D+23 (1 August, 1987) 0030-0130 Zulu

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 …

The North Atlantic D+21 (30 July, 1987) Part I

At 0035 hours local time, SACLANT’s new orders and revised rules of engagement were transmitted to Strike Fleet Atlantic. With the new set of orders, the reasons behind the suspension of further air attacks against targets on the Kola Peninsula was revealed. A handful of consequential factors were coming into play that necessitated a temporary …

D+18 0401-0800 Zulu (27 July, 1987) Part I

North Atlantic Norfolk, Virginia, 0430 Zulu, 27 July, 1987 (0030 local time) As was the case with the majority of flag officers around the world in July of 1987, SACLANT was keeping strange hours. The ships and submarines he commanded were spread from the east coast of the US to the fringes of the Arctic …

The North Atlantic D+14 (23 July, 1987) Part IV

CVW-7’s missions in the afternoon against Kola air defenses and radars brought about mixed results. The majority of SA-5 and SA-10 sites sustained damage from ARM hits. The damage inflicted on Soviet radar sites was more decisive. Though many SAM sites were effectively blinded for a temporary period of time, they were not permanently out …

The North Atlantic D+10 (19 July, 1987) Part I

In his Norfolk headquarters Admiral Lee Baggett Jr, USN, the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT) took some time to reflect on the current situation in his command’s theater of operations. The four-star admiral was pleased. He had four carriers operating in the Norwegian Sea, the North Atlantic sea lanes were relatively secure, losses to merchant …