The Central Front: Command And Control On The Nuclear Battlefield D+24 (2 August, 1987) Part I

In the battlefield nuclear exchanges that took place early on D+24, command and control elements and links were among the earliest casualties in both the NATO and Soviet formations that were targeted. This occurrence was anything but a surprise. Both sides had anticipated and prepared for the eventuality. Contingency plans for combat operations in a …

Dealer’s Choice D+24 (2 August, 1987) 0330-0400 Zulu

0335 Zulu- The 30 kiloton warhead from the Soviet SS-21 exploded 2000 meters over a nature preserve 5 kilometers west of the municipality of Schwienau. The impact point was slightly to the north of the rear area of the Dutch 5th Division. The blast caused horrifically heavy casualties as well as losses of equipment and …

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 …

D+23 (1 August, 1987) 0030-0130 Zulu

Hildesheim, West Germany 1 August, 1987 0030 Zulu (0230 Local) He should’ve left for the rear two hours ago, General Crosbie Saint, US Army reminded himself sourly. The commander of NATO’s Northern Army Group had assured his superiors in Brussels that he would be back at his headquarters by midnight. Now, thirty minutes into the …

A Brief Glance At NATO Battlefield Nuclear Forces D+23 (1 August, 1987)

NATO’s battlefield and theater nuclear weapons in Central Europe were practically untouched by the war. With the exception of a handful of failed Spetznaz and air attacks in the early hours of the conflict, Warsaw Pact forces had deliberately avoided targeting possible deployment areas and airbases containing nuclear weapon storage bunkers. It was planned to …

The Central Front D+22 (31 July 1987) Part III (Bravo)

Dusk fell upon the Central Front, bringing with it the first notes of a precarious pause on the North German Plain. Artillery rumbled sporadically in the distance, but nowhere near as concentrated as it had been earlier in the afternoon. The crack of tank cannons firing and small arms fire popped up periodically as well, …

The Central Front D+22 (31 July 1987) Part II (Bravo)

1200-1800 Hours, NORTHAG Sector 1230- As most the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment halts near Gifhorn, air and armored cavalry reconnaissance patrols push ahead. They discover Soviet units dug in on the eastern side of the Elbe Lateral Canal. The regiment is awaiting the arrival of 2nd Brigade, 2nd Armored Division and a British Regiment promised …

The Central Front D+22 (31 July 1987) Part II (Alpha)

0535-1200 Hours, NORTHAG Sector 0535- Operation Thunder Cloud resumes. 1st and 3rd Brigades of the 1st Cavalry Division begin the drive to Phase Line Dodger. 0550- Heavy maneuver elements of the Dutch 5th Division spearhead the resumption of the Dutch attack northeast of Celle. As these units move, other elements of divisions from I NL …

The Central Front D+22 (31 July 1987) Part I (Bravo)

In an underground command bunker situated in the forest outside Mons, Belgium, Boris Snetkov’s NATO counterpart was sizing up the day ahead. General Jack Galvin, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) was taken aback by the date on the calendar. He realized this was the twenty-third day of war. In his mind it seemed more like …

The Central Front D+21 (30 July, 1987) Part III

By dusk, the situation facing the NATO corps on the North German Plain was auspicious, to put it mildly. The sun dipping beneath the western marked the end of Operation Thunder Cloud’s first day. The counteroffensive was nowhere near reaching its climax., but given the events of the last sixteen hours, the main battle was …