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Operation: Polar Glory was a major offensive initiated by the Soviet Union against Iceland during the Third World War. During this event, the Russians were able to attack and capture two Icelandic airports, Keflavik and one other(I think it was Rekjavik), which allowed them to systematically take over almost the entire nation

History[]

Assault on Keflavik Airport[]

The Missile Strike[]

rhe So

Rolling In[]

The Soviets came in on the M/V Julius Fuchik, a large barge carrier normally used for hauling freight from the Black Sea .

Controlling the Airport[]

the Soviets attacked with cluster munitions.

The Control of Iceland[]

With the first part of Operation: Polar Glory complete, the Russians began to move in to take the rest of Iceland. They began to move across the mainland, taking the Fordjur Airport and several large towns.

Operation: Nordic Hammer[]

Phase I[]

Now it was the Americans turn. The United States Navy launched six B-52 Bombers to strike against Keflavik Airport. However, they would not attach these heavy, slow Bombers with escorts, and flew them in to bombard the Russian-controlled Airport. At an unidentified time, the American B-52 Bombers flew in with a strike package that would knock the Russians off their guard. The B-52s took out part of the runways, part of the control tower and two hangars. It was chaos for the Russians. However they were well prepared, and rolled out with Surface-to-Air missile launcher stations, air defense vehicles and personell with hand-held SAMs. They rapidly shot down the aircraft, with a following of MiG-29 Fulcrums flying off the operational runways. They followed the B-52s, knocking several out of the sky. The Bombers flew away, with only two Bombers left; the Fulcrums then returned back to the Keflavik Airport. It was a glorious victory for the Russians, and a heavy defeat for the Americans....at least it should have been, but Clancy decided to beam down (4) F-4 Phantoms from the USS Enterprise into central Iceland to approach from the interior and miraculously catch the SAM crews by complete surprise, knocking out all their fire control radars and three of their guns, the rest of which simply refused to engage targets the size of bombers, resulting in heavy damage to three of the runways and a damaged Fulcrum because Clancy forgot they carried more than one missile each and had the Russians foolishly engage with cannons and take damage as a result.

Phase II[]

Trivia[]

The Soviet Union had been developing an operation plan like this for over five years before the war, to be alongside with Operation: Red Storm.

References[]

Red Storm Rising, pg 172

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