Air War on the Central Front D+4 (13 July, 1987) Part II

  Lieutenant General Goryaniov’s hunger for retribution was not satisfied by the morning airstrikes on RAF Tornado bases in 2nd ATAF’s area. The commander of the 16th Air Army wanted to strike a blow which would severely degrade NATO’s ability to defend the airspace above the battle front, or at the very least force the …

Air War on the Central Front D+4 (13 July, 1987) Part I

NATO’s surge in offensive counter air (OCA) sorties against Warsaw Pact airfields in East Germany, and Poland commenced in the late night hours of the previous night and ran through 0500 on D+4. Thanks in large part to the efforts of wing and squadron staff officers at RAF Lakenheath and other NATO airbases in the …

The Central Front D+4 (13 July, 1987) Part V

Offensive-itis was becoming endemic in the command ranks of NATO’s Central Army Group in the first half of D+4. The precipitous urge to put CENTAG on the offensive was infecting a large number of brigade, and division commanders, and corps staff officers around CENTAG. As the morning went on, their voices grew louder, and the …

The Central Front D+4 (13 July, 1987) Part IV

CENTAG Early in the afternoon on D+4 advance parties from the 1st Guards Tank Army went forward. 1st GTA’s commander, Lieutenant General Anatoli Tchernitsov was eager to gain a first-hand look at the battle his army group would be joining in a short time. As Tchernitsov sat down with his counterpart from 8th Guards Army, …

The Central Front D+4 (13 July, 1987) Part III

Warsaw Pact activity in NORTHAG’s southern area in the first half of the day was centered around a series of aggressive medium-sized probes and supporting attacks along the length of the Belgian, British, and West German lines.  3rd Shock Army had discovered, to its surprise, that NATO forces had fully withdrawn from Braunschweig during the …

The Central Front D+4 (13 July, 1987) Part II

NORTHAG D+4 opened on the North German Plain in much the same way the previous day ended. Warsaw Pact pressure on Dutch lines was constant although not heavy. Probing and limited attacks continued along the length of I NL Corp’s line. Dutch forces held firmly to their positions with little trouble as the morning progressed. …

The Central Front D+4 (13 July, 1987) Part I

In the pre-dawn hours of D+4, Group Soviet Forces Germany commander General Snetkov stood over an expansive table map of the central front region. The latest positions of Warsaw Pact units, as well as the known, or suspected positions of enemy units were displayed. Every so often an intelligence officer would come over and make …

Gaming World War III: Introduction

As a young boy growing up in the 80s, the idea of large armies and fleets engaging in titanic battles to decide the fates of nations never failed to get my heart pumping, or inspire my imagination. I played soldier along with the rest of the neighborhood kids. With our trusty plastic toy M-16A1s and …

The Politics of Global War: NATO’s Vulnerable Member States

    Within minutes of the balloon going up in Europe, the member-states of the NATO alliance, as well as the rest of the free world, instinctively rallied around the United States. In Washington, the Reagan administration breathed a collective sigh of relief. This moment of truth had long been anticipated by US politicians, diplomats, …

The Central Front D+3 (12 July, 1987) Part III

Supply, fuel, and munition expenditures were also on SACEUR’s mind as D+3 progressed. Like his land commanders, General Galvin was keenly aware that NATO ground and air forces were burning through everything from tank rounds, to spare parts at a brisk clip. Fortunately, NATO war stocks contained enough munitions and material for ten days of  …