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Old 11-29-2022, 04:16 PM
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November 29, 1997

Unofficially,
President Munson was escorted to the Redding, California National Guard Armory, secured by an ad-hoc force of National Guard stay-behind and California State Guard troops. CLS operatives were reluctant to bring him to the nearest military airfield, Beale Air Force Base over 100 miles away, afraid that the SAC base will be attacked. The base dispatched a UH-1N helicopter from its base flight detachment to stand by the President when he was ready to relocate to a safer location. The helicopter brought with it a military aide and several security policemen, along with a communications team. Using the equipment that team carried, Munson was briefed on the SIOP and the various options he had. He inquired about the losses suffered by the U.S. in the prior two days (no way to be certain at this point but probably several million) and the losses inflicted on the USSR to date (the DIA estimated that between Moscow and Leningrad they were about five million) and the casualties that could be expected from the various SIOP packages. The briefers responded that they did not have any clarity as to what those losses would be, and that the selection of packages, timing and Soviet civil defense measures would dictate the losses. They relayed that an all-out attack, using all remaining ICBMs, SLBMs and bombers, would likely kill over half the Soviet population within a week. Horrified by that possibility, he authorized a relatively small strike in retaliation for the attacks on the Presidential Emergency Facilities, Tampa and the Kennedy Space Center.

The first, and largest package, was a SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses) target set. The intent of this was to create corridors for entry/egress of American bombers into the Soviet homeland, opening the full array of targets in the central USSR to further manned bomber strikes. Upon releasing authorization, the operation, code named Boogie Valley, went into operation.

A combination of methods (B-52 stand-off, ICBM, SLCM, SLBM, in that order of priority) were used to blast holes in the Soviet air defense networks. The biggest breach was along the Arctic cost north of the Urals, with others over the Soviet-Finnish border (an egress route), the Sino-Soviet border in the vicinity of Lake Zaysan, near the junction of the Iranian, Afghan and Soviet borders (an egress route as well) and on the shoulders of the natural gap over Jugoslavia and Romania (which required strikes on Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria and Ukraine/Moldova).

For each hole, targets were long-range search radars, interceptor bases and SAM sites, as well as supporting C3I facilities. Special emphasis was on MiG-25/MiG-31 bases, as these long-range fighters had the ability to range long distances beyond Soviet borders (placing American tankers at risk) and act as mini-AWACS, airborne radar stations capable of directing further interceptors against American aircraft. Other high priority targets were the Soviet A-50 AWACS bases and radar sites with long-range P-70 air defense radars.

The main hole was through the Arctic. Soviet defenses in the region consisted of a line of radars on islands in the Arctic Ocean, another line along the coast, a third line a few hundred miles inland and then area defenses around important target areas, such as the Urals industrial region and Strategic Rocket Forces division deployment areas. SAM defenses were rare in the region, with barriers established much closer to target areas rather than a continuous barrier. In the center of the gap the only missile complexes were point defenses for the Norilsk mining center and Pechora, home station of the A-50 force and a strategic missile early warning radar. Instead, defenses were largely interceptors, with forward staging bases along the coast or even on Arctic islands.

Pending creation of the holes, the intent was not to have any bombers penetrate the defenses - to use long range or stand-off weapons to perform the strikes. Two exceptions existed, however. First, B-2s were available for a limited number of strikes. Second, once a hole was blasted through, penetrators departing from the Soviet interior could be used to create gaps along their egress routes. The crews, obviously, preferred that the defenses, while outward looking, be neutralized by others, if possible, however!

After months of intense aerial combat over Norway, Central Europe, the Mediterranean/Balkans, Iran and Korea as well as the plethora of non-strategic air defense systems in use by the Red Army and its allies, the intent was to avoid placing bomber routes over Red Army formations. In the Balkans, given the aged nature of Soviet air defense systems in use against the Romanians and Jugoslavs (and that the front had largely collapsed by this time), the risk was deemed acceptable.
A relatively small number of desired ground zeros (DGZs) - about 100 - were in the initial SEAD package. Munson, however, ordered that the number of weapons be reduced, afraid of provoking a proportionate response of 100 Soviet weapons on the US. SAC planners adjusted the plan to remove the strikes for the egress routes, limiting the strikes to creating the hole along the Arctic coast.

The advantages of this approach were that: 1) it was not a full effort series of strikes that stressed takeoff/recovery base capacities; and 2) it was relatively early in the nuclear exchange, and the most capable and newest weapons were available in quantity.

