|
Redmoose -> PBEM (WEGO) North Pacific Shootout (3/1/2021 1:29:50 AM)
|
Scenario Overview:
Soviet Union is tasked with defending its airspace, the United States is tasked with defending its assets.
PBEM Overview
Begining the scenario each player gets time to manage his missions and setup his forces. He has as much time as he needs while the game is paused to do so. However upon pressing the unpause button the game ends the setup phase (each player has a setup phase). Then after both players have completed the setup phase the turns begin. The scenario turns are approximately 20m long divided into 3 times in which the player can change his missions and give his units orders. During times in-between the turns the player cannot give his units orders. After 20min the player will then send file to the other player to play his 20min. You can give orders at 0:00:00, 0:07:00 and 0:14:00 of your turn. ( I was a little lazy to check this but I believe that is roughly right).
Notes
Definitely a big thanks to discord user Rak1455 on the CMO discord for playing this with me and making an amazing AAR I will attach at the end, if you get a chance I would definitely recommend reading it. He practically makes an entire story line for this AAR. Also another massive thanks to user musurca for making the PBEM and making this all possible!
United States Planning Phase
So I played as the United States so ill go over my plan briefly. My primary forces were all on my carrier strike group. However I also had a P-3 airborne and a P-3 at Adak Airbase. Upon special action request I could receive F-15s from Shemya Air Station. To start out the game I would assign all Viking aircraft and helicopters which had ASW roles to an ASW Patrol in front of the carrier. I had 4 AEW E-2C, 1 of which was down for maintainece. Wanting to make the best of the situation I would assign 2 on a support mission 100nm west of the Ranger and 1 50nm north of the carrier. Of the 4 EA-6s I had 2 of them would be down for maintainece. Allowing me to only have one airborne at a time I decided to put it at an angle from the carrier specifically 80nm infrontto 60nm north of the carrier. I would assign 6 of my F-14As which had the peacetime loadouts to a CAP with 2 airborne. I would then create a CAP further west of the carrier which would intercept the bombers using 4 F-14s only allowing 2 aircraft airborne at a time. The remaining F-14s would be on 250nm intercept missions. I would not touch the extra P-3 at the airbase and I would not alter the other P-3s waypoints. I would keep the rangers waypoints the same as well.
Soviet Planning Phase
If you want the full detail please check out Rak1445's AAR at the end of this post! This is merely my interpretation of what he wrote ill do my best to explain his strategy. He would pull his SAG back into Petropavlovsk bay as they would be outgunned by the American CSG. They would be guarded by the SAM Network in Petropavlovsk bay. The alfa class submarine would venture into the ocean to find the Ranger task group. 2 TU-16 aircraft would venture one to the south and one north of the Aleutian islands. 6 SU-27s would go to the north to the Aleutian Islands. A further 8 Mig-31s would be dedicated to the south. 4 Mig-31s would be on reserve duties 12 Tu-22 will fly out to the south.
After Action Report
The beginning phase the scenario is merely just all aircraft getting airborne, no aircraft on either side is lost. 6 SU-27s launched and flying over the Aleutian Islands would knock out an P-3C its pilot landing in the ocean below. The United States and the Soviet Union were now at war. Tomcat interceptors to the south would race to the North to intercept these SU-27s however these actions would be in vain as both F-14s would be splashed with 0 SU-27 loses. In the South the US Forces continue to ID civilian and merchant targets on the look for soviet ships. F-14s would intercept and fight the Mig-31 cap coming straight for them, ultimately F-14s would be outnumbered and destroyed splashing 1 Mig-31. Mig-31s to the south would have come around the carrier undetected and hammered the support forces which were left unprotected. By the end of this exchange the US forces would have lost E-2, 2 F-14As,P-3C, S-3A in exchange for 2 Mig-31s. The Soviet Forces would continue to destroy support aircraft increasing their kills to 2 E-2Cs, 1 EA-6, 5 F-14As, P-3C- S-3A in exchange for a measly 3 Mig-31s
The Soviet Union quickly took the lead having destroyed a vast majority of the United States support forces. The United States had very few support assets left however still retained its at least one of its jamming and AEW aircraft. The Tomcat situation was worsening for the United States forcing the activation of F-15s. They would be given the mission of Carrier CAP. OECM missions and AEW missions would be moved closer to the carrier for protection. The Soviets central front would be hammered and lost 3 Mig-31s to a pair of F-14s with 0 F-14s destroyed. By this time the United States forces have begun to pick up on increasing numbers to the South as well as the North. A no fly zone would be created on the US side to prevent carrier CAP from being drawn away form the carrier. Soviet Mig-31s in the central CAP would withdraw being out of fuel and ammo. 2 of the 6 SU-27s deployed the Aleutian islands would run out of fuel and crash before reaching their airbase.
