|
Deathbunny -> Northern Inferno 1: Opening Moves AAR (10/13/2021 3:03:31 PM)
|
This scenario got off to a bad start with the early loss of HMNlS VAN NES and HMS BUCCANTE, both falling to the Soviet CHARLIE-class SSGN. VAN NES was killed by a hit from an SS-N-7 attack that the LEANDER was woefully ill equipped to fight off, and BUCCANTE was sunk by a subsequent follow up torpedo attack. From that point onward, however, the scenario went entirely my way and I ended up sinking seven Soviet submarines and shooting down five Bear D reconnaissance aircraft that came foolishly close to my SAGs.
A few observations from playing this scenario occur to me:
1) The CHARLIE appears to start the scenario with a firing solution on at least one, if not both, of the LEANDERs. SS-N-7s were screaming in very early doors, and as noted above these two ships are really in no position to fight off an attack like that.
2) The NATO MPA were extremely effective, even when assigned to patrol large areas of ocean with small numbers of aircraft on station at any time. Between them they accounted for all but one of the Soviet submarines (the last one was killed with an ASROC). They even expended three nuclear depth bombs which, although allowed within the RoE, was slightly disturbing as I didn't notice until I reviewed the expenditures at the end of the scenario!
3) SOSUS cueing was initially very useful, allowing MPA to be vectored on to Soviet submarines with ease, but soon became less so. For large parts of the scenario I suffered from targets flickering in and of existence and suddenly moving large distances. I can understand this when there is still an error box around the position, but when you have a supposedly located and positively identified submarine moves 100nm+ something is not entirely right. All the targets this happened to were conventionally powered, which may be a factor, but this makes the sudden relocation all the worse as they would never have been able to cover the distance in the time elapsed.
Ultimately I ended up with a Minor Victory which I would be satisfied with except it meant that I not earned enough points to advance to the next scenario in the campaign. I find this very frustrating as I cannot see how the two frigates I lost right at the beginning can hope to survive in the circumstances (and even only losing one of them would still not have gained me enough points to get a passing score).
|
|
|
|
