The Southern Flank D+21 (30 July, 1987)

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 …

The Southern Flank D+20 (29 July, 1987)

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 …

D+18 On The Flanks And At Sea 1830-2359 Zulu 27 July, 1987

For NATO and Warsaw Pact commanders on the flanks and at sea, news of the exchange halted operations for a period of time as preparations for potentially yet another round of nuclear exchanges got underway. In each theater, these preparations were complicated by conditions exclusive to each respective theater of operation. On NATO’s Southern Flank, …

The Southern Flank D+17 (26 July, 1987) Part I

From the NATO perspective, conditions on the Southern Flank were leaning in favor of the alliance. The successful attacks by US carrier aircraft on the Soviet amphibious group off the coast of Bulgaria had removed the threat of a Pact landing at the Bosphorus from the board. Meanwhile, the Pact offensive into Thrace was making …

The Southern Flank D+10 (19 July, 1987) Part II

Libya’s declaration of neutrality did not shake Moscow to its core. Frankly, the Libyan move was met with general indifference by Soviet leadership. By this point in the war, the focus had shifted almost fully to the Central European battlefront. Romanov and the Politburo regarded Libya, and the Mediterranean as an inessential sideshow. Gaddafi’s decision …

The Southern Flank: D+2 (11 July, 1987) Part I

Overall, D+2 was a quiet twenty-four hour period across the Southern Flank. Reinforcements continued moving into theater for both NATO and the Warsaw Pact as both sides continued their respective preparations for offensive and defensive operations. To be frank, neither side was ready to launch a major land offensive at the present time, though this …

The View From The Flanks: AFSOUTH, D-2 (7 July, 1987) **

Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Southern Europe (CINC-SOUTH) Admiral James Busey USN, spent an inordinate amount of time on 6 July on the telephone with Norfolk attempting to pry an aircraft carrier away from SACLANT for the Mediterranean. The US Sixth Fleet only had one carrier in the Mediterranean at present with the Saratoga. Constellation was supposed to …