The Northern Flank D+12 (21 July, 1987) Part I

As the hours crept by and Colonel General Vladimir Arkhipov became more current with the overall situation in his new command, he found himself growing more perturbed. It was clear that his predecessor had been a blundering fool with not even a basic understanding of modern war. This lack of knowledge was responsible for the …

The Northern Flank D+9 (18 July, 1987) Part III

As was the case on the previous day, land operations in northern Norway remained secondary concerns for AFNORTH and Northwestern TVD (NWTVD) for most of D+9. Air and naval operations continued to dominate the battle for Norway. At the present rate, the battle was likely to be won or lost in the skies, and at …

The Northern Flank D+8 (17 July, 1987) Part III

Land operations in Norway remained a secondary matter for both sides on D+8. In the last thirty-six hours, environmental, meteorological, and operational considerations all played roles of varying consequence for Soviet, and NATO ground commanders. As previously detailed, air and sea operations were assuming the lion’s share of prominence in theater. Even though AFNORTH and …

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 …