AAR Old versus New #2, Part 1

[FransKoenz]

AAR Old versus new #2, Part 1.

Before starting the game, I always explore the scenario [Where is what] and make notes on paper;
I launch the aircraft I need in the first stage [mostly, available AEW/EW/ASW and fighters] and re-arm aircraft if necessary;
I plot course for the naval taskforces and submarines, plot ASW-missions with the formation editor, etc. etc...

It is always a challenge to engage the massive and technical advanced Armed Forces of the USA.
In this second [of 3] scenario, I play Europe.
This scenario is btw, one of my favourites:

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Here are the Freek’s orders:

#2.0 BATTLE FOR EUROPE

This is the second scenario in the series exploring US vs. EU war.
THIS SCENARIO SHOULD BE PLAYED WITH THE NUCLEAR OPTION ENABLED.
Second battle
The Atlantic war continues. Air units are replenished, task forces re-located, and preparations made for invasion. This scenario lasts 15 hours and can be played from both sides (US is recommended first). This is a large scenario. This scenario has been built for the PlayersDB v7.4.7

Orders for Europe The air battle over Europe was undecided. We lost more fighters and our bases were hard hit but neither side has air superiority. This is the time to attack!
Intel USAF and Navy aircraft are out of action due to heavy losses over UK and FR. US carriers have minimal air wings operational and are moving to N-Sea and Med. Amphibious convoy is approaching in Mid-Atlantic. Closest fully operational carrier is 1500 miles West of Ireland. We expect that it will ferry F-14s and F-18s into theatre.
Mission 1. Close on the amphibious forces with all available UK and FR fleet units. Ferry Harriers to Illustrious/Ark and coordinate an attack together with Etandards/Rafales off Charles de Gaulle. 2. DE, UK, and FR Naval aircraft have been assembled at hidden bases in N-UK. FR has launched two satellites from Kourou last night. Use their reconnaissance to attack Nimitz somewhere North of Scotland. Continue the attack until the carrier is significantly damaged. 3. Don’t let anything pass Gibraltar
Victory conditions are to destroy 1/3rd of US fleet and significantly damage at least one of the carriers.

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4 June, 2002, 10:00:00 Zulu Time…

First impressions, first moves:

Gibraltar Area:
About 40 Aircraft are stationed on 1 airbase and 1 road base. 2 ships of the Royal Navy, a DDG and FFG, together with submarines, the Superb and Splendid are now patrolling in the East Med. I have set up ASW patrolling Mission in the Strait of Gibraltar.
The Dutch S803 Tonijn is patrolling in the AO, 60nm west of the entrance to the Strait.
2 Tornado F.3 are airborne, but I have launched another 6 F.3’s, as well as 1 SH-3D AEW.

Atlantic Ocean:
3 Carrier Groups and submarines are operating 360nm west of Ireland.
4 Rafale M are in the air, but I launched another 4, together with an E-3C Hawkeye. I have plotted ASW patrols around the Carrier Groups. XX British Harriers are on their way to the British VTOL carriers. It will take at least 1.5 hrs. to complete the transit, and another 6 hrs. to re-arm the aircraft.

Scotland Area:
About 50 aircraft, armed with ASM, are available on 9 Dispersed fields. 2 ships are patrolling off coast the Orkney Islands. 4 aircraft are in the air, but launched all available Tornado F.3.

France:
There is at the moment no a real threat for France. I launched the 2 Sentry’s, 1 to guard the Northern area, and the other one for AEW-duties above the AO southwest of France, as well as 1 Atlantique Brequet ASW units, and 2 fighter groups.

Game on!

Within minutes, my screen was filled with all kind of contacts. As soon E-2 Hawkeye from the French aircraft carrier R91 Charles de Gaulle turned on her radars, a large surface group became visible west of the EC carrier groups. She detected airborne contacts southwest of the CTF Ark Royal. I have reasons to believe that the US aircraft are underway to the aircraft carrier operating nearby Gibraltar. 4 Tomcats are operating northwest of the CTF’s.
2 Tornado’s [Northwest of the Shetlands] detected surface and airborne contacts north of Scotland.
And finally, the area around Gibraltar… An unknown submerged contact has been detected in the Med, just outside the entrance to the Strait. The British FFG is patrolling nearby and now is underway to investigate the just detected contact, together with 1 helicopter.
There is some air activity east of the Strait. 2 airborne Tornado’s have been ordered to investigate the contacts. I launched more Tornados’ from GIB AB. I also launched 2 extra ASW-helicopters to assist in the hunt for the enemy submarines in the Strait of Gibraltar. Soon, ships were detected, operating south of the Iberian Peninsula.

I now have a clue where the enemy forces are operating.
Time for tactical decisions:

NORTH:
I do expect massive attacks with Tomahawk cruise missiles. Intelligence reports that at least 1 CG and 2 DDG, as well as 1 DD are escorting the USS Nimitz. Submarine threat is unknown.

Attack with all Rafale fighters, armed with AM.39 Exocet
Attack with all Tornado fighters, armed with AS.34 Komoran only,
Attack with all Tornado fighters, armed with AS.34 Komoran/AGM-88A HARM,
Attack with all Buccaneer Bombers with BAe [P3T] Sea Eagle ASM
EW mission with the [only] EW available EF-111A Raven,
Radar Picket duties by the British TG, as well as ASW-duties with onboard helicopters.

CENTRAL:
I do expect attacks with Tomahawk cruise missiles, but it will take some time before they arrive at the scene. The only thing I can do right now is to launch aircraft to protect the airfields in France, the Central Command facility in Brussels and bases in NL, and in the South UK.
8 Mirage 2000 will assist in the interception of the plane group, that has been detected in the AO, and will land at Gibraltar [if they survive].

