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+19 (28 July, 1987) Part I

The opening hours of D+19 in Germany were marked by a series of small unit engagements along the length of the front. As the morning went on, the size and scope of the battles rose. Contact and engagements of company and battalion size broke out in sectors where the lines had been rather stationary, such …

The Central Front D+18 1830-2359 Zulu 27 July, 1987 Part II

The order to temporarily stop offensive operations took time to circulate. In some instances, units were in heavy contact when the halt order arrived. Without being given a sufficient explanation of the reasons for the order, unit commanders began to disentangle their forces from the enemy, pull them back, establish a hasty defense and then …

The Central Front D+18 1830-2359 Zulu 27 July, 1987 Part I

The new commander-in-chief of the Western TVD, General Boris Snetkov, received official word of the nuclear exchange five minutes before the destruction of both Novaya Zemlya and Gorky. This was essentially the extent of the news from Moscow. The absence of information left Snetkov’s head filled with a hopelessly long list of questions. Foremost was …

D+18 0801-1200 Zulu, 27 July, 1987 Part II

Bredebro, Denmark 0955 Zulu (1145 Local Time) The request for a meeting between the commander of Polish forces and his NATO counterpart at 1000 arrived at the Jutland Division’s forward headquarters a few minutes before 0800. The request was granted, arrangements were made, and the Polish general walked into the operations center of the Jutland …

D+18 0401-0800 Zulu, 27 July, 1987 Part II

Freden, FRG 0420 Zulu, 27 July, 1987 (0620 local time) As dawn broke, the decision was made for Major General John Yeosock and his division. Lieutenant General Crosbie Saint exercised his prerogative as NORTHAG’s commanding general and ordered the 1st Cavalry Division to secure Alfeld and Brüggen as soon as possible. Saint clearly wanted to …

D+18 0000-0400 Zulu 27 July, 1987 Part III

Moscow, USSR 0300 Zulu, 27 July, 1987 (0600 local time) The Defense Council reconvened in the Kremlin promptly at 6 AM. Marshal Akhromeyev and General Snetkov were the last men to enter the room. The newly minted CINC-West was aware of the eyes on him, particularly those of the General Secretary. Romanov studied the army …

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

Late in the evening, General John Galvin, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) received word that the first troops from 1st Cavalry Division were over the Leine. The news invigorated SACEUR’s deputies, as well as his staff. After two and a half weeks spent playing round-the-clock defense, NATO had possession of the ball. NORTHAG’s new …

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

0705- 3rd Shock Army’s forward command post was a scene of unrelenting tumult. Enemy jamming was gradually becoming less of a problem, but the situation on the other side of the Leine remained in a state of chaos. One tank division was moving forward into the attack, seemingly blind to what was going on to …

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

For the Soviet Union, the principal objective of this war was to capture and neutralize the Federal Republic of Germany. Campaigns and offensives undertaken in separate theaters were planned and executed in support of this goal. In the leadup to war, the Kremlin believed wholeheartedly that seizing West Germany was an elixir for the Soviet …