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

Wünsdorf was chosen as a target because of its military relevance. The East German town played host to the peacetime headquarters of Group Soviet Forces Germany and was positioned high on NATO’s target list. Many East German military officers and government officials were aware that Wünsdorf would be targeted in the event of a limited …

West Berlin D+25 (3 August, 1987)

On the morning of 3 August, 1987, as dawn broke across the eastern sky, few residents of West Berlin were aware that a temporary ceasefire was now in place across Europe. NATO and Warsaw Pact military forces were no longer engaged in combat with one another. Or that US and Soviet governments had agreed to …

Black Jack Dawn D+24 (2 August, 1987) 0400-0450

0415 Zulu- SACEUR submits a final target recommendation to President Reagan. The US leader reviews it with the Joint Chiefs and NSC members first. Next comes a discussion with the leaders of Great Britain, France and the Federal Republic. There is general agreement with SACEUR’s selection. For the Germans, however, their approval is understandably reluctant. …

The Morning’s Second Artificial Sunrise D+24 (2 August, 1987) 0253-0330 Zulu

0253 Zulu- Romanov’s hotline message is summarized for President Reagan and his advisers in the Situation Room by the MOLINK duty officer. The general secretary explains that a direct response to the ‘unprovoked NATO nuclear attack on a Soviet military base in the GDR’ will be launched within minutes. He does not understand the purpose …

The Opening Moments D+24 (2 August, 1987) 0000-0015 Zulu

D+24 (2 August, 1987) 0000-0010 Zulu The gravity bomb contained a 30-kiloton warhead that was set to airburst at 800 meters. This aspect of the plan worked perfectly with the warhead exploding at the prescribed altitude. The Fencer aircrew’s delivery of the weapon, on the other hand, was off. The pre-selected ground zero point had …

Cracks Widen: East Germany D+16 (25 July, 1987) Part II

The motivations behind the bold action Heinz Kessler took early on D+16 stemmed largely from personal rivalry and a desire for personal political gain. To say the Ministries of Defense and State Security were rivals would be a gross understatement. The relationship between the two had been irrevocably severed for years, fueled by professional, as …

Cracks Widen: East Germany D+16 (25 July, 1987) Part I

Word of the Pelkwitz incident reached the halls of the East German government early in the evening of D+15. The initial arrival came in the form of an unsubstantiated rumor with scant details passed between junior-ranking officials at the MND (Ministry of National Defense). It wasn’t until an hour past midnight that the news eventually …

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+13 (22 July, 1987) Part III

0645- While NATO fighters flew towards the Pact warplanes approaching the Danish mainland, troops of the East German 29th Motor Rifle Regiment were coming ashore at Hovmarken on the island of Mon, south of Zealand. The specially-trained soldiers had the honor of being the first Warsaw Pact amphibious troops to land on Danish soil. The …

A Second Glimpse at West Berlin D+10 (19 July, 1987) Part II

The lessons of the 1948 Berlin Blockade had been taken to heart by the West Berlin government, and many of the city’s citizens. In the event of another blockade or war, a massive airlift of food, and other essential supplies by the United States and her allies to relieve the city could not be assured. …