Northern Fury 30 - Lance to the Chest 10/3/94
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2026 2:30 pm
With the Soviets having crossed the Trondheimsfjorden, NATO tries to get two supply ships into Bergen and the Russians try to stop them. This low-complexity scenario can be played as either side.
Norwegian forces are pulling back to the line of the Sognefjord, N of Bergen and the Orions based at the latter port have been evacuated to Scotland, removing ASW support in the area. Confused reports suggest a range of possible Soviet penetration into the country between Trondheim and Bergen and significant enemy naval assets have moved South.
The tanker Suncor Bold and bulk carrier Trillium are some 76nm SSW of Bergen as the crow flies (though there will have to be much wiggling around in the twists of the approaches), escorted by the orphaned Danish PCFG Storen, which carries eight Harpoons but has no air or ASW defence worthy of the name.
In the Southern entrance to the coastal waterways around Bergen are two Norwegian PCFGs of the Hauk class, with four Penguins each and some Mistral MANPADs. In the city dock, the container vessel Modern Trader is ready to set sail for Newcastle.
Air support is limited, with a single recon Sea King at Bergen and two British Buccaneers and two Phantoms further South at Stavanger, the latter being unavailable for the opening 45 minutes. The strike planes have two Sea Eagles and four Martel ARMs, with no reloads, while the fighters have old-model Sky Flashes.
At the entrances to the fjords, the Norwegians have some minefields (only one clearly marked), forts with guns of various calibres, batteries of short-ranged torpedoes and some coast defence radars, while there is also a 30nm ranged Giraffe air search radar near Bergen.
Mercifully, given the total lack of ASW capability, the Russians are coming with PCFGs instead, covered by Flogger fighters, Hokum attack choppers and a Helix A recon helicopter. They also have an Improved Styx battery, but this is unlikely to be able to get into range.
It seemed vital to locate the Soviet ships early and, despite the entreaty in the Briefing to use the fixed-wing aircraft only if needed, the Buccaneers were the best tool for the job, having better radar and lower vulnerability to the Floggers than the Sea King. I also switched-on all the shore-based radars, on the basis that, if the enemy wanted to waste ammo on them, he could be my guest.
Storen could JUST outrange the Sunburns on the Russian Tarantul III PCFG, so it was best to send her well ahead of the merchantmen at Flank, so that she could engage without immediate danger to her charges. The Norwegian PCFGs were best advised to lurk behind headlands in the fjords and hope the enemy strayed within the modest range of their Penguins. As for Modern Trader, I launched her to remove the risk of losing her in a strike on the dock, then put her behind some terrain as well.
10/3/94 20:00Z: The ARM Buccaneer launched, with the other one reserved in case the Russians arrived late in the game. She soon found the enemy PCFGs, two Tarantul IIs with Improved Styxes and a III with Sunburns, some 60-70nm WNW of Bergen’s Northern forts. They weren’t radiating, so the Buccaneer couldn’t attack. The Sea Eagle plane launched and her two missiles sank one of the Tarantul IIs for 25VP and missed the other. She then engaged a Helix recon chopper nearby, but her one Sidewinder went wide and she had to RTB. The second Tarantul II immediately ceased radiating before the SEAD plane could strike.
Storen was 97nm away from the Tarantul II and the Norwegians were concentrating on remaining hidden. The ARM Buccaneer, nervous of Floggers, flew a little to the SE, where she would have some warning from the Giraffe and still be able to monitor the remaining Tarantuls.
21:00Z: One of the Phantoms arrived and disposed of the Helix for 5VP, though it took both Sky Flashes. Then everything happened at once, as it does so often in this game!.
Two Hokums attacked the Norwegian PCFGs with Scallion ATGMs and rockets, sinking the Stegg for -25VP. They benefitted from a bug as, flying at 200’, while the ground beneath them was at 453’, the AI judged them to be at -253’ AGL and, therefore, below the minimum altitude for the PCFGs’ Mistrals!. I will be raising a bug report. Thankfully, Skarv survived unhurt and the choppers RTB’d.
Storen came into range and fired two Harpoons at the Tarantul II, but managed to screw-up.
The Phantom went after the Hokums, but was handicapped by the same bug, which invalidated her Sidewinders, then had to flee in a hurry as two Floggers showed-up, also causing the ARM Buccaneer to switch off her radars and veer out to sea. The Floggers chased the Phantom, but it kept ahead of them and they were obliged to RTB.
Storen tried again and, this time, sank the Tarantul II. She then closed and used her 5nm range advantage and four remaining Harpoons to destroy the especially dangerous Tarantul III, helped by spotting from the Buccaneer.
The Phantom had spotted the Russian Styx battery, further S than expected at the mouth of Nordfjorden, where it might have been conveyed by sea, but still well out of range.
11/3/94 05:00Z: Without hitting our own minefields and despite the best efforts of Pathfinder, which had me worried at one stage, both merchantmen made it to Bergen for 50VP each.
