Action in the Bay of Vlore, 1969 -- New beta for testing

[Mgellis]

Friends,

A new beta to test. In this one, it is 1969, and Albania has just withdrawn from the Warsaw Pact. Outraged, the Soviet Union sends a small task force to blockade the Port of Vlore. Albania must do something about this.

As always, please let me know what needs to be done to make this a better scenario. Are there problems or errors that need to be fixed? Are the overview and the orders clear? Is it too hard or too easy to win? Anything else you would suggest or recommend?

Thanks in advance!

Version 2 uploaded 8:00 PM CST 1/14/2023

[HalfLifeExpert]

I've got it running now. Will report my first results

UPDATE: I've completed my first run. Hostilties commenced when I sent a recon Po-2 to surveil the Soviet ships, where it was shot down by a SAM from the Kashin.

Some Comments:

1) Seems to me that the Albanian ships should largely start off closer to their own shore (North or South of Vlore), especially group Bravo (The torpedo boats).

2) I think all the Albanian MiGs should be ready for combat at start or ready within one hour of scenario start. Presumably this setup has resulted from an ongoing crisis with harsh words being exchanged between Albania and the USSR, so I think the Albanian airbase should have more aircraft ready.

3) Related to #2 above; While I understand the limitations of the Albanian fleet, I was just too outgunned when hostilties began. My Torpedo boats were massacred before getting in range to launch. I was able to pull off some damaging hits on the Kashin (only SAM armed ship) with the MiGs, but that left not enough firepower to knock out the cruiser before it's 6 inch guns slaughtered the AI Merchant ships.

I'm not really sure of an easy solution to this other than comment 2 and perhaps starting the Torpedo Boats closer to the Soviets (perhaps on the western side of Sazan Island?)

[Mgellis]

Just uploaded version 2 with some of the changes suggested by HalfLifeExpert. Also gave the Albanians a battery of artillery which they can move around Vlore, which I hope won't unbalance the scenario (the Soviets seem to have trouble finding it so they can return fire).

As always, please let me know what you think. What can be done to make this a more interesting, more challenging scenario? Thanks in advance!

[HalfLifeExpert]

I've completed a run with Version 2. I'd stay this is much better than v1.

It was quite bloody, but I got an Average result with a score of 105.

I was able to get my Torpedo Boats in range before the Soviets commenced hostilities. They fired their torpedoes when the Soviets started firing, but since they are straight runners, they all missed. And all Torpedo boats were destroyed.

The Artillery Battery was very helpful. Ended up expending all of its shells, causing serious damage to the Cruiser and the Kashin, but not enough to prevent losing 5x MiGs to SAMs when they went in. I should have prioritized the Kashin over the Cruiser first.

Only a couple things I would say could use some adjusting:

1) Due to my own error, the Convoy got hit hard as it was headed to Vlore, but I managed to get one merchant ship into the RP area, but didn't get any points for it.

2) The AI Fishing Boats need to be changed. In my v2 playthrough, they steamed right into the guns of the Soviet ships, and there was nothing I could do to help them since it was after my first airstrikes. (I so desperately wanted to order them to turn around) I like the new position of the Soviet ships, but I think the AI Friendly fishing boats should be changed to one of the following:

A) Have the Fishing boats try to exit Vlore Bay in the channel where the Soviets are not located.

B) Have the fishing boats just maneuver within Vlore Bay as impromptu/volunteer scouts for the Albanian military, since there doesn't seem to be any ships of the Albanian Navy in Vlore.


Losses and Expenditures:

SIDE: Albania
===========================================================

LOSSES:
-------------------------------
3x TK P-4 [Pr.123K]
3x FT-5 MiG-17 Fresco UTI
2x F-6 Farmer
1x Polikarpov Po-2
2x SKR Kronshtadt
1x Commercial Container Vessel - Small Feeder [750 TEU, 9,500t DWT]


EXPENDITURES:
------------------
5x 45-36N
31x 14.5mm/73 Twin Burst [20 rnds]
600x 152mm/25 HE
16x 250kg GPB
620x 85mm/52 Model 90K HE
18x FAB-250M-54 GPB
8x FAB-1000M-62 GPB
24x 30mm NR-30 x 2 Burst [20 rnds]
32x S-5K 57mm Rocket



SIDE: Soviet Union
===========================================================

LOSSES:
-------------------------------
1x BPK Kashin [Pr.61]
1x SKR Riga [Pr.50 Gornostay]
1x KR Chapaev
1x VT Uda [Pr.577]


EXPENDITURES:
------------------
224x 37mm/63 Twin Burst [20 rnds]
68x 100mm/56 Twin HE Burst [2 rnds]
136x 152mm/50 Triple Frag Salvo [3 rnds]
4x 53-65K WH
552x AK-176 76mm/60 HE Burst [2 rnds]
62x 152mm/50 Triple AP Salvo [3 rnds]
22x SA-N-1b Goa [M-1M/P Volna-M/P, 4K91 / V-601]
12x AK-726 76mm/60 Twin HE Burst [2 rnds]
240x 100mm/56 HE
100x 100mm/56 Frag
46x 100mm/56 Twin Frag Burst [2 rnds]
200x AK-176 76mm/60 Frag Burst [2 rnds]



SIDE: Albanian Fishing Boats
===========================================================

LOSSES:
-------------------------------
1x Commercial Fishing Boat [35m]


EXPENDITURES:
------------------



SIDE: Neutrals
===========================================================

LOSSES:
-------------------------------


EXPENDITURES:
------------------

[Mgellis]

I've updated courses for the merchants and checked the Events to add points for getting the merchants on station. The Events look all right, but I increased the size of the zone a bit to make it a little easier to trigger the Events. The ships do have to be on station for an hour before the Events are triggered (there is one for each ship), so that may have been the problem.

[Mgellis]

It looks like people are generally pleased with this beta. Is there anything else people think I need to do--changes, corrections, etc.--before I submit it to the Community Scenario Pack? Thanks!