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 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 …

The Northern Flank D+3 (12 July, 1987) Part II

Soviet ambassador to Finland Vladimir Sobolev had hoped to conduct the meeting with Finnish President Mauno Koivisto earlier in the morning. The Finns had been insistent on 10 AM, however. Reluctantly, Sobolev conceded the matter with Moscow’s blessing. He arrived at the Presidential Palace and was escorted to Koivisto’s office, still uncertain what the end …