The operational planning and preparation of soviet landing in the Black Sea Straits
Nikolai Saychuk, Ph.D. in History, Board member of the Ukrainian Association for American Studies
Abstract
The article deals with the operational planning and preparation of Soviet landing in the Black Sea Straits during the Cold War. Emphasized that because of the inability of Turkish garrisons to keep the defence on their own, the arrival of strong US reserves was expected to retain Central Turkey and Asian shore of the Dardanelles Strait. Command of the Soviet Army and the Combined Armed Forces of the member states of the Warsaw Pact could not rely on the
quick success of the operation regarding the Black Sea Straits capture and placed stake on the widespread use of nuclear weapons.
The aim of research is the study of the operations preparation in Europe during the Cold War and the possible participation of American forces. To capture Bosporus Straits area, the planning, which was based on a strategic map game and on front command-staff exercises of the Commander of the Odessa Military District on 1969, called for up to five air army sorties and an allotment of 12 to 15 nuclear bombs, constituting 18-20% of the nuclear munitions expended by the 5th Air Army in the whole operation. Although the progress in the preparation of operational landing in the Black Sea Straits was unquestionable by 1987-1988, its feasibility still caused the serious doubts which are outlined in the article.
Keywords
the USA, the USSR, the Black Sea Straits, NATO, Warsaw Pact.
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