WWIII In Numbers (Entry#1)

WWIII is a war defined by numbers. Literally. Mountains of numbers and figures have been released covering every conceivable topic. From ammunition expenditures of every weapon used in the war to the average lifespan of a Soviet infantry fighting vehicle on the Central Front, numbers told the final story. More impressive is the fact that …

WWIII Naval Losses: NATO, D+0 (9 July, 1987)

As anticipated, the first day of the Third World War generated fierce engagements between NATO and Warsaw Pact forces at sea. From the North Cape to the mouth of the Persian Gulf naval and air forces clashed. Surface warships and submarines from both sides were damaged and destroyed. From the opening of hostilities in the …

Gaming WWIII: Requesting Some Reader Input On WWIII 1987 Wargame Scenarios.

Before we jump back into the mixture for a few more detailed D+24 entries, I wanted to reach out to the readers and get some opinions on a project I’ve been considering for a couple of weeks. As most of you are aware, the conflict model for World War III: 1987 includes several sets of …

On The Edge Of The Precipice D+24 (2 August, 1987) 1100-1530 Zulu

1100 Zulu- In Western Poland Marshal Snetkov learns of multiple Soviet divisions in West Germany surrendering to NATO forces. Unfortunately for CINC-West, communication disruptions make it almost impossible to verify the authenticity of the reports. 1115 Zulu- Similar claims of Soviet surrenders are making their way to SACEUR in Belgium. Only his reports come from …

WWIII 1987 Odds and Ends

With D+24 set to launch later this weekend, I felt this would be a good time to catch up on a few blog-related odds and ends.  Sometimes I don’t keep up with the flow of this blog as well as I’d like to. As a result, the pile of loose ends and subjects I haven’t …

D+23 Primer Part II

Politics By the start of D+23 the Reagan administration’s strategy was centered on candid and accelerated diplomatic efforts to produce a ceasefire that would lead to formal negotiations. But the White House was sensible enough to realize Soviet leadership might not be persuaded by words alone. Therefore, as diplomatic notes were sent east through neutral …

D+23 Primer Part I

After mulling it over for some time and playing with a few ideas, I’ve decided to just write up D+23 in a narrative form, similar to how D+18 was presented. The focus will be centered on events of the 24-hour period starting at 0000 Hours Zulu Time (Greenwich Meantime) 1 August, 1987 through to 2359 …

D+22 Primer

Here we are, roughly twenty-four hours away from diving back into World War III on D+22. I’ve gone back and forth a bit on how to present the day and its major events because we’re reaching a point where multiple theaters are going to be fused together. But after reviewing the timeline, and outline showing …

Gaming WWIII: User Feedback On The Third World War: Designer Signature Edition

The Third World War series was the gold standard of NATO-Warsaw Pact operational level wargames in the 1980s. Each of the four titles can hold its own against competition from the ’80s and even beyond. Separately, they examine what shape NATO-WP operational level conflicts would take in specific theaters. Central Europe in Third World War: …

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

In Lapland, the 54th Motor Rifle Division’s withdrawal back to Soviet territory was well underway and starting to make headway despite growing resistance from Finnish and newly arrived Swedish troops in the north. The 281st Motor Rifle Regiment was now screening the division’s rear. Its troops were dueling around the clock with Finnish and Swedish …