AAR: Napoleon's Revenge
Posted: Mon May 24, 2010 4:33 pm
"Napoleon's revenge"
A HCE scenario written by Donald Thomas aka donaldseadog
Battleset: EC 2003, Atlantic Ocean
Database: HCDB
The scenario is designed to be played from the French = red side.
After Action Report, Part I
The headline sounded promising: Napoleon's revenge -nice!
The opponents are France and the United Kingdom, they have without a doubt a long common history.
Ok, let's start with a force composition check:
- a powerful carrier group centered around the Charles de Gaulle
- three nuclear attack subs and
- two airfields, one deploying the fine Rafale fighter bomber
This should be enough to sink the Ark Royal, shouldn't it?
On the other side there are several airfields on the British side. I must assume that there are Tornado
fighters with long range AAMs.
Evaluation:
The Ark Royal carrier group should be doable. But the air threat from the British bases could be
dangerous.
Mission:
First take out the bases, then the carrier group.
My overall plan:
1. Set up an AAW screen for the forward base Lorient.
2. Rearm the carrier and land based Rafales with cruise missiles.
3. Strike at the bases in order to neutralize land based assets
4. Find the carrier group
5. Sink the Ark Royal
The Battle:
1. Eighteen Rafales fire 36 Cruise Missiles at RN Devonport. Success!
Damage is 81 per cent, weapon´s mount knocked down. If the ten CM armed Rafales
on the carrier had longer legs I could knock down the whole RN base right now.
2. Second attack, this time only eight Rafales. Should be enough to finish RN Devenport off.
RN Devenport is obliterated. Only six ac and two helos there, but more important is that
all other British bases are far to the North. Thus it will be much easier to
enagge the carrier group.
3. I ferry the main air force assets from Cazaux to Lorient, forward. Since
RN Devenport is gone this should not be too risky. Basing them at Lorient
makes it much easier to both attack the other British bases and the carrier group
once it arrives in the English Channel.
4. Several air contacts to the North, certainly Sea Harriers from the carrier.
I keep my carrier to the South. First I want to neutralize the bases.
5. Ten Rafales leave Lorient air base in order to attack RAF Aldergrove
It nearly ended in a desaster: The Rafales suddenly faced a British surface group out of nowwhere!
180 degree turn on afterburner, but I shot all CM s at the surface group.
Two British ships were sunk. I was lucky, all Rafales safely returned.
6. Critical decision: Shall I try to destroy the surface group? Is it worth the risk?
First, I need better intelligence regarding that surface group. Problem: There
are no land based AEW aircraft. Solution: I ferry one Hawkeye from the carrier to
Lorient.
Another reason to keep the carrier in the South.
7. Decision: Take the surface group out
While ferrying towards France the Hawkeye gets clear contacts on the British surface group
on its way towards the carrier group. I decide to take it out. Ten Rafales take off.
8. Only one kill. These missiles certainly were not intended to attack surface
groups in the first line.
9. Another try: the Super Etendards
Six SEs take off, armed with Exocets. Hope it won't be a Harakiri Mission.
One more kill, no own losses. Call it a small success, biting the surface group bit by bit.
10. Next attack wave
Ten carrier based Rafales on their way towrads the surface group.
Another ship on its way to the bottom of the English Channel.
11. Next one
Six land based SEs miss, six Exocets with no effect.
12. Contact!
SSN Rubis reports a surface contact. It is very close. There are Sea Harriers patrolling above.
If they´re armed with amrams, then it´s better to be very careful regarding air strikes.
The perfect time for a break. Looking forward to my next session.
A HCE scenario written by Donald Thomas aka donaldseadog
Battleset: EC 2003, Atlantic Ocean
Database: HCDB
The scenario is designed to be played from the French = red side.
After Action Report, Part I
The headline sounded promising: Napoleon's revenge -nice!
The opponents are France and the United Kingdom, they have without a doubt a long common history.
Ok, let's start with a force composition check:
- a powerful carrier group centered around the Charles de Gaulle
- three nuclear attack subs and
- two airfields, one deploying the fine Rafale fighter bomber
This should be enough to sink the Ark Royal, shouldn't it?
On the other side there are several airfields on the British side. I must assume that there are Tornado
fighters with long range AAMs.
Evaluation:
The Ark Royal carrier group should be doable. But the air threat from the British bases could be
dangerous.
Mission:
First take out the bases, then the carrier group.
My overall plan:
1. Set up an AAW screen for the forward base Lorient.
2. Rearm the carrier and land based Rafales with cruise missiles.
3. Strike at the bases in order to neutralize land based assets
4. Find the carrier group
5. Sink the Ark Royal
The Battle:
1. Eighteen Rafales fire 36 Cruise Missiles at RN Devonport. Success!
Damage is 81 per cent, weapon´s mount knocked down. If the ten CM armed Rafales
on the carrier had longer legs I could knock down the whole RN base right now.
2. Second attack, this time only eight Rafales. Should be enough to finish RN Devenport off.
RN Devenport is obliterated. Only six ac and two helos there, but more important is that
all other British bases are far to the North. Thus it will be much easier to
enagge the carrier group.
3. I ferry the main air force assets from Cazaux to Lorient, forward. Since
RN Devenport is gone this should not be too risky. Basing them at Lorient
makes it much easier to both attack the other British bases and the carrier group
once it arrives in the English Channel.
4. Several air contacts to the North, certainly Sea Harriers from the carrier.
I keep my carrier to the South. First I want to neutralize the bases.
5. Ten Rafales leave Lorient air base in order to attack RAF Aldergrove
It nearly ended in a desaster: The Rafales suddenly faced a British surface group out of nowwhere!
180 degree turn on afterburner, but I shot all CM s at the surface group.
Two British ships were sunk. I was lucky, all Rafales safely returned.
6. Critical decision: Shall I try to destroy the surface group? Is it worth the risk?
First, I need better intelligence regarding that surface group. Problem: There
are no land based AEW aircraft. Solution: I ferry one Hawkeye from the carrier to
Lorient.
Another reason to keep the carrier in the South.
7. Decision: Take the surface group out
While ferrying towards France the Hawkeye gets clear contacts on the British surface group
on its way towards the carrier group. I decide to take it out. Ten Rafales take off.
8. Only one kill. These missiles certainly were not intended to attack surface
groups in the first line.
9. Another try: the Super Etendards
Six SEs take off, armed with Exocets. Hope it won't be a Harakiri Mission.
One more kill, no own losses. Call it a small success, biting the surface group bit by bit.
10. Next attack wave
Ten carrier based Rafales on their way towrads the surface group.
Another ship on its way to the bottom of the English Channel.
11. Next one
Six land based SEs miss, six Exocets with no effect.
12. Contact!
SSN Rubis reports a surface contact. It is very close. There are Sea Harriers patrolling above.
If they´re armed with amrams, then it´s better to be very careful regarding air strikes.
The perfect time for a break. Looking forward to my next session.