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 …

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

When he arrived in the TVR studios at 1930 hours, Nicolae Ceausescu remained ignorant to the signs foretelling of a coming storm. And with good reason. In the final days of peace in early July, 1987 there had been no signs of  fomenting internal dissent visible in Romania. The Romanian Communist Party, along with practically …

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

The timetable for the KGB-backed operation to remove Romanian strongman Nicolae Ceaușescu from power and replace him with somebody more agreeable to the Kremlin, had endured considerable delays. By early in the morning of D+17, roughly eighteen hours after action had been scheduled to take place, the manufactured change of leadership was prepared to commence. …

The Southern Flank D+16 (25 July, 1987) Part II

The Warsaw Pact advances into Thrace on D+16 closely resembled those of the previous day: Strong resistance by the Greek and Turkish defenders and minimal gains by the Bulgarian 1st and 2nd Armies. The lack of progress by Pact forces since crossing the border two days earlier appeared to indicate a likely failure of the …

The Southern Flank D+15 (24 July, 1987) Part I

The centerpiece of land operations on the Southern Flank on D+15 continued to be in Greco-Turkish Thrace. Two Bulgarian army groups that crossed the border on the previous day continued their advances south and east. The main effort was in the east where the 1st Bulgarian Army was pressing towards the Bosphorus. The secondary advance …