Death Knell Of The Pact D+24 (2 August, 1987) Part II

The other Warsaw Pact member-states saw the writing on the wall. As the Third World War continued along on a trajectory of perilous escalation as D+24 went on, some Pact governments were making desperate efforts to jettison affiliations to the Soviet Union in the hope it would spare their nations from nuclear fire. Others adopted …

The Southern Flank D+21 (30 July, 1987)

AFSOUTH planning for offensive operations accelerated when word was received from Brussels that the NATO counterattack in Northern German was underway. Debate raged in Naples over what shape NATO’s counterblow on the Southern Flank would take. Sixth Fleet was pressing for a campaign against Soviet ports and airbases on the Black Sea coastline while officers …

The Southern Flank D+19 (28 July, 1987)

Rescue operations in Madrid were well underway on D+19. AFSOUTH continued to direct rescue and relief assets into the area. Torrejon, the US airbase situated just east of the Spanish capital received considerable damage. Air operations were impossible for the time being. Madrid–Barajas Airport, the international airport that serviced the city, was in no better …

The Southern Flank D+15 (24 July, 1987) Part II

Kennedy and Saratoga’s airwings went to work in the pre-dawn darkness of D+15. From midnight until 0500 CVW-3 and CVW-17 aircraft struck army-level headquarters, airbases, and fuel reserve sites in Bulgaria. They were augmented by a small number of US Air Force F-111s flying from bases in Turkey. Opposition was weaker compared to the previous …