Today's Random Picks from HHQ (05/07/2006)

[Dimitris]

THE CRIPPLE
by Christopher Comars

September 1964 - NATO vs Soviet Union - Hypothetical
Nuclear option - OFF
Duration - 10 hours.

Throughout the Cold War the protagonist's navies and air forces played a dangerous game of 'chicken' at sea and in the skies above it. That incidents took place was widely known but the particulars were kept as closely guarded secrets. Eventually both sides developed diplomatic and operational protocols to handle how their respective forces responded to provocations and operations in close proximity to each other. Still, accidents happened and sadly, lives were lost.

In this scenario, both sides are in the uneasy Cold War peace of Mutual Assured Destruction, while the Soviet Navy is still smarting over its humiliation during the Cuban Missile Crisis less than one year ago. Nown a brand new missile submarine has suffered a major engineering casualty and is limping home as NATO forces gather to watch the rescue operation. This is a potentially dangerous situation that just might spiral out of control if somebody overreacts.

Design notes and rationale

This version of 'The Cripple' is not the same as the one that was originally conceived over a year ago. At first, the plan was that a shooting incident would occur during a ballistic missile test as NATO snoops tried to get as much data about a Soviet shot as possible. The concept proceeded in fits and starts but I could never get the AI to behave properly and so a damaged submarine eventually became the focus of the action. Further research took me to "Cold War at Sea" by David Winkler, who chronicles the history of the US/Soviet Incident at Sea treaties that might just have prevented accidents and events on the high seas from turning into actual shooting. With both sides fingers on their nuclear triggers, the stakes were incredibly high with diplomacy and shear professionalism of the sailors and aircrew involved going a long way towards preventing an accidental start to WW3. The premise of 'The Cripple', which predates these treaties, is that during a stressful, peacetime confrontation, somebody makes a fatal error. It involves the RN because John Winton's novel "HMS Leviathan" put a troubled British aircraft carrier in arctic waters during some nameless crisis of the 1960's. The germs of an idea sometimes come from unusual places.

The scenario lasts only 10-hours, afterwhich it is assumed that the diplomats will intervene to minimize the chances of escalation. Until then, both sides are on their own.

I have kept the victory conditions hidden from the active player since in this type of action, everybody loses. Still, in H3 terms, I tried to create a couple of different ways to achieve some sort of victory for both sides. Try to remember as you track the incomings, that your nations are still really at peace. Enjoy.

Download the scenario and the 1950-1964 "Colonial Wars" database here: http://www.harpoonhq.com/harpoon3/colonialwars/

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CRISIS IN THE MED
by Quinton Van Zyl

DATE: 14 November 1969
TIME: 07:00:00 Zulu (Dawn Local Time)
LOCATION: Eastern Mediterranean
DURATION: 30 Hours

NATO vs Soviet Union

The situation in the Mediterranean is critical in this the second week of what the press is calling World War Three. The Soviets have managed to close the Suez Canal to western shipping and have deployed a number of fighter and attack squadrons to Soviet friendly bases in Syria, Egypt and Libya. Additionally, most of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet is operating in the eastern Meditteranean.

The situation for NATO became increasingly critical last week with the declaration by Greece and Turkey that they will play no role in this conflict for fear of nuclear retaliation by the Soviet Union. To exacerbate the situation, the Soviet ambassador in Athens assured the Greek government that no harm would come to the Greek people should they decide not to interfere in the current situation. Furthermore italy has sided with France in its declaration of neutrality regarding this conflict due to its involvement with Arab nations with whom these two countries have treaties of friendship. This has left NATO with only its three island bases of Malta, Suda Bay on Crete and Akrotiri on Cyprus. The Soviets seem poised to launch strikes on these vital bases in an attempt to further cement their position of dominance in the area. For NATO, fortifying these bases and keeping them opperational is vital to the outcome of this conflict.

In addition to the deployed aircraft to these bases, NATO has assembled two powerful task forces centred on two American and one Royal Navy carrier; these forces are now ready to join the battle.

Download the scenario and the 1965-1979 database here: http://www.harpoonhq.com/harpoon3/scenarios_1960-79/

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WORLD WAR 3 1985 - ATLANTIC OCEAN PART 4: TARGET CONAKRY
by Ragnar Emsoy

USA vs. SOVIET UNION

LOCATION : WESTERN AFRICA
DATE/TIME: 17 SEPTEMBER 1985, 03:00:00Z

Six Tu-22M-2 Backfire-B long-range naval bombers belonging to the Black Sea Fleet, together with six Tu-16N Badger tankers and four Tu-95RT Bear-D long-range reconnaissance planes, were flown to Conakry in Guinea just before the start of the war. The Soviets were given basing rights in Guinea several years ago in return for supplying weapons, including seven MiG-21s.

The Soviet detachment has been active since the very start of the war. The Bear-Ds have assisted Northern Fleet Raid Commanders locating NATO convoys in the Atlantic Ocean, although not without suffering some losses. The Backfires and supporting tankers have been busy mining the sea lanes, and have laid an estimated total of three hundred mines thus far.

3000 miles away, at Dyess AFB in Texas, eighteen SAC B-52H Stratofortresses are being prepared to remove the Soviet presence in Western Africa. It is hoped that a successful attack will destroy the Soviet aircraft and render the airfield inoperable for the duration of the war.

B-52 tactics have changed a lot since the 1972 Linebacker offensive over Vietnam. From 1972 to 1977, all B-52Gs and B-52Hs received the AN/AVQ-22 LLLTV and AN/AAQ-6 FLIR in two fairings under the nose. These had an immediate impact on operations, which changed from medium-altitude carpet bombing to point attacks made at low altitude. Infrared-assisted delivery of unguided bombs from 500 feet or lower provided the B-52G/Hs with a quasi-precision weapon delivery capability and proved more effective than radar-guided bombing from medium altitude. Around the same time the bombers also went through the Phase VI avionics upgrade which also included an extensive ECM suite that would increase the survivability in the event of penetrating heavily defended enemy airspace.

Download the scenario and the DB2000 database here: http://www.harpoonhq.com/harpoon3/scenarios/

This thread is ONLY for the announcement of scenarios hosted at the Harpoon HeadQuarters.

[hermanhum]

Don't forget to check out the various AARs for these scenarios at: StrategyZoneOnline.
 
 AAR: Crisis in the Med [Spoiler Alert]
  
 

A really nice setup. The size of the AO stretches the player to cover many bases with very limited resources. Excellent.

I started by moving FFs Torquay and Lynx into positions near Akrotiri to add their limited AAA support to the base in the event of air attack from Syria. The Malta MCM squadron also set sail to rendezvous with the inbound Malta Convoy. They were limited in their combat abilities, but some ASW detection gear is better than none at all. SS Orpheus and SSN Tinosa were ordered to set up positions in order to blockade the Aegean Sea. I wanted to keep whatever surface assets that might be there bottled up tightly.

 
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[sirius]

Thankyou Herman for posting an AAR ....... there is an AAR Thread AARs
on the site already , posting AARs is great for the Scenario designer but should be posted in the relevant thread ie AAR Thread

[Flankerk]

I also note that although the SZO guidelines on AAR's imply you will notify the author of the scenario of the AAR, in each and every AAR you have done on a scenario of mine no such notification has been made.

How come ?

For the record I have already indicated that AAR's for my scenario's should be posted on the originating site. Your guidance on AAR's indicates authors are happy for these to be posted at your various sites instead. I would suggest this is not factually correct.

[mikmykWS]

A the Herman Hum post in low substance, highly obsessed, underlined, multicolored glee. Still trying to rub the junk out of my eyes.
 
Really makes folks want to read those AAR's and buy Harpoon....I guess[;)]