Andaman Sea Clash 2005

[fitzpatv]

I'll be playing the next part of Northern Fury within a week or so but, for now, I'm reviewing a couple of Community scenarios I played before my recent holiday.

The first one envisages tensions over fishing rights in the Andaman Sea between Thailand and Myanmar. You can only play the Thai side and are initially charged with trying to persuade your country's rogue fishing boats to pull back out of Burmese waters and thereby avoid conflict. You are, however, authorised to use force to defend the vessels should the Burmese attack them. Some of the Thai fishing boats have acquired illegal weapons and might not come quietly - if so, you'll need to arrest them.

Your force consists of two corvettes, four F-5 Tiger fighters and a Dornier recon plane. Of the two ships, the Sukhothai is a decent modern vessel with Harpoons, Aspide SAMs and good sensors. The other, the Khamronsin, is only equipped with guns and is rather vulnerable. Your fighters have Python 3 all-aspect missiles and bombs for surface attacks. All of your aircraft start based near Bangkok and need to be redeployed to Surat Thani on the Kra Isthmus to avoid serious endurance problems.

The Burmese are known to have Maga missile boats with Sardine anti-shipping missiles that have just a third of a Harpoon's range. They also have Hainan patrol craft with light guns. None of their ships have SAMs. In the air, Yangon fields Chinese-built Airguard fighters with rear-aspect PL-7 missiles, bombs and rockets.

The Thai fishing boats are located randomly each time the scenario is played. In my case, four out of eight started already in Burmese waters, with two more close to entering them!. So much for avoiding conflict!. At least you are told straightaway where they are. I also found that, while my two initial F-5s had a four-hour ready time, the Burmese fighters were active immediately and flying patrols.

I did what I could to intercept and turn-back the fishing boats, managing to do so with five of them. Each boat scores 50VP and the Burmese do not appear to bother those that have turned-back. A couple had illegal weapons, but this was resolved by scenario events and caused me no actual trouble.

Meanwhile, my Dornier detected Burmese warships SOUTH of the fishing boats, contrary to expectations. The F-5s duly arrived at Surat Thani and were then faced with a six-hour turnround. Just as well the scenario is a slow-burner...

The Burmese gradually became more aggressive. A Hainan boat fired on a fishing vessel without sinking it, an Airguard shot down a neutral plane (which harshly cost me 20VP) and, eventually, another Burmese fighter bombed and damaged the Khamronsin to take things over the edge. I ordered the corvette away from the danger area as a second Airguard made a run at her and missed. The Burmese then sank one of the errant fishing boats for a loss of 50VP.

As soon as hostilities began, I unexpectedly received my second pair of F-5s. These did useful service, making the most of their range and aspect advantage to dispose of two Airguards for 15VP each. As Sukhothai blasted a Maga gunboat for 50VP, the Tigers then damaged another, as well as a Hainan patrol boat. A second Hainan went for the fishing boats and was Harpooned, as was the damaged Maga when it came into range. Sukhothai then closed with and destroyed the damaged Hainan with gunfire.

This brought matters to a close as a Thai Triumph, with a score of +410.