FransKoenz
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SPOILER ALERT
THE BACKYARD II: FINAL SHOOTOUT
The Cold War finally went hot and furious as battles arose around the world. This scenario deals with a final U.S. multi-carrier attack supported by Japanese forces in the Western Pacific. The U.S. forces have neutralized all but one of the Soviet fortresses in the theatre. Now it is time to finish the job.
This scenario was originally written by Ralf Koelbach for Harpoon Classic Commanders Edition and has been re-made for Harpoon3 and the PlayersDB with the consent of the author. But beware, the Soviets have reinforced their last bastion to the utmost. For best results, this scenario should be played with both the nuclear weapons and aircraft logistics options enabled. Scenario duration: 3 days
All comments and feedback welcome at: hermanhum@hotmail.com
Russian MiG-31
United States and Allied forces
1) Intelligence We have neutralized all but one of the Soviet bases. The price was high -- we lost the last operating base in Japan, our bases in the Philippines, and, even worse, Guam. Losses to carrier-based aircraft have been acceptable thus far. Meanwhile, the Soviets have reinforced Petropavlovsk to the utmost. Expect heavy air, surface, and subsurface activity. The Russians will do everything to protect their last bastion in this theatre.
2) Mission: If you manage to destroy this last bastion and Soviet naval assets around, we finally have achieved victory in the Western Pacific.
3) Execution Use your assets to destroy the remaining base and to locate and sink any Russian surface groups. You must not lose a carrier.
4) Rules of Engagement Weapons Free. Special weapons release is NOT << repeat >> NOT authorized.
EmCon B - limited emissions
Victory Conditions clarification:
1) Destroy 50 Base facilities at Petropavlovsk, 2) Sink 2 carriers, 3) Protect 1 Carrier from destruction
==
My first impressions and tactical decisions:
I am in command of a CVBG [8 ships], A Japanese SAG [5 ships], 4 submarines, 2 of them are Los Angeles class nuclear powered attack submarines, and 2 Japanese diesel-electric submarines. My aircraft carriers host 165 aircraft and helicopters of all types.
Reaching Victory Conditions is a hard nut to crack.
I bet the Soviets have put all their available submarines to sea, not to mention their surface combatants, their bombers and fighters, and land based AAW systems around the last Soviet Military Bastion, Petrovlavovsk.
Before starting the session, I re-armed the onboard F-14’s….
30 F-14, armed with 4XAIM-54/2XAIM-7M/2XAIM-9 [30], and 10 F-14, armed with 6xAIM-54/2XAIM-9.
I also re-armed 7 EA-6B Prowler with HARM.
With the Formation Editor, I set up ASW/CAP/EW patrols for both Surface Groups.
It is my intention to group the surface groups together into 1 massive CVBG, but the TF’s have to close in, before they can grouped together [65nm].
I want to enter the Sea of Ochotsk first, and then attack Petropavlovsk NAB from the northeast.
Their Backyard.
I expect massive attacks by Soviet Badgers and Backfires, escorted by long range fighters [MiG 25, MiG-31].
The Soviet submarine threat is extreme high. So, are the rich fishing grounds. It will be a challenge to kill Soviet submarines, instead of chasing a school of Tuna’s, or a whale… [Thank you Ralf  ]
Game on!
12:00:00 – 16:00:00 Zulu Time:
As soon the first helicopter took off, several contacts appeared on my screen. Most contacts are land based objects, but, the enemy is launching great numbers of aircraft as well.
Surface contacts appeared on my screen as well. All located in the Sea of Ochotsk.
Radar of the airborne E-2 and A-8 picked up more and more ground contacts. A quick count teaches me that their Radar picked up ±80 ground contacts and ±40 air contacts [AA Log 12:30:00].
I don’t want to spoil my F/A-18 Hornet in combat with the Soviet MiG-25 and MiG-31, but, the Tu-95 Bear Recon planes are valuable targets as well. I launched only few F/A-18 [3] to take out the Bears, until the F-14 are ready to take over the defence of both surface groups. The AIM-54 is more effective against the MiG-25/31. I want to keep the enemy aircraft as far away as possible from the surface groups to avoid incoming ASM launched by enemy bombers.
I also launched 2 F/A-18 [AGM-84D] to investigate the surface contacts in the Sea of Ochotsk. Meanwhile, two unknown surface contacts appeared on my screen…..
Later the surface contacts were identified as an EW/Intelligence gathering ship, [Project 1826, Bal’zam], and a trawler, armed with a sailor with ManPads SA-7…. And rather close to the CVBG. 2 A-6 Intruders, armed with AGM-84B Harpoon, took out both ships. The trawler sank immediately, the Bal’zam, on fire, sank after one of the returning F/A-18 finished the job with her onboard M61 Vulcan gatling gun. These F/A-18 were rather successful and managed to destroy XX aircraft..
