Baltic Approaches D+20 (29 July, 1987)

0035- Officers from the East German 28th Motor Rifle Regiment meet with a contingent of Danish officers at Viemose. The meeting lasts just twenty minutes and revolves around the terms and conditions necessary to bring about a formal surrender of the East German regiment. A second meeting is agreed upon and scheduled for later in …

Baltic Approaches D+19 (28 July, 1987)

0500- With the shock and initial paralysis from the limited nuclear exchange on the previous day beginning to wear off, political leadership in the capital cities of allied nations were taking stock of the situation, which was evolving perilously. The Superpowers now occupied center stage with all but the most indispensable allies relegated to the …

Baltic Approaches D+17 (26 July, 1987) Part I

The Soviets controlled Gdansk. The shipyard was secure, as were other key areas of the port city. The outskirts though, remained unsettled. Pockets of Solidarity members and rebellious Polish military and police, who’d been ejected from the city, fight on into the morning. As the day carries on, the plight of the city becomes a …

Baltic Approaches D+2 (11 July, 1987) Part III

The slow progress in the air campaign against Denmark, and a growing need to begin air attacks against southern Norway and RAF bases in Scotland was forcing the Soviets to examine Sweden. The Scandinavian nation had remained neutral in the conflict thus far, adhering to its historic position of not involving itself in European conflicts. …

Baltic Approaches D+1 (10 July, 1987) Part III

COMBATLAP’s naval commander believed otherwise. Bornholm possessed no true strategic value for the Warsaw Pact. It was unable to support offensive operations against Denmark and the Baltic approaches. The island’s airport was small and its port facilities were severely limited for that. The attack on Bornholm was a feint, he judged, aimed at distracting his …

Baltic Approaches D+1 (10 July, 1987) Part II

10 July saw the beginning of a major effort by the Pact to secure air and sea supremacy in the Baltic. The focus of this effort was on Danish airbases. Of the fifty NATO airfields that were hosting combat aircraft in Central Europe, six were located in Denmark. The Royal Danish Air Force was a …

Baltic Approaches: D+0 (9 July, 1987) 0600-1000**

To the surprise of  senior NATO officers in Brussels and Kolsas, as well as the government and citizenry of Denmark, the first day of World War III was exceptionally quiet around the Baltic Approaches in comparison to other areas of Europe. It had been expected that the Warsaw Pact offensive into West Germany would be …