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sirius -> Colonial Wars 1950-64 Datebase AAR's (5/27/2006 6:07:55 PM)
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All the Scenario's can be found at
Colonial Wars Database
Hunter or Hunted!
From Jeremy
Neat scenario! Just got done with it for the 2nd time.
First time made it into the Trinity box and then launched my missles. After the first two I had Mails/Madges inbound, so I dove and ran. Few minutes later Halibut was killed with no warning.
My Escorts killed a Riga and a Petya.
2nd time-
Made it into the box again and this time got the birds away clean with no aircraft coming near. ALL 4 Regulus missles MISSED, resurfaced and lauched my last one at the sub base then dove and ran East. That one hit and the victory conditions kicked in.
Escort killed nothing and the russians didn't get too close...guess I was lucky that time.
From Chris Comars
Fried Halibut anyone?
Having only mixed success with "Hunter or Hunted?" during the testing phase, thought to try it in the completed version. Since this is a single-sub scenario, had to go Full Reality so as not to see what the escorts see.
Cruised towards area Trinity as per orders evading an unidentified surface group. By 2126Z was just East of the area boundry when a Goblin and torpedo launch transient was detected to port. Fired a single Mk-37 and then evaded the incoming. Cool. Mk-37 homed in on the Goblin which fired another torpedo shortly before it was destroyed. Resumed base course still tracking the torpedo which is soon identified as a Mk-14. Uncool, I just killed one of my escorts. D'oh; the fact that he shot first is small consulation.
Continued on to planned launch area and detected a group of Riga class escorts. Successfully evaded to the north when sonar detects multiple Mk-14's in the water. Then silence. Then the Rigas are detected again. This is not a good day to be a Halibut escort. Steamed southwest hugging the bottom and left the Riga's behind. Reached planned launch point on time, ESM sweep revealed Mushroom aircraft radar but nothing in sight. Surfaced and launched first Regulus 10-seconds early but soon after that the airborne ESM contact morphed into a Madge LRMP plane at only 32-miles. It closed and sank Halibut minutes before the second missile launch was ready. The first Regulus missed the ICBM silos. Sigh...
This is a great little submarine scenario. Thanks.
Operation Broken Arrow
Hey Paul spent yesterday playing Broken Arrow on and off all day.
Great scenario. Like that fact that NATO is technologically disadvantaged and the fact that you've really got to pick and choose sometimes where you're gonna allocate your forces.
As expected the groups with the SAM ships faired much better. Poor Canadians got the worse of it. From about he midpoint in their track only Bonaventure and Terra Nova remained. Bennington was also wacked for 94 percent damage (no crap Paul...the ship never sank).
Badger raids were excellent. I actually had 4 raids one after the other. Quite sure this was due to my frustration trying to shoot down the damn Badgers. Those are really hard to catch and line up for a shot! Most of the time was playing a game of trying to figure out their targets and put something in front of the raiders. Trying to shoot down kippers and kennels isn't too easy with Sidewinder B's either hehe...Quite sure my aces against the bombers were the Cougers. Fury's and Vixens were abit frustrating (Fury's more so i think).
Managed to get in air range after maybe 7 or 8 raids on different groups and did will with an alpha strike on Keflavic. The SA-3 was a nice tough but lost a bunch of A-4's to the AAA. Can pretty much recall the thought that I might want to bomb those but got a little greedy in terms of finishing off the airbase. Funny no matter how often that happens you still try and pull it off.
Umm..ASW warfare was so so.. Canadians had maybe 4 torps launched on them but ASW helo's and aircraft took care of the sub. Elsewhere had a lot of ineffective shots on my part. Only ended up bagging a 2 subs. Did notice in scenedit you had some missile boats but for the life of me can't figure out why they never fired. Was really pretty slack about letting the recce birds get close (as they were darn hard to shoot down..hehe). Oh Canadians fired some squids and sunk a whale early on btw...Just thought you should know as the game firmly outed me for it.
Soviet surface groups were pretty easy as I had plenty of air to do the job. Not really sure if they were a good or bad thing. Could have been a little closer maybe.
Nice surprise at the end btw. For some reason didn't notice one of those 122 batteries on the tipl..didn't really notice until I saw the damage count go up...hehe
Anyways thanks for Paul. Thanks very much for sharing it.
Operation Dawarka
From Flanker
This scenario is set at 7/9/65 using The Colonial Wars Database. It is a historical scenario with Pakistan versus India. Both sides are playable.
