Operational Name for the Summer Offensive

[Adm.Lee]

Seeing as how Third German Army is the highest-level executing formation for the summer offensive, as I read it, anyway, I'd say whatever the German code name was would be the one most used by historians. US XI Corps could use its own name for its segment of the operation, possibly a translation of the German word(s). For that matter, I bet the Marines' landing has a third name, and III German Corps has its own word, too. Reset is probably one of several SpecOps missions as part of the plan, but most of those would be more conventional (scouting, HQ targetting, etc.)

[Rainbow Six]

It's hardly conclusive, but there are instances of the Soviets using one word code names in Afghanistan. The following are mentioned in Rodric Braithwaite's excellent "Afgantsy: The Russians in Afghanistan 1979-89, ISBN 1846680549 )

Magistral (English translation Highway)
Raduga (English translation Rainbow (really!))
Typhoon

By contrast though, the actual assault on the Presidential Palace in Kabul was codenamed Storm 333.

There's also some additional info on Wikipedia, where it's stated that the Americans at one point disliked using colours in code names (it's unclear as to whether that is still the case), whilst apparently the French currently favour the use of colours or the names of animals.

Full text here...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_name

[simonmark6]

Found this in the Survivor's Guide to the UK (GDW's)

InGermany, II Corps was designated to be the follow-on force for
the NATO attack into Poland-Operation Ancient Mariner. Instead,
it ended up fighting the Soviet counterattack in July. The corps did
acommendable job, and as the autumnal rains began to fall, it was
withdrawn to its encampment area.

Would this be the name of the original operation or the follow on operation. I am assuming that the operation the paragraph is referring to is the one that involved the attacks along the Baltic and the attacks that doomed the 5th. This is only speculation on my part however and definitely not prime face evidence.

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by James Langham

Regarding Reset, I put this into my history (puts on Kevlar and ducks):

I can understand putting on Kevlar, but why are you putting on ducks?

[Legbreaker]

Originally Posted by simonmark6

Operation Ancient Mariner.

I'd always read that as the UK part of the operation, but now I think about it, with the clearing of the Baltic coast as a prime objective, a marine feel to the name sort of fits.

Perhaps the writers were listening to Iron Maiden at the time they named the offensive and all the other components also have Iron Maiden songs as their names?
Aces High - the air elements (limited as they may be)
El Dorado - the most easterly objective believed possible
Holy Smoke - psychological and counter intelligence components
Running free - initial break through phase
Still Life - transition to defensive operations after reaching objectives
Wildest dreams - follow on phase once the Baltic is secure and the follow on forces (such as British II Corp) have been brought up

It wouldnt' be the first time names have been simply pulled out of a hat, or more usually a stick mag (porno). On one exercise I was involved with, code words included "suspenders", "g-string", "doggy", and a range of other more R rated words.

[95th Rifleman]

Originally Posted by James Langham

Can anyone cast any light on German and Pact naming conventions?

Scroll up, i posted german conventions before the argument started.

[Tegyrius]

Originally Posted by pmulcahy11b

I can understand putting on Kevlar, but why are you putting on ducks?

To maintain amphibious capability after up-armoring?

- C.

[Targan]

Originally Posted by Tegyrius

To maintain amphibious capability after up-armoring?

I'd hate to see the bill.

[simonmark6]

You lot are quackers...

[dragoon500ly]

Now thats just fowl.

[simonmark6]

No need to get into a flap.

[Graebarde]

I used the code name Operation Fredric for Herman's Terd Armee's part of the spring offensive, and the Red Devils were given the mission not to get to Lodz, but secure the coal fields at Konen. Fredric was a Prussian after all and the operation really was going from west Prussia to east Prussia. Just a thought. What the over all opeation would have been called, I have no idea, but the Ancient Mariner is as good as any.. but perhaps it should be called Operation Cluster Fk...

[Legbreaker]

The overall plan was very good and, if the Soviets didn't have Ploesti, it would have worked very well.
What the Nato commanders did not, and simply could not, take into account was the rapid speed at which Pact reinforcements could be brought up. Running on alcohol as Nato where, it should have taken weeks, even months for the Soviets to bring up the units back in the Ukraine and elsewhere. In that time the rest of the German III Army as well as British II Corp would have reinforced US XI Corp and been well prepared to fend off the counter attack while also applying pressure along the German-Poland border and the Pact troops there.
It may not have been a war wining offensive, but it had the potential to inflict a very serious and possibly fatal defeat on the enemy by encircling and eliminating a large number of Pact divisions in western Poland.