The Central Front D+15 (24 July, 1987) Part IV-Alpha

 NORTHAG 1200-1700 (Northern Sector of the Weser Defenses) The afternoon arrived with Soviet tank and motor-rifle formations engaged in heavy fighting against the West Germans southeast of Hameln. 47th Guards Tank Division’s first push had dislodged the West German mechanized infantry from around Dielmissen. The movement of the 193rd Panzergrenadier Battalion away from the village …

The Northern Flank D+14 (23 July, 1987) Part III

The Soviet air strikes against Brigade North positions, Banak, and Andoya earlier in the afternoon underscored the need for more ground-based air defenses. They also served to impress upon NATO commanders the fact that Soviet air power could still operate effectively when allowed to concentrate their assets against a handful of targets. The HAWK batteries, …

The Politics of Global War: Cause and Effect D+13 (22 July, 1987) Part I

22 July, 1987 (D+13) was a consequential day in multiple theaters. Battles had been won and lost, and dispositions clarified. By the end of the day it became clear which side was winning, and which was losing in most theaters. Generally speaking however, the outcome of the war itself hung in the balance. Events on …

The Central Front D+13 (22 July, 1987) Part I

The appearance of American and British armor, virtually out of nowhere, brought chaos and major disruptions to 3rd Shock Army on the previous afternoon and evening. Like a forest fire the NATO armored rampage had spread unchecked until it practically reached the banks of the river. Two motor rifle divisions were now all but combat …

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 Southern Flank D+13 (22 July, 1987) Part II

Kennedy and Saratoga had moved into the Eastern Mediterranean on the previous night, later than originally planned. COMSIXTHFLT had held them back following their UNREP to goad the Soviets into thinking the two carrier battle groups were going north to the Adriatic instead of deeper into the Med. The enemy, however, did not take the …

The Southern Flank D+13 (22 July, 1987) Part I

Preparations continued in the Southwestern TVD’s area of operations through the first half of D+13. In Bulgarian Thrace six divisions were massed along the border with Greece and Turkey. Five more were located in staging areas 25-30 kilometers to the north. Convoys of armored vehicles and supply trucks motored south to the border area. After …

Arabian Peninsula/Persian Gulf D+13 (22 July, 1987) Part II

The Soviet effort to resupply the 328th Guards Airborne Regiment did not end well. Of the fifteen Il-76 Candid transport aircraft launched from Al Taqaddum just eight survived the wave of US and Saudi fighters, and SAMs to drop their pallets filled with equipment, ammunition, food, and other supplies. Unfortunately for the Soviet paratroopers on …

Arabian Peninsula/Persian Gulf D+13 (22 July, 1987) Part I

0000- Midnight came, heralding the start of D+13 on the Arabian Peninsula. In Kuwait, Iraqi forces continued to consolidate the gains made in the previous twenty hours. The battle for Kuwait was essentially over. Organized Kuwaiti resistance had come to a halt and surviving military units crossed into Saudi Arabia. A handful of Kuwaiti troops …

Baltic Approaches D+13 (22 July, 1987) Part V- Alpha

Alpha Section- Land and Air activity in and around Jutland D+13 1200-2359 1200- The objective of the 108th Guards Paratrooper Regiment was Skrydstrup Airbase. Seizing the base was crucial for the regiment since the prospect of follow-on forces arriving via air drop was dim. With Skrydstrup in Soviet hands, reinforcements could arrive in a more …