Kola Peninsula 1962 - Test run AAR

[hellfish6]

Nice. I think you can launch decoys using a bearing-only attack, but I've never actually tried it myself.

[acbennett3]

Dohh!
Thanks hellfish6.
Now off to find a smaller bomb.

[acbennett3]

Played it again - launched all Hound Dogs instead of just first wave. Next time I will launch later to give the Soviets less reaction time. Here are the results:
17 Hound Dogs shot down by fighters
5 Hound Dogs detonated over target
2 Hound Dogs malfunctioned instead of detonating [:@]

Also got the ADM-20's to work via bearing only attack. Here are the results for the bombers:
4 B-52's shot down before reaching their targets
8 B-52's delivered their bombs - and the majority were shot down by SA3's or pursuing Migs soon after release but before detonation - a real nail biter on some

Will try to post some images later.

Here are the ending losses:

SIDE: US
===========================================================
LOSSES:
-------------------------------
12x B-52D Stratofortress

EXPENDITURES:
------------------
24x AGM-28B Hound Dog
20x ADM-20B Quail
36x B-28 Strategic Bomb [1.45mT Nuclear]
2x Generic Chaff Salvo [8x Cartridges]

SIDE: USSR
===========================================================
LOSSES:
-------------------------------
5x Radar (Spoon Rest B [P-12])
7x Radar (Thin Skin A HF [PRV-9])
28x SA-3a Goa Twin Rail
61x 23mm ZU-23-2
7x Vehicle (Flat Face A [P-15])
7x Vehicle (Side Net HF [PRV-11])
7x Vehicle (Low Blow [SNR-125])
7x Vehicle (TV Camera)
44x MiG-19 Farmer A
9x Single-Unit Airfield (1x 3201-4000m Runway)
1x Radar (Token)
62x SA-2c Guideline Single Rail
4x Single-Unit Airfield (1x 1401-2000m Runway)
49x MiG-17PF Fresco D
10x Vehicle (Spoon Rest B [P-12NP])
10x Vehicle (Fan Song C [SNR-75M])
2x Radar (Back Net [P-80])
2x Radar (Tall King A [P-14])
4x Radar (Bar Lock A [P-37])
24x MiG-19PM Farmer D
1x Radar (Flat Face A [P-15])
1x Single-Unit Airfield (1x 451-900m Runway)

EXPENDITURES:
------------------
42x AA-1a Alkali Mod 2 [RS-2US]
9x 23mm NR-23 x 3 Burst [60 rnds]
149x 23mm ZU-23-2 Burst [20 rnds]
22x SA-3a Goa [5V24, V-600P]

[Dimitris]

Very nice AAR, thanks for taking the time to put this together!

I think we need to modify nuclear-tipped weapons so that they have a high chance of detonating if they are intercepted once they are armed. (High Tide had this set to 50% probability; I think the chance would be even higher than that). This may make Hound Dog intercepts much more troublesome for the PVO fighters (essentially making them single-shot kamikazes).

[acbennett3]

I did a restart right after the first wave of Hound Dogs. I immediately launched the rest of the Hound Dogs (24 total now airborne) targeting 3 each at the 3 PVO bases and the last 3 at the Murmansk area. Then I had the B-52s go for the deck again.

I title the below image "Who let the dogs out…"
Sorry - couldn't resist.

[acbennett3]

Below the Soviets are moving to intercept - looks a bit more daunting then the first run - 2 more Dogs are off the image to the south.

[acbennett3]

This time a few more Dogs reach their targets - here we see a hole forming in the Southern Soviet radar coverage. In the North numerous Migs are in hot pursuit of a number of Dogs. This drawing off of Migs and the hole in the south will give the southern group of B52's an opening for an end run.

[acbennett3]

This go around most of the time the Soviets barely come up short with the ALGM's and later the B-52's. This Dog is about to successfully hit one of the 3 PVO bases on the Peninsula. Just a few sec/min too late for the trailing Mig…

[acbennett3]

With the southern PVO base taken out and a hole in the southern Soviet radar coverage I steer the southern 6 B-52's thru the opening. 3 B-52s continue up the center, while leaving a few Quail decoys to make things harder for the Soviets. In the North 3 B-52s go for a smaller hole made in the Soviet radar coverage by a Dog. We see most of the Soviet fighters still concentrated after chasing the ALGM's.

[acbennett3]

Here we see most of the Soviet Migs going for the 3 B-52's coming up the center, while the 6 B-52s on the end run are still undetected.

[acbennett3]

One of the 3 Northern B-52's cuts in early and goes for the Luo Helo complex. This is one of a number of examples of B-52's getting their bombs off right before being shot down. In this case the B-52 is about to be taken out by an extremely lucky AAA battery which is part of the SA-2 Site. There was only a 1% chance of hitting - and that is what was rolled. But it was too late for the site - I dropped the bombs early on the SAM site knowing the blast would take out everything. If I had waited and dropped the bombs on the Helo base further ahead this would have been a failure. With mT Nucs you just need to be in the area (unless hardened).

[acbennett3]

Here we see 2 of the 3 B-52s on the center run closing on their targets - suprisingly only 1 of the 3 got shot down, considering all the Migs that were initially pursuing them. It may be due in part to the Quail decoys.

In the North the remaining 2 B-52's go for the over water route hoping to reach the Murmansk Target area in the far eastern center of the image.

[acbennett3]

First of the 2 center B-52's releases on its target - the second of the 3 PVO bases to be taken out. Unfortunately it is about to run into a pair of SA-3's showing up a bit late…

The 2nd center B-52 also successfully releases on its target - it only had an SA-2c site defending it and the B-52 was too low to be engaged.

[acbennett3]

This image shows the Soviets starting to get a whiff of the 6 end run B-52s - but not able to get a good picture. The Migs to the far east are returning to their bases in the south.

[acbennett3]

In the North things are not going well - one B-52 has already been shot down. The last B-52 was trying to fly down the river to hit the Murmansk area to the south but picked up too many friends on the way. 4 Migs and a AAA battery are about to bring him up short of Murmansk.

[acbennett3]

Here we see the 3rd and final PVO base on the Peninsula about to be destroyed. For whatever reason the 2 Migs could not get a firing solution on the B-52 before it released (bombs are red streak behind the B-52). Could have been starting too high or first pass failing and overshooting - but in the image it looks like they are escorting their target. All of them are destroyed in the blast…

[acbennett3]

Here we see the next 2 end run B-52's attacking/approaching their targets. The first blast bags 2 bases in close proximity. The other B-52 is starting its run on the next 2 bases.

[acbennett3]

This is another example of the Soviets coming up a few seconds late. The B-52 is about to be hit from the rear by a Mig and in the front by a pair of SA-3's. But it's bombs have been released seconds before this (red streak following the B52 and pursuing Mig).

[acbennett3]

This image shows the detonation and second 2 base destruction, as well as the last 2 end run B-52's going for the long bomb - and none of the returning Migs even know they are there because they are on the deck.

[acbennett3]

One of the B-52's takes out the target and the last B-52 is going to take another shot at the Murmansk base complex - coming from the east/opposite direction expected.