Caribbean Fury 1

[stww2]

I just finished earlier today Caribbean Fury 1. I won’t recount the entire scenario, primarily because I’ve played it over a period of months and I can’t actually remember what happened in detail, but a brief summary is as follows…

After a harrowing beginning, including the embarrassing (from a US prestige perspective-given the forces involved in the scenario it wasn’t that surprising) destruction of several ground installations in Florida and in Panama (apparently OV-10s are don’t function well as an emergency CAP…who would have thought?), the tide was turned by legions of F-15Cs. After several SEAD strikes, I knocked out every non-MANPAD SAM installation in Central Cuba and unleashed F-4s to drop LGBs on various targets (by that point I was desperately scavenging for points), while A-7s targeted Mariel and the Central Cuban SSM installations (a TARPS recon pod equipped F-14 was enormously useful in elucidating what areas were protected by MANPADs and what areas were vulnerable). On the naval side of things, the Radford TG Harpooned an Osa battlegroup, P-3s picked off Cuban naval vessels around the island, and the Trepang started off the war by becoming an ace, bagging two Grishas, two Konis, and a Foxtrot (the latter of which didn’t even carry ASW capable weapons). I stopped playing with 13h 5m remaining, which after looking at the editor might have preempted a clash between a Victor and the CVBG although I doubt that would have been worth simulating the remaining 13 hours for what was by that point a completely one-sided affair.
Overall, my minor gripes aside (see below), this was a fantastic scenario (as are pretty much all of Gunner’s works) and I would highly recommend it!

Some Comments:
-the first Cuban strikes were well coordinated, but afterwards subsequent strikes were in disarray and saw unescorted Mig-21s and Mig-23s thrown against F-15Cs-obviously a suicide mission; perhaps the strikes should have been set to one-time only, or they should have been assigned escorts and the readiness of those escorts should have been a mission requirement to launch
-I was disappointed that the CSAR script only seemed to recognize helicopters; I originally was going to use some of the Coast Guard patrol boats for CSAR work early on when the airspace around Key West wasn't safe for helicopters, but they ended up being essentially useless.

-the SA-10 Radars being on was a major liability, allowed me to take them out from range; SA-2s and SA-3s were taken out by baiting them to go active with an F-16, but this would have been much more dangerous with a SA-10; along a similar line the Cuban SSMs FCR’s being left on also made them easy to locate and take out
-what was the point of the WP aligned patrol boats? I guess to take out merchant ships, but could they even do that with their paltry armaments? I ended up destroying them with a combination of AC-130s, Harpoons from the HMS Westminster and Sea Skuas from its helicopter, rockets from Harrier GR7s, and strafing runs from TA-4s (AC-130s did most for the work). It seemed like a bizarre deployment.
-enemy ground forces lacked supporting AA, which made them easy targets; the Cuban ground assault on Guantanamo Bay especially seemed to be unnecessarily fragmented and unsupported. To be fair, CMO isn’t and never has been a ground warfare simulator, though, so I suppose I shouldn’t expect too much
-the hospital being right next to the Command bunker at Mariel was a nice challenge, and one that I singularly failed when I accidently lobbed an AGM-130 with a Mk84 warhead at the bunker…let’s just say that I significantly underestimated its blast radius. Although given everything else that is happening in the Northern Fury-verse at the same time I can’t imagine this incident would really get that much traction in the press-and who puts a command bunker right across the street from a hospital anyway?


Final Score: 1101 (Triumph) w/ 13h 5m Remaining

Losses and Expenditures:

