Baltic Approaches D+13 (22 July, 1987) Part IV- Bravo

Bravo Section- Naval and Amphibious Activity D+13 0000-1200 CEST

0145– The Soviet SAG (Surface Action Group) is detected east of Bornholm by patrolling Swedish aircraft. Intermittent radar returns are picked up from four ships: three Krivak class frigates and a single Kresta II class guided missile cruiser. The information is forwarded to NAVBALTAP headquarters in Karup.

0217– U28, a West German Type 206 conventionally powered submarine detects the Soviet and Polish amphibious groups in the waters of the Baltic Proper. The sub radios in the positions of the two groups, and shortly thereafter conducts an attack. Four DM2A3 Seehecht torpedoes are fired at the Soviet ships but none reach their intended targets. In the confusion brought on by the attack, U28 slips away.

0320– The Danish submarine Narhvalen is destroyed by East German naval units in Lubeck Bay.

0350– The eight ships of the West German 7th Fast Attack Craft Squadron attack the Soviet SAG forty-three miles southeast of Bornholm. The two groups exchange anti-ship missile fire. Two of the Krivaks, and the Kresta II are struck by Exocets. Six of the eight West German Gepard class fast attack craft are hit and sink. One frigate and the cruiser sink within thirty minutes. The surviving Soviet ships steam southeast in the direction of the amphibious groups with the surviving NATO ships in pursuit.

0445– Three hours after making initial contact with the Soviet amphibious group, U28 conducts a second torpedo attack that sinks a Ropucha class landing ship.

0521– After an intense hunt, U28 is destroyed by a torpedo dropped by a Ka-25 Hormone.

0615– Over the period of an hour, the West German 2^nd and 5^th Fast Attack Squadrons each conduct a pair of anti-ship missile attacks against the Soviet amphibious group. Hits are scored, though not as many as expected. Soviet SAM coverage was strong enough to knock down eighty percent of the Exocets fired at the group. But three landing ships, and a destroyer are lost, and multiple ships sustain damage to varying degrees, including the Alexander Nevsky. The West German squadrons sustain heavy losses. Of seventeen fast attack craft, thirteen are lost, and the remainder damaged.

0645– East German amphibious troops land at Hovmarken.

0730– For the time being, NAVBALTAP turns down the request from LANDZEALAND for naval support. The FGE (Danish Frigate Squadron) and TBE (Danish Torpedo Boat Squadron) are positioned to attack the Warsaw Pact amphibious groups once they pass west of Bornholm. Retasking them to hit the East German ships anchored off Hovmarken would run the risk of leaving the sea approaches to Zealand undefended, and exposed.

1159– Through the late morning fighting on Hovmarken flares. The initial landing was unopposed, and East German shock troops quickly established an initial beachhead to bring the remainder of their equipment and men ashore. By 0900 two battalions were ashore and starting to fan out across the island of Mon. The Danish Home Guard infantry companies assigned to the area established defensive positions at Keldby and Bissinge to delay any East German advance towards the bridges leading to Zealand. Small unit actions break out at various locations with the Home Guard desperately trying to hold on until the 3^rd Zealand Battlegroup begins to arrive in the early afternoon.