Herman Hum
13 Mar 06, 02:21
AAR: Crete Convoy [Spoiler Alert]
A Harpoon Classic scenario
By Mark Gellis
It is 1990 and the world is at war. America and its allies are gradually preparing to liberate Iran from the Soviet Union, which invaded that country earlier this year. Several allies of the Soviet Union have declared their support for the Soviet invasion.
Blue Orders:
Convoy AAS (Flag Robison) should proceed to the waters off the southern shore of Crete in preparation for a rendevous with other vessels. Once at the rendevous point, you will receive additional orders. Libya has declared its support of the Soviet invasion of Iran. It is possible that Libyan aircraft, surface vessels, or submarines will attempt to attack your convoy. Soviet submarines may also be in your area.
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/6964/creteconvoy6fb.th.gif (http://img208.imageshack.us/my.php?image=creteconvoy6fb.gif)
“Why is it that the Beans and Bullets brigade is always sucking hind-tit?” Commander Russell opined to himself as he passed from his stateroom to the bridge. “Don’t those Rear-Admirals understand that without their precious supplies, they wouldn’t be able to conduct this war for more than a few days?”
Talk about near-naked. Only two escorts had been provided for the eight merchant vessels under his command. The Greeks said that they would help, but they are a LONG ways away. Still, a pair of F-4 Phantoms was immediately launched from Araxos to provide a modicum of aerial protection.
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/9990/foxbatchallenge5wh.th.gif (http://img232.imageshack.us/my.php?image=foxbatchallenge5wh.gif)
Two Foxbats quickly rose out of Tripoli to challenge them over Sicily. Captain Gregorii Papadopolous was leading the mission and he was glad that they would not be subject to the regular boredom that pilots experience when assigned to BarCAP . However, had Cpt. P followed eastern philosophy, he would have know of the adage, “Beware of what you wish for. You just might get it.”
The two Greek pilots carefully set up their approach and took their time for Sparrow release before all eight AIM-7F Sparrow missiles were volley-fired. They were confident that they would achieve success and report their first victories of the war. However, it was very nearly their last mission because all eight missiles missed! Both pilots thought, "Oh, ****!" as they yanked on their joysticks. However, Gregorii's RIO was the squadron wag and he had the right attitude. Over the intercom, he quipped, "So, this must have been how you felt when the Wing Commander almost caught you in his daughter’s bedroom last Saturday, eh?” As they pulled into a loop to evade the fast-approaching MiG-25 Foxbats, the Libyan pilots fired their AA-6 Acrid missiles. The Phantoms fled like thieves caught by a spotlight in the act. Their final burst of afterburner was sufficient to carry them out of range of the AAMs [air-to-air missiles]. They landed badly shaken, but ‘Papa’ quickly regained his composure. "I wonder what Kristina's doing tonight?" He preferred facing Libyan missiles to getting caught by the Wing Commander.
The relief mission had been warned of the Foxbat’s phenomenal speed. They closed to point blank range before firing and managed to splash a second pair of 'Bats. While sitting on their BarCAP position, they detected an Osa-class missile boat that was attempting a blockade in the Sicilian Channel.
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/3011/jesselbrowncontact5wo.th.gif (http://img232.imageshack.us/my.php?image=jesselbrowncontact5wo.gif)
Right afterwards, a sub was detected by FFG Jesse L. Brown. The convoy was ordered to immediately turn away as her Sea Sprite helos were launched to prosecute the contact. Both helos dropped sonobuoys as they ran down the bearing of the contact and soon had her localized after dropping only a half-dozen sonobuoys each. The Captain had exercised his crew aggressively and they had learned their lessons well. The first and most important lesson was to get airborne ASAP in order to minimize the time a contact had to move.
The first helo went into hover and dropped her torpedo. Someone else had also been training his crew hard. The skipper of the Libyan Foxtrot had his crew honed and they were able to evade the torpedo. The second Sea Sprite moved in and dropped her torpedo from a range of 100 yards. This time, the American training regimen would triumph over Libyan practice as the Mk 50 Barracuda struck just behind the manoeuvring room. The little submarine and Libya's best crew plunged to the sea floor.
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/4864/sublocalized4vi.th.gif (http://img232.imageshack.us/my.php?image=sublocalized4vi.gif)
To deal with the Osa in the Strait, four Mirage were called out from Araxos but they ran short of fuel over Fontanarossa and had to abort the mission. The convoy would have to deal with the missile boat on their lonesome. However, forewarned is forearmed. As the convoy began to cross the Strait, the convoy commander ordered his helos to sweep the area. He found the Osa sitting dangerously close to his PIM [Path of Intended Motion] and decided that she could not be avoided. Two Harpoon missiles from DDG Robison (a Charles Adams-class destroyer) promptly destroyed the little missile boat before she even realized that she was under attack. The passage appeared to be clear for the moment.
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/4770/viaaraxos6ex.th.gif (http://img232.imageshack.us/my.php?image=viaaraxos6ex.gif)
Once clear of the Strait, the commander elected to take a slightly more circuitous route to Crete and angled towards Araxos in order to minimize the flight time of his aerial coverage. The voyage was mostly uneventful. Only when the convoy neared Crete did two Combattante-class missile boats appear on the horizon. A judicious application of a pair of Harpoon missiles to each of them was sufficient to nullify the threat. Victory was awarded as the convoy made landfall. Commander Russell only hoped that NATO command could do something useful with the newly arrived supplies.