SIDE: Cuba
===========================================================

LOSSES:
-------------------------------
3x An-12BK-PPS Cub D
3x Il-20M Coot A
7x Mi-14PL Haze A
39x MiG-21MF Fishbed J
11x MiG-23MF Flogger B
28x MiG-23ML Flogger G
12x MiG-23MLD Flogger K
12x MiG-29 Fulcrum A
12x MiG-31 Foxhound
8x Su-24M Fencer D
11x Su-27P Flanker B
12x Su-27S Flanker B
12x Su-30 Flanker G
3x Tu-142MZ Bear F Mod 4
3x Tu-16P Badger J
3x Ammo Bunker (Underground)
1x Ammo Pad
5x Ammo Shelter
1x AvGas (150k Liter Tank)
1x AvGas Tank Farm (10 x 150k Liter Tank)
1x Building (Airport Terminal)
16x Building (Barracks)
10x Building (Communication Hub)
1x Building (Hospital)
12x Building (Medium)
2x Building (Uplink Relay Station)
1x Building (Very Large Leadership Compound)
10x Building (Very Large)
4x Bunker (COMINT Station)
3x Bunker (ELINT Station)
2x Bunker (Large C3M)
1x Bunker (Missile Alert Facility (MAF))
1x Bunker (SIGINT Station)
4x Diesel Bunker (750k Liter Tank)
3x Radar (Generic Air Traffic Control)
4x Radar (Square Tie [Rangout])
2x Radar (Tin Shield B [5N59S/36D6])
5x Structure (Naval Dock)
1x Vehicle (Big Cap [SPN-40] Jammer)
1x Vehicle (Paint Box [SPN-30] Jammer)
1x Vehicle (Pelena-1 Jammer)
6x 122mm/38 D-30 2A18 Towed Howitzer [Cargo]
12x 23mm ZU-23-2 [Cargo]
16x 23mm ZU-23-2 [BTR-ZD] [Cargo]
36x 57mm S60 [Cargo]
68x BTR-50 APC [Cargo]
3x Building (Odd Pair HF [PRV-13]) [Cargo]
4x Building (Square Pair [5N62]) [Cargo]
3x Building (Tall King C [P-14]) [Cargo]
36x Infantry Section [7.62mm MG/Unguided Infantry Anti Tank Weapon] [Cargo]
42x SA-10b Grumble [5P85S] TEL [Cargo]
6x SA-15a Gauntlet [9A330] TELAR [Cargo]
2x SA-17 Grizzly [9A310M1-2] TELAR [Cargo]
1x SA-17 Grizzly [9A39M1-2] LLV [Cargo]
3x SA-18 Grinch [9K38 Igla] MANPADS [Cargo]
5x SA-3b Goa Quad Rail [Cargo]
24x SA-5c Gammon Single Rail [Cargo]
27x SA-6a Gainful [2P25] TEL [Cargo]
5x SA-7a Grail [9K32 Strela-2] MANPADS [Cargo]
18x SSC-3 Styx TELAR [3P51] [Cargo]
36x T-55 Main Battle Tank [Cargo]
9x Vehicle (Clam Shell [5N66]) [Cargo]
2x Vehicle (Fan Song C [SNR-75M]) [Cargo]
10x Vehicle (Flap Lid B [5N63S]) [Cargo]
6x Vehicle (Flap Wheel [RPK-1M1 Vaza]) [Cargo]
3x Vehicle (Flat Face B [P-19]) [Cargo]
3x Vehicle (Low Blow [SNR-125]) [Cargo]
2x Vehicle (Spoon Rest C [P-12]) [Cargo]
13x Vehicle (Straight Flush [1S91]) [Cargo]
5x HQ 331 [Pr.206M Turya]
2x MPK Grisha V [Pr.1124ME Albatros]
2x PSKA Zhuk [Pr.1400M Grif]
1x PSKR Stenka [Pr.205P Tarantul]
14x RK Osa II [Pr.205ER]
3x SKR Koni [Pr.1159]
1x SSV Alpinist [Pr.503R]
1x SSV Vishnya [Pr.864 Meridian]
1x S 725 [PL-641 Foxtrot]


