The Central Front: Command And Control On The Nuclear Battlefield D+24 (2 August, 1987) Part I

In the battlefield nuclear exchanges that took place early on D+24, command and control elements and links were among the earliest casualties in both the NATO and Soviet formations that were targeted. This occurrence was anything but a surprise. Both sides had anticipated and prepared for the eventuality. Contingency plans for combat operations in a …

A Brief Glance At NATO Theater Nuclear Forces D+23 (1 August, 1987)

NATO’s theater nuclear forces in Central Europe on D+23 consisted of intermediate range ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, and nuclear gravity bombs delivered by tactical fighters. In the case of ballistic and cruise missile systems, the warheads and missiles were both operated and owned by the United States. When it came to air delivered B-61s, …

WWIII Novel: Chapter 3 Excerpt

Author’s Note: Well, I decided to make a little change in presentation. Instead of posting the rest of the prologue, I’m going to post an excerpt from Chapter 3. That way, I can give you guys a bigger piece of the overall picture and flow of events. Hopefully it works out. This weekend I’ll post …

Snapshots of War: The First Sortie

On 9 July, 1987, Major Mark Dwyer was an F-15 pilot assigned to the 32nd Tactical Fighter Squadron at Soesterberg Airbase, a USAFE base in the Netherlands. Dwyer, a native of Albany, NY and graduate of Penn State University, was also the operations officer for the 32nd. In addition to their jobs in the cockpit, …

The Central Front D+7 (16 July, 1987) Part I

Confusion and indecision descended on I NL Corps headquarters as midnight passed and a new day began. Details of the situation in the Suderberg-Gifhorn sector made their way up the chain of command in muddled fashion. The 52nd Armored Infantry Brigade was retreating from Eschede. Beyond that, very few solid facts were known. The corps …

The Central Front D+6 (15 July, 1987) Part IV

0700 Continued- Artillery barrages and airstrikes preceded the Soviet divisions westward advance. A full regiment of MiG-29 Fulcrums was on station over the area, keeping NATO airpower from inflicting damage on the advancing first-echelon regiments, and giving protection to the MiGs and Sukhoi attack planes flying strikes in support of the units on the ground.  …

The Central Front D+5 (14 July, 1987) Part III

By the early afternoon, General Snetkov was growing less confident about the chances of commencing the attack today. No guidance was forthcoming from CINC-West, though Snetkov was hardly surprised by the communications black hole that had developed between his command post and Western TVD’s wartime headquarters. He was certain that his superior was not willfully …

The Central Front D+4 (13 July, 1987) Part III

Warsaw Pact activity in NORTHAG’s southern area in the first half of the day was centered around a series of aggressive medium-sized probes and supporting attacks along the length of the Belgian, British, and West German lines.  3rd Shock Army had discovered, to its surprise, that NATO forces had fully withdrawn from Braunschweig during the …

The Central Front D+4 (13 July, 1987) Part II

NORTHAG D+4 opened on the North German Plain in much the same way the previous day ended. Warsaw Pact pressure on Dutch lines was constant although not heavy. Probing and limited attacks continued along the length of I NL Corp’s line. Dutch forces held firmly to their positions with little trouble as the morning progressed. …

The Central Front D+3 (12 July, 1987) Part I

General Snetkov had stretched the truth when he informed Ligachev that his northern army groups had identified weak points in NATO lines. They hadn’t --yet. Snetkov was determined to make sure that changed in the next twenty four hours, however. Upon returning to his headquarters, the general issued orders to 2nd Guards Tank Army and …