I decided to play as Indian side and essentially was tasked with protecting the Radar site and facilities at Dawarka. 2 vessels were on patrol near there , the INS Kaveri and INS Khukri. The principal assests though being the Vikrant Strike group in harbour a fair distance to the South West.
Game start is at 18.00
18.02 Many Neutrals detected , INS Kaveri and Khukri set to patrol. Vikrant Strike group sets course to join them.
18.05 Vikrant Strike group alters course to stay within shallower coastal waters, while this looks likely to delay air strikes , the submarine threat is confirmed.
19.24 INS Kaveri just North East of Dawarka detects three ESM contacts to its North East and moves to investigate.
19.41 PNS Babur,PNS Shah Jahan and PNS Tippu Sultan localised and classed as hostile. Three further ESM contacts detected.
19.43 3 Alize with AS.12 launched as a strike group.
19.51 PNS Alamgir localised.
19.53 PNS Badr localised.
19.55 PNS Khaibar localised. INS Kaveri feeling distinctly exposed and alters course to attack only one ship at a time.
20.10 PNS Tippu Sultan and INS Kaveri commence a gun duel.
20.11 PNS Tippu Sultan is hit and sinking , success !
20.14 Victory is short lived , PNS Babur with its longer ranged guns is hitting INS Kaveri who is unable to retaliate, 47 % damage suffered.
20.18 INS Kaveri sinks and I need a new plan.
20.59 INS Khukri is taking damage from PNS Alamgir as it trys to close into range.
21.04 INS Khukri opens fire with 40mm Bofors but is already at 50% damage. She sinks shortly afterwards but scores a number of hits on PNS Alamgir.
21.05 Scraping the barrel time.......2 Alize detached from patrols within the Vikrant Strike Group , theoretically as reinforcements to the first Alize strike which is now underway.
21.06 One Alize shot down but hits scored on PNS Shah Jahan with As.12. Little real effect noted though.
21.28 A posthumous victory for INS Khukri, PNS Alamgir is sinking.
21.43 Dawarka radar site is under bombardment.
21.47 Many facilities now under sustained bombardment.
21.50 A single Alize manages to hit PNS Shah Jahan with its rocket attack, but is then shot down.
21.58 Another single Alize attacks PNS Shah Jahan with 68mm Rockets, misses and is destroyed. A poor exchange rate all told.
23.56 5 Sea Hawks are finally in range and strikes are launched against PNS Badr. 3 bug out at the half way stage and nothing I can do convinces them that they have sufficent fuel left for an attack , the remaining two I have great hopes for. However although hits are scored PNS Badr doesn't even seem to be reducing speed.
00.17 INS Mysore is detached from the Vikrant Strike Group and sets course for the enemy at flank speed.
1.35 One Alize realoaded with rockets attacks PNS Shah Jahan and is shot down but does hit the target as well.
3.18 INS Mysore now in range of PNS Badr and opens fire with 152mm batteries.
3.22 Target sinking.
3.34 PNS Babur engaged. Initially concerned that Babur with relatively long range guns might prove a handful. However she had been already damaged and the first salvo scored some hits. Babur was rapidly put out of action and sank.
3.50 PNS Khaiber engaged and sunk.
3.53 Victory conditions met.
This proved a particularly bloody encounter from the Indian side. You have a difficult job getting the most out of the limited air assets available.
The Sea Hawks in particular proved frustrating !
I liked the way that several apparently good plans seemed to get thwarted. Diverting the Strike Group to safer shallower waters looked good, but then delayed the air strikes, while the gun duel with INS Kaveri briefly looked like it was going to be one sided.
Good fun overall , enjoyable using assets that you don't know a great deal about and are unsure on their capabilities.
by Flanker
Gunboat Diplomacy
From Randomizer
At first sight it seemed as though one could snooze through command the meager forces available to the RN here from a 30's era bombproof in the Singapore Dockyard whilst sipping some umbrella drink in air conditioned comfort.
Wrong The opening scenario in Sirius' Indonesian conflict is short but not sweet. It offers a small but unusual force mix where the principle offensive weapon is the 40mm Bofors in various marks and there are no air assets to clutter things up although they are sorely missed. As the RN player, the only option BTW, you must prevent terrorist forces from infiltrating to Malaysia in armed sampans and dhows.
Some Indonesian warships are about, keep a wary eye on them since they show up as neutrals. I won the scenario first try but was not wholly happy with the results even though I exceeded the minimum required number of kills. I will not give the game away except to say that the Daring Class destroyer HMS Delight (what an awful name for a warship), ended up having a really bad day in spite of being on the winning side.
