NFZ Nordkapp 7/3/22

[fitzpatv]

In this one, NATO must try to prevent Russian naval forces breaking-out into the Atlantic while protecting a vulnerable amphibious group, which is returning from an Arctic exercise to Stavanger in South Norway. It is also necessary to secure the approaches to the Northern port of Narvik in case the Russians try to sow mines there from subs. To avoid escalation (and because of the strength of Russian defences), you are forbidden to mount any strikes on the Kola Peninsula or other enemy home territory.

Russia is known to have an SAG, consisting of the nuclear battlecruiser Petr Velikiy (Peter the Great), three DDGs/FFGs and an oiler, near Bear Island. Neutralising this is your primary objective. Also in the region are the powerful SSGN Severodvinsk, two Akulas and a couple of Kilos, all of which should be eliminated if possible. There are numerous enemy air assets within range of the area of operations, including Backfires and attack-model Foxhounds with hypersonic missiles. The briefing says that there are batteries of anti-shipping missiles on the Kola but, as they lack the range to intervene, they are not actually there in practice.

Your available forces are borderline for the task. Some 75nm NW of Andoya in Arctic Norway is the Prince of Wales carrier group, consisting of the new British carrier of that name, alongside the Italian carrier Garibaldi, an oiler, two destroyers and two frigates. The American DDG Roosevelt greatly bolsters the group’s SAM protection and there are decent fighters and plenty of ASW choppers, but the striking power of the squadron is extremely limited. Prince of Wales has F-35s with feather-duster Brimstone missiles, while Garibaldi is limited to Paveway-toting Harriers which need to get to 4nm range to attack. You have NO ARMs of any kind, anywhere. For ship-based weapons, you have to make do with Harpoons. In short, this task group should not go anywhere near the Peter the Great SAG, with its Shipwreck (and other) long-ranged ship-killing missiles.

The USS Ramage, another Arleigh Burke, is away to the W and could, potentially, reinforce the Prince of Wales. Also up in the Arctic are two SSNs, the American Washington and the British Ambush, both of which have to rely on torpedoes, having no anti-shipping cruise missiles.

Heading up the Narvik Fjord is a minesweeping group, with seven sweepers from a variety of nations very lightly escorted by the German corvette Erfurt. Combat capability is slight.

Just over 100nm W of Trondheim, the amphibious group is heading South. The British frigate Richmond and the Dutch De Zeven Provincien provide lightweight cover for four amphibs and the Danish gun-armed frigate Vaedderen, of Northern Fury fame. On her way N is the Norwegian frigate Thor Heyerdahl, which has no ASW chopper but boasts a few missiles which might be semi-useful if she could only get near an enemy ship. On balance, it is better if she doesn’t.

At Vaernes airbase, Trondheim, you have a small but capable strike force of American F-22s and British Typhoons. These have AMRAAM D and Meteor missiles for air combat and a limited supply of SPEARs and GBU-53s for stand-off naval attack. There are a number of Norwegian F-35s with older-version AMRAAMs at nearby Orland and dispersal airfields at Bodo and Evenes, further N, but these are only likely to play a supporting role, as their weapons lack the range to go up against Russian fighters.

Supporting this is an array of ASW planes, tankers and AEW aircraft, based at various locations from Keflavik to Lossiemouth to Oslo to Andoya. Unfortunately, most of the patrol planes are restricted to recon roles and there aren’t really enough ASW loadouts to cover all of the potential threats from the outset.

As usual in the NFZ series, there are Russian satellites, but no NATO ones. There is no neutral shipping, the game starts before the outbreak of hostilities and the Russians can win if they score enough points before you do.

As the weather is clear, you can count on being spotted by Russian satellites, to say nothing of patrol planes which are already on station. It is important to use the initial peacetime period to locate the enemy if at all possible, then shadow them until you get the authorisation to attack.

7/3/22 04:00Z: The Prince of Wales Group headed away to the SW at the decent top speed of the oiler Tidesurge, trying to put as much distance as possible between itself and Russian attacks. USS Ramage moved to join them at Flank as a Bear observed proceedings and satellites passed overhead. Similarly, the Amphib Group made the most of available time to move at best speed towards Stavanger, while Thor Heyerdahl sailed N to back them up.

Patrol planes were sent to cover the Narvik Fjord, support the Amphib Group and search the area N of the carriers’ initial position for the Severodvinsk and the Akula notified in the briefing as having last been seen there. They did not immediately find anything beyond biological and false contacts.

A recon Poseidon did find Peter the Great and consorts some 111nm ESE of Bear Island, with plenty of ASW support in evidence. Happily, they were out of Shipwreck range of the carriers and we could confidently keep them there so long as we kept moving away. The Russian oiler was detached, some way further E.

05:00Z: The NFZ was notified to ourselves for an hour’s time. With little time to prepare, I launched my strike planes from Vaernes, plus escorts and tanker support. With hindsight, the tankers should have launched at the outset.

