The Northern Flank D+20 (29 July, 1987)

In Lapland, the 54th Motor Rifle Division’s withdrawal back to Soviet territory was well underway and starting to make headway despite growing resistance from Finnish and newly arrived Swedish troops in the north. The 281st Motor Rifle Regiment was now screening the division’s rear. Its troops were dueling around the clock with Finnish and Swedish …

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

NATO and Soviet ground forces were largely inactive during the first part of the day. The confusion and anxiety formed by events elsewhere in the world dominated thoughts, preparation and action. NBC precautions were in place on both sides of the battleline. Troops moved around in bulky protective suits and masks. The restrictive nature of …

The Northern Flank D+17 (26 July, 1987) Part I

AFNORTH’s preparations to commence offensive operations in the north were well underway on the morning of D+17. Additional US Marines, as well as their British counterparts were being airlifted to Banak, reinforcing the troops already on the ground there. The Norwegian air station, which had been under Soviet control until recently, would be established as …

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 …

The Northern Flank D+16 (25 July, 1987) Part I

The military paradigm on the Northern Flank had shifted almost completely by the pre-dawn hours of D+16. It was the Soviet Union that was now on the defensive in the air, at sea and on land. NATO was now conducting offensive operations in preparation for the time when a coordinated offensive would be launched to …

The Northern Flank D+14 (23 July, 1987) Part I

The first major decision that Colonel General Vladimir Arkhipov, Northwestern TVD’s newly installed commander had to contend with on D+14 was the future of ground operations in Finland. The harsh reality was that the fighting in the Finnish wedge had become a sideshow over the past few days as the main focus in theater shifted …

The Northern Flank D+13 (22 July, 1987) Part I

The plight of the surviving Backfires and Badgers that morning was not yet over. As the aircraft approached the northern coastline of the Kola Peninsula they were directed by the regional air defense center to head back out over the sea and establish a holding pattern. No reason for the change was given, but two …

The Northern Flank D+12 (21 July, 1987) Part I

As the hours crept by and Colonel General Vladimir Arkhipov became more current with the overall situation in his new command, he found himself growing more perturbed. It was clear that his predecessor had been a blundering fool with not even a basic understanding of modern war. This lack of knowledge was responsible for the …

The Northern Flank D+11 (20 July, 1987) Part I

Immediately following the Defense Council meeting that morning in Moscow, KGB Chairman Viktor Chebrikov handed Marshal Akhromeyev a list of NWTVD senior officers and their staffs. Notes were scribbled aside each name denoting certain officer’s reliability or lack thereof. In essence, the list told Akhromeyev who the chekists were in the Northwestern Theater of Military …

Baltic Approaches D+10 (19 July, 1987) Part II

Even before Sweden became a combatant Soviet military air and sea assets in the Baltic region were in danger of becoming overextended. After ten days of fighting Denmark was not yet neutralized. The Danish Air Force had been reinforced by US and British fighter squadrons and now NATO airpower held a decisive edge in the …