Thanks for this decent little action; Game two in the series, First Strike, is being played out tonight and tomorrow.
First Strike
From Randomizer
The following is a transcript of a BBC Home Service broadcast aired on June 2nd 1966 following the attack on British forces by Indonesian bombers in the South China Sea the previous day.
BC – BBC reporter Brian Cadbury
Capt M-B - Captain Hugh G. McCracken-Butt, RN OHM, SSPT3, (Retrd)
BC – Good evening. My guest tonight is noted Naval expert Captain The Honourable Hugh G. McCracken-Butt. Captain McCracken-Butt joined the Royal Navy just in time for the Invergorden Mutiny and served as Naval Attaché to Afghanistan during the Second World War. He commanded a minesweeper flotilla on the Solant during that Korean thing and slept through Suez completely. Captain McCracken-Butt, good evening. We hope that you can make sense of the reports coming out of the Far East about the loss of Her Majesties Ships Devonshire and Barrosa yesterday.
Capt M-B – Good evening. Yes that’s what I’m here for. Thirty-years of naval service has taught me the difference between bow and stern if nothing else.
BC – Quite. Captain, it is reported that HMS Devonshire was sunk by Soviet made missiles launched from heavy bombers. She was fitted with our latest air defence missiles, does that mean all of our ships are now vulnerable to Soviet air attacks?
Capt M-B – Devonshire was fitted with the Sea Slug missile system yes. And insiders’ report that they fought off the first attack and shot down four of the six missiles launched in the second attack to reach her. Her defences were just overwhelmed and it would not have happened except that the RAF abandoned the Navy again. It was Kuantan all over again if you ask me.
BC – For those listeners that might have forgotten, back on December 10th 1941 the battleships Prince of Wales and Repulse were sunk by Japanese bombers off the Malaysian port of Kuantan. Fighters from the Royal Air Force arrived at the scene of the disaster long after the enemy departed. Go on please Captain.
Capt M-B – It’s that useless Javelin fighter they sent to Singapore, it has no range or endurance. They only made two interceptions and they lost one of their own while barely managing to shoot down one of those bloody Badgers after it launched its missiles. Fine heirs to the legend of the Few they showed themselves to be. Bah.
BC – But is it not true Captain, that RAF Shackelton Long Range Patrol planes provided valuable reconnaissance to the Eastern Flotilla as they escorted RMS Queen Mary to the safety of Singapore naval base?
Capt M-B – I suppose it’s possible that they might have done some good. One plane did drop some depth charges and a torpedo on a Dutch submarine, or maybe it was fish.
BC – Indonesian, the aggressors here were Indonesian, not Dutch. Indonesia is mostly the former Dutch East Indies. Capt M-B – Yes, yes I know all that. We beat the Dutch at Camperdown; did I mention that? The Royal Navy I mean. Before my time though.
BC – What about the sinking of HMS Barrosa?
Capt M-B – Barrosa was lost performing what we professional sailors call ‘picket’ duty. That is to say that she was sent out by herself to warn the main force of any threat. I think they got the idea from the bloody Yanks or something.
BC – It has been reported that three Indonesian bombers actually flew right over her and then turned around and attacked. This was the second air strike and if it had of launched on the Queen Mary flotilla, it might have been resulted in the loss of that valuable ship. Is it fair to say that HMS Barrosa bought Queen Mary a chance by throwing herself at the enemy? Does that not conform to the highest traditions of the Service?
Capt M-B – Well if you put it like that, perhaps. I would like to ask where the RAF was while Barrosa fought for her life. Bloody awful Javelins. They are the Bolton-Paul Defiant’s of the Cold War if you ask me.
BC – I did not actually ask that but returning to the subject, HMS Troubridge sank an Indonesian freighter with gunfire that appeared to be acting suspiciously and shadowing the Queen Mary flotilla. Was this action justified by international law?
Capt M-B – Of course it was. You have to know that there was some bloody Dutchman on the telephone to some bloody Russkie bomber pilot. That’s the way these things work you know.
BC – Can we Briton’s consider this a victory since RMS Queen Mary made it to Singapore undamaged? In spite of losing two valuable warships and a fighter jet?
Capt M-B – Damn right we can.
BC – Captain McCracken-Butt, thank-you for your insights into this tragic action. Next on BBC Radio, a man who herds cats for a living and coming up on News at Ten, why this Beatles’ music fad and both ‘rock’ and ‘roll’ will die out by Christmas. This has been Brian Cadbury for the BBC Home Service.
First Strike was played using GE 3.6.2 at full reality with aircraft logistics on. Thanks for the scenario, Paul.