Not all F/A-18 returned save to the fleet; 2 were destroyed by long range missiles on their way home.
Meanwhile, the F-14s were ready and I immediately launched 6 aircraft to engage the enemy aircraft. 8 more are ready on the flight deck of the two aircraft carriers. Soon, the first air-to-air missiles flew through the sky and losses on both sides were reported.
The ASW-helicopters managed to destroy 2 submarines: 1 Foxtrot class and 1 Victor class. These boats didn’t had a chance after they were detected. It was a matter of minutes. I bet that more submarines are waiting in ambush, so I have set up strong ASW-operations up to 50nm of the fleet.
Russian EW/Intelligence gathering ship [Project 1826, Bal’zam]
[source: globalsecurity.org]
The 2 Hornets, operating in the Sea of Ochotsk, suddenly discovered a single Soviet destroyer [later identified as a Kashin-Mod-class].
I immediately launched 4 Harpoon missiles. Onboard SAM took out 2 of the 4 incoming ASM, but the other 2 destroyed the destroyer.
The Soviets are operating with 3 groups in the Sea of Ochotsk and 1 group southeast of the Kamchatka Peninsula. I managed to kill 5 patrol craft.
18:00:00 Zulu Time….
Time for a first impression of the operations so far.
My assets performed pretty well! The Soviets conducted strong and aggressive CAP with their MiG-25, MiG-31, and Su-27 against my aircraft.
I managed to keep the incoming aircraft at long distance of my surface group. I have to because I’ve set up strong ASW operations to protect my group against Soviet submarines. I simply can’t afford the loss of valuable helicopters or AEW/EW units during the trip to the Sea of Ochotsk.
The current situation:
The Japanese surface group now has joined the Carrier group. The Japanese ships now have taken positions within the CVBG; a welcome addition because the ships are well equipped for their role.
The submarines are heading to their operation areas and have not encountered any enemy contacts. The USS Birmingham has entered the Sea of Ochotsk and operates at a distance less than 100nm of one of the enemy groups. The SS Sachishio that operates in the Sea of Ochotsk and is moving northwest to the Kamchatka Peninsula, the other Japanese submarine operates north of the CVBG, and finally, the USS Boston is moving north.
Game on!
After 18:00:00, less enemy aircraft were detected. Only few Soviet aircraft are now in the air.
1 E-2 Hawkeye, operating in the Sea of Ochotsk, closed in to get the exact location and composition of the Russian SAG.
This surface group counts 12 ships. Soon, I was able to identify individual ships of the Russian SAG.
1 of the ships is the Admiral Gorshkov, a CVHG. Other capital units are a Kirov-class BCGN, the Frunze, 1 Slava-class, 2 Kresta-II class, 3 Udaloy-class, 2 Souvremennyy-class, and finally 2 non-combatants.
The USS Birmingham is closing in and I reload her tubes with the 4 onboard BGM109B Tomahawk TASM for the first attack on the Russian SAG. After launching the cruise missiles, I reloaded the tubes with the AGM-84B Harpoon for a second attack.
The first attack was without success, but 1 AGM-84B Harpoon hit the Slava.
Immediately after the attack the USS Birmingham dived to save maximum depth of 500 meters. A strange thing: not a single ASW helicopter is in the air to protect the SAG against enemy submarines; you would expect a swarm of Ka-27 Helix helicopters around such a large and important SAG.
At 21:15, I launched all aircraft for a massive air strike against the Russian SAG.
A total of 14 F/A-18 Hornet, 34 A-6 Intruders, and 7 EA-8 Prowlers soon were underway to their targets.
At 21:45, the first HARM missile was launched, minutes later, I started launch Harpoon missiles
At 22:10, the aircraft returned to the aircraft carriers. Only 1 aircraft was shot down during the attack [EA-8 Prowler].
The CVHG Baku and BCGN Frunze were hit several times, but very hard nuts to crack. The USS Birmingham is closing in and now operating at a distance of less than 20nm from the nearest enemy vessel. Only 2 combatants are not damaged. She now must finish the job.
During the following hour nothing much happened. I keep fighters in the air to intercept Russian aircraft at long distance of the formation. I also launched 2 extra F/A-18 to assist the USS Birmingham, in case the Soviets launch helicopters [I always do that].
Meanwhile, the last patrol craft that survived an earlier attack, finally has been destroyed as well.
At 23:40, the first torpedo hit one of the remaining Udaloy-class destroyers. The USS Birmingham now has been detected. 4 Helix-A helicopters took off, but, the F/A Hornets destroyed the helos before they could pinpoint the submarine.