The first mission, the neutralization of the island of Novaya Zemlya, was done by two B-52Hs from the 26th Bombardment Squadron, 5th Bombardment Wing, from Minot AFB, North Dakota, refueled by KC-135Rs of the co-located 906th Aerial Refueling Squadron, each launching single AGM-68B ALCMs against each of the six air defense radars (outside of Rogachevo; the Rogachevo radar was destroyed by the strike on the airfield, as was the HQ of the 406th SAM Regiment; map). Additional DGZs were on the HQ bunker of the 11th Air Defense Division and two SA-2 SAM sites; finally the radar on Kolguev Island was also struck by ALCMs from this cell.

A separate B-52 mission from Minot attacked the radars and airstrips in Franz Josef Land (four radars and two airfields at Nagorskoye and Graham Bell, five DGZs in total) with ALCMs. That aircraft also launched five missiles against radar sites farther east in the Kara Sea and the Taymyr Peninsula of Siberia.

In mission #3, the MiG-31 base and long-range radar at Amderma were struck by two AGM-129 ACM cruise missiles aimed at the airbase, the radar being disabled by the intense short-range EMP from the two blasts. That aircraft (the fourth aircraft from Minot on this series of strikes) also struck eight radar stations along the Arctic coast, each with a pair of ACMs, and the interceptor base at Vorkuta (two ACMs).

Simultaneously with the arrival of the cruise missiles from the first three B-52 cells on the targets was the arrival of a flight of 10 Minuteman II ICBMs launched by the 510th Strategic Missile Squadron, 351st Strategic Missile Wing from Whiteman AFB, Missouri. Each of those missiles had a single 1.2 MT W56 warhead. The targets for these missiles were A-50 AWACs and MiG-31 and MiG-25 interceptor bases, since the A-50 and MiG-31 had the ability to function as airborne control aircraft, replacing ground radars and coordinating surface to air missile and interceptor responses. (MiG-25 bases were included because they were able to somewhat support the MiG-31.) Each base was targeted by a single missile.

Following the first wave of B-52s and the Minutemen, another wave of B-52s struck targets further inland. The first of these missions targeted the interceptor forward operating base at Dikson with three ALCMs. The strike at Dikson also disabled the Soviet Navy’s radio direction finding facility and damaged the port facility and a number of ships at anchor for the winter. The single aircraft then closed on the Soviet coast before launching another round of ALCMs against the mineral production center of Norilsk and its associated air defense complex (including two SA-5 long range missile complexes, the interceptor bases at Alykel and Norilsk and the headquarters of the PVO’s 22nd Division).

The second cell targeted the second line of air defense radars in from the Arctic coast and the strategic early warning missile complex at Pechora with two B-52s loaded with cruise missiles. This strike also included the interceptor base at Naryan Mar and a second strike on the A-50 home base at Pechora-Kamenka. (Unfortunately, the strikes also resulted in numerous casualties among the Allied prisoners of war held at a nearby MVD prison camp four miles from the missile warning radar).

The third cell struck the northeastern air defenses of the Ural industrial megacomplex with three B-52s. Launching cruise missiles from the vicinity of Novaya Zemla, the ALCMs flew southeast, striking the interceptor bases at Yugorsk, Salka and Bakharevka and air defense radars at Gora Chrisop, Ivdel, Yugorsk, Serov, Sverdlovsk and Bolshoye Savino. Due to the large numbers of SAM launchers in the Urals and the inability to designate target locations for SA-10 batteries (which moved on average once a day and took but 15 minutes to set up), this cell was forced to concentrate its fire on PVO headquarters in an attempt to shut down communication between individual batteries.

The cruise missile strikes were followed by a battle damage assessment flight by a R-5D Aurora hypersonic spy plane, armed with a pair of SRAM-II missiles to target any DGZs that survived the strikes.

Officially, in retaliation for the attack on the Kennedy Space Center, the massive Soviet space launch complex at Leninsk-Tyuratam was struck by (unofficially) four Minuteman III ICBMs, each loaded with three 170-kiloton W62 warheads, 2 megatons in total. The attacks, aimed at the central administrative and support complex, Buran shuttle launch complexes (three pads), Soyuz launch complexes and the main communications sites, crippled the space center just as thoroughly as the Soviet strike on Florida had done.

The final American strikes of the day were against the remaining Soviet Military District headquarters for districts bordering active combat zones - the Southern TVD headquarters in Baku, Southwestern TVD headquarters in Kishinev, the Central Asian MD headquarters in Alma-Ata, the Far East MD headquarters in Khabarovsk and the Transcaucasus MD headquarters in Tbilisi. These strikes were delivered by B-1B bombers that made high-speed low level dashes into Soviet territory from the south.

