Mission 1: Red Sea Rumble

[Tiramisu]

This is a fairly simple mission, but what I do not understand is, why you need the "AO Fleet Oiler" ship in one of the groups. It is supposed to be support a unit, but I think it does not do anything, because it cannot fight. All I can do is putting it in a safe place, while the combat ships are on patrol.
Did I get this right or are the Fleet Oilers supposed to do anything?

[roeddog]

Tiramisu,
To me, it seems like the AO is included for immersion purposes.

Reading the introduction it states "On late October 1956, as the Suez crisis bloomed out to a full intervention, a number of RN ships found themselves in the Red Sea, cut off from the rest of the active British forces...(italics mine)"

So, we have existing tensions in the area, the British are transiting towards the Med with one Task Force escorting the AO when hostilities commence; certainly a plausible event. Now with shots being fired the British are not only tasked with identifying and eliminating the threat but the one TF has the added responsibility of protecting the AO presumably loaded with oil needed at home.

While it is not explicitly stated anywhere in the briefings, to me it is implied that this is the reason that the scenario creator added the AO. At least that is the way I look at this scenario.

Regards,
JeffR

[mavfin]

i suspect that is the 'High Value Unit' you're protecting.

[Tiramisu]

Makes sense now. Thanks guys!

[Enigma6584]

Yes, it is the high value unit you must protect. If you lose just one unit in the mission, you basically fail. Protect that asset.