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+15 (24 July, 1987) Part II

Despite the 11th Independent Air Army commander’s initial alarm, the true intent behind the NATO airstrikes, and supporting sorties in the early morning hour was not to pave the way for B-52s and other American strategic bombers to transform the Kola Peninsula into a sheet of glass. The attacks and jamming were intended to keep …

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 …

The Northern Flank D+9 (18 July, 1987) Part I

The going remained slow, and dangerous for Soviet motor rifle troops in Lapland. The deeper the 54th Motor Rifle Division moved into Finnish territory, the heavier enemy resistance became. It was the same story as the previous thirty-six hours. The lack of paved roads, and flooded terrain severely restricted movement of vehicles.  The Finnish troops …

The Northern Flank D+8 (17 July, 1987) Part I

The Soviet 54th Motor Rifle Division’s advance into Finnish Lapland was contending with many of the same problems that its sister division dealt with when it crossed into Norwegian territory earlier in the war. The terrain in the area of Lapland where Soviet motor rifle troops were on the move was low. The fact that …

The Northern Flank D+7 (16 July, 1987) Part I

The first elements of the 54th Motor Rifle Division began crossing the Finnish border at 0200 hours CEST. Air attacks targeting Finnish airbases, radar sites, and other military targets in Lapland preceded the ground invasion by roughly ten hours. In the late afternoon and evening of D+6 the Soviets made a concerted effort to degrade …

The Northern Flank D+6 (15 July, 1987) Part III

The Norwegian government’s opposition to a major NATO counter-air effort over the northern region of the country was unchanged through the morning hours. The 24 hour hold promised by Prime Minister Thatcher and US Secretary of State George Shultz was twelve hours old. Their efforts towards reaching a resolution were starting to make headway but …

The Northern Flank D+6 (15 July, 1987) Part II

The pace of the Soviet advance down E-6 remained sluggish on D+6 owing to the same reasons talked about at length in previous entries.  It was not helping the 131st Motor Rifle Division’s cause that a large portion of the attack helicopters and airmobile troops supporting its advance were detached and ordered to prepare for …

The Northern Flank D+6 (15 July, 1987) Part I

The discovery that the Geneva Pause was, in fact, an elaborate ruse conjured up by the Dutch and West German governments was received unfavorably by General Secretary Romanov, and the upper echelons of Soviet political, and military leadership. Romanov’s outrage stemmed from the realization that he had been played the fool. The indignation and frustration …