Coup de Main, London 1987 (or Operation Sea Bear)

[James G]

This is just something I knocked up fast. It comes from many ideas by myself and others. Last year, lordroel discussed the idea of a Soviet Sea Lion - Sea Bear I called it - here on Alternate Timelines too.
In Forcon's update #131 Eagle Guardian update yesterday, he mentioned the unlikely risk of a coup de main upon London during that 2010 war. It is something I too have mentioned in WW3 stories of mine. However, thanks to forcon for the inspiration to write this.

[James G]

Coup de Main, London 1987 (or Operation Sea Bear)

In the late summer of 1987, a runaway crisis develops in the Middle East. Client states of the East and the West are shooting at each other. Things get out of hand. American forces are attacked, Soviet forces are attacked and then each attack the other. Superpower threats to one another are answered. In the air and then at sea, the United States and the Soviet Union are at war throughout South West Asia.

The conflict rapidly spreads elsewhere across the globe despite countless diplomatic efforts to stop it.

With just a twenty-four hour warning to move, Soviet-led Warsaw Pact forces cross the Inner-German Border while also attacking elsewhere in Europe. The invasion is a mess with missing component parts, failures met and confusion leading to many friendly fire incidents. Several military elements from Eastern European nations refuse to follow orders. Nonetheless, the Soviet war machine is marching forward. What problems that they have are nothing in comparison to the chaotic scenes among NATO. Mobilisation had not been ordered. Western Europe was focused on trying to defuse the crisis elsewhere as they aimed to stop it spreading to their continent. Only partial alerts had been sent out to military forces, headquarters commands aren’t fully manned and REFORGER hasn’t started. Many NATO forces are in their barracks.

Chemical weapons aplenty are used by invading WarPac forces but not nuclear ones. Those are used elsewhere in exchanges between the superpowers first in the Middle East and then in a strategic sense. The United States and Soviet Union are afterwards each hit by the other with counterforce strikes which, while aimed at the other side’s nuclear forces, will kills millions upon millions of civilians. Panic hits both nations. The genie is out of the bottle and the results seen bring terror of the results of more to come. Discussions over the Hot Line consider a ceasefire. While further nuclear attacks do not occur, conventional fighting does.

WarPac forces secure Denmark within two days. Much of West Germany and Austria fall. Soviet tanks go over the Weser and Main via bridgeheads held by airborne units. Other paratroopers, with light armour, hold open Rhine crossings. France issues a warning to the Soviet Union: cross the Rhine and nuclear weapons will be employed. The Rhine is crossed and France doesn’t honour its threat. The Low Countries are entered on Day Three but France isn’t. West Germany is lost. Britain tries to keep the NATO alliance together but it falls apart. Individual countries begin arranging ceasefires.

Washington and Moscow arrange for a ceasefire between them two. Britain, Norway, Portugal and Turkey all continue to fight but they have all lost the war regardless. Soviet forces are on the Dutch coast opposite Britain and have attacked Norway from the north & south. What the ceasefire agreed between the superpowers means is confusing for some but for Britain: they see much of Western Europe overrun and keep on fighting because they are next otherwise. Yet, much of the British Army is lost in West Germany, the RAF has taken horrendous losses and the Royal Navy is at half strength.

Britain’s nuclear deterrent is still at sea. Meanwhile, the government has left London. Civil disturbances rock the country. Troops at home are left with contradictory orders.

Operation Krasny Orel – Red Eagle… or Sea Bear as history will have it – begins.



Red Eagle is ‘done on the cheap’.

Airborne and airmobile landings commence in East Anglia with landings made through Norfolk at RAF airbases there. What is left of one of those Soviet Airborne divisions which took & held Weser River crossings for the Group of Soviet Forces Germany to roll over, leaving garrisons of NATO troops stuck near their bases on each side, fights another series of isolated battles scattered through Norfolk. At Coltishall, Marham, Sculthorpe and West Raynham victories are won. American forces at Sculthorpe ignore orders coming from Washington where the once pre-war House Speaker is now president who demands that they stand down. The sacrifice of those airmen there will be forgotten by most of history. Sandringham House, home of royalty, is taken by Soviet special forces. The beaches at Cromer see naval commandos there along with the small port at Great Yarmouth. Norwich Airport, a small civilian site, is taken as well. British TA troops and scattered RAF Regiment forces continue to fight: they lose control with higher headquarters but carry on opposing the invaders. Even civilians – not many but some – join in with armed farmers leading ad hoc patriotic groups in trying to hold back the Soviet Airborne. On paper, there is now a significant bridgehead established in East Anglia by the Soviets. Those paratroopers have their light vehicles plus also use captured military transports too as they spread out through Norfolk and into Suffolk as well. If strongly reinforced, maybe they could march on London…?