EXPENDITURES:
------------------
318x RGB-NM-1 [Passive Omni]
137x SA-5c Gammon [5V28M5]
1620x 122mm/38 HE
232x 800 liter Drop Tank
292x FAB-250M-54 GPB
14x AS-18 Kazoo A [Kh-59M]
13x 23mm Gsh-23L Burst [40 rnds]
32x OFAB-250-270 Frag
49x AA-10 Alamo D [R-27TE, LR IR]
8x SSC-3 Styx [P-15M]
72x AA-10 Alamo C [R-27RE, LR SARH]
364x OFAB-100-120 Frag
63x AA-11 Archer [R-73]
10x AA-7 Apex C [R-24R, SARH]
10x AA-8 Aphid [R-60TM]
111x AA-10 Alamo A [R-27R, MR SARH]
39x Generic Chaff Salvo [5x Cartridges]
113x Generic Chaff Salvo [4x Cartridges]
3x AA-7 Apex E [R-24MR, SARH]
15x Generic Flare Salvo [3x Cartridges, Single Spectral]
21x Generic Flare Salvo [2x Cartridges, Single Spectral]
16x AS-7 Kerry [Kh-23]
5x AA-7 Apex A [R-23R, SARH]
34x 30mm Gsh-30-1 Burst [30 rnds]
36x FAB-500M-54 GPB
260x SA-10b Grumble [5V55R]
42x AA-9 Amos [R-33, SARH]
16x AS-17 Krypton C [Kh-31P, ARM]
18x AA-6 Acrid F [R-40TD1, IR]
5x 23mm Gsh-6-23 [50 rnds]
1x AT-1M [NATO E45-75A]
9x Generic Flare Salvo [4x Cartridges, Single Spectral]
8x Generic Chaff Salvo [8x Cartridges]
18x PK-16 Chaff [TSP-60U]
2x AK-230 30mm/65 Twin Burst [50 rnds]
76x SA-10b Grumble [5V55RUD]
35x SA-15a Gauntlet [9M330]
10x SA-17 Grizzly [9M317]
68x SA-6a Gainful [3M9]
30x SA-3b Goa [5V27, V-601P]
48x 35mm/90 Twin Type-90 Burst [20 rnds, China Type 902 FC]
29x SA-18 Grouse [9M39]
156x 57mm S60 HE
2x 65-76 Kit WH
5x SA-2b Guideline [SA-75M Dvina, 11D / V-750V]



SIDE: NATO
===========================================================

LOSSES:
-------------------------------
1x A-4M Skyhawk
2x A-7D Corsair II [FLIR]
2x F/A-18A Hornet
1x F/A-18C Hornet
2x F-15A Eagle
1x F-15C Eagle
2x F-15C Eagle
2x F-15C Eagle
6x F-16A Falcon ADF
7x F-16C Blk 30 Falcon
2x F-16C Blk 32 Falcon
2x F-4S Phantom II
2x F-5F Tiger II
1x HH-60J Jayhawk
2x Kfir C.2
3x OV-10D(+) Bronco
1x RC-12K Guardrail Common Sensor 4 [King Air A200CT]
3x RQ-2A Pioneer UAV
3x TF-16N Blk 30 Falcon [DACT]
2x UH-60L Blackhawk
3x AvGas (150k Liter Tank)
1x Building (Communication Hub)
1x Building (Control Tower)
8x Bunker (Launch Control Facility (LCF))
1x Radar (AN/FPS-93A)
2x Radar (ARSR-4)
4x Radar (ASR-9 GCA)
1x Radar (Type 85 Linesman)
1x Structure (Canal Lock)
1x Blowpipe MANPADS [Cargo]
29x Infantry Section [7.62mm MG/Unguided Infantry Anti Tank Weapon] [Cargo]