Must continue the Indonesian Crisis and move on to 'The Empire Strikes Back'.
The Empire Strikes Back !
From Randomizer
The following AAR is from the Colonial Wars Scenario, The Empire Strikes Back.
THIS AFTER ACTION REPORT IS RELEASED UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE MINISTER OF DEFENCE, LONDON AND THE CHIEF'S OF THE DEFENCE STAFF’S IN CANBERRA AND WELLINGTON
All times given are local unless otherwise noted
(1)Over the past two days naval and air forces of the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand conducted intensive air and sea operations against aggressive Indonesian military units. Early on the morning of June 5th aircraft from the HMAS Melbourne aircraft carrier battle group attacked several Indonesian missile and torpedo boats north and east of Bali. The attacks were conducted over several hours and on into the morning twilight.
At least 5 hostile vessels were sunk but a RAN Gannet anti-submarine aircraft and Sea Venom fighter were lost with their crews. As the action in the Java Sea was unfolding RAF and RAAF Vulcan and Canberra bombers launched a coordinated strike on the Indonesian air base at Hassanudden destroying it completely. One Canberra failed to return. Daylight saw the scene switch to the HMS Eagle carrier battle group when several waves of Indonesian Russian built TU-16 Badger heavy bombers were shot down attempting to launch missiles at the Royal Navy force.An attack on an unspecified Australian city was foiled when all of the attacking bombers were intercepted and shot down by RAAF Mirage fighter. One Mirage was also shot down when it attempted to attack a bomber with its cannon after expending all of its missiles. The pilot was rescued.
During the day’s action the destroyer HMS Aisne was sunk by Badger launched missiles with heavy loss of life. Ironically her sister ship HMS Barrosa was lost performing the same duty east of Singapore less then a week earlier. All of the attacking planes were intercepted and shot down by Sea Vixen fighters flying from HMS Eagle. Rescue operations continued throughout the day during which a Fairy Gannet cargo plane (2) was lost due to an accident.
Throughout the afternoon, Sea Vixen’s from Eagle commenced long-range interceptions of hostile fighters in Indonesian airspace. During these operations a large number of MiG fighters were destroyed for the loss of one Sea Vixen. Royal Navy submarines are in theatre but as usual their operations are kept strictly secret. It is believed however that successful torpedo attacks were made on Indonesian surface ships by at least one RN boat.
As nightfall came again to the Java Sea area a large coordinated airstrike by units from the RAF, RAAF, RNZAF and Fleet Air Arm attacked the major Indonesian air base at A. Salah inflicting severe damage and destroying a number of aircraft on the ground while escorting Sea Vixens shot down at least five MiG-21 fighters without loss to themselves. All bombers returned safely to their bases in Australia. Air photos taken after the action confirmed that only the base's two runways remained and both of them were damaged.
A United Nations imposed cease-fire has been implemented but is not expected to hold in spite of the total UK and ANZAC victory in these operations. Official losses are given as follows:
UK and ANZAC RAF – 1 x Canberra, 1 x Shackleton RAN – 1 x Gannet ASW, 1 x Sea Venom RN – Destroyer HMS Aisne, 1 x Sea Vixen, 1 x Gannet COD RAAF – 1 x Mirage III(F)
Indonesian Peoples Republic (3) 57 aircraft at least 23 of which are modern types 6 surface warships definitely sunk Two major airfields destroyed
Notes: 1. All local times are Coordinated Harpoon Time, which is the opposite of the rest of the world. But it still works.
2. The Fairy Gannet is used by both the RN and the RAN and comes in a number of variants including anti-submarine, airborne early warning and a cargo version known as a COD for Carrier Onboard Delivery. One of the latter was returning to HMS Eagle after taking several badly wounded survivors from HMS Aisne to RAAF Learmouth for treatment.
3. In addition to these losses at least two attacks were conducted against possible submarines and it is also likely that an Indonesian destroyer was sunk by submarine torpedo.
Empire Strikes Back was played using GE 3.6.2 in real time over 13 days using auto data links and aircraft logistics options.
Broadsides
From Randomizer
The Press Release
London (HP) The Ministry of Defence announced this evening that planes of the Royal Airforce and vessels of the Royal Navy were successful in attacking and sinking several Indonesian warships in the Straights of Malacca last night. Initial information indicates that the Indonesian navy ship KRI Irian, a Soviet built heavy cruiser, was sunk in an air attack by fighter-bombers of the RAF Eastern Strike Force. Several other surface warships were sunk or damaged in surface actions with a battlegroup centred on the light cruiser HMS Belfast. RAF losses are given as light but reports out of Melbourne indicate that an RAAF Neptune patrol plane is missing with its crew.
