The Southern Flank D+4 ( 13 July, 1987) Part II

The central Med continued to heat up through D+4. The first NATO convoy carrying war material to Greece transited the Strait of Sicily in the morning. It was a small convoy compared to the those sailing across the Atlantic, consisting of four medium-sized merchantmen escorted by two French frigates, and a single US destroyer. As …

The Southern Flank D+4 (13 July, 1987) Part I

At 0125 hours EEST, the Sixth Fleet went to work. Less than an hour before, twenty TLAMs (Tomahawk Cruise Missile Land Attack Variant) were launched from a trio of Los Angeles class attack submarines, and the single TLAM-armed destroyer in the Saratoga’s battlegroup. The missiles approached the Greek-Bulgarian frontier in a staggered pattern, less than …

The North Atlantic D+4 (13 July, 1987) Part III

Later in the afternoon, fifteen Bear D reconnaissance aircraft came across Northern Norway, and  headed south over the Norwegian Sea. As the Bears approached within 200 miles of the Icelandic coast they descended to altitudes of between 300 and 500 feet. The five formations of three aircraft each separated as they neared the Iceland-Faroes gap …

The North Atlantic D+4 (13 July, 1987) Part II

D+4 marked the first time in the conflict that the combined power of the Soviet submarine, and long range bomber threats were unleashed on the North Atlantic sea lanes simultaneously. Over the course of the day, the Soviets sent three waves of bombers out from bases on the Kola Peninsula. NAS Keflavik, and NATO convoys …

The North Atlantic D+4 (13 July, 1987) Part I

D+4 began on a somber note for SACLANT. Word reached Norfolk at 0040 hours that HMS Invincible had sunk in the North Sea. The damaged baby carrier had been moving on her own power towards Scotland when she suffered a massive explosion, began taking on water, and rapidly developed a severe list to port. At …

The Northern Flank D+4 (13 July, 1987) Part II

The Soviet 131st Motor Rifle Division’s progress in Northern Norway remained restricted to a single axis of advance along the E-6 coastal road. The route was heavily constricted. Overland movement was difficult for a large force. The short summer in the Finnmark region created large amounts of standing water from snow, and ice melt. The …

The Northern Flank D+4 (13 July, 1987) Part I

In spite of the urgency attached to the effort, NATO fighter-bombers tasked to hit Andoya did not launch until 0545 CEST. The morning strike was undertaken by eight RAF Jaguars of the No.6 squadron, supported by a USAF EF-111 Raven jamming aircraft. Originally, AFNORTH’s air planners intended to use US F-111s against Andoya. Preparations for …

Baltic Approaches D+4 (13 July, 1987) Part III

The Soviet 4th Air Army intended to begin D+4  with a wave of pre-dawn airstrikes against Danish radar sites, and airbases. NATO’s unexpectedly heavy airstrikes against Warsaw Pact airbases overnight ended up severely disrupting the 4th’s battleplans. The damage inflicted on airfield facilities, runways, and aircraft was serious enough to delay the planned missions against …

Baltic Approaches D+4 (13 July, 1987) Part II

The Polish advance against the Jutland Division was on the verge of faltering completely by the late morning. The 12th Mechanized Division’s move to the front had been significantly delayed by a NATO air attack near Winnert. Combat elements of the 12th finally began to arrive and by mid-afternoon and the advance had picked up  …

Baltic Approaches D+4 (13 July, 1987) Part I

It was becoming clear to the Northern Group of Forces commander Colonel-General Ivan Korbutov that his superiors at Western TVD headquarters were increasingly regarding offensive operations against Denmark as a secondary matter. Defeating Denmark early in the war would’ve dealt NATO a major political defeat. On D+4, however, the value of a Danish surrender would …