battalions, with most of the Armour and Artillery assets of the Salvadorean Army and supported by a Special Forces unit to the south, advanced on a 20 mile front in the region of Goascaran el Amatillo. Further to the south the Salvadorean 6th [Reserve] Battalion, using the two patrol boats of the Salvadorean Navy and commandeered civilian small craft, carried out the only amphibious operation of the War, occupying the islands in the Gulf of Fonseca in the face of only nominal resistance.

A minor probe in the Chalatenango sector to the north of San Salvador, penetrated only a few kilometres into Honduran territory. The 10th [Reserve] Battalion, at Santa Rosa de Lima, which formed the major strategic reserve of the Salvadorean offensive on the eastern front, saw no action. Surprisingly, neither the 2nd and 3rd Battalions, at Santa Ana and San Miguel respectively, both Regular units, nor the Air Force Paratroop company, seem to have taken any part in offensive operations.

The two main Salvadorean thrusts were resisted, initially somewhat ineffectually, by numerically inferior and less well equipped Honduran forces, consisting at first only of the garrisons of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Military Zones, each approximating to a weak Battalion. From July 16th onwards however these were reinforced by the 1st Infantry Battalion in the El Poy sector and by the 3rd Infantry Battalion, elements of the Presidential Guard and the Honduran Army's sole field battery, in the El Amatillo/Nacaome sector. The Salvadorean advance was thus halted, first at El Morral in the North and subsequently just short of Nacaome in the Eastern Theatre, although this was due in the latter case principally to the Salvadoreans over extending their supply lines which failed to keep up with the advance of the invading force.

Much air activity continued to take place, a Salvadorean Mustang being shot down in an encounter between two Salvadorean P-51s and a pair of Honduran Corsairs over the Gonsenran/El Amatillo sector on the morning of July 17th. Later that day two Salvadorean Corsairs were shot down by the Honduran "Ace", Major Fernando Soto, who accounted for all three fighters shot down in air-to-air combat during the War. Although Salvadorean anti-aircraft gunners claimed to have downed 4 Honduran aircraft of unspecified types, this claim remains unsubstantiated.

The Honduran Air Force eventually achieved complete air superiority although the Honduran ground forces had to retreat in the face of the superior Salvadorean Army which penetrated some 15 kilometres into Honduran territory on the El Poy front and 25 kilometres in the Goascaran/El Amatillo sector, taking the towns Nueva Ocotepeque in the north and El Amatillo in the east, before the Organization of the American Statess succeeded in imposing a cease-fire, on July 18th.

Sporadic action continued, both on the ground and in the air, until July 29th, when the OAS voted to brand El Salvador as the aggressor and to impose economic sanctions failing the immediate withdrawal of the Salvadorean troops from Honduran territory. The withdrawal commenced the following day, being completed on August 5th.

El Salvador-Honduras Football War of 1969

Introduction
Part One: Background
Part Two: The Opposing Forces
Part Three: The Air War
Part Four: El Salvador Invades Honduras
Part Five: The Cost