The Staff Study (What REALLY happened) (1)
SITUATION
An amphibious battle group centred on HMS Bulwark was to transit to RAAF Butterworth on the Malaysian Peninsula. The WW2 era cruiser HMS Belfast provides cover. Minimal air support is available consisting of an under strength squadron of Javelin all-weather interceptors, some Hunter strike fighter-bombers and a handful of Australian P2 Neptune LRMP aircraft. The Malacca Straight where the action occurred is a deep water straight that narrows considerably as one sails from northwest to southeast. Sumatra lies to the southwest and is hostile with many bays and inlets to hide missile and torpedo boats. The weather was mostly clear and the maximum sea state during the period 9-11 June 1966 was state 4. Merchant traffic in the usually busy sea-lanes was minimal, probably due to the ongoing hostilities.
EXECUTION
Night 9-10 June 66
Shortly before midnight 9 June, rockets fired from a Neptune on ASW patrol sank an Indonesian Kronstadt Class patrol boat. Subsequently a group of ships were detected on radar and when the Neptune investigated, it proved to be the Sverdlov Class cruiser KRI Irian with escorts. Shortly after 0100 (2) the Belfast group turned to intercept, an initial assessment of forces indicated that Irian’s guns were out ranged and the plan was to close and engage in darkness. A second Neptune from RAAF Butterworth was shadowing the Irian group when it was determined that far from being at a range disadvantage, the Sverdlov class out ranges Belfast by 12,000 yards. By this time (0340) the RN group had closed to within 50nm and Belfast quickly changed course to place herself between the Indonesian force and the Bulwark group. Meanwhile RAF Javelin’s were proving inferior to roving Indonesian MiG-17 fighters, four were lost destroying only one MiG and an wandering IL-28 Beagle bomber. The inability of the RAF to gain air superiority over the Straights placed the surface forces in a very vulnerable position.
Comment
A sloppy piece of staff work by the Senior Officer afloat placed both task groups in a dangerous position. The prospects of the Belfast group being shot to pieces at ranges that they could not respond to was very real for a time. Although the County Class DDG HMS London’s Sea Slug missiles gave her an effective surface punch with the range to outshoot Irian, the lack of air cover meant that she could not afford to expend her limited loadout of SAM’s except as a last resort.
Daytime 10 Jun 66
With the coming of daylight, an air strike consisting of seven Hunters, three armed with Bullpup ASM’s, was launched at the KRI Irian group. This was a desperation measure, the Hunters were operating at their maximum range and there was a very real possibility that some would run out of fuel on the way home. A feint by the surviving Javelin’s distracted a pair of patrolling MiG’s, losing another in the process but this allowed the Hunters to use the shortest route to the contacts, still shadowed by a Neptune and the Belfast group. It was estimated that KRI Irian would be in gunfire range of Bulwark by 1115. The air attack at 1010 was successful; five of six Bullpup’s hit Irian wrecking her totally. Belfast and her escorts then sank the two accompanying Indonesian destroyers with gunfire. All the Hunters made RAAF Butterworth safely and with the surface threat removed, the Bulwark group made their objective without damage or casualties in the early hours of 11 Jun 66. As an aside, at about 1500, an RAAF Neptune detected and attacked a submerged contact well astern of the RN task groups, believed to be an Indonesian submarine.
Comment
The decision to send HMS Bulwark without air cover or local air superiority was ill advised although in retrospect, the gamble paid off. The potential for disaster was very real however and success was achieved only by the very narrowest of margins in spite of the imbalance of losses. This action showed the complete uselessness of the Javelin as an interceptor, had the Indonesian Airforce coordinated with their Navy and provided air cover for the Irian group the RN’s mission may well have proved impossible.
Losses
UK and ANZAC
5 x Javelin
1 x Neptune
Indonesia
1 x MiG-17
1 x IL-28
KRI Irian
2 x Skory DD
1 x Kronstadt
1 x unidentified SS (Probable)
Notes
(1) Narrative, combat results and losses are taken from the action and not from the victory conditions screen.
(2) All times local. The Andaman Sea and Straight of Malacca area uses Coordinated Harpoon Time, which is 7 hours before GMT for some strange and totally unfathomable reason.
‘BROADSIDES’ was played out in real time over two weeks with auto data links and aircraft logistics on. Almost lost it but the Bullpup’s saved the day. This was a bit of a nail biter for a while; thanks for the scenario.
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