Down in the British capital, other Soviet forces simultaneously arrive to undertake the second element of Red Eagle. These are men brought in from Afghanistan and not veterans of the recent fight in West Germany yet in no way ‘green’. A reinforced regiment of paratroopers (without armoured vehicles) and a strong Spetsnaz attachment undertake the coup de main to seize London. Soviet fighters battle the RAF and see transports get through to disgorge their cargoes of men in parachute drops. To the west of London, avoiding the apocalypse which is Heathrow Airport following the chemical weapons attack there at the opening of the war, RAF Northolt is seized as an airhead for later reinforcements. This small facility is taken intact with a near non-existent defensive effort made to stop it being taken. Two companies of paratroopers are there along with specialist personnel to get it up and running; the rest of the Soviet force is right inside the heart of London.

Hyde Park and Green Park are used as the drop-sites for the Soviet Airborne. Men and weapons containers fall to the ground. Platoons, companies and battalions form up. Many men are dead but more than enough are quickly on the move. They spread out fast to secure objectives. There are many of those. Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, St. James’ Palace, the BBC’s Broadcasting House & Television Centre (to the east and west), the Post Office Tower, the Bank of England… there are so many places where these so few men are tasked to occupy!

In Whitehall, Spetsnaz commandos land in Horse Guards Parade. A company of paratroopers march from Green Park to meet them. Government buildings, Downing Street and the Houses of Parliament are where they head to. They fight Foot Guards soldiers and also policemen too. Civilian rioters are encountered and shot down. Peace protesters are fired upon as well when they are mistaken for a dangerous armed mob. Whitehall falls quickly. Explosions rock the Ministry of Defence building when gunfire from windows is met with RPGs fired back. A fire starts in the Treasury building and it is left to burn. At Parliament, Soviet troops march into the grounds beside the Thames. A special team tasked with an important propaganda mission climbs up inside the Clock Tower: they are not here for Big Ben. Instead, atop this landmark, the Red Flag is risen.

London has fallen in a coup de main.

[lordroel]

Apr 21, 2019 13:14:42 GMT James G said:

This is just something I knocked up fast. It comes from many ideas by myself and others. Last year, lordroel discussed the idea of a Soviet Sea Lion - Sea Bear I called it - here on Alternate Timelines too.
In Forcon's update #131 Eagle Guardian update yesterday, he mentioned the unlikely risk of a coup de main upon London during that 2010 war. It is something I too have mentioned in WW3 stories of mine. However, thanks to forcon for the inspiration to write this.

James G, nice that you remember The British will hold, a British-Soviet war in the 1980s, also a nice one piece TL.

[James G]

Apr 21, 2019 13:19:32 GMT lordroel said:

Apr 21, 2019 13:14:42 GMT James G said:

This is just something I knocked up fast. It comes from many ideas by myself and others. Last year, lordroel discussed the idea of a Soviet Sea Lion - Sea Bear I called it - here on Alternate Timelines too.
In Forcon's update #131 Eagle Guardian update yesterday, he mentioned the unlikely risk of a coup de main upon London during that 2010 war. It is something I too have mentioned in WW3 stories of mine. However, thanks to forcon for the inspiration to write this.

James G , nice that you remember The British will hold, a British-Soviet war in the 1980s, also a nice one piece TL.

I remembered I, yes.

[forcon]

I like this very much. The situation is dire but not totally hopeless. The Soviets will really struggle to resupply those forces, IIRC there were more guns amongst civilians back then as well. No pissed off farmer is stopping a VDV platoon, but they can be bloodied. Plus there will be a big pool of ex-service personnel, possibly in the north if England, who can be armed and uniformed with whatever can be scraped together who will at least be able to inflict casualties.

Then there is the reservw SF units, non-combat military personnel such as naval personnel at Portsmouth, Plymouth etc who could make ad hoc infantry units, Home Service Force and even police firearms teams.

[James G]

Apr 21, 2019 14:00:57 GMT forcon said:

I like this very much. The situation is dire but not totally hopeless. The Soviets will really struggle to resupply those forces, IIRC there were more guns amongst civilians back then as well. No pissed off farmer is stopping a VDV platoon, but they can be bloodied. Plus there will be a big pool of ex-service personnel, possibly in the north if England, who can be armed and uniformed with whatever can be scraped together who will at least be able to inflict casualties.

Then there is the reservw SF units, non-combat military personnel such as naval personnel at Portsmouth, Plymouth etc who could make ad hoc infantry units, Home Service Force and even police firearms teams.

