The Central Front D+9 (18 July, 1987) Part IV

Southern Germany Timeline  D+6 to D+9 D+6 -The northern prong of the Warsaw Pact effort through Bavaria remains directed at Nuremberg. The advance dries up almost completely and with the decisive fighting going on up north, the prospect of significant reinforcement is remote. Nor is there the chance of a secondary advance coming south out …

The Central Front D+9 (18 July, 1987) Part III

On the Eastern Front in the Second World War, Red Army formations generally utilized mass and speed, or terrain in their attacks. After the war, many German officers admitted openly that speed was the most difficult to defend against. The Soviets favored mass and speed, and the results obtained in the east justified their overindulgence …

The Central Front D+9 (18 July, 1987) Part II

The British 1st Armored Division had completed its withdrawal and passage through the 4th Armoured Division’s lines by first light. The 7th Armoured Brigade remained in position east of Hanover, screening the rest of its parent division as it moved west. Enemy opposition was minimal, limited mainly to fire strikes that more often than not …

The Central Front D+9 (18 July, 1987) Part I

20th Guards Army combat units started the tenth day of the war advancing along the same axes they had on the previous day. With the point of convergence for the entire front having shifted from Hanover to the Weser, the army group’s future role in the grand drama playing out on the North German Plain …

Baltic Approaches D+9 (18 July, 1987) Part III

The scope and tempo of air operations in the Baltic region was limited for NATO and the Warsaw Pact on D+9. Missions were conducted, airspace defended, and reconnaissance efforts continued at a limited pace compared to recent days. Both sides were waiting for the shoe to drop so to speak, and did not want their …

Baltic Approaches D+9 (18 July, 1987) Part II

The Northern Group of Forces (NGF) and Polish divisions pushing north through Schleswig-Holstein towards Jutland weren’t exempt from the indecision and ambivalence dominating the Baltic theater. The future remained unclear concerning the timetable for ground operations against Denmark. NGF’s commander, Colonel-General Ivan Korbutov wasn’t sure there would even be a next phase. Everything was contingent …

Baltic Approaches D+9 (18 July, 1987) Part I

Meetings between Swedish diplomats and senior NATO officials continued through the night in Brussels. Not long after midnight the meeting adjourned. The Swedes returned to their embassy for consultations with Stockholm. The NATO officials briefed Secretary General Peter Carrington on the progress of the talks. Afterward, Carrington personally contacted President Reagan, Prime Minister Thatcher, and …

The North Atlantic D+9 (18 July, 1987) Part VI

Kitty Hawk began recovering aircraft. The Tomcat-Hawkeye combination had performed magnificently, decimating Raid-1 as well as killing six Backfires from Raid-2 as they withdrew. Damage control efforts on Montcalm kept the French frigate afloat for two hours. A long enough period of time for casualties, and the surviving crewmen to be transferred to other ships. …

The North Atlantic D+9 (18 July, 1987) Part V

Each one of Raid 2’s eighteen Backfires fired its AS-4s without incident or malfunction. Following launch, the bombers turned north, eager to clear the area before any F-14s showed up. The Kitchens climbed to 34,000 feet, then began descending at a shallow angle as their speeds reached Mach 3.3. The missiles had been programmed to …

The North Atlantic D+9 (18 July, 1987) Part IV

Of the forty-six Backfire bombers that had taken off from the Kola Peninsula, forty remained as the raid rode parallel to the northern Norwegian coastline. Four aborted due to mechanical, and avionics issues, and two were shot down by a pair of Norwegian F-16s that had somehow stumbled across the formation. The appearance of enemy …