Thanks for an interesting scenario.
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A Harpoon Classic scenario
By Mark Gellis
It is 1990 and the world is at war. America and its allies are gradually preparing to liberate Iran from the Soviet Union, which invaded that country earlier this year. Several allies of the Soviet Union have declared their support for the Soviet invasion.
Blue Orders:
Convoy AAS (Flag Robison) should proceed to the waters off the southern shore of Crete in preparation for a rendevous with other vessels. Once at the rendevous point, you will receive additional orders. Libya has declared its support of the Soviet invasion of Iran. It is possible that Libyan aircraft, surface vessels, or submarines will attempt to attack your convoy. Soviet submarines may also be in your area.
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/6964/creteconvoy6fb.th.gif (http://img208.imageshack.us/my.php?image=creteconvoy6fb.gif)
“Why is it that the Beans and Bullets brigade is always sucking hind-tit?” Commander Russell opined to himself as he passed from his stateroom to the bridge. “Don’t those Rear-Admirals understand that without their precious supplies, they wouldn’t be able to conduct this war for more than a few days?”
Talk about near-naked. Only two escorts had been provided for the eight merchant vessels under his command. The Greeks said that they would help, but they are a LONG ways away. Still, a pair of F-4 Phantoms was immediately launched from Araxos to provide a modicum of aerial protection.
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/9990/foxbatchallenge5wh.th.gif (http://img232.imageshack.us/my.php?image=foxbatchallenge5wh.gif)
Two Foxbats quickly rose out of Tripoli to challenge them over Sicily. Captain Gregorii Papadopolous was leading the mission and he was glad that they would not be subject to the regular boredom that pilots experience when assigned to BarCAP . However, had Cpt. P followed eastern philosophy, he would have know of the adage, “Beware of what you wish for. You just might get it.”
The two Greek pilots carefully set up their approach and took their time for Sparrow release before all eight AIM-7F Sparrow missiles were volley-fired. They were confident that they would achieve success and report their first victories of the war. However, it was very nearly their last mission because all eight missiles missed! Both pilots thought, "Oh, ****!" as they yanked on their joysticks. However, Gregorii's RIO was the squadron wag and he had the right attitude. Over the intercom, he quipped, "So, this must have been how you felt when the Wing Commander almost caught you in his daughter’s bedroom last Saturday, eh?” As they pulled into a loop to evade the fast-approaching MiG-25 Foxbats, the Libyan pilots fired their AA-6 Acrid missiles. The Phantoms fled like thieves caught by a spotlight in the act. Their final burst of afterburner was sufficient to carry them out of range of the AAMs [air-to-air missiles]. They landed badly shaken, but ‘Papa’ quickly regained his composure. "I wonder what Kristina's doing tonight?" He preferred facing Libyan missiles to getting caught by the Wing Commander.
The relief mission had been warned of the Foxbat’s phenomenal speed. They closed to point blank range before firing and managed to splash a second pair of 'Bats. While sitting on their BarCAP position, they detected an Osa-class missile boat that was attempting a blockade in the Sicilian Channel.
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/3011/jesselbrowncontact5wo.th.gif (http://img232.imageshack.us/my.php?image=jesselbrowncontact5wo.gif)
Right afterwards, a sub was detected by FFG Jesse L. Brown. The convoy was ordered to immediately turn away as her Sea Sprite helos were launched to prosecute the contact. Both helos dropped sonobuoys as they ran down the bearing of the contact and soon had her localized after dropping only a half-dozen sonobuoys each. The Captain had exercised his crew aggressively and they had learned their lessons well. The first and most important lesson was to get airborne ASAP in order to minimize the time a contact had to move.
The first helo went into hover and dropped her torpedo. Someone else had also been training his crew hard. The skipper of the Libyan Foxtrot had his crew honed and they were able to evade the torpedo. The second Sea Sprite moved in and dropped her torpedo from a range of 100 yards. This time, the American training regimen would triumph over Libyan practice as the Mk 50 Barracuda struck just behind the manoeuvring room. The little submarine and Libya's best crew plunged to the sea floor.
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/4864/sublocalized4vi.th.gif (http://img232.imageshack.us/my.php?image=sublocalized4vi.gif)
To deal with the Osa in the Strait, four Mirage were called out from Araxos but they ran short of fuel over Fontanarossa and had to abort the mission. The convoy would have to deal with the missile boat on their lonesome. However, forewarned is forearmed. As the convoy began to cross the Strait, the convoy commander ordered his helos to sweep the area. He found the Osa sitting dangerously close to his PIM [Path of Intended Motion] and decided that she could not be avoided. Two Harpoon missiles from DDG Robison (a Charles Adams-class destroyer) promptly destroyed the little missile boat before she even realized that she was under attack. The passage appeared to be clear for the moment.
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/4770/viaaraxos6ex.th.gif (http://img232.imageshack.us/my.php?image=viaaraxos6ex.gif)
Once clear of the Strait, the commander elected to take a slightly more circuitous route to Crete and angled towards Araxos in order to minimize the flight time of his aerial coverage. The voyage was mostly uneventful. Only when the convoy neared Crete did two Combattante-class missile boats appear on the horizon. A judicious application of a pair of Harpoon missiles to each of them was sufficient to nullify the threat. Victory was awarded as the convoy made landfall. Commander Russell only hoped that NATO command could do something useful with the newly arrived supplies.
Thanks for an interesting scenario.
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