An In-Depth History and Analysis of the Third World War
NATO Naval Losses On The Southern Flank The majority of ship losses in the Southern Flank area of operations came in the first eight days of hostilities. From that point on the number of naval engagements declined considerably. Ship and submarine losses continued to occur in this time, however. The navies of NATO’s Southern Flank …
Continue reading "WWIII Naval Loses: NATO Ship & Submarine Losses, Southern Flank D+1 Through D+24"
On 28 June, 1987 the Soviet general secretary informed the Ministry of Defense that Zapad ’87 was to commence on the first of July. A final decision on the date hostilities were to commence was not mentioned. Senior Soviet generals suspected Zapad would transition directly into a broader mobilization and from there to war. Marshal …
Continue reading "The Central Front Mobilization Race Part III"
Until recent times, the Third World War was widely considered to have been the final war where control of the oceans was a critical prerequisite for victory. NATO and Warsaw Pact naval strategies were focused on the North Atlantic. The mission for NATO was to maintain control of the North Atlantic and its sea lanes. …
Continue reading "Naval Losses In World War III: Introduction"
On the morning of D+22 one of the very few remaining Soviet submarines in the Mediterranean struck gold. A Kilo class diesel-powered attack sub came across a US Navy auxiliary ship southwest of Crete. The ship was the USS Butte, a Kilauea class ammunition ship returning to Naples. During an underway replenishment of the Saratoga …
Continue reading "The Southern Flank D+22 (31 July, 1987) Part II"
AFSOUTH planning for offensive operations accelerated when word was received from Brussels that the NATO counterattack in Northern German was underway. Debate raged in Naples over what shape NATO’s counterblow on the Southern Flank would take. Sixth Fleet was pressing for a campaign against Soviet ports and airbases on the Black Sea coastline while officers …
Rescue and recovery operations in Madrid and the surrounding affected areas increased in scope and size with every passing hour. The Spanish government was pulling itself together as expeditiously as conditions allowed. It was clear by this time what senior government positions were empty and needed to be filled in order to make certain there …
Rescue operations in Madrid were well underway on D+19. AFSOUTH continued to direct rescue and relief assets into the area. Torrejon, the US airbase situated just east of the Spanish capital received considerable damage. Air operations were impossible for the time being. Madrid–Barajas Airport, the international airport that serviced the city, was in no better …
The start time for Sixth Fleet’s planned airstrikes on the Soviet amphibious group in the Black Sea had been pushed to 0500 in order to coincide with other NATO air attacks set for the early morning hours. Kennedy’s airwing, with it’s two A-6 Intruder squadrons, was tasked to hit the Soviet amphibs. CVW-17 off Saratoga …
Continue reading "The Southern Flank D+16 (25 July, 1987) Part I"
Kennedy and Saratoga had moved into the Eastern Mediterranean on the previous night, later than originally planned. COMSIXTHFLT had held them back following their UNREP to goad the Soviets into thinking the two carrier battle groups were going north to the Adriatic instead of deeper into the Med. The enemy, however, did not take the …
Continue reading "The Southern Flank D+13 (22 July, 1987) Part II"
D+12 was a relatively quiet day on the Southern Flank, all things being equal. An intermission of sorts, with some participants exiting the field as others prepared to make their entrance. Whereas the combat in more northern areas of the European continent was constant and ferocious, the same did not hold true for Southern Europe, …
Third World War 1987 