Air War On The Central Front: The Red Air Force’s First Day Of War D+0 (9 July, 1987) Part I

The efficiency and power of NATO air forces was never underestimated by senior Soviet military commanders. In the late 1970s a new generation of combat aircraft were beginning to make their way into service with major NATO alliance members. It was clear Western air forces were on the verge of a renaissance and major modernization. …

Central Front: US III Corps In World War III (Part II)

REFORGER was officially activated on the late afternoon of 5 July 1987 at President Reagan’s direction. Even before Reagan’s address to the nation when he announced his intention to reinforce Germany, III Corps was in motion. Warning orders had been received at the corps and division levels. Advance parties were on the move to embarkation …

World War III Aircraft Losses: Introduction

The official records of NATO and Warsaw Pact aircraft losses on the Central Front in the Third World War were compiled after three years of deep, detailed research. Vast stockpiles of data and statistics were reviewed and analyzed until it was certain that every inch of the air war on the Central Front had been …

Memories of WWIII: Destination Bitburg Part III

Lieutenant Colonel Franklin Andrew Baker, USAF (Ret.)- “The next morning, Drool (Major Ed Leahy, 27fth TFS operations officer) and I hit the ground running. By first light Drool was busy working out air plans with the Bitburg wing staff and contemporaries from our sister squadrons there. For most of the morning on 5 July, I …

Less-Than-Effective NATO Weapon Systems Of World War III Part II

AMX-30 Main Battle Tank (France)- The AMX-30 was a contemporary of the Leopard I, Chieftain and M-60. It was upgraded in the early 80s to the AMX-30B2 standard, giving it a fire control system, improvements to the main gun armament, and new transmission, suspension, and engines. It was hoped that these modifications would enhance the …

Brief Detour For A Book Review

Afternoon, everyone. It’s October 4, 2022. Not sure how the weather is in other parts of the world but here in the eastern US, it’s cold, gray, and rainy. I haven’t seen the sun since last month, honestly. 😊 I hate to do this but I need to take a brief detour away from the …

Galvin and Snetkov Come Together D+25 (3 August, 1987) Part II

Salzglitter, FRG 0703 Zulu (0903 Local) The Soviet Mi-17 flared and landed. The pilot powered down the engines. Once they ceased turning, Marshal Snetkov disembarked from the helicopter with three aides in tow. They moved while under the watchful eyes of an Apache helicopter. SACEUR and own two aides walked out from the trees and …

Galvin and Snetkov Come Together D+25 (3 August, 1987) Part I

Salzglitter, FRG 0655 Zulu (0855 Local) *Author’s Note: This post will require two parts so I thought I’d post Part I early. Second part will be up tomorrow night or sometime on Friday. * General Jack Galvin, US Army stood just inside of a tree line bordering a large tract of farmland that had been …

WWIII Comics: The Team Yankee Series

I’ve never been what you might consider a comic book connoisseur. The only series I ever followed frequently was the Larry Hama’s GI Joe back in the 80s when I was a kid, as well as an occasional issue of Archie. I was never big into superhero comics back then or at any other time. …

Black Jack Dawn D+24 (2 August, 1987) 0400-0450

0415 Zulu- SACEUR submits a final target recommendation to President Reagan. The US leader reviews it with the Joint Chiefs and NSC members first. Next comes a discussion with the leaders of Great Britain, France and the Federal Republic. There is general agreement with SACEUR’s selection. For the Germans, however, their approval is understandably reluctant. …