Baltic Approaches D+16 (25 July, 1987) Part I

0000-0700 Hours 0015- Just after midnight, CINC-West learned that the GDR government was in the process of ordering all units of its armed forces to either halt in place or return to their installations at once. Immediate attempts to contact Potsdam, as well as division headquarters and airbases belonging to the East German military all …

Baltic Approaches D+15 (24 July, 1987) Part III

The journey of the surviving vessels of the Soviet amphibious group ended up taking nearly eighteen hours. Course revisions, increasing harassment by Swedish forces and the incomplete picture on the situation in Poland each contributed to the lengthier-than-expected transit. The original plan had been for the group to skirt the East German and Polish coastlines, …

Baltic Approaches D+15 (24 July, 1987) Part II

Operations against the rebelling Polish Army divisions in Western Jutland had been scheduled to commence at 0200 hours. The failure of the expected East German regiments to arrive at the scheduled time, and massive traffic logjams on the roads in the Pact rear areas had forced Northern Group of Forces (NGF) to delay the start …

Baltic Approaches D+15 (24 July, 1987) Part I

0000-0700 0015- The remaining vessels of the Soviet amphibious group depart Bornholm and sail east. Their destination has not yet been determined, though Baltic Fleet has advised the group commander to be prepared to make an opposed landing on the Polish coast along with other Baltic Fleet warships and embarked naval infantry later in the …

Baltic Approaches D+14 (23 July, 1987) Part III

1200-2359 The Polish amphibious vessels, and their surviving escorts entered Gdansk Bay shortly after twelve noon. Within ninety minutes the ships were tying up to the docks and not long afterward men and equipment began to disembark. The ships were met by a cadre of senior military officers who briefed them on the situation in …

Baltic Approaches D+14 (23 July, 1987) Part II

0400-1200 The remaining ships of the Soviet amphibious group were anchored off of the southwest coast of Bornholm.  Two destroyers, damaged rather seriously, were tied to the docks in Ronne Harbor as their crews worked to repair what could be repaired. If either vessel was not able to put back to sea on its own …

Baltic Approaches D+14 (23 July, 1987) Part I

0000-0400 The naval battles in the Baltic Sea on D+13 had proved to be decisive and pyrrhic for both sides. NAVBALTAP’s (Allied Naval Forces Baltic Approaches) surface and submarine forces sustained heavy losses, which were not entirely unexpected. Yet the fast attack craft squadrons, and diesel submarines of the Danish and West German navies largely …

Baltic Approaches D+13 (22 July, 1987) Part VI

1230- The Soviet amphibious group passes 20 miles south of Bornholm. Earlier in the morning the damaged cruiser Alexander Nevsky was detached from the group as its maximum speed was reduced to less than ten knots. The ship was becoming a liability. One of the surviving frigates of the Surface Action Group was tasked with …

Baltic Approaches D+13 (22 July, 1987) Part V- Charlie

Across western Jutland other paratroopers had shared the experience of their brigade command group and dropped near to or directly on friendly units. In more than one instance the morning’s horror of an airdrop was discussed and news of it started to circulate. As is usually the case with stories of traumatic experiences wrought with …

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

The Polish airborne drop that morning was inadvertently spread out over an area of western Jutland measuring 30 kilometers in length, and roughly 16 kilometers in width. Once NATO fighters materialized in large numbers the formation of transport aircraft scattered. Flight paths were no longer a priority as survival became the preeminent aspiration for the …