I was cleaning up the files on my computer and found this. Let me know if you guys want to see more. Enjoy.
Whiskey on the Rocks, The Soviet-Swedish War of 1981
AMH-5540 Modern Western Military History
University of South Florida
Professor John Smith
April 23 2012
This is a reading of the material cover in class. The First few minutes are not covered because they deal with house keep and attended.
Class today we are covering the Soviet-Swedish War of 1981, a part of the wider Cold War which we have been covering for the past few weeks. Though never officially a war, since neither side officially declared war against each other. But it was a war with one of the highest casualty rate seen in a short war. The war started on October 27 1981 and lasted till a UN back cease fire when into effect on November 1 of the same year.
A total of six days, lest than a week, but it was does six days that brought a world to a halt. Many of you are too young to remember the war, or even the after math of it. But let me say this, as a sergeant in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment station inside West Germany, it put everyone was one edge. It was the only time all the US forces with Germany had ever been on DEFCON 2 alert. Many people in the military thought Ivan would come crashing thought the Fulda Gap at any second.
To this day we don't know you fired the first shots of the war, but is what we do know for sure. The Soviet submarine S-363[1], and old Whiskey class submarine ran aground just outside the main Swedish naval base at Karlskrona in the early morning hours of October 27 1981. It surface soon after. It was well within Swedish territory waters, and the Swedish soon learned of this breach of neutrality.
Soon after the Swedish Navy send an unarmed officer to speak to captain of the S-363. The captain of the S-363 claimed his boat had simultaneous failures of his navigational equipment, despite the fact he have cleared a series of treacherous rocks, straits, and island to get to where he was. The Swedish Navy then offered to help S-363 leave the area, which was turned down by the captain of the S-363.
At the same time the Soviet Navy put together a large rescue task force to help the S-363. This task force was made up of ocean going tug boats, destroyers, and frigates. The Swedish Air Force spotted this task force in international waters. Then Swedish Prime Minister Thorbjorn Falldin gave his famous "Hold the Border" order on learning of the Soviet fleet.
After the "Hold the Border" order when out all of the Swedish military when on to high alert. The Air Force armed their strike fighters with their most advance anti-ship missiles, and their fighters with anti-air weapons. Their anti-ship batteries were fully man, and there radars were turned on.
At 17:31 hours local time, the Soviet task force reached the 12mile territorial limit of Swedish waters, at which time the Swedish when to their war time radar frequency hopping mode. We don't know if this was to scare the Soviets away or their getting ready fire on the Soviets. As I said before no one knows who fired first.
But as the first missiles landed all sides started to fire more missiles. Aircraft were scrambled to support both sides. It ended 35 minutes later the Soviet Fleet withdrew with heavy losses. But the Soviets also gave it back to the Swedish.[2]
Five minutes later after the Battle of Karlskrona started, both side scrambled their air forces.
[1] ITL the S-363 have no nuclear weapons on board her.
[2] Soviets losses, 1 Kashin Class DDs, 3 Mirka Class FFs, and two Ocean going tugs sunk. 3 more ships damaged. Swedish losses 5 Mobile missiles batteries lost, 4 radar sites, 2 mobile gun batteries.
Whiskey on the Rocks, The Soviet-Swedish War of 1981
AMH-5540 Modern Western Military History
University of South Florida
Professor John Smith
April 23 2012
This is a reading of the material cover in class. The First few minutes are not covered because they deal with house keep and attended.
Class today we are covering the Soviet-Swedish War of 1981, a part of the wider Cold War which we have been covering for the past few weeks. Though never officially a war, since neither side officially declared war against each other. But it was a war with one of the highest casualty rate seen in a short war. The war started on October 27 1981 and lasted till a UN back cease fire when into effect on November 1 of the same year.
A total of six days, lest than a week, but it was does six days that brought a world to a halt. Many of you are too young to remember the war, or even the after math of it. But let me say this, as a sergeant in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment station inside West Germany, it put everyone was one edge. It was the only time all the US forces with Germany had ever been on DEFCON 2 alert. Many people in the military thought Ivan would come crashing thought the Fulda Gap at any second.
To this day we don't know you fired the first shots of the war, but is what we do know for sure. The Soviet submarine S-363[1], and old Whiskey class submarine ran aground just outside the main Swedish naval base at Karlskrona in the early morning hours of October 27 1981. It surface soon after. It was well within Swedish territory waters, and the Swedish soon learned of this breach of neutrality.
Soon after the Swedish Navy send an unarmed officer to speak to captain of the S-363. The captain of the S-363 claimed his boat had simultaneous failures of his navigational equipment, despite the fact he have cleared a series of treacherous rocks, straits, and island to get to where he was. The Swedish Navy then offered to help S-363 leave the area, which was turned down by the captain of the S-363.
At the same time the Soviet Navy put together a large rescue task force to help the S-363. This task force was made up of ocean going tug boats, destroyers, and frigates. The Swedish Air Force spotted this task force in international waters. Then Swedish Prime Minister Thorbjorn Falldin gave his famous "Hold the Border" order on learning of the Soviet fleet.
After the "Hold the Border" order when out all of the Swedish military when on to high alert. The Air Force armed their strike fighters with their most advance anti-ship missiles, and their fighters with anti-air weapons. Their anti-ship batteries were fully man, and there radars were turned on.
At 17:31 hours local time, the Soviet task force reached the 12mile territorial limit of Swedish waters, at which time the Swedish when to their war time radar frequency hopping mode. We don't know if this was to scare the Soviets away or their getting ready fire on the Soviets. As I said before no one knows who fired first.
But as the first missiles landed all sides started to fire more missiles. Aircraft were scrambled to support both sides. It ended 35 minutes later the Soviet Fleet withdrew with heavy losses. But the Soviets also gave it back to the Swedish.[2]
Five minutes later after the Battle of Karlskrona started, both side scrambled their air forces.
[1] ITL the S-363 have no nuclear weapons on board her.
[2] Soviets losses, 1 Kashin Class DDs, 3 Mirka Class FFs, and two Ocean going tugs sunk. 3 more ships damaged. Swedish losses 5 Mobile missiles batteries lost, 4 radar sites, 2 mobile gun batteries.
