40 years since the Petrov Incident

[gillan1220]

40 years ago today, the world escaped nuclear war thanks to Soviet officer Stanislav Petrov, who rightfully judged that the 5 ICBMs launched from the Dakotas headed to the Soviet Union as a false alarm. Had another officer taken his place, World War III would have happened.

The incident wasn't known until 1998-2000 and Petrov himself would only get recognized by the United Nations in 2006. He didn't enter into fame up until between 2007-2015. In 2015, a documentary called The Man Who Saved The World, a documentary that details Petrov's visit to the United States in 2006.

Here's Cody of Alternate History Hub's video of it:

What if the Cold War Went Nuclear?



The Man Who Saved the World Trailer 1 (2015) - Stanislav Petrov, Kevin Costner Documentary HD



How One Man Stopped World War 3 In 1983



The Nuclear Close Call of 1983 | Stanislav Petrov



This Man is the Reason the World Didn't End | Tales From the Bottle



So to quote the other question in the other forum: Where were you on Sept. 25/26, 1983? Would you have survived if the nukes were launched?

I would not have been born, because the butterfly effect would take place. The Philippines would have been targeted since there were three U.S. military bases in Luzon. Cebu would be 50/50 be a target, since it was the 2nd largest city in the Philippines and has Mactan Air Base which could potentially house B-52 bombers from Guam or the CONUS in an event of an emergency. My parents would have been 22-23 years old. It would have been a Monday morning on September 26, 1983. I'd assume they would have heard the news of the nuclear attacks on Clark, Subic, and Baguio if the Soviets really launched their nukes.

[stevep]

   Well at that date I lived about 50-100m from the entrance to where I worked. Since that was AWRE Aldermaston I'm fairly certain I would have been dead in pretty short order.

[575]

Working at Police Precint 2, Copenhagen - if the Polish War Plan should unfold we would be hit by 6. Para Brigade and Naval Infantry Brigade spearheaded by some Tac Nuclear Strikes at Navy Base Copenhagen, Airforce Base Værløse (reinforcement base for NATO units on Sjælland) so "Bye, bye, bye-bye.." If not at least those two bases should be hit anyway so no difference.

[Max Sinister]

I'd have been dead too.

And may he Rest in Peace.

[gillan1220]

Sept 26, 2023 16:50:11 GMT stevep said:

  Well at that date I lived about 50-100m from the entrance to where I worked. Since that was AWRE Aldermaston I'm fairly certain I would have been dead in pretty short order.

How significant is Aldermaston to be a Soviet target?

Sept 27, 2023 9:18:03 GMT 575 said:

Working at Police Precint 2, Copenhagen - if the Polish War Plan should unfold we would be hit by 6. Para Brigade and Naval Infantry Brigade spearheaded by some Tac Nuclear Strikes at Navy Base Copenhagen, Airforce Base Værløse (reinforcement base for NATO units on Sjælland) so "Bye, bye, bye-bye.." If not at least those two bases should be hit anyway so no difference.

Copenhagen is definitely gone. Denmark also blocks the entry to the Baltic Sea which naval defenses could be set up to intercept and Soviet Baltic Fleet trying to leave port.

Sept 27, 2023 19:37:34 GMT Max Sinister said:

And may he Rest in Peace.

I'm glad Petrov got the awards he deserved in 2006 and in 2013.

[stevep]

Oct 3, 2023 9:24:32 GMT gillan1220 said:

Sept 26, 2023 16:50:11 GMT stevep said:

  Well at that date I lived about 50-100m from the entrance to where I worked. Since that was AWRE Aldermaston I'm fairly certain I would have been dead in pretty short order.

How significant is Aldermaston to be a Soviet target?

Sept 27, 2023 9:18:03 GMT 575 said:

Working at Police Precint 2, Copenhagen - if the Polish War Plan should unfold we would be hit by 6. Para Brigade and Naval Infantry Brigade spearheaded by some Tac Nuclear Strikes at Navy Base Copenhagen, Airforce Base Værløse (reinforcement base for NATO units on Sjælland) so "Bye, bye, bye-bye.." If not at least those two bases should be hit anyway so no difference.

Copenhagen is definitely gone. Denmark also blocks the entry to the Baltic Sea which naval defenses could be set up to intercept and Soviet Baltic Fleet trying to leave port.

Sept 27, 2023 19:37:34 GMT Max Sinister said:

And may he Rest in Peace.

I'm glad Petrov got the awards he deserved in 2006 and in 2013.

  Well AWRE stood for Atomic Weapons Research Establishment.  Its where the UK does all its theoretic and some of the practical work on its nuclear weapons along with nowadays a base nearby close to Reading.  As such it would be a potential military target and also your got a lot of people who know details about the effects of radiation, fall-out and the like.  Which might be very useful in any recovery of what's left of the country after an attack.

[gillan1220]

Oct 3, 2023 9:29:28 GMT stevep said:

Oct 3, 2023 9:24:32 GMT gillan1220 said:

How significant is Aldermaston to be a Soviet target?
Copenhagen is definitely gone. Denmark also blocks the entry to the Baltic Sea which naval defenses could be set up to intercept and Soviet Baltic Fleet trying to leave port.
I'm glad Petrov got the awards he deserved in 2006 and in 2013.

  Well AWRE stood for Atomic Weapons Research Establishment.  Its where the UK does all its theoretic and some of the practical work on its nuclear weapons along with nowadays a base nearby close to Reading.  As such it would be a potential military target and also your got a lot of people who know details about the effects of radiation, fall-out and the like.  Which might be very useful in any recovery of what's left of the country after an attack.

Apart from that, are there any Army or RAF bases nearby? Or a major city.

[stevep]

Oct 3, 2023 9:40:24 GMT gillan1220 said:

Oct 3, 2023 9:29:28 GMT stevep said:

  Well AWRE stood for Atomic Weapons Research Establishment.  Its where the UK does all its theoretic and some of the practical work on its nuclear weapons along with nowadays a base nearby close to Reading.  As such it would be a potential military target and also your got a lot of people who know details about the effects of radiation, fall-out and the like.  Which might be very useful in any recovery of what's left of the country after an attack.

Apart from that, are there any Army or RAF bases nearby? Or a major city.

  Depends on how you define near.  The US air base at Greenham Common wasn't too far away and the site is in the rough centre of a triangle of Reading, Basingstoke and Newbury while the Thames corridor contains a lot of other economic activities.

[575]

Oct 3, 2023 9:24:32 GMT gillan1220 said:

Sept 27, 2023 9:18:03 GMT 575 said:

Working at Police Precint 2, Copenhagen - if the Polish War Plan should unfold we would be hit by 6. Para Brigade and Naval Infantry Brigade spearheaded by some Tac Nuclear Strikes at Navy Base Copenhagen, Airforce Base Værløse (reinforcement base for NATO units on Sjælland) so "Bye, bye, bye-bye.." If not at least those two bases should be hit anyway so no difference.

Copenhagen is definitely gone. Denmark also blocks the entry to the Baltic Sea which naval defenses could be set up to intercept and Soviet Baltic Fleet trying to leave port.

Navy and Airforce assets that might work to this:

Danish Navy 1983: 5 FFG(Harpoon): 2 Peder Skram class 3 Niels Juel class, 5 Inspectionship ASW: 4 Hvidbjørnen class 1 Beskytteren class, 6 MTB Søløven class, 10 MTBG(Harpoon) Willemoes class, 4 SS: 2 Delfinen class, 2 Narhval class

Danish Airforce 1983: 26/10TF F-104G FB, 34/9TF F-35 Draken FB/R, 46/11 TF F-16, 4 R/Surveillance Gulfstream III, 3 C-130H, 8 C-47, Helo's 14 H-500 (Army), 8 S-61A, 10 Westland Lynx Mk80 (Navy)

[gillan1220]

In the case of the Philippines, the U.S. bases at Clark, Subic, and Baguio could be hit. 1970s documents also showed the Soviets attempted to target Manila, Cebu, and Davao.