D+18 0401-0800 Zulu, 27 July, 1987 Part II

Freden, FRG 0420 Zulu, 27 July, 1987 (0620 local time) As dawn broke, the decision was made for Major General John Yeosock and his division. Lieutenant General Crosbie Saint exercised his prerogative as NORTHAG’s commanding general and ordered the 1st Cavalry Division to secure Alfeld and Brüggen as soon as possible. Saint clearly wanted to …

The Central Front D+17 (26 July, 1987) Part V Charlie

Late in the evening, General John Galvin, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) received word that the first troops from 1st Cavalry Division were over the Leine. The news invigorated SACEUR’s deputies, as well as his staff. After two and a half weeks spent playing round-the-clock defense, NATO had possession of the ball. NORTHAG’s new …

The Central Front D+17 (26 July, 1987) Part V Bravo

The Commander-In-Chief of the Western TVD, Marshal Nikolai Ogarkov was relieved of his duties at 1600 hours, CEST. It was to be another hour before General Snetkov learned of the news. A KGB officer arrived from Western TVD’s wartime command post in Poland to personally deliver the news of Ogarkov’s removal. The officer also informed …

The Central Front D+17 (26 July, 1987) Part V Alpha

Disorientation continued to hamper Soviet commanders into the afternoon. From the divisional level straight up to the theater commander, there was no clear picture of the situation developing along the Leine or to its west. Fragments of information made their way to headquarters and then somehow ended up either being exaggerated and passed along or, …

The Central Front D+17 (26 July, 1987) Part IV Charlie

0705- 3rd Shock Army’s forward command post was a scene of unrelenting tumult. Enemy jamming was gradually becoming less of a problem, but the situation on the other side of the Leine remained in a state of chaos. One tank division was moving forward into the attack, seemingly blind to what was going on to …

The Central Front D+17 (26 July, 1987) Part IV Bravo

0445-The GAZ jeep holding the hapless officer from 8th Guards Tank Division’s command staff and his driver approach Greene from the west. The sky is beginning to brighten as the vehicle slows and pulls off the B-64 roadway onto a fire trail carved into the thick forest west of the town. It comes to a …

The Central Front D+17 (26 July, 1987) Part IV Alpha

0220- With the bulk of 1/8 Cav having arrived outside of Luthorst, the battalion commander makes the decision to push forward with what he has on hand at present. The single company and support elements bringing up the rear would just have to catch up. Sunrise would come at 0530 or thereabouts, with first light …

The Central Front D+17 (26 July, 1987) Part III

3rd Shock Army’s commander fervently hoped this day would bring better fortunes for his army group’s forward divisions. The two tank divisions pushing towards the Weser at Hoxter had been on the verge of breaking through the Belgian forces in front of them in the later afternoon of D+17. Follow on regiments were preparing to …

The Central Front D+8 (17 July, 1987) Part I

The focal point in the battle for West Germany was rapidly developing around Hanover. NATO and the Warsaw Pact each recognized the significance of the city and surrounding areas to their future operations, and overall war aims. Hanover was the gateway to the Weser River. Beyond that body of water lay the Ruhr Valley, the …