Planning for a Hot War in the Cold War (330)

Dan served in the War Plans office of the US Army VII Corps working on counterattack plans and reorganization of the US Army’s General Defence Plan. He describes the debriefing of a Polish Special Forces operator who had defected to the West and who revealed surprising knowledge of US plans and order of battle. Dan also details his experiences on the Able Archer 83 exercise and his views about how dangerous that was. In addition to his work in the War Plans office, we discuss terror attacks on the US Army in West Germany including the bombing of the LaBelle disco in West Berlin where 2 US soldiers and one Turkish woman were killed and 79 wounded. The terrorist threat to US Forces was significant and this is highlighted by the attempted assassination of General Kroesen commander of United States Army Europe by the Red Army Faction aka The Baader-Meinhof Group. Dan describes his own experiences in the immediate aftermath of the attack., including the issuing of live ammunition to US Forces in the field. Extra info here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode330/  0:00 Introduction 1:32 Dan's Insights in the War Plans Office 10:29 The defector's shocking intel on US plans 18:13 Reflections on Able Archer 83 24:33 Terrorism and the attack on the La Belle disco 33:21 Red Army Faction attempted assassination of General Kroesen 42:20 The impact of these events on US forces 58:41 Dan's views on the sudden changes in Eastern Europe 1:13:38 Podcast extras, appreciation for financial supporters, and closing remarks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices