Here is my AAR ... figured I'd give an update before I forgot what happened.
Started off launching what I could, 2x Hawkeyes some S-3s from the CVBG. Also got the ASW helo's up and on patrol. S-3s I put into search boxes around the CVBG patrol area.
Trondhiem launched her ready F5s as CAP. Sent 1 E2 up toward the Kola to screen from that direction sent the other more SE and kept it closer to the CVBG. By now the +5 F4s and F14s are up and I have standing CAPs, F4s near and F14s out on BARCAP. E2 is getting some contacts coming up near the Kola. A pair of F14s with Phoenixs launch to ride shotgun on the one Northern E2, sent a tanker up with them and launched another for the CVBG CAP as well.
By now the Trondhiem is under AIR WARNING with several bogies inbound, some hi some lo. Another 4 F5s launch to help with the threat. Bogies turn out to be Fitters with Flagons pulling escort. I-Hawks and F5s manage to kill the entire strike force but at a cost 3 F5s. One of the Fitters hit a fuel depot before the last AIM9B killed it.
HMS Warspite has now picked up a sub contact south of the CVBG, vector 2x S3 in. Classify it as the Charlie! Drop a torp with no observed results. They chase it for an hour and finally lose contact. Dunno if the Mk46 got it or the Charlie got away.... added a new ASW "kill box" around that area just in case.
The two F14s riding shotgun on the E2 now move in and start killing some of the Bears and Mays that are roaming around alone. Several more contacts are detected via ESM from the Bodo area. One section of F14s vector in for a look. F14s get radar contact and they are moving at 800+kts! F14 section is too far away to intercept... VAMPIRES! The fast movers just launched and are heading home. The 14s cut the corner and intercept the Blinders and kill them while I have my CAP sections trying to get in front of the ASM for a shot. CVBG goes active and the SAM radars start tracking...looks like Kelts inbound.. Sparrows, Talos and SM1s are all flying and most of the inbounds fall.....all but one heading right for the USS Barry. Not sure if it was the Wainwrights last missle or the Barrys' guns but the last Kelt detonated so close the Barry was covered in missle parts..it was THAT close! I'm sure there was much soiling of the underwear on that ship!
The forward most F14 CAP (the ones who got the Blinders) have picked up MORE bogies inbound to the CVBG over Northern Norway right and some of them have escorts. One of the 14s RTB for ammo while the others try to avoid the escorts and get tp the bombers so the AIM9s and few (3) Sparrows can splash a few. The other CAPS are vectoring in with what little ordnance they have after shooting at the vampires. Check with the CAG and I see I'm going to have some more Toms ready soon [-13 minutes] these have AIM54s good for killing bombers but will they be able to launch in time??
Oh yes, while this was going had a sub get in past my ASW boxes and launch a Torp at one of the Adams DDGs. The DDG launched a Mk44 back down the azimuth and called in for Helo and Vikings. Soon they got a lock on the sub and with any ID they blew it away. The Torp ran out of fuel as the Adams ran away at 32 kts.
That's where I'm at right now, trying to keep the subs at bay and watching what appears to be a large raid heading towards my CVBG. The South seems quiet for the moment with only the air raid so far. Sent out scout helos to try and give some advance warning of the Red SAG. Tasked one E2 to divert that way while I launch another to take it's place.
Forward most CAP is trying to avoid Fiddler escorts and get in and kill some of the Blinders and Badger Js that over Norway. Other CAPs are vectoring in on the Bogies.
Lead CAP has taken out a few and others are close to firing range. 4 more Toms are ready along with 6 F4s. Launch each with two flights each. Just now picked up a RORSAT to my SE. NOT good news...
Lead Toms now out of missles and close in to find Badger Gs! 2xF14s in for gun runs (all they have left) on the Badgers and BANG the Badgers shoot BOTH F14s down with guns! Hmmm.. that didn't go well... *note to self-don't get into gun range with Badgers!
F14s and F4s are launching and forming up over the CVBG. VAMPIRES! Not from the Badgers but Sirens from that damn Charlie! S3 has a visual on the launch from 7 miles OUTSIDE my kill box! That Charlie has moved over 20 miles without being heard by 2x S3s and a Sea King! ASW birds vectoring in...
With Sirens inbound the F14s that just launched now salvo all 8 AIM54s at the Sirens as they are still 50miles from the CVBG. Amazingly the Phoenixes get 7 out of 8 hits and close in to use Sparrows on the last Siren. Buying those guys the beer tonight!
Vikings drop on the Charlie with no effect and I think it's slipped away once again! Curses....at least it should be out of missles...
Now VAMPIRES once again... this time Kingfishes from the Badgers. CAP manage to shoot some Badgers before and after launching. Rest of the CAP lines up again to take some shots at the inbound ASMs. After a flurry of missles only 10(!) make it past the CAP. Now it's up to the SAMs... Looks like the Kingfishes are targeted on the Independence and Albany. Anybody in gunrange or missle range starts shooting...even a Sea Sparrow off the America got in a Kill for her older sister. In the end I had five still locked on the Independence, the "Indy" took 4 hits but she is still running and conducting flight ops, damage is 40% right now.