Britain would be full of troops and the VDV would be outnumbered significantly. The speed of the crisis on the Continent would mean that many troops meant to go there, to complete the BAOR but also elsewhere, are mobilising in the UK at the time of the invasion. The only hope for Soviet success will be British political collapse.
One end-game scenario might be the UK using its nukes and a USSR counter-strike hitting... London! 

[raunchel]

This looks like the kind of situation where all of Europe (sans France, they'll come in a second wave) will fall. Britain's only hope is to threaten nukes, vut given the French (and American) examples, that won't be taken seriously and I don't think that, if the government doesn't immediately launch at this moment, that they'll do so later. After all, many would see occupation as being better than extinction. Added to that, there won't be American aid coming as they'll be very strong in their position of not wanting to get nuked. So, the most sensible thing would probably be a surrender or to fight it out a little longer and surrender with more death and suffering.

[stevep]

   The other issue, with most of the continent lost and America looking reluctant is how reliable will be the supply lines as Britain, especially with trade with the continent lost will depend on cross Atlantic traffic simply for food and other essentials let alone what the military needs to keep fighting. Also with coal being cut back badly and the N Sea oil rigs being obvious targets energy is going to be a problem even without any bombardments by air or missiles on Britain itself.

   One possibility, although its going to be risky and the genocide movement aka CND will oppose it would be a warning nuclear shot.  However not sure of the state of the nuclear forces at the time.  Most of the tactical stuff had been withdrawn IIRC and didn't have much security of penetration whereas its while the R force was somewhat spent and the V force still under construction.  Either say a tactical hit against a military target in the occupied lowlands or a strategic one in which case I would suggest Murmansk.  With a clear warning that any nuclear strikes will be replied to with interest and calling for a ceasefire.  The Soviets can devastate Britain but it can do a lot of damage to them in a full scale exchange and they might be willing to accept their current gains and the effective destruction of NATO with the belief they can bring France and Britain under their control at a later stage.

[lordroel]

Would this mean we could see the Avro Vulcan remaining in service, mabey even seeing its B.3 version being operated.

[stevep]

Apr 22, 2019 10:00:54 GMT lordroel said:

Would this mean we could see the Avro Vulcan remaining in service, mabey even seeing its B.3 version being operated.

  I suspect not as especially with the Soviet zone of control extended so far forward they have even less chance of reaching any targets.  Unless your talking of them in some sort of maritime patrol role which could be useful in such a scenario.

[James G]

Some interesting ideas discussed. It should be noted that the US, like the USSR, got nuked. Cities weren't targeted - but many military bases are near them so many urban areas did get glassed - and it was missile silos and command centres. The American president and VP were both killed: it was the former house speaker who agreed the partial US-USSR ceasefire. The war may or may not be over in the long term but it is between the superpowers when Red Eagle / Sea Bear happens.
Those Soviet troops in the UK are in theory doomed. Britain is full of soldiers. The BAOR is trapped / wiped out in West Germany but there are many more forces at home. The Soviets have airheads and could move to grab several ports but whether they have the airlift & sealift, and then the troops, oh and supplies, to overrun the UK is something else. In a real fight, they are surrounded fast and dead or POW.
The UK Gov could collapse though, especially if they are unable to stomach the idea of using nukes. Very quickly the KGB would find someone to run a collab government and declare legitimacy in London. There would always be someone, even a person forced (family held hostage), to form a government. It could work...
... or all end in split atoms.

[stevep]

Apr 23, 2019 17:38:05 GMT James G said:

Some interesting ideas discussed. It should be noted that the US, like the USSR, got nuked. Cities weren't targeted - but many military bases are near them so many urban areas did get glassed - and it was missile silos and command centres. The American president and VP were both killed: it was the former house speaker who agreed the partial US-USSR ceasefire. The war may or may not be over in the long term but it is between the superpowers when Red Eagle / Sea Bear happens.
Those Soviet troops in the UK are in theory doomed. Britain is full of soldiers. The BAOR is trapped / wiped out in West Germany but there are many more forces at home. The Soviets have airheads and could move to grab several ports but whether they have the airlift & sealift, and then the troops, oh and supplies, to overrun the UK is something else. In a real fight, they are surrounded fast and dead or POW.
The UK Gov could collapse though, especially if they are unable to stomach the idea of using nukes. Very quickly the KGB would find someone to run a collab government and declare legitimacy in London. There would always be someone, even a person forced (family held hostage), to form a government. It could work...
... or all end in split atoms.

  James

  OK thanks for clarifying.  If the Soviets are still fighting and the US has given up then Britain has to basically try the nuclear trip-wire or surrender as there's no way it can fight on alone.

  Steve