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+16 (25 July, 1987) Part II

The Warsaw Pact advances into Thrace on D+16 closely resembled those of the previous day: Strong resistance by the Greek and Turkish defenders and minimal gains by the Bulgarian 1st and 2nd Armies. The lack of progress by Pact forces since crossing the border two days earlier appeared to indicate a likely failure of the …

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

The start time for Sixth Fleet’s planned airstrikes on the Soviet amphibious group in the Black Sea had been pushed to 0500 in order to coincide with other NATO air attacks set for the early morning hours. Kennedy’s airwing, with it’s two A-6 Intruder squadrons, was tasked to hit the Soviet amphibs. CVW-17 off Saratoga …

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

The centerpiece of land operations on the Southern Flank on D+15 continued to be in Greco-Turkish Thrace. Two Bulgarian army groups that crossed the border on the previous day continued their advances south and east. The main effort was in the east where the 1st Bulgarian Army was pressing towards the Bosphorus. The secondary advance …

The Southern Flank D+14 (23 July, 1987) Part II

The remainder of the day in Thrace continued along the same lines as the first part. Heavy fighting, especially in eastern Thrace, coupled with minimal advances. The first echelon of Warsaw Pact ground forces was made up primarily of the two Bulgarian army groups, with a small number of Soviet regiments in accompaniment. The plan …

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

The storm broke in Thrace at 0445 hours on 23 July, 1987 (D+14). The long awaited Warsaw Pact ground offensive commenced when Bulgarian forces crossed into Greek and Turkish territory. This was preceded by a moderate number of Soviet air attacks targeting NATO airbases, headquarters, and air defense sites in Greece, and Turkey. The air …

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

Preparations continued in the Southwestern TVD’s area of operations through the first half of D+13. In Bulgarian Thrace six divisions were massed along the border with Greece and Turkey. Five more were located in staging areas 25-30 kilometers to the north. Convoys of armored vehicles and supply trucks motored south to the border area. After …

The Southern Flank D+12 (21 July, 1987)

D+12 was a relatively quiet day on the Southern Flank, all things being equal. An intermission of sorts, with some participants exiting the field as others prepared to make their entrance. Whereas the combat in more northern areas of the European continent was constant and ferocious, the same did not hold true for Southern Europe, …

The Southern Flank D+11 (20 July, 1987) Part II

USS John F. Kennedy and her escorts cleared the Strait of Gibraltar at 0025 local time. Spanish frigates and US Navy P-3 Orions sanitized the area ahead of the battlegroup. Even though the Western Med was officially secure there was always the possibility of a Soviet sub lurking in the worst possible place at the …

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

Right before the morning briefing got underway, Southwestern TVD (SWTVD) commander General Ivan Gerasimov took a call from Marshal of the Soviet Union Sergei Akhromeyev, Chief of the General Staff in Moscow. Akhromeyev ordered him to be in Moscow by midnight and to bring with him the plans for the next phase of operations in …