EXPENDITURES:
------------------
385x AN/SSQ-53B DIFAR
591x AN/SSQ-62B DICASS
14x FGM-148 Javelin
994x 12.7mm/50 MG Burst [10 rnds]
53x MIM-23C I-HAWK
61x RGM-109C Tomahawk Blk II TLAM-C
131x FIM-92C Stinger RMP
122x 20mm/85 Vulcan Burst [100 rnds]
464x 81mm HE Mortar
4x AIM-7P Sparrow III
164x AIM-9M Sidewinder
140x Generic Unguided Anti Tank Weapon
171x 7.62mm MG Burst [20 rnds]
15x AIM-9N Sidewinder
67x Generic Chaff Salvo [5x Cartridges]
224x AIM-120A AMRAAM
70x Generic Flare Salvo [3x Cartridges, Single Spectral]
85x 20mm/85 M61A1 Vulcan Burst [100 rnds]
36x 40mm/60 Mk3 Single Bofors Burst [2 rnds]
12x 76 mm L23A1 HE
7x Blowpipe
31x AIM-9L Sidewinder
456x CRV-7 C14 70mm Rocket
120x AIM-7M Sparrow III
84x BGM-71E TOW 2A
10x AIM-7F Sparrow III
54x 105mm/22 HE
111x MIM-72G Chaparral
3x 20mm Single Burst [20 rnds]
3x 20mm M197 Burst x 2 [50 rnds]
14x 25mm/75 Bushmaster Mod 1 Burst [12 rnds]
8x UGM-109C Tomahawk Blk II TLAM
80x 120mm M256 APFSDS-T
40x 120mm M256 HE
10x Mk48 Mod 5 ADCAP
40x 120mm M256 HEAT
261x AN/SSQ-77A VLAD
370x HYDRA 70mm Rocket
90x 20mm M197 Burst [25 rnds]
10x Sea Wolf VLS Blk 1
10x RGM-84D Harpoon IC
2x RGM-84C Harpoon IB
37x AGM-84D Harpoon IC
58x BGM-71F TOW 2B
16x Mk77 Mod 1/2/3/4/5/6 500lb Incendiary Bomb
6x RIM-7M Sea Sparrow
4x AGM-65G Maverick IR
36x AIM-120C AMRAAM P3I.1
108x AGM-88C HARM
144x AGM-88B HARM
4x AGM-65F Maverick IR
18x 7.62mm Minigun Burst [100 rnds]
20x Mk82 500lb LDGP
17x 20mm Mk12 x 2 [50 rnds]
211x 105mm Howitzer HE
126x 20mm/85 M61A1 Vulcan Burst [100 rnds]
81x 40mm/60 Single Bofors Burst [2 rnds]
4x AN/SSQ-53D DIFAR
4x AN/SSQ-77B VLAD
12x AIM-54C Phoenix
12x ADM-141A TALD [Active RF]
4x UGM-109C Tomahawk Blk III TLAM
24x AGM-130C CWW [BLU-109/B]
132x Mk82 500lb Snakeeye
46x CBU-87/B CEM [202 x BLU-97/B Dual-Purpose Bomblets]
20x CBU-71A/B CB [650 x BLU-86/B Frag Bomblets]
12x Mk84 2000lb LDGP
1x AIM-9J Sidewinder
28x GBU-10J/B Paveway II LGB [BLU-109/B]
4x Sea Skua
24x AGM-84E SLAM
2x AGM-130A CWW [Mk84]
14x GBU-12D/B Paveway II LGB [Mk82]
30x GBU-10E/B Paveway II LGB [Mk84]
4x GBU-15(V)32/B CWW IIR [BLU-109/B]
4x CBU-105 WCMD [CBU-97/B SFW, 10 x BLU-108/B Anti-Tank Bomblets]
12x GBU-24A/B Paveway III LGB [BLU-109/B]
5x AGM-65D Maverick IR
12x CBU-59/B APAM [717 x BLU-77/B Dual-Purpose Bomblets]
20x AGM-62B Walleye II ER/DL



SIDE: Venezuela
===========================================================

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


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



SIDE: WP Alligned
===========================================================

LOSSES:
-------------------------------
4x A-37B Dragonfly [Super Tweet]
5x F-5E Tiger II
17x MiG-21bis Fishbed L
28x MiG-23BN Flogger H
12x Mirage 5D
11x Mirage 5DE
1x Super King Air 200T
2x Radar (Generic 2D Air Search Radar [Long-Range])
4x FNH 101 Guaymuras [Swift 105-foot Class]
2x FNH 651 [Swift 65-foot Class, Group 1]
3x FNH 651 [Swift 65-foot Class, Group 2]
1x GC 1051 Kukulkan
4x GC 651 Tecun Uman [Cutlass Class]
2x GC 851 Utatlan [Sewart Class]
1x GC-H 656 Gucumaz [Modified Cutlass Class]