Both aircraft returned safe to the CBG. More helicopters are in the air, but they belong to the other group, some 150nm northeast of the USS Birmingham. The Japanese submarine Sachishio operates at a distance of 25nm of that surface formation and closing in as well. The Sachishio will come into action soon as well.
1 of the F-14 took out the 4 helicopters. I know that I risk the loss of the Tomcat, but I’m prepared to offer 1 Tomcat if I can save a submarine.
F-14 Tomcat [detail: 6 massive Phoenix long range air-to-air missiles]
Meanwhile, it is 00:00:00 ZT.
5 minutes after midnight, a very fast unknown flying object moved from northeast to southwest and crossed the CBG.
A RorSat! Now the position of the formation is known, I expect a massive attack with long range anti-ship missiles.
I was right! Minutes later, radar picked up several incoming missiles. One of the returning F-14 identified them as SS-N-19 Shipwreck and SS-N-12 Sandbox and was able to kill some. These missiles were launched from the surface Group that operates west of the Kamchatka Peninsula.
I immediately turned on radars and the Japanese Aegis Destroyer Kirishima started launching SM2MR. Soon, other ships started launching SAM as well
I also ordered 4 F-14 to take off and intercept some of the missiles. All I can do is rely on the defence systems of my escorts [USS especially the USS Mobile Ray, USS California , and the DDG 175 Kirishima].
All the ships are important, but I must defend the 2 aircraft carriers and the USS Fletcher at all costs: The USS Fletcher is the duck with the golden eggs, 45 BGM-109C Tomahawk III TLAM-C. 1 of the incoming missiles slipped through the defence and hit one of the aircraft carriers. The vessel is damaged [28%].
More missiles were underway, 2 x 6 more missiles and again from the crippled SAG. Thank God that the USS Birmingham managed to sank the BCGN Frunze before the ship was able to launch onboard Shipwrecks. That would be a disaster due to the relative short distance. Later, the submarine managed to kill the Admiral Gorshkov and 2 other warships [1 Sovremennyy and 1 Kresta-II].
The USS Birmingham survived incoming torpedoes and later launched 4 Tomahawk TALM at a Soviet Radar installation [without success]. The submarine is safe, but her magazines are empty, not a single torpedo left, only few self defence items left. Now leaving the area at safe depth.
And last, but not least, the Soviets are launching great numbers of aircraft again…
Later, a group of at least 20 Soviet Tu-95 Bear G approached the formation. I managed to kill 10 of them, but they were able to launch KH-22 Kitchen missiles. Again, airborne fighters took out some of the missiles and the Japanese Kirishima took out the remaining missiles. Soon, this ships is out of SAM. But, I must admit, the ship is performing excellently.
The SS Sachishio has come into action as well. Her Type 89 torpedoes killed 1 CVHG, 1 BCGN, 1 Kresta-II, and damaged a Kara-class cruiser. Later, 2 more ships were destroyed: 1 Udaloy-class destroyer and another replenishment unit.
I could not launch another torpedo to get rid of the Kara-class cruiser because my submarine seemed unable to engage the target. Strange, because the Achishio was within firing range… [Bug?]
Doesn’t matter anyway. The aircraft onboard the 2 aircraft carriers are almost ready [within 30 minutes] for a second raid against the remaining Soviet surface units in the Sea of Okhotsk.
Meanwhile, it is 04:00 on the second day of the operations.
Soviet air activity is minimal. Only 1 big SAG is operating southeast of Kamchatka [12 surface vessels, so far no information about the composition of this group]. The USS Boston is closing in. Her tubes are loaded with 4 TASM. I want to use same tactics as with the USS Birmingham [first the TASM, then the AGM-84B, and finally torpedoes].
Where are the Soviet submarines? So far, I destroyed 7 submarines, A Chinese submarine [Han class] took out a Echo-class submarine before she was destroyed by a Russian torpedo.
So far I’ve reach one of the ViCo’s [sink two Soviet aircraft carriers]. Now it is time for the next stage: destroy 50 land based installations.
Read all about that in the next episode of my AAR...
Losses USA:
24 F-14 Tomcat
5 F/A-18 Hornet
1 EA-8B Prowler
1 damaged ship [aircraft carrier]
Losses USSR:
23 ships [including 2 aircraft carriers and 2 BCGN Kirov-class]
8 submarines [including 1 Echo-class, destroyed by a Chinese submarine]
195 aircraft and helicopters [including 90 onboard the aircraft carriers]
Losses PRC:
1 submarine
Greetz,
Taitennek
< Message edited by Taitennek -- 2/15/2009 6:18:25 PM >
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