Northern Inferno - Beware of the Badger

[ultradave]

While that little party with the Badgers was going on the Soviet SAG had turned toward the Allied task forces. Buccaneers and Phantoms from Ark Royal were launched in a strike package.

Pretty successful run as a Kresta CG, a Kashin DDG were sunk, and another Kashin DDG damaged by ASMs with no aircraft losses. Picture shows the Buccaneers lobbing their missiles. Soviets wisely shut down their radars so some ARM missiles were unexpended.

[ultradave]

Another pair of Badgers appear following the same flight profile and headed towards the Ark Royal Task Force. Both are shot down by the F-4s that were escorting the Buccaneer strike on the SAG, however not before getting off two ASMs. Fortunately, one pair of F-4s managed to shoot down both missiles, although expended all of the AAMs. So back to Ark Royal they head.

I have to better manage the BARCAP. Badgers are slipping through and the F104s to the north should be finding and intercepting these.

I tend not to play large scenarios (yet) as I'm working my way up. This wouldn't really qualify as large but there is quite a bit going on. My overall management skills need work. Northern Inferno looks like a good way to work up the complexity ladder.

[ultradave]

So along those lines, reorganized the BARCAP operating out of Bodo, and since I have 7 Shackletons, I set up a second AEW patrol that should provide coverage to the North Cape and give better warning of intruders. Should have done this before and I would have had an easier time "managing" those Badger strikes.

[ultradave]

Just in time too. While the Shackleton is not on station yet, the F104s from Bodo pick up the chase on what appears to be 8 more Badgers headed toward Allied task forces.

[ultradave]

Oh, I've got a bad feeling about this. Six F104s from Bodo on afterburners failed to down even one of these, and now they march on. F-4s are readying, but I do have 4 I can scramble.

[edit] Yup. Bad feeling. Phantoms on the way to intercept just as several of the Badgers loose of several AS-6 Kingfish missiles (assumed by contact speed). Assuming conventional, they carry 1000kg warheads (1 ton). Nuclear: well, I don't want to think about that. 350KT x several = a bad day.

[ultradave]

The first 4 missiles appeared to be headed for HMS Sheffield but then turned and headed for HMS Bulward. The first one hits Bulward causing severe damage, some flooding and a fire, and completely destroys her flight ops capability and all her helos.

The second salvo of Kingfish arrives and creates a complete disaster. Missile 1 hits the Sheffield, breaking her in half. Missile 2 hits the water between the halves of the hull. Missiles 3 & 4 are far enough behind that are retargeted. Number 3 hits the Diomede behind the Sheffield, and number 4 turns and targets the already badly damaged Bulwark. That missile finds its mark and Bulwark also goes down.

Losses from 8 AS-6 Kingfish missiles:
HMS Bulwark
HMS Sheffield
HMS Diomede

More Kingfish are inbound. I have 4 F-4s in the air but trying to intercept missiles flying at almost 2000 kts is a tough ask.

The next 4 Kingfish and it appears 2 after that are headed to the Ark Royal group. The first 4 arrive and 1 Kingfish hits HMS Ark Royal, severely damaging her. Two more are on the way but Ark Royal is out of action, on fire, with severe flooding. Two more missiles arrive and one hits the Ark Royal, which is already sinking, and the second flies over Ark Royal's flight deck and hits the replenishment ship Resurgent behind the Ark Royal, sinking her too.

Good Lord, these Kingfish are devastating. One hit will sink anything but the Ark Royal, and one completely took her out of action, the second finished her off.

The F-4s from Ark Royal that were in the air RTB to Bodo. Small consolation since there are no load outs for them there. But they have guns and are fast so they can go after more Badgers if they show up.

[ultradave]

It's about time for a little good luck. The northern pickets organization resulted in a raid of 6 Badgers being intercepted by 4 F104s scrambled from Bodo. All 6 Badgers were shot down before launching any missiles. A second raid of 4 got through just after that and launched a total of 8 missiles at the Guadalcanal task force. Miraculously all 8 Kingfish were downed by missiles just short of their targets. 10 Badgers and escaped unscathed. Too bad that luck wasn't with me with the Ark Royal attack.

Meanwhile the Soviet SAG had sped up and was trailing the Guadalcanal group. A pair of P-3s on maritime surveillance armed with Harpoons sank one Kashin DDG, while gunfire from HMS Danae at the rear of the Ark Royal TF and a couple of Harpoons sank another. As near as I can tell there is only one Kresta CG left of the Soviet SAG. He doesn't seem to be able to close to weapons range.

Thank goodness for small favors.

HMS Berwick and Danae are detached to chase down the Kresta. After several minutes of gunfire from both DDs the Colonel Timoshenko slips beneath the waves. I *think* that eliminates the Soviet SAG.

While this was going on a submarine was located out in front of the Guadalcanal group, which was prosecuted and dispatched by a Sea King dropping 2 Mk46 torpedoes right on top of it.

Things seem to be swinging the Allies way now. If it were not for the loss of Ark Royal, I think I'd be in pretty good shape now. (this may be false confidence having just weathered a flurry. Where DO they get all these Badgers?)

[ultradave]

Two more Badger raids to deal with, resulting in all 10 (11 maybe?) Badgers shot down, but 3 Kingfish were launched. The first sinks HMS Galatea, the second splashes in to the water where she was, the third veers right and targets the HMS Danae, who miraculously escapes when the missile runs out of gas and crashes into the water next to the ship.

Following that flurry, both amphibious task forces made to the Safe Haven area without further incident (other than dodging a torpedo and sinking its launcher )

[ultradave]

Another issue to deal with however. It's like "Whack a Mole" out here.

[ultradave]

I'm in the safe haven, boats launched, choppers with Marines on the way to Bardofuss, and a very annoying SS that is driving me crazy. It just sank HMS Devonshire, took a depth charge close aboard, but is still kicking (Goblin 259 in the previous picture). So far it has avoided 6 Mk46 torpedoes and I'm waiting for helicopters to rearm, while HMS Rothesay tries to prosecute with ASW mortars.

I've set up a CAP over Bardofuss. I don't trust these guys not to send me a welcome message as my Marines get to the airbase. 2 Bogeys detected way north, almost off the North Cape. 2 AV-8 Harriers give chase but have to RTB just short of ID'ing them.

[ultradave]

Hmmm. I assume I have to unload all these Marines at Bardofuss. I'm not sure how to do that. Any clues anyone?

[Eggstor]

You don't have to unload the heli-borne Marines (because you can't), but you do have to get the landing craft into the muster area.

[ultradave]

ok, thanks.

[ultradave]

Without further incident, I managed to get all of the Marines to Bardofuss and all of the remaining boats to the Muster Area. Some assets were lost along the way, and with the loss of Ark Royal and a number of escorts, there were not enough victory points to advance.

Since this took so long to play through I'm not really interested in redoing it to better my score, so I guess I'll just do the rest of the scenarios as standalone since the campaign won't advance. Unless there is a way to do some creative editing to fool it

This is a challenging scenarios. An endless (it seemed) waterfall of Badgers coming from the North Cape area. The key is to get them before they can lob those supersonic Kingfish ASM's Those are deadly if they hit something. The only ship that took more than one hit to sink was Ark Royal, but even there, the first missile hit turned it into a floating wreck.

On to the Grey Ghost.