The Central Front D+13 (22 July, 1987) Part I

The appearance of American and British armor, virtually out of nowhere, brought chaos and major disruptions to 3rd Shock Army on the previous afternoon and evening. Like a forest fire the NATO armored rampage had spread unchecked until it practically reached the banks of the river. Two motor rifle divisions were now all but combat …

The Central Front D+12 (21 July, 1987) Part III

*Author’s Note: I wasn’t intending for this entry to be short but work became an issue today. Unfortunately, this means Central Front D+12 will wrap up Sunday instead of Friday as I had planned. Sorry about that, guys.     0845 The initial reports of American armor to his division’s front did not surprise the …

The Central Front D+12 (21 July, 1987) Part II

By 0200 the 56th Guards Motor Rifle Division (MRD) was across the Leine and establishing a perimeter out to Highway 240. Behind it, the 58th Guards MRD began its own river crossing. NATO air attacks continued to disrupt the operation, damaging the crossing points and bringing on delays, but the movement of men, and equipment …

Air War on the Central Front D+11 (20 July, 1987) Part I

At this point in the war, the Soviets and their Warsaw Pact allies were unable to secure control of the skies over the entire front, even for a brief period of time. This stark reality was a harsh pill to swallow, but Pact commanders begrudgingly accepted it as fact. However, the ability to attain air …

The Central Front D+11 (20 July, 1987) Part III

It wasn’t until the late afternoon that 2nd Squadron/3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment was ejected off the first ridge overlooking the Leine and Alfeld. Their resistance had been strong, and resilient. It took far longer than anticipated to remove them, and the effort nearly bled 56th Guards Motor Rifle Division white in the process. Shortly afterwards, …

The Central Front D+11 (20 July, 1987) Part II

0445-1200 The river crossing operation began on time. At Alfeld, two battalions of artillery lashed the ridge on the western side overlooking the river with high explosive rounds. This was the area where the American tanks and fighting vehicles were dug in. The next volley from the guns delivered a thick screen of smoke onto …

The Central Front D+11 (20 July, 1987) Part I

NATO forces had been chased across the Leine completely. Soviet tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and troops were pressed up against the eastern bank of the river. The 56th Guards Motor Rifle Division was spread at Brüggen, Alfeld, and Freden. The division’s engineering battalion had been savaged by an air attack on its assembly area the …

The Central Front D+9 (18 July, 1987) Part II

The British 1st Armored Division had completed its withdrawal and passage through the 4th Armoured Division’s lines by first light. The 7th Armoured Brigade remained in position east of Hanover, screening the rest of its parent division as it moved west. Enemy opposition was minimal, limited mainly to fire strikes that more often than not …