Well before the Russians were notified of the NFZ at 06:00, the Kilo-class SSK Kaluga attacked the minesweepers in the Narvik Fjord. In short order, the Erfurt was lost for 50VP and the minesweepers Oksoy and Sakala for 25 each. Having failed to spot the sub beforehand, the patrolling Orion eventually exacted retribution for 40VP, needing two hits to do the job. It also switched to following its plotted course before attacking, contrary to individual and Mission settings – a bug which was to recur several times over the course of the game to my exasperation. The only consolation was that the Kilo’s load of mines had not been laid and went down with her. I suppose that a Russian sub skipper just might have decided to start WW3 on his own (and might do so tomorrow) but I suspect that this was not Bart’s intention. Another source of annoyance was the game switching the sub back from Hostile to Unfriendly as soon as she was identified positively.

I scattered the remaining minesweepers to make them a less compact target for Kinzhals, leaving just one to carry-out the redundant sweeping Mission, which I suspect was pointless. The bug with minesweeping mentioned in my Socotra Scramble AAR recurred and the ship decided to steer a long way W until I corrected it.

06:00Z: The NFZ came into force, but war had already begun in the Arctic.

The Vaernes strike inevitably had to refuel before going-in. While this was going on, two fighter-model Foxhounds made an aggressive sweep from the Kola, but were downed by a Raptor and Typhoon for 5VP each. Not wanting to waste spare missiles, the escorts then put away a Bear and May over the Russian SAG.

The Severodvinsk then attacked the carriers with 16 Strobile high-speed, sea-skimming missiles from a position to the N. All of these were stopped by SAMs and patrolling F-35s and Harriers. I suspect that a bug hindered the Russian SSGN from using its secondary array of 16 Sizzlers, as the database gives the missile’s range as just 20nm, not 200. I adjusted my search mission for the sub to a box close to her estimated position and a couple of patrol planes closed in, including the one that had sunk the Kaluga.

Another pair of MiG-31s and several ASW aircraft were destroyed over the Nordkapp as the Russians tried to forestall the strike.

07:00Z: The strike went in but, predictably, failed to penetrate the SAG’s SAM shield. Aerial clashes continued, taking Russian losses so far to 8 Foxhounds, a Flanker, 8 Bears and 3 Mays without reply. Our F-22s and Typhoons were outclassing the enemy fighters and the once-feared MiG-31 was looking badly outmoded in 2022.

Meanwhile, an Orion and an Italian Merlin chopper tracked-down and destroyed the Severodvinsk for 100VP. At +140, it was down to a Minor Defeat.

A number of Kinzhal-carrying Foxhounds had taken-off from the Kola and Losses and Expenditures showed that 16 weapons had been fired, but they did nothing beyond zapping a Norwegian radar, which cost no VP.

08:00Z: Just as the covering Poseidon from Keflavik, on a long leash, went RTB, the Akula Pantera closed at speed on the Amphib Group off Trondheim. After much pain (using dipping sonar when the target had already been found, following plotted course) the Group’s two choppers finally managed to sink the sub for 50VP. Thankfully, it loosed its torpedoes too soon and our ships were able to scatter and outrun them. The frigate De Zeven Provincien probably helped put the Akula on the defensive by firing back at kinematic range, causing it to flee and maybe lose its wire control.

There was no peace for the wicked as the Kilo Lipetsk then came at the escorts from shoreward. It was, however, detected before closing to range and the Dutch NH90 chopper was able to intercept and sink it to general relief. The Amphib Group then proceeded without further difficulty to Stavanger, but gained no points for doing so.

Two more Foxhounds tried their luck and were downed by one of the Prince’s F-35s with Meteors, which are really impressive weapons after the recent fix.

09:00Z: A Norwegian F-35 from Evenes, armed with AMRAAM C-7s, sufficed to tidy-up a Bear recon and Tu-214 NW of Bear Island. The latter was deemed a high-value aircraft and scored 15VP. Two more Bears, a May and another pair of MiG-31s were destroyed by the British carrier fighters S of the Russian SAG.

10:00Z: The Brits downed another two Foxhounds and two Mays, while the Norwegian Lightnings disposed of a replacement Tu-214 and Bear recon as they arrived on-station (typically mindless of the AI).

11:00Z: An F-35 clobbered the last two fighter-model Foxhounds and, with the enemy ASW patrol planes also exterminated, adjusted WRA and made a start on the SAG’s choppers.

12:00Z: Fighters from Prince of Wales accounted for an ASW and two AEW Helixes.

We then had a stroke of luck as the last Russian sub, the Akula Vepr, stumbled into a sonobuoy about 100nm NW of Andoya. A P-3 from that base did the necessary, though it required an unprecedented FOUR torpedo hits (not sure how a sub can withstand even one hit underwater, but perhaps someone can enlighten me). At +405, it was now a Minor Victory.

