It Begins

D+0 | 20 July 1989, 05:00hrs - 10:00hrs vs @ Gersfeld

For the first seven months of 1989, tension between the US and the Soviet Union has increased dramatically. The US continues to push for sanctions against the Soviet Union, which are causing significant issues for the Soviet economy.

In July 1989, the Warsaw Pact conducted major exercises in the Ukraine region of the Soviet Union. Following the exercises, units supposedly return to their normal bases. However, due to historically poor weather, the Soviets were able to move many units westward into East Germany and Czechoslovakia.

Reports had been coming in to the West German and American intelligence services for the last week. On July 15^th, NATO started recalling units and two days later some began moving to their war plan positions. Intelligent experts believed that war might be coming, and that that the WP could launch an attack as early as July 24^th.

On July 16^th, Soviet Spetsnaz and sleepers, posing as citizens worried about provoking the Warsaw Pact, began conducting demonstrations across France and Germany. In some cases, explosions occurred around NATO troop staging areas, including the area near Frankfurt where US V Corps was getting ready.

Delayed by these attacks, US V Corps started preparing to move into positions late on July 19^th. The first units to move were elements of 11 ACR. While some personnel and equipment were still missing, 11^th ACR started arriving at their war positions around midnight on July 19^th. Orders suggested that the earliest the Warsaw Pact could initiate hostilities would be July 24^th.

Minutes later the Warsaw Pact aircraft took off from airfields across East Germany and Czechoslovakia and headed West to strike at targets across NATO. They were joined by missile strikes and more Spetsnaz attacks. Lead ground elements approached and crossed the Inner German border. The war had begun.

Scenario by Mike Johnstone | Map by David Whitt