EXPENDITURES:
------------------
20x 12.7mm/50 MG Burst [10 rnds]
5x AIM-9N Sidewinder
90x HYDRA 70mm Rocket
8x R.530 (SARH)
24x Mk82 500lb LDGP
20x OFAB-250-270 Frag
6x AA-8 Aphid [R-60T]
39x Generic Flare Salvo [2x Cartridges, Single Spectral]
12x FAB-250M-54 GPB
12x FAB-500M-54 GPB
1x 30mm DEFA 552 x 2 Burst [50 rnds]
10x Mk83 1000lb LDGP
16x OFAB-100-120 Frag
5x Generic Chaff Salvo [4x Cartridges]
12x 20mm Single Burst [20 rnds]
3x 275 USG Drop Tank



SIDE: Rebels
===========================================================

LOSSES:
-------------------------------
94x 7.62mm MG [Cargo]
95x Infantry Section [7.62mm MG/Unguided Infantry Anti Tank Weapon] [Cargo]
27x SA-7a Grail [9K32 Strela-2] MANPADS [Cargo]
31x Saboteur [Cargo]
1x Civilian Go Fast [13m]


EXPENDITURES:
------------------
423x 7.62mm MG Burst [20 rnds]
8x Generic Unguided Anti Tank Weapon
2x SA-16 Gimlet [9M313]



SIDE: Columbia
===========================================================

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


EXPENDITURES:
------------------
56x HYDRA 70mm Rocket
4x Mk82 500lb LDGP
2x Mk77 Mod 1/2/3/4/5/6 500lb Incendiary Bomb



SIDE: Civilian Shipping
===========================================================

LOSSES:
-------------------------------
1x Commercial Container Vessel - Panamax [4,500 TEU, 65,000t DWT]
1x Commercial Dry-Bulk Carrier - Very Large Size [200,000t DWT]


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



SIDE: Marker
===========================================================

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


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



SIDE: Biologics
===========================================================

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


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



SIDE: USAF
===========================================================

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


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

[Gunner98]

Hay stww2 great write-up.

-I'll take a look at the SA-10s and that script for SAR should work for the patrol boats as well.

-The Cubans are meant to be fairly uncoordinated, when we get to writing Caribbean Fury the depth of that will become clear but many of the events happening around them are as much of a surprise to them as they are to you. The first strike would have been a well rehearsed and practiced contingency but the C2 afterwards would be in a bit of disarray. Same can be said for the ground attack on Gitmo, but you point on land combat makes it a bit hard to depict properly. If the player is not paying attention to Gitmo it could get ugly.

-The random patrol boats are meant to put the player in a bit of a dilemma, they don't pose too much of a threat but they could damage or seize shipping, que submarines or do general mischief. But the player as you point out is not properly positioned to deal with them - so has to improvise.

-AA in the jungles was not really a viable option for them to move quickly so all they got were MANPADs. But I can throw some more AAA into Cuba

Thanks again, this was a fun one to build. CF #3 is almost ready and CF #4 is in the works.

B

[stww2]

I think the issue was less that there wasn't AA and more that the AA that existed was too far back to provide support. Looking in the editor I saw that there were a bunch of MANPADS in Panama, but they stayed out of range in the jungle while the infantry advanced towards the canal and was slaughtered by helicopters. In Cuba, I think that one advance did have AAA, although it seemed reticent to actually fire-actually, I don't think the whole Cuban ground force-with the exception of their artillery-opened fire on my ground troops once, even when in range. Again, though, given the game mechanics, I'm not exactly exactly expecting much from ground forces in Command. The British,for instance, seemed to be losing whole infantry sections left and right to RPGs in Belize, and well I'm not an expert in ground warfare (or any warfare, for that matter), positioning your infantry squad so that the entire squad can be eliminated in one RPG salvo strikes me as somewhat of an oversight (reminds of the dreaded Spetnaz and their thermobaric launchers in Wargame: Red Dragon). But, of course, the first game was called "Modern Air/Naval Operations" for a reason...

I look forward to whenever you write this up, though. One of the highlights for me of reading H Hour was seeing how these scenarios can go when both sides are actually controlled by intelligent entities. It can be easy to forget that often in Command our successes (or mine, at least) are due just as much to the limitations of the AI as they are to creative use of tactics on our part. If multiplayer ever gets added, seeing some of your scenarios played in that format would also be quite enjoyable.