hermanhum
Posts: 2209
Joined: 9/21/2005 Status: offline
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After 12 months of dodging and evading, Scott Tortorice finally accepted a challenge for honourable battle in Harpoon. This was his baptism of MP fire. After picking through the scenario selection, he selected Watch that First Step, made with the community's favourite database, the PlayersDB. quote:
LOCATION : NW PACIFIC, COASTAL SEATTLE DATE/TIME: 12 FEBRUARY 1985, 06:00:00 ZULU With the first war shots, DEFCON ONE status was automatic. Every submarine in the inventory that was capable of getting underway left port for the greater safety of the open sea. Only those boats with mechanical deficiencies remained docked, to leave when their problems were fixed. As a part of standing plans, all the assets of the United States Coast Guard were folded into the Navy's TOE, to be employed in such a way as to free regular Navy assets for higher priority missions. Their mission: sanitize the area around the sub bases, allowing the remaining subs to get to open water. http://www.gamesquad.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=23439&stc=1&d=1228213389 I commanded the Russians ordered to destroy an Ohio-class SSBN while Scott controlled the USN. Tony Eischens observed the undersea battle. As the SSBNs were attempting to debouch into the Pacific Ocean from the Juan de Fuca Strait, I tried to close in and plug the bottle. All my units crept in to simulate what I hoped was a tightening ring. Three surface units were detected almost immediately. Although they were not my primary targets, their towed sonar arrays and ASW helos would prove to be dangerous factors that I could not ignore. Not long afterwards, one WHEC cutter came across the path of a Victor III-class SSN. Two Type 65 torpedoes were fired. The torpedoes were detected and the cutter ran to evade, but the 50kt chase speed allowed hiim to be caught... and both missed! Immediately, two more were fired on bearing-only-launch [BOL]. Their speed was only 30kts while the cutter could make 29kts. A hit would take some extraordinarly luck (something which I had not seen, yet). The cutter was not taking the attack lying down, either. Either an Orion MPA or an ASW helo soon appeared and torpedoes were in the water. The counter-measures room deploy decoys. My luck was starting to change as the enemy weapons all missed. I was rewarded by a thunderous explosion. Evidently, one of my torpedoes had also caught the cutter. The Victor managed to creep out of the area. An Alfa-class SSN was next to find a cutter running across its bow. Three wake-homing torpedoes were fired. Only one was really needed to break her bow. Unfortunately, she, too, must have either deployed a helo or called in an orbiting Orion to prosecute the Alfa. No weapon was detected. The Alfa just disappeared to make the score even. My remaining submarines and the sole surviving enemy surface combatant closed on the bay. A Sierra II-class SSN found itself following right behind the RCN destroyer, Iroquois. The Iroquis was only making 5 kts, but I was directly in her baffles. After closing to a range of 6nm, three Type 65s were fired. The destroyer detected them immediately and salvoed her own torpedoes. Both sides evaded, but luck was with my submarine and not the Americans, again. Three decoys were deployed successfully, but the destroyer was sunk by the 1000kg warhead. Unfortunately, my luck would turn, once again. As the searching submarines combed the approaches to the Strait, not a hint of the enemy SSBNs was to be found. The Ohios really did sound like "a hole in the ocean." Regrettably, I failed to make contact with the SSBNs and they escaped. Neither side successfully completed their Victory Conditions and the game ended in a draw. TonyE observed that, although my subs had come close to the SSBN Ohio, they failed to detect the super-quiet vessels. A really fun match. Thanks to Scott for the match and to AoA for the use of his server. Anyone looking for an MP game can drop a line here or look for us on HarpGamer pHp chat room or the HG mIRC chat room.
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