The First Dance
D+0 | 20 July 1989, 00:30hrs - 05:30hrs vs @ Eiterfeld
Everyone back home was conditioned to duck-and-cover under their desk or hop in the bathtub and pray as the Third World War began. It was supposed to be total annihilation as nuclear warheads rain down on cities across western Europe and North America. Rarely does history unfold as predicted.
American sentries with 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment observed it first during their 00:30 graveyard shift changeover at Observation Post Alpha along the Inner German border. Not the sound of ballistic missiles launching or screaming westward, but the deep thudding repertoire of Soviet helicopters.
“All quiet on the eastern front, Specialist Chisholm?”
“It’s Chezem, and I wish, Cap’n. We’ve been hearing choppers coming and going for the past three-zero minutes. I logged it but we’re waiting for the shift change to bring it up.”
“Gosh-darn-it troop! Now you boys are makin’ it MY problem!? You shoulda in-formed the duty Sergeant EEE-mediate-LEE! Where is Osborne anyway?”
“Sir, Sar’ent Osborne and Cap’n Snyder went down to the fenceline for a better look to the southeast. Osborne is swearing up and down, this is it…”
“Get them on the horn, Specialist, and get them back here - we need to send an accurate report to command A-S-A-P! The squadron's night driving exercise got held up; someone hit a hippie bus, of course. As a result, the entire Troop is still southwest of Thompson Airfield until they get it together. SHH! Hang on, I hear it now, or them rather, there’s more than one… yeah, getting closer for sure. They gotta shift their vector any second or this is war… FUDGE!”
“Captain Belva, sir, I’m not wearing my dancing shoes…” proclaims Chisholm, as Mi-24 Hinds shake their rooftop, heading due west.
—
On board, the 900th Air Assault Battalion commander ordered his escorts to leave OP Alpha untouched, as the Hinds needed their save rockets for the Abrams and Bradleys held up by the undercover Spetsnaz who made contact, as planned, with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment vehicles on exercise.
Only the Polkóvnik and the lead helicopter pilots knew the actual course of action unfolding. The Soviet air assault troops were briefed for a live-fire night exercise to wrap up Zapad-89 with a simple bread-and-butter mission:
Air assault to secure four bridges - blow two and hold two.
Soon they will know this is the first dance with NATO…
Scenario by Charles Belva | Map by William van der Sterren