Submitted: Shangdong Lashes Out, 2022

[BeirutDude]

Submitted most recent file is in the Community Scenarios Folder now



[center]Shandong Lashes Out, 2021

Al "Beirutdude" Sandrik

The Time Is: 14 August, 2021, 11:00 Zulu/14 August 2021, 18:00 Cam Ranh Bay Time

Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam

Playable as PLAN Only

Duration: 1 day 12 hours

Built under C:MO v1.02 – Build 1147.23

Database: DB3000 v488[/center]

Background: On July 31st a Vietnam People’s Navy (VPN) supply vessel on a resupply mission to Amboyna Cay, Spratley Islands was deliberately shouldered (rammed side-to-side) by a large PRC Coast Guard vessel. Two days later she returned with the VPN Gepard Class Frigate Đinh Tiên Hoàng (HQ-011) acting as escort. Upon arrival the VPN vessels confronted the PRC Coast Guard vessel blocking access to the pier area. After some frantic maneuvering the Zhaotou class cutter Haijing 2901 shouldered the Vietnamese frigate causing some damage. In the excitement the gun crew of the Đinh Tiên Hoàng‘s 76.2 mm/59-caliber AK–176 gun engaged the Chinese vessel raking the Bridge and killing 12 members of the crew including the both Ship’s Captain and Political Officer.

The engagement only took a few seconds but the damage was done. The Vietnamese vessels quickly retired making their best speed for their home port of Cam Ranh Bay. That evening they were found and engaged by four Su-30MKK fighter jets from Subi Reef dropping KAB-500L laser-guided bombs. Five bombs hit the supply vessel leaving it a burning hulk and two near misses caused severe damage to systems on the Gepard. After picking up survivors from the supply vessel the Đinh Tiên Hoàng returned at best speed to Cam Ranh Bay for repairs.

Tensions spiked between the PRC and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Accusations were traded in the U.N., Media and, most importantly, between both sides’ military commanders. PLA forces began a build up along the Vietnamese border drawing in Vietnamese reinforcements. Western analysts were on TV and radio hyping a repeat of the 1979 The Sino-Vietnamese War but the PRC leadership had no intention of crossing the border, the buildup was just a diversion. In fact, the PRC Central Military Commission determined a message must be sent to all of the counties disputing their South China Seas/Nine-Dash Line claims, the carrier Shandong, supported by H-6Ks would destroy the Đinh Tiên Hoàng and other vessels/facilities at Cam Ran Bay.

Saturday evening, August 14th, the Shandong Carrier Strike Group (CSG) departed Yulin Naval Base and turned west toward Haiphong harbor. This too was a ruse, after sunset and just outside the shipping lanes the CSG turned south and began a high-speed run toward Cam Ranh Bay. Meanwhile H-6Ks at Leiyang Air Base were readied with cruise missiles to support the attack. A Ming Class SSK and Type-093G SSN have also been assigned to support your attack and are taking up positions near Cam Ranh Bay.

Mission: Your mission is to destroy VPN vessels and facilities at Cam Ranh Bay while avoiding losses to your assets.

[BeirutDude]

Adjusted load outs on J-15s on Shandong. In my first playtest I used the J-15s to clear the way through the VPN vessels and didn't realize the loadout wasn't a cruise missile but just an anti-shipping missile. Realized that today! [8|]

I adjusted the J-15s loadouts on CV Shandong to 250KG bombs and set the H-6Ks to reserve so you can choose your load outs and to delay their possible use to the latter half of the scenario.

[BeirutDude]

Air Raid Cam Ranh Bay, This is not a drill...

[BeirutDude]

Air Raid Cam Ranh Bay, This is not a drill...

[BeirutDude]

"Another one bites the dust..."

[BDukes]

ORIGINAL: BeirutDude

Adjusted load outs on J-15s on Shandong. In my first playtest I used the J-15s to clear the way through the VPN vessels and didn't realize the loadout wasn't a cruise missile but just an anti-shipping missile. Realized that today! [8|]

I adjusted the J-15s loadouts on CV Shandong to 250KG bombs and set the H-6Ks to reserve so you can choose your load outs and to delay their possible use to the latter half of the scenario.