In the south the 5 TU-22s were making great time on their strike and would launch all of their AS-4s to the carrier group. CIWS would destroy all incoming missiles fired. Now a pair of F-15 and F-14s would engage the fleeing TU-22s. Firing 2 phoenixes only 1 would hit and destroy its target, the F-14s would withdraw back to the carrier. The F-15s had just as bad luck missing all the sparrows except would destroy a TU-22 with sidewinders. An additional F-14 pair would be vectored in against the bombers. The central front would continue with Mig-31s engaging on the F-14As being vectored in they would splash one before expending all of their missiles. F-15s would then fire and destroy one of the fleeing Mig-31s. Loses would now be 2 E-2C, 1 EA-6, 7 F-14As, 1 P-3C and a S-3A. In exchange for 8 Mig-31, 2 SU-27, 2 TU-22.
The United States having read in their briefing that their are soviet ships in the area would begin to look desperately for the Soviet Ships. The E-2C would be sent northwest looking for these aircraft. The Soviet Union would then find that 5 backfires had not been launched and would launch these hoping that the SU-27s would be ready to launch. The United States would contemplate about launching a strike against radar stations however with time running out and had no F-14s. The US would ultimately not launch any strikes against the Soviet homeland. The SU-27s and the F-14s would both be rearming and not much action would occur for the next bit of time. All F-15s would return back to base. However 2 Pairs of F-15s would be ready shortly. The E-2C would then be guided west and would continue looking for soviet ships escorted by the only available F-14s left. All others had been rearming and refueling.
The SU-27s would not be ready for another 10 minutes, and time was running out all remaining backfires would be launched. The United States F-14s which had been escorting the E-2C had hit bingo leaving the carrier virtually defenseless. Thankfully a pair of F-14s would be finished very shortly and would launch as soon as the F-14s returned. The US picks up on 5 aircraft launched from Russia and vectored in the remaining pair of F-14s. In the north the US had just finished rearming F-15s 5 minutes after detecting the 5 aircraft. 2 F-14s and 4 F-15s would be vectored in against a massive Soviet strike. Right before reaching their launch points all 5 TU-22s would be splashed and destroyed.
FINAL Losses:
U.S. LOSSES:
-------------------------------
2x E-2C Hawkeye Basic
1x EA-6B Prowler ICAP II Blk 82
7x F-14A Tomcat
1x P-3C Orion Update II
1x S-3A Viking
U.S.S.R. LOSSES:
-------------------------------
11x MiG-31 Foxhound
2x Su-27P Flanker B
7x Tu-22M-2 Backfire B
I just wanna say by this was by far one of the funnest scenarios I have played! PBEM makes this scenario so much fun. As you can see from reading this it was so much back and forth! At first I am freaking out because I lost nearly 2/3rds of my support forces! Then nearly all my Tomcats run out missiles! The craziest part of the scenario happened with 20 minutes to go. Rak1445 had the final turn so he got to go last. He played the last 20 minutes. Just as I was finishing my turn I would detect his 5 TU-22 bomber strike, I had 2 F-14s and 4 F-15s launch and vector in on his strike. I remember sending him that file and be like please please please destroy them before he destroys my carrier lol. Oh geez that was a fun last turn. If you guys ever get the chance to play this scenario in PBEM especially in WEGO it becomes x10 funner! I have to say after playing PBEM normal and playing PBEM WEGO, WEGO makes PBEM a lot better, ill go into detail about this in my upcoming next post. To conclude this I highly suggest anyone who may want to try this out, please try PBEM out highly suggested. musurca did a great job lua scripting this and making it possible. And finally thanks Rak1445 for the game I would definately like to play you again in future scenarios!!
*Below I attached his AAR, it is definately a good read, I highly suggest reading it as it is told from the Soviet Perspective.
Thanks,
RedMoose
|
|
|
|