13:00Z: Two more choppers fell to an F-35, leaving maybe one to go.

15:00Z: I’d slipped-up and left USS Ramage idling instead of linking her with the Prince of Wales. This put her just within range of Peter the Great as the Russian SAG forged S and the battlecruiser began loosing batches of five Shipwrecks at her. The first batch were shot down by SAMs and the second and third failed to lock-on, sailing harmlessly by. A satellite then gave Peter the Great an update and the fourth batch was more accurate (and seemed to have more than its published range). It was parried by an F-35 and the destroyer’s dwindling stock of SAMs. With four Shipwrecks left, the Russians then altered course to the W and Ramage sailed on to refuel at Trondheim.

16:00Z: The planes from Vaernes returned for another go at Peter the Great. Again, the Russian SAM defences were too strong and the SPEAR EW decoys were ignored. We now had precious little ordnance remaining for another try.

17:00Z: By now, USS Washington was creeping towards the SAG. The last Helix chose this moment to lift off, but one of the F-22 escorts from the strike had stayed in readiness for this and put it away. However, with the Russians steering away from her at 20 knots, Washington could not risk accelerating to attack. HMS Ambush, with shorter-ranged torpedoes, was even less favourably suited and kept a respectful distance.

An F-22 with nothing better to do penetrated Russian airspace and disposed of a Coot and a Porubshchik, both of which were considered high-value.

19:00Z: The Russian SAG suddenly altered course back towards the Washington. “The Lord hath delivered them into my hands!”, breathed her skipper, but he still had a dangerous job with Sizzler and Starfish ASW weapons in the offing. Washington felt it needful to go to 10 knots to reduce the enemy’s capacity to evade. As she opened fire, the escorting Udaloy responded with a Starfish, but the torpedo, launched on a bearing, landed too far away from the SSN to lock on and, at the expense of losing her wires, Washington was able to get clear. The Mk48s were smart tinfish and wriggled their way into the right general area. For a while, it looked as though the Russians were going to get away. However, their commander then made the fatal mistake of thinking he’d run far enough and resumed course, putting himself back in the path of the torpedoes. Peter the Great was struck repeatedly and the pride of Putin’s Navy turned over and sank for 100VP. The Sovremenny Admiral Ushakov and the FFG Admiral Gorshkov were also hit and the latter was left dead in the water. Ushakov turned for port, leaving the Udaloy Severomorsk to go it alone. At +550, it was now a Major Victory.

20:00Z: The Gorshkov died of its wounds for another 50VP.

Four F-35s from the Prince of Wales attacked the Severomorsk with little Brimstone missiles (8DP), achieving the desired result by inflicting lots of systems damage and leaving the destroyer motionless.

21:00Z: A Typhoon shot down the replacement Coot and Porubshchik for another 30VP.

8/3/22 00:00Z: HMS Ambush intercepted the Ushakov and put paid to the Sovremenny for another 50VP, taking me into Triumph territory on +670. Her Spearfish comfortably outranged her quarry’s Enots.

01:00Z: The remaining Vaernes F-22 with a viable loadout attacked the Severomorsk with GBU-53s, scoring a single hit but failing to sink the target.

02:00Z: Three Typhoons followed-up with Paveway IVs and finished the job for 50 more VP. Note that all of these attacks were made from outside the Udaloy’s modest point-defence SAM range.

03:00Z: The Russians belatedly launched their Foxhound Kinzhal carriers (not sure what happened to the Backfires they had available) but settled for attacking land targets. They destroyed some installations, but scored no points for it.

16:00Z: I ran down the clock for a score of +720 and a Triumph.

NATO lost a corvette, two minesweepers, an ELINT station and 5 radars. No air losses at all!.

Russia lost a battlecruiser, 2 DDGs, an FFG, an SSGN, 2 SSNs, 2 Kilos, 17 fighters, 16 ASW patrol planes, 2 recon patrol planes, 6 AEW/ELINT planes and 6 choppers.

Despite having to operate on a bit of a shoestring, this was ultimately quite a comfortable win, though the Washington’s attack on the SAG might well have ended differently.

Do the Russians really have so few effective warships in the Arctic?. I guess the modern Russian Navy is smaller than its Soviet predecessor?.

One more of these NFZ scenarios to go, but it will have to wait until I’ve played two very lengthy Chains of War and Indian Ocean Fury games. As a certain Antarctic explorer once said, “I may be gone some time...”

[Gunner98]

Well done Vince

I believe you can tally another bucket of points for getting the Amphibs out of Dodge, I think it was 100 but cannot recall.

When I did the sums of which ships were where and which ships were laid up or inactive, this is all the Russians had in the cupboard. A far cry from Northern Fury days. Also the bulk of the fighters up here are for defence of the homeland, since Moscow is relatively close at hand.

Thanks for the report