So far so good. Managed to knock down 8 flankers, Sink a Gepard and torch 4 radars for only 2 J-15 losses. The only thing I'm worried about is time. My bombers have a 20-hour ready time and the scenario is 24. They are about 1000nm away. Will have to see if I make it. Glad I picked cruise missiles [:)]

[BDukes]

Great scenario. Given my average approach scoring an average was right on.[:)]

I had some really nice air-to-air fights and strike planning was interesting with J-15. I think next time I'll go 122mm rockets instead.Little easier to deal with than low-level iron-bombing.

No threats to the carrier group. I was very cautious and had the standoff range with J-15 to not really have to get so close.

Suggestions:
I made launch time but it's right on the edge. If I had picked iron bombs instead of cruise missiles it would have been down to minutes maybe. Perhaps make the scenario a day and a quarter.
Add PLAN's AF on Hainan. Pretty significant fighter and bomber forces here and lots of aircraft to support the carrier group from MPA's, Navy-owned AEW and Jammers. Paracel Island- Woody Island facilities would be great too.
Perhaps a more forward threat to the Chinese carrier group. Will keep things tense.

Thanks for the great scenario. Had a great time with it!

Mike

[BeirutDude]

ORIGINAL: BDukes

Great scenario. Given my average approach scoring an average was right on.[:)]

I had some really nice air-to-air fights and strike planning was interesting with J-15. I think next time I'll go 122mm rockets instead.Little easier to deal with than low-level iron-bombing.

No threats to the carrier group. I was very cautious and had the standoff range with J-15 to not really have to get so close.

Suggestions:
I made launch time but it's right on the edge. If I had picked iron bombs instead of cruise missiles it would have been down to minutes maybe. Perhaps make the scenario a day and a quarter.
Add PLAN's AF on Hainan. Pretty significant fighter and bomber forces here and lots of aircraft to support the carrier group from MPA's, Navy-owned AEW and Jammers. Paracel Island- Woody Island facilities would be great too.
Perhaps a more forward threat to the Chinese carrier group. Will keep things tense.

Thanks for the great scenario. Had a great time with it!

Mike

Mike,

So now that you've played it I deliberately made it close/just under the wire with the H-6Ks and if you launch the J-15s from Shandong right away you can actually get in a second CV strike prior to sunset (as gravity bombs are only daytime missions). I took out the radars and SAMs with the first Ji15 strike, docks/piers and ships with the second J-15 strike ( a ships few sortied ) and the rest of the base/clean up with the H-6Ks.

I am trying to keep it a simple strike. BTW sounds like you missed a few VPN Units, think I'm going to tweak their teleport locations.

I might give all of the J-15s ARMs for the first strike and let players switch them to bombs for the second. BTW I lost 6 J-15s in the first strike.

[BeirutDude]

So made a few tweaks...

1. Extended the time to 1 day 12 hours but set the H-6Ks so they won't be ready for 24 hours (So longer than the 20 hours for any loadouts).
2. Adjusted Vietnamese Peoples Navy (VPN) teleport areas to make the VPN more of a "threat" to the PLAN.
3. Set the J-15s/J-15Ds on Shangdong to reserve so the player chooses the loadout. Reason being I've swapped them out four ties, and can see various choices the player might want to make. Thus more time and choice even if it has slow periods in the action.
4. Pulled Shandong CSG back closer to Hainan Island.

Will post after I do a little more playtesting.

[BDukes]

Thanks BeirutDave. Really great scenario. Look forward to it!

Mike

[BeirutDude]

05-23-2021 Version...

All of the above changes and some I will keep to myself. [;)]

[BeirutDude]

Made some minor tweaks but not enough to change it much.

Having some health problems so this may be my last scenario for a bit.