Reorganizing the few CAP that still have anything other than AIM9s while rest RTB to America. Those that have missles tank with the KA-6Ds after thier run in on burner used up alot of gas. This leaves me with 1 F4 and 1 F14 out on BARCAP. Everything else is Winchester.
Thinking of detaching Indy but I think it will violate some of the victory conditions. Probably going to launch whatever ready planes she has so they can recover on the America if need be. Not sure how well H3 handles damage control and don't know if there is anything I "can" do to help. i.e. slow the ship or change heading etc..
Souther E2 is near the only spot that doesn't have radar coverage, so I expect the surface forces are about to be found (I hope).
*it was the America NOT the Indy that got hit*
Action down south. Made some errors here and it looks like I'm gonna pay for it. I rearmed my A6s with Walleyes instead of Mk83s..WOW 8 hr rearm time! The two Shrike armed A6s were already outbound when the E2 found the SAG and two Nanuchkas along the coast.
Before I could get the A6s in close to do anything the Nanuchkas launched Styxs at my ships outside Trondhiem Fjord. 4 went to the Cleopatra and the 4 towards the County Class DDG. Each ship managed to down 2 each with Sea Cats (from what I could tell). Sea Slug and Terrier had NO kills against the Styx from what I saw..will check the logs later. The Russians got me good...both ships hit by 2 Styx each and sinking..actually the Cleopatra is sinking...the County disentegrated.
The A6s hit a Kresta with a Shrike and also sank a Grisha(?) with a shrike hit. One of the Nanuchkas also took a Shrike with minor damage. Here I am gettting ready for a gun and SSM duel and just lost 4 Exocets and Sea Slug launcher plus a 114mm gun. My under gunned fleet just got a little more under gunned. Have a few F4s bombing up at Trondhiem but they are a few hours away. Fearless just launched here Wessexs with AS11 missles..plan on sending them in to do what they can.
Meanwhile back at the America CVBG, Indy is recovering all the F4s and F14s and turning them around ASAP. Looks like I should have F4s up for CAP in about an Hour with F14s/AIM54s up in 2 hours. America is at 40% damage but can maintain full speed and conduct flight ops. However I'm limiting her Ops for the moment until I'm convinced she won't have any problems other than her damaged rudder.
The few CAPs I have up are pushed out around 300nm to give as much advanced warning as possible.
Down South it's going to get hairy pretty soon...trying to get my sub in for a shot but it's going to be close. Wonder if I can draw the Russians into the Fjord 'ala 1940 Germans? Hey, if they could sink the Blücher why not a Sverdlov?
Got rough down South. FIrst of all I'd like to the DDG MacDonaugh in for the Presidential Unit Citation for conspicuos gallantry in the face of the enemy. If it wasn't for her it would have been REALLY bad in the South.
The initial misle strike really hurt me offensive-wise when they killed Cleopatra (it had Exocets) and the Antrim (with a decent Sea Slug missle). That left me with a few Terrier/Tartar SAMs in SSM mode and 3 5" guns only one of which was a wonderfull Mk42 mount on the MacDonaugh.
Long story short in a classic running gun dual my 5 ships took on the Russians with the MacDonaugh doing the killing. The longer range of the US 5/54" really showed through here as she took out the Kotlin AND the Sverdlov with RAP rounds and then started in on the rest with HECVT. The russians were launching Goas and Goblets in SSM mode but they weren't too accurate..however when they hit they did do some damage. Finally all my ships went down with only a Kashin and a Kresta left, both with major damage and moving at 16kts.
I goofed earlier and didn't get my MTBs in place and one got taken out by a sub that I never saw. The other got into range and launched it's Penguins before dying from Goas. The Penguins all missed or were shot down. I had two vikings down there with Mk82s so I sent them in and they were killed as they RTB'd through the Russian fleet! Grrrr......
The Russians are moving into the Fjord shooting up any land tgts they see and I only have one option left.... several of my replenishment ships have multiple 76mm mounts and one even has an old 5/38" from an old destroyer on it. So I do what anyone else would do....form them into a gunline!
The 76mm's were effective at shooting down the inbound SAM-SSMs and I only had two get through and do minor damage. Meanwhile the 5/38" was popping away at the Kresta just as my F5s with the Mk82s launched. They rolled in 2 flights of 2 and sank both ships.
The two Nanuchkas had been trolling along outside the entrance to the Fjord when changed course and went near my sub Osirus(?) the sub tried to launch some TigerFish but found out they were only usefull against subs??? So she sank them both with good old straight running Mk8s.
That pretty much ended it a few hours later with a failure due to me losing 9 ships instead of 8 even though ALL Soviet surface units were sunk. I met the other conditions however.
Killed a Foxtrot and a Victor but no kill on that Charlie...I assume she's limping home right now. MacDonaugh fired nearly 500rnds of 5" and the gunline used almost 900 3"!
Was a fun scenrio and I got lucky a few times and unlucky as well. Oh yeah never got to use my Walleye rearmed A6s.
Other than the Styx (Vsmall tgt?)and Tigerfish(sub only) I think everything ran well.
It's certainly playable again as luck and timing will make the difference between sailing or swimming home because your fleet defence SAMs suck!
