Western Pacific D+19 (28 July, 1987)

By the early hours of D+19 the military and geopolitical ramifications from the nuclear exchange had taken hold in the Western Pacific. The nuclear-capable forces in the region went to high alert and remained there as tensions ebbed and flowed through the day. The ballistic missile submarines assigned to the Soviet Red Banner Pacific Fleet …

The Western Pacific D+17 (26 July, 1987)

Western Pacific D+17 0117- The first US attacks against targets in the Pyongyang area are launched. Against a pitch black, star-filled sky two explosions shatter the morning calm. Smoke and fire pour from the twisted wreckage of the Ministry of Defense building and Mansudae Hall, seat of the Supreme People's Assembly. The two F-117 stealth …

The Western Pacific D+15 (24 July, 1987) Part II

Not long after dawn, a ROK (Republic of Korea) mechanized infantry brigade commenced a spoiler attack against the North Korean 872nd Tank Division 4 kilometers south of Uijongbu. The 872nd was the lead element of the North Korean push down the Uijongbu Corridor. Communications intercepts had revealed the NK division was just a shell of …

The Western Pacific D+13 (22 July, 1987)

The tempo of North Korean operations in South Korea noticeably slackened in the morning hours. While the day progressed, the pace continued to lessen. The anticipated ground attacks were not as powerful as expected. Armor and motorized infantry unit movement was limited and restrictive in many sectors. According to reports transmitted by some frontline ROK …

The Western Pacific D+12 (21 July, 1987) Part I

Fighting on the Korean peninsula intensified throughout the day. The strategy for the North Korean offensive was quite apparent, and the same held true for the defensive plans of the Combined Forces Command (CFC). There was little room for subterfuge, or deceit on the ground. South Korea’s geography shaped the respective battle plans, and was …

The Western Pacific D+10 (19 July, 1987) Part I

Hostilities officially erupted on the Korean Peninsula at 0423 hours, 19 July, 1987. The first overt clash between North Korean (NK) and South Korean (ROK) military forces occurred in the Yellow Sea. A North Korean diesel submarine was detected and sunk by a pair of ROK S-2 Trackers as it made a shallow approach towards …