Ukraine Observations 6 April, 2022

While it seems clear now that the Russian offensive aimed at Kiev is dead and buried, the war in Ukraine continues on with no end in sight. It is hard to believe that back in early February the consensus among experts was that Russia’s war against Ukraine would last little more than a week at …

The Central Front D+20 (29 July, 1987) Part III

As III Corps awaited the arrival of West German and British brigades, activity along the rest of the front ebbed and flowed through the remainder of the morning and early afternoon. Probes became a regular occurrence as formations on both sides wrestled with the realization that the anticipated NATO attack had failed to materialize. For …

The Central Front D+20 (29 July, 1987) Part I

General John Galvin, Supreme Allied Commander of Europe, had so far enjoyed a good war. This statement can assumably be misconstrued as trite or highly offensive by an outsider. But for many senior NATO officers who served in Europe during the mid to late 1970s, the veracity of the assessment is beyond reproach. If this …

D+18 1201-1600 Zulu 27 July, 1987 Part IV

**This is a transcript  of the Hotline message transmitted by Moscow and received in the National Military Command Center at 1555 Hours Zulu (1155 Local Time) 27 July, 1987** Mr. President, I will begin this message by reminding you the Soviet Union never wanted this war. It was the reluctance of you and other Western …

WWIII Novel Deleted Scene 1: Denmark On The Eve of War

Author’s Note: Unfortunately, I’ve had to cut a handful of subplots and characters from my WWIII novel to save some space. Not my idea, however, I understand where the publishers are coming from. One of the minor characters I cut was Major Anders Carsten, a Danish Air Force F-16 pilot. I really liked this character …

The Central Front D+17 (26 July, 1987) Part VI

It was 0315 in the morning. The commander of NATO’s Central Army Group (CENTAG) General Glenn Otis, US Army, received a call at his field headquarters from Brussels. The voice on the other end was the familiar nasal, New England-accented voice belonging to SACEUR. “Glenn, I want to let you know what’s going on up …

The Central Front D+14 (23 July, 1987) Part VI

Southern Germany Timeline D+10 to D+14 D+10 -VII Corps probing in the direction of the Czech border continues but with less determination than on the previous day. Given the emerging pictures in V Corps sector, as well as in Northern Germany, CENTAG is becoming more content with the prospect of keeping VII Corps mainly in …

The Central Front D+14 (23 July, 1987) Part IV

As darkness fell on the North German Plain the tempo of operations and activity remained steady. The 56th and 58th Motor Rifle Divisions continued to press in their respective sectors, seeking out the weak points in the West German and British lines in preparation for commitment of the 47th Guards Tank Division early on D+15. …

The Central Front D+14 (23 July, 1987) Part III

1235- The initial fire preparation commences. Forward NATO positions, and their division rear areas were the priority target areas. The first preparation was twenty minutes in duration and covered the length of the entire NATO defensive line in front of the Weser, roughly thirty-five kilometers. The amount of time was far less than it would’ve …

The Central Front D+14 (23 July, 1987) Part II

NORTHAG’s preeminent responsibility was the defense of the Weser, and more precisely to prevent the Soviets from bridging the Weser and flooding NATO’s rear areas. To the west of the river lay the Ruhr Valley, the industrial heartland of the Federal Republic. Beyond this invaluable region were the Low Countries. A breakthrough in the next …