The Soviets unleashed armageddon on an array of Allied command and control centers across the Pacific. The Delta III-class SSBN K-223, operating 1200 km southwest of Hawaii, unleashed five SS-N-18 mod 2 missiles, each with ten 100-kiloton warheads. One missile was aimed at each of Canberra, Australia, Wellington, New Zealand, Anderson Air Force Base on Guam, US Pacific Command headquarters in Hawaii and Vandenburg Air Force Base, California. Officially, Soviet nuclear forces also targeted Japan, aimed primarily at destroying US military bases there. Tokyo was bracketed by 500kt nuclear explosions, destroying the USN base facilities at Yokosuka, west of the capital, and the large oil refinery in Chiba City, across Tokyo Harbor to the east. Nagasaki, home to Sasebo Naval Base, was not spared the indignity of being twice hit by nuclear weapons, not quite 53 years apart.

The strike on Pacific Command Headquarters caused severe damage to the city of Honolulu, and local facilities were overwhelmed. The state's urban residents (over 80 percent of the population) panicked.

Blytheville Air Force Base, located in the northeast corner of Arkansas, was expected to be the target for Soviet missiles. The air base, headquarters for the 42nd Air Division and home of a wing of ALCMs, was destroyed by a one megaton, ICBM-launched warhead shortly before midnight. The airburst flattened the base, and the town itself was damaged quite severely. Fallout was slight but still forced the evacuation of towns as far away as Covington, Tennessee, in addition to Blytheville itself.

Unofficially, Around the US, local authorities, among many other efforts, tried to clear roads of blocked cars and trucks, which had simply died from EMP while in motion. Officially, civilian casualties throughout Maryland were extremely heavy. Baltimore, though not nuked, was ravaged by savage rioting and numerous fires which gutted large parts of the central and western city. Annapolis, the state capital, was downwind of Fort Meade, and panicked residents began to flee the state capital. Unofficially, Those trying to flee Washington to the south were hindered by the prior days attacks - I-95 south through Quantico was closed by the attack on PEF, and US Highway 301 into Virginia was closed by the Fort AP Hill strike.

The SAC mobile command post remained in place at the Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant, where it stood up a mobile rapid re-targeting software system, fed information from the intelligence system and satellites (including the GPS positioning satellites, which had nuclear detonation detectors installed). Likewise, the NORAD Rapier mobile command center went live, while FEMA staff began moving to moored command ships in coastal Maine.

Elsewhere, RainbowSix reports that Gibraltar was targeted in strikes aimed at destroying the city’s port facilities - it was destroyed by a one megaton airburst. He also reports that the British government lacked the logistical capability to evacuate those who remained. Shortages of food and water led to unrest that soon gave way to outright rioting and looting. The police and the Army tried to control the disturbances, but for every one that they quelled another three were breaking out elsewhere. The first fatal clash between troops and rioters occurred in Glasgow today, with others soon following. The Royal Family arrived at a secure, secret location in southern England.

Officially, Soviet forces in the northwest launched another round of attacks on Norway. This round targeted the major industrial centers and the nation's petroleum facilities. Over a half a million Norwegians died in the day’s attacks and the strike on Oslo two days before.

Unofficially, in western Arkansas, the 2nd Brigade, Arkansas State Guard, still in the process of formation and armed only with privately-owned weapons, is unable to fully contain the outburst of violence that accompanies the nuclear attacks on the state and nation, but receives kudos from the many that it is able to assist. The brigade sees a surge in recruitment, especially among urban refugees who find themselves displaced, unemployed and in rural communities that are lukewarm at best regarding the new arrivals.

Despite the damage to the US ashore, the Oriskany battle group continues its training evolution, flying its first multi-squadron mission. The operations on the flight deck are somewhat disorganized as the crew adapts to having more aircraft moving around.

The Kansas Freedom sails in the predawn hours, headed for Mombasa, Kenya, the closest location where friendly naval forces are to be found, and away from the juicy target that is Diego Garcia.

Officailly, The owner of a M113 APC in Providence, Grenada dies of a heart attack while sitting in the APC's drivers' seat.
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I love the smell of napalm in the morning. You know, one time we had a hill bombed, for 12 hours. When it was all over, I walked up. We didn't find one of 'em, not one stinkin' body. The smell, you know that gasoline smell, the whole hill. Smelled like... victory. Someday this war's gonna end...
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