An In-Depth History and Analysis of the Third World War
The Backfire groups acknowledged the raid commander’s orders, coming around fully to the west and starting descents to the predetermined altitudes. One group would level off at fifteen thousand feet, another at six thousand and the third a scant five hundred feet above the sea surface. The plan was little revised from the earlier attacks, …
Continue reading "North Atlantic: Death Of The Backfires D+24 (2 August, 1987) Part V"
The Bears were now the prey and the aircrews were fully aware of it. There were armed predators out there beyond the horizon actively searching. The hunt was on and the crews of the Tu-95s were well aware their life expectancy was now being measured in minutes. The raid commander knew this too and he …
Continue reading "North Atlantic: Death Of The Backfires D+24 (2 August, 1987) Part IV"
Takeoff of the Badger and Backfire regiments commenced at 1140 Zulu on D+24. The process ate up forty minutes. As the bombers cruised north towards their formation rally points over the Barents Sea, the Bears were going to work attempting to find the exact locations of the American carrier formations and relay accurate targeting data …
Continue reading "North Atlantic: Death Of The Backfires D+24 (2 August, 1987) Part III"
Although the general location of Strike Fleet Atlantic was known with near certainty, the Backfires and Badgers still required relatively current information on the enemy formations. Obtaining this valuable data was not a simple task. By this point of the war satellite coverage, reconnaissance flights and other means of detection were severely degraded on the …
Continue reading "North Atlantic: Death Of The Backfires D+24 (2 August, 1987) Part II"
In late July and early August of 1987, naval threat facing the Soviet Red Banner Northern Fleet and the Kola Peninsula had broadened to involve a potential amphibious assault on Soviet territory. The Northern Fleet no longer had the capability to challenge Strike Fleet Atlantic symmetrically. Most of the fleet’s major warships were, by this …
Continue reading "North Atlantic: Death Of The Backfires D+24 (2 August, 1987) Part I"
0500 Zulu- In Moscow the first indications of a Kremlin power struggle start to take shape. Marshal Akhromeyev informs KGB Chairman Viktor Chebrikov of the battlefield nuclear attacks in East Germany. Chebrikov advises the senior Soviet military officer to inform the general secretary of this event, and more significant, not to accept any orders by …
Continue reading "Even A Paranoid Can Have Enemies D+24 (2 August, 1987) 0500-1030 Zulu"
Northern Norwegian Sea 1815 Zulu (2015 Local) The Oscar I class Soviet SSGN Minskiy Komsomolets had broken off its pursuit of Strike Fleet Atlantic thirty minutes earlier. After putting some distance between itself and the outer ring of the enemy formation and ASW patrols the sub rose to periscope depth and extended its communications antenna. …
The Northern Norwegian Sea, 100 km southeast of Bear Island 0930 Zulu (1130 Local) One hundred kilometers southeast of Bear Island, the Oscar I class SSGN Minskiy Komsomolets was cruising south at twelve knots. The large submarine’s depth was two hundred meters beneath the surface, and it was on a southern course for the moment. …
Moscow, USSR 0700 Zulu (1100 Local Time) The 10 AM Politburo meeting began twenty minutes late with the delayed arrival of the general secretary. In normal times, late starts to meetings such as this were the rule rather than the exception. In times of crisis or war it occurred less often, sometimes acting as a …
Hildesheim, West Germany 1 August, 1987 0030 Zulu (0230 Local) He should’ve left for the rear two hours ago, General Crosbie Saint, US Army reminded himself sourly. The commander of NATO’s Northern Army Group had assured his superiors in Brussels that he would be back at his headquarters by midnight. Now, thirty minutes into the …
Third World War 1987 