AAR: It gets hot!

[Anonymous]

"It gets hot"
A HCE scenario written by Donald Thomas aka donaldseadog
Battleset: EC 2003 GIUK
Database: HCDB
The scenario is designed to be played from the British = blue side.


After Action Report, Part I


Another scenario focusing on a France vs. Britain conflict. The
English Channel will be the battlefield and a lot of assets are in the game.

1. First steps

Since the Channel is small and easy to cross for fighter bombers,
safety first is to choose. I ferry several aircraft from the Northern
bases to forward ones in order to build up a fortress close to the Channel.

The carrier group leaves RN Devenport and its aircraft and helos are ferried to the Ark Royal.


2. First contact

After a few minutes contact is made: several hostile aircraft
heading for my carrier group!

3. Three Mirages downed by RN Devenports Harrier CAP. Many more
inbound.

4. Armat ARMs from the South, heading for my carrier group! That
will be close.

5. Two more Mirages shot down.

6. My Tornados and Typhons arrive just in time and down eleven
more Mirages. The first attack wave has been destroyed.

7. A group of six Super Etendards, heading for one of my bases, has been
wiped out by a pair of Tornados. Meanwhile my first SEAD attack
versus a French mobile SAM site was a success.

8. What the hell are Neuron UCAVs? Six just popped up right
besides a pair of Tornados. Two shot down, Typhons ordered to support.

9. The surviving four Neurons kill a mobile SAM site, but are shot
down by the Typhons. Those Typhons are real good interceptors; they shot down six Jaguars
a few seconds later.

10. Game over - minimum victory conditions achieved!?

Intended? I think the fight has just begun since tons of red aircraft are approaching from the Souh East. Maybe just a little bug in the Minimum Victory Conditions?


After Action Report, Part II

11. Massive dogfighting over the Channel. First losses for me,
six aircraft. Eight or nine more kills. It becomes tough.

12. More dogfighting. Two more losses, but over ten kills.
How mayn Rafales does he have? My Typhoons are better platforms, but
scarce.

13. Two Rafales kill four of my Northern SAGs helos before they
are downed by ship bases SAMs.

14. Meanwhile a combined SEAD and PGM attack destroys a French
SAM site.

15. Lost another couple of those invaluable Typhoons, but got
a dozen more Rafales and Mirages. Kill ratio is good, about
5:1

16. Heavy air attacks on my carrier group, mobile SAM site
and bases.Dozens of attackers, Jaguars and Super Etendards.

17. I´m desperately short of fighters. But I´ve downed
99 ac so far. How many more does he have?

18. Meanwhile I´ve downed 123 ac and lost 20. Hope that he has
no reserves since I have not many fighters left.

19. RN Devenport has been hit. 21 per cent damage.Simply not
enough fighters and SAMs left to defend against all those
raids.

20. Counterattack! Two flights of SEAD-armed Tornados
are heading for French bases.

21.I blinded several sensors; time to go after the sites with
other loadouts.

22. Ouch! Just detected a French carrier group, centered around
the Charles de Gaulle, approaching from the North east,
heading towards my home turf. This means many more Rafales.
It means alos, that I´m between the buttons.

23. Strategy: I have to weaken the French bases and airfields.

24. Execution: Attack with the strategical reserve, the 18 GR.4 Tornados.
Loadout: Storm Bringer, target: Paris.

25. Paris is guarded by Patriot batteries. This costs me a high
price. But it is necessary to kill the sensors in order to
deliver heavy punches with cruise missiles.

26. Working hard on Brest, too. One attack after the other.
Harriers, Bucs and Tornados.

27. Just after I discovered a French SSBN approaching from the Atlantic...the game is
over! Victory.


This is an very entertaining scenario. Thanks, Don!


...and to be honest: I´ll play on. There is much left to attack and destroy:

- the hostile carrier group just coming closer
- many hostile bases and SAM sites
- hostile subs

So one hint for the designer: Maybe make the VCs both minimum and
total harder to achieve.