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 …

The Southern Flank D+22 (31 July, 1987) Part II

On the morning of D+22 one of the very few remaining Soviet submarines in the Mediterranean struck gold. A Kilo class diesel-powered attack sub came across a US Navy auxiliary ship southwest of Crete. The ship was the USS Butte, a Kilauea class ammunition ship returning to Naples. During an underway replenishment of the Saratoga …

The Southern Flank D+22 (31 July, 1987) Part I

D+22 on the Southern Flank is most accurately remembered as a day of transitions for many of the theater’s supporting characters. As the main combatants reluctantly probed and prepared their next moves, nations like Egypt, Israel and Syria were looking ahead to the post-war era and hedging their bets. The eventual outcome of the war, …

The Southern Flank D+21 (30 July, 1987)

AFSOUTH planning for offensive operations accelerated when word was received from Brussels that the NATO counterattack in Northern German was underway. Debate raged in Naples over what shape NATO’s counterblow on the Southern Flank would take. Sixth Fleet was pressing for a campaign against Soviet ports and airbases on the Black Sea coastline while officers …

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 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 …

Short Primer Before D+20 Starts Up

It has been a little over two-weeks since the final D+19 entry was posted. I think it will be helpful to provide a bit of a primer before we head into D+20. Just to give readers a refresher on where we’re at, major events and other important information. Beats having to dig back into the …

The Southern Flank D+19 (28 July, 1987)

Rescue operations in Madrid were well underway on D+19. AFSOUTH continued to direct rescue and relief assets into the area. Torrejon, the US airbase situated just east of the Spanish capital received considerable damage. Air operations were impossible for the time being. Madrid–Barajas Airport, the international airport that serviced the city, was in no better …

D+18 On The Flanks And At Sea 1830-2359 Zulu 27 July, 1987

For NATO and Warsaw Pact commanders on the flanks and at sea, news of the exchange halted operations for a period of time as preparations for potentially yet another round of nuclear exchanges got underway. In each theater, these preparations were complicated by conditions exclusive to each respective theater of operation. On NATO’s Southern Flank, …

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 …