06:00Z: It ended in a Triumph, with a score of +155. NATO lost a PCFG, while the Pact lost three PCFGs and a chopper.
In summary, a short, lively game that had potential to have gone either way.
Norwegian forces are pulling back to the line of the Sognefjord, N of Bergen and the Orions based at the latter port have been evacuated to Scotland, removing ASW support in the area. Confused reports suggest a range of possible Soviet penetration into the country between Trondheim and Bergen and significant enemy naval assets have moved South.
The tanker Suncor Bold and bulk carrier Trillium are some 76nm SSW of Bergen as the crow flies (though there will have to be much wiggling around in the twists of the approaches), escorted by the orphaned Danish PCFG Storen, which carries eight Harpoons but has no air or ASW defence worthy of the name.
In the Southern entrance to the coastal waterways around Bergen are two Norwegian PCFGs of the Hauk class, with four Penguins each and some Mistral MANPADs. In the city dock, the container vessel Modern Trader is ready to set sail for Newcastle.
Air support is limited, with a single recon Sea King at Bergen and two British Buccaneers and two Phantoms further South at Stavanger, the latter being unavailable for the opening 45 minutes. The strike planes have two Sea Eagles and four Martel ARMs, with no reloads, while the fighters have old-model Sky Flashes.
At the entrances to the fjords, the Norwegians have some minefields (only one clearly marked), forts with guns of various calibres, batteries of short-ranged torpedoes and some coast defence radars, while there is also a 30nm ranged Giraffe air search radar near Bergen.
Mercifully, given the total lack of ASW capability, the Russians are coming with PCFGs instead, covered by Flogger fighters, Hokum attack choppers and a Helix A recon helicopter. They also have an Improved Styx battery, but this is unlikely to be able to get into range.
It seemed vital to locate the Soviet ships early and, despite the entreaty in the Briefing to use the fixed-wing aircraft only if needed, the Buccaneers were the best tool for the job, having better radar and lower vulnerability to the Floggers than the Sea King. I also switched-on all the shore-based radars, on the basis that, if the enemy wanted to waste ammo on them, he could be my guest.
Storen could JUST outrange the Sunburns on the Russian Tarantul III PCFG, so it was best to send her well ahead of the merchantmen at Flank, so that she could engage without immediate danger to her charges. The Norwegian PCFGs were best advised to lurk behind headlands in the fjords and hope the enemy strayed within the modest range of their Penguins. As for Modern Trader, I launched her to remove the risk of losing her in a strike on the dock, then put her behind some terrain as well.
10/3/94 20:00Z: The ARM Buccaneer launched, with the other one reserved in case the Russians arrived late in the game. She soon found the enemy PCFGs, two Tarantul IIs with Improved Styxes and a III with Sunburns, some 60-70nm WNW of Bergen’s Northern forts. They weren’t radiating, so the Buccaneer couldn’t attack. The Sea Eagle plane launched and her two missiles sank one of the Tarantul IIs for 25VP and missed the other. She then engaged a Helix recon chopper nearby, but her one Sidewinder went wide and she had to RTB. The second Tarantul II immediately ceased radiating before the SEAD plane could strike.
Storen was 97nm away from the Tarantul II and the Norwegians were concentrating on remaining hidden. The ARM Buccaneer, nervous of Floggers, flew a little to the SE, where she would have some warning from the Giraffe and still be able to monitor the remaining Tarantuls.
21:00Z: One of the Phantoms arrived and disposed of the Helix for 5VP, though it took both Sky Flashes. Then everything happened at once, as it does so often in this game!.
Two Hokums attacked the Norwegian PCFGs with Scallion ATGMs and rockets, sinking the Stegg for -25VP. They benefitted from a bug as, flying at 200’, while the ground beneath them was at 453’, the AI judged them to be at -253’ AGL and, therefore, below the minimum altitude for the PCFGs’ Mistrals!. I will be raising a bug report. Thankfully, Skarv survived unhurt and the choppers RTB’d.
Storen came into range and fired two Harpoons at the Tarantul II, but managed to screw-up.
The Phantom went after the Hokums, but was handicapped by the same bug, which invalidated her Sidewinders, then had to flee in a hurry as two Floggers showed-up, also causing the ARM Buccaneer to switch off her radars and veer out to sea. The Floggers chased the Phantom, but it kept ahead of them and they were obliged to RTB.
Storen tried again and, this time, sank the Tarantul II. She then closed and used her 5nm range advantage and four remaining Harpoons to destroy the especially dangerous Tarantul III, helped by spotting from the Buccaneer.
The Phantom had spotted the Russian Styx battery, further S than expected at the mouth of Nordfjorden, where it might have been conveyed by sea, but still well out of range.
11/3/94 05:00Z: Without hitting our own minefields and despite the best efforts of Pathfinder, which had me worried at one stage, both merchantmen made it to Bergen for 50VP each.
06:00Z: It ended in a Triumph, with a score of +155. NATO lost a PCFG, while the Pact lost three PCFGs and a chopper.
In summary, a short, lively game that had potential to have gone either way.