SOUTH:
I do expect attacks with Tomahawk cruise missiles at my assets around Gibraltar as well; The aircraft that have been detected in the AO could attack Gibraltar first and land on the Enterprise. If this happens, I might loose the Gibraltar assets. Together with the launched Mirage F2000 from Brest, I will try to destroy the aircraft with Tornado F.3 from GIB before they reach target/destination.
Another point of concern is the narrow Strait of Gibraltar…
US submarines could lay in ambush positions… I launched 4 helicopters to ‘sweep’ the Strait, but ordered the captains of the 2 ships to stay out of the strait to avoid torpedo attacks. The ships are moving at maximum speed away from the Strait, it is only a few miles to reach waters that can’t be reached by US MK48 ADCAP torpedoes.
The 2 British submarines will travel through the Strait and together with the Dutch SSK, they will attack the Enterprise Group.
8 Tornado fighters, armed with AGM88A and AS34, will launch an attack on the Enterprise group.
If I succeed to destroy incoming Navy fighters, , the Enterprise is nothing more than a 300m long sitting duck without her aircraft for the submarines and ships… But I have to survive the attacks first of all.

WEST:
A large surface Group, centred around 3 or more LHA, LHD, LPD, with moderate escort is moving east, towards the UK. Their intentions are unknown, but they are there and therefore a threat to our assets in the area and the European mainland. I do expect attacks with cruise missiles as well.
3 submarines are available in the area, but they are not within strike distance for the couple of next hours. They will close in and finally attack the surface Group.
=
In the following hour both sides suffered losses: the F.3 Tornado fighters are simply not capable to match the Super Hornets and Tomcats with their AIM-54 Phoenix and AIM-120 AMRAAM. I managed to kill few enemy aircraft, but, only with massive missile attacks [ 5:1].
Meanwhile, a swarm Tomahawks was detected, all underway to the UK. Airborne F.3 Tornado fired missiles, took [almost] out of all of them, but with the result that some of my fighters did not have any AAM left to engage enemy fighters [a game failure; the airborne F.3 had to ignore these incoming missiles and do the job, intercepting enemy fighters instead of spoiling air-to-air missiles] Ground based AAA can handle that. I had to call them back to avoid being destroyed. Units of the enemy Carrier Group North of Scotland are firing missiles continuously. I bet it are Tomahawk Cruise Missiles. Nasty thing: fighters are escorting the Tomahawks.
Already in an early stage of this battle, Helicopters detected 2 enemy submarines in the Strait of Gibraltar. Both submarines were destroyed almost instantly by Marconi Stingray torpedoes. This hurts. 2 capital units, destroyed within less than 10 minutes.
The aircraft in the Northern area are underway for a strike mission against the US CSG. I took out most of the incoming missiles. The 2 British naval units took care of all remaining incoming missiles so far, but ships of the enemy group are launching cruise missiles continuously.
Losses in the Atlantic were moderate; Only few Tomcats were responsible for the loss of very valuable assets. The enemy plane group, operating somewhere in the Atlantic is clearly heading towards the USS Enterprise. I have put in 8 aircraft [based at Gibraltar highway to engage this group.
The USS Enterprise is harmless without the aircraft. I hope that the French Mirage 2000 perform better than the Tornado F.3
8 Tornado IDS are approaching the Enterprise group. Armed with HARM and Komoran. A single Tornado F.3 is underway to take out 2 airborne contacts west of the E-Group [later identified as 1 E-2C and 1 EA-8B]. The sky is clear, no enemy fighters are in the air and I took out all AEW/EW units.

At 11:05:00 I started the attack on the Nimitz Group:
The 2 Dutch F-16 are almost within firing position: targets, the E-2C and helicopters. 4 other Tornado fighters are assigned to assist, in case that the carrier launches fighters.
First I ordered the 16 Tornado IDS to attack with HARM/Komoran ASM; after launching the HARM against the CG 54, DDG 52, and DDG 53, all aircraft closed in at maximum speed at low altitude to launch the Komoran ASM.
The US escorts almost reacted instantly with a swarm SM2MR II and III. I managed to launch all Komoran ASM. Now, it is time to get the hell out of there. The second wave contains 16 Rafale with Exocet ASM. Target: the USS Nimitz:
Then the 8 Tornado’s with Komoran ASM only:
And finally the 12 S.2B Buccaneer with the BAe [P3T] Sea Eagle ASM to finish the job.
28 planes survived the attack.

Losses after 90 minutes:

USA

2 EA-8B Prowler II Blk 89
4 F/A 18E Super Hornet
20 F/A A8 Hornet
9 F-14 Tomcat
4 E-2 Hawkeye Group II
3 Sea Cobra USMC
5 AH-64 Apache
5 SH-60 Oceanhawk
SSN709 USS Hyman G. Rickover
SSN915 USS Buffalo
CG 54 USS Antietam
DDG 53 USS John Paul Jones

Damaged units:

CVN 68 USS Nimitz [85%]
DD 977 USS Brisco [54%]
DDG 52 USS Barry [22%]


EUROPE

18 Tornado F.3
9 Rafale M
3 Sea Harrier F/A.2 RN
2 F-16 MLD
22 Tornado IDS
7 Mirage 2000-5F
1 Sea King AEW.2
1 Sea King HAS.6

Damaged units:

Ft William AB, UK [Damaged at game start, percentage = ??]
Runway damaged [Bordeaux AB]

Part 2 is coming soon![:D]