Military Exercise Soyuz-75 Operational Directive No. 2 of the Maritime Front

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Copy Nº 1

[Original Polish receipt and

declassification stamps]

TO THE COMMANDING GENERAL [typed on a blank line:] OF THE 4^TH ARMY

OPERATIONAL DIRECTIVE Nº 2 OF THE MARITIME FRONT

CP ([in a] forest) 20 km west of PERLEBERG 1200 19 March

Map 1:500,000, 1961 edition

1. During a two-day border battle the "Westerners" have suffered losses and under the blows of the superior forces of the "Easterners" have been forced to make a fighting retreat 15-70 km into FRG territory.

Beginning 0600 19 March the enemy has been trying to contain the offensive of the front's troops with the massive use of nuclear weapons totaling 207 strikes on troops, control posts, and rear objectives of the front, the creation of zones of radioactive contamination between the rivers ELBE and ODER.

Three army corps are operating in the first operational echelon in the zone of advance (the 1^st AK of the "k", the 1^st AK of the "S" [Blues] and  the YuAK [Jutland Army Corps]), a total of nine divisions of which three are tank [divisions]. In the second echelon are the 1^st AK of the "o" and two mpd's of the "k". The SGA has five independent divisions in reserve. The operations of the SGA and YuAK are supported by about 620 combat aircraft of which 116 are nuclear-capable.

The possible nature of enemy operations: using the results of nuclear strikes and the operations of the troops of the first operational echelon, contain the offensive of the troops of the Maritime Front and, with the subsequent commitment of the second echelon of the SGA consisting of five divisions (the 1^st AK of the "o" and two divisions of the "k"), restore the position along the border.

The commitment of the second echelon is possible in the middle of 20 March.

With the approach of deep operational reserves develop an offensive in the direction of Berlin.

2. The Maritime Front is carrying out an offensive operation, concentrating [its] main efforts in the direction of HANNOVER-BRUSSELS and with part of [its] forces in the direction of Jutland, with the goal of defeating the SGA in the northern part of the FRG and in the zone of the Baltic Approaches in coordination with troops of the Central Front and allied navies, and by the 27-29th reaching the coast of the North Sea and the French border in the sector DEN HELDER, OSTEND, WERNE, MONS, (excluding) BERTRIX and also occupying the Jutland peninsula.

3. On the right, after restoring the combat effectiveness of the troops,  the 9^th Army in coordination with allied fleets defeats the YuAK in the region of RENDSBURG, KIEL, NEUMÜNSTER, ITZEHOE with a strike in the direction of BAD OLDESLOE, RENDSBURG, FLENSBURG and seizes the Kiel Canal by 20 March.

The boundary with it is NEUSTADT-GLEWE, BOIZENBURG, and then onto the river Elbe.

On the left, after restoring the combat effectiveness of the troops, the 7^th Army in coordination with the 4^th Army defeats the 1^st Army of the "s" in the area of CELLE, MINDEN, HILDESHEIM with a strike in the direction of GIFHORN, ESPELKAMP, and HILDESHEIM, LEMGO, MENDEN and forces the river Weser from the march and occupies the line [STRESN] [STRÖHEN?], BAD OYENHAUSEN, STEINHEIM by the end of 20 March.

The border with it is RINOW, (excluding) WITTINGEN, NIENBURG, DIEPHOLZ, and VREDEN.

4. The 4^th Army (10^th and 14^th md, 18^th and 22^nd td, 4^th rbr) with the 31^st pabr and 1/36 isbr is to restore combat effectiveness in formations and units subjected to a nuclear strike: destroy the CP of the 1^st AK (of the k) with a nuclear weapon and inflict defeat on the enemy group in the direction of the main blow; continue the offensive with the battleworthy troops of the Army, launching the main blow in the direction of UELZEN, WALSRODE, VECHTA, COEVORDEN in coordination with the 7^th Army [of the] GDR NNA [National People's Army]; defeat the main forces of the 1^st AK [of the] "k" in the area of ROTENBURG, ACHIM, SULINGEN, NIENBURG, and do not allow a counterblow by the forces of the 1^st AK [of the] "o"; and force the river Weser from the march in the sector south of BREMEN, NIENBURG and by the end of 20 March [handwritten below: 21 March] occupy the line STADE, SULINGEN.

[Translator's note: some words are written above the first sentence of the next paragraph and one of them is to be inserted; some the words are probably Polish but one appears to be the Russian letters "prot.". If so, it is probably an abbreviation for "enemy"]

Then, using a nuclear weapon defeat the main forces of the counterblow grouping of the 1^st AK [of the] "o" and the approaching reserves with a strike of the main forces in the direction of VERDEN, ASSEN in coordination with the 7^th Army [of the] GDR NNA, cut off the enemy grouping from the North Sea ports and bases, and support the commitment of the front second echelon[,] the 3^rd Army[,] from line Nº 1 [NEUHAUS] (excluding) OCHTRUP. [From line] Nº 2 occupy the line QUAKENBRÜCK, EMMEN, (excluding) HENGE[L]O.

Organize a defense as [you] reach the coast of the North Sea.

The Army is being allocated 19 nuclear weapons (OTR-5 and TR-14 [Translator's note: both are types of tactical missile]), seven p/v of IShA [Ground Attack Fighters], one p/v of IBA [fighter-bombers], and four p/v of RA.

The CP of the Army is in a forest 20 km southwest of LUDWIGSLUST. The direction of relocation is LÜNEBURG, ROTENBURG, FRIESOYTHE.

Submit:

- action reports by 2000 as of 1600

- operational summaries by 0800 as of 0400

5. Eliminate the consequences of the enemy use of weapons of mass destruction using your own men and equipment.

Organize radioelectronic warfare according to instructions concerning REhB [radioelectronic warfare], paying special attention to:

- the destruction of the CP's of the 1^st and 2^nd mpd's and the 3^rd td of "k";

- the suppression of the radio communications of the HQs of the 1^st and 2^nd mpd's and the 3^rd td;

- the protection of the launch positions of the 4^th rbr and the crossing over the river ELBE.

By means of the front in the Army's zone:

- the CP's of the OTAK and TsUGA [possibly Control Post of the Army Group] are destroyed;

- the 1^st mpd and the command and control equipment of air defense and aviation is suppressed.             

6. Deputies: the assigned ones [shtatnye] and the Commanding General of the 3^rd Army (VP [Polish Army]).                           

COMMANDING GENERAL OF THE TROOPS OF THE MARITIME FRONT

General of Armor Eugeniusz MOLCZYK

CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE FRONT

Division General Stanislaw ANTOS