This is a (properly uploaded) adaptation of Don's "Black Sea 1", with his permission. Victory conditions and RED OOB are unchanged. BLUE loses all the F-35's, and gains 8 aircraft, 2 tankers, and the TGC Anadolu, with a motley air wing of helicopters and drones. Unfortunately, modern Turkish drones are unavailable in this database. Be careful, the other guy has better airplanes. 

Photo:  Ada-class ASW corvettes of the Turkish Navy

This scenario can be played with GE version 2022.027 (matrix last release) or newer, Database HCDB2-170909 in Medc 2003 Battleset.

While Russia is still busy fighting it's war with Ukraine she has been harassing other countries with aircraft incursions, but Turkey fights back.

Can the EU repel a US invasion of Greenland? Let's see.

EC 2003 NACV

HCDB2 170909

For Classic Harpoon version 2025.025, Westpac Battleset and HCDB2 170909 Database

 

There's two hypothesis for this fictitious scenario:

First, a change in USA focus and deployments has left no USN forces in the West Pacific region other than a sole SSN that is in transit after maintenance at HMAS Stirling, Western Australia.

Second, internal Taiwanese political change has led to a swift change in status with PRC who now have use of Taiwanese facilities and have announced a forward military presence in the smaller island countries of the west pacific to enhance their security and to protect infrastructure being provided by Chinese aid.

In an encounter a Philippines Navy Frigate has been sunk by the Chinese, the situation leading up to the sinking is unclear.

A small combined Australian and Singapore naval group is nearby with associated air units conducting combined exercises.

 

Picture from Wikipedia: Singapore Navy Formidable Class Frigate.

 

Operation Midnight Hammer, night of 21-22 June 2025. Historical Scenario.

A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for EC2003 Battle for the Middle East Battleset and the HCDB2-170308 new standard 1980-2025 Platform Database. This scenario is designed with advanced Scenario Editor and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later.

This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/US-Allied side or from the Red/Iranian side. You should play a few times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red side.

Image: A B-2A Spirit and two F-15E Strike Eagles fly in formation across the Pacific Ocean Near Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, on July 8, 2005. The deployed fighters and bomber represent Pacific Air Force's projection of Global Strike and resolve for U.S. allies in the Pacific theatre. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo, from Wikipedia, pictured by a serviceperson on duty and in consequence on public domain.)

When I started to design this scenario about August 2025 my idea was to represent the turmoil of 2025. From August 2025 to today the turmoil has increased and the scenario and its goals are now apparently almost straight and simple.

It represent a high moment of the Twelve-Day War between Iran and Israel (13-24 June 2025), with US forces purposely obliterating the Iranian nuclear program, after previous Israeli strikes softening the Iranian air defences (and most of the Iranian aircrafts were evacuate to Eastern Iran to avoid destruction, doing from three to five single sorties while Midnight Hammer).

My idea was to represent the flavour of an almost deserted Iran, but capable to get a moral and propaganda victory if some few US aircraft are destroyed.

The scenario is only four hour long, but should be played many times at slow pace to avoid unpredictable loses and outcomes.

Could you replicate the US achievement in this apparently simple scenario?

Enrique Mas, January 11, 2026.

For play with Harpoon Classic vers 2022.027 or newer, Middle East Battleset and HCCW 140314 Database.

Israel invaded Egypt on 29 October 1956, having done so with the primary objective of re-opening the Straits of Tiran and the Gulf of Aqaba as the recent tightening of the eight-year-long Egyptian blockade further prevented Israeli passage. After issuing a joint ultimatum for a ceasefire, the United Kingdom and France joined the Israelis on 5 November, seeking to depose Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser and regain control of the Suez Canal. [from wikipedia Suez Crisis Suez Crisis - Wikipedia ]

In this scenario I've used as much as possible the platforms in use then by each country, but much reduced in numbers and non historically correct locations, and a very simplified strategic plan.

The platforms of this era (and upto say late 60's) are interesting to use with usually radar controlled gunnery as primary AA defense and non guided short ranged rocket or bombs as primary aircraft launched surface attack weapons. The lack of terrain following ac equipment prevents close formation multi ac attacks instead requiring either high exposure to detection multi ac formation or multiple effectively single ac wave skimming attacks. Even in the early 70's non formation but close proximity wave skimming attacks by A4 skyhawks was still practiced by RAN fleet air arm.

For play in HC game version 2022.027 (matrix patch) or newer. Westpac BS and using database HCWW 101110.

21 January, 1941, a Japanese invasion fleet of one light cruiser, ten destroyers, four minesweepers, three submarine chasers, three patrol boats and sixteen transport ships left Tarakan for Balikpapan, (oil rich areas of Borneo). A MLD Dornier spotted the fleet that same day, but heavy clouds with strong winds and prolonged rain prevented the plane from shadowing the fleet. On the next day, U.S. Navy submarines S-40, Pickerel, Porpoise, Saury, Spearfish and Sturgeon were ordered to intercept the fleet. Later, they were joined by Dutch submarines K-XIV and K-XVIII. Sturgeon fired several torpedoes on the convoy and reported sinking three ships. However, postwar records failed to confirm any damages to the convoy.

In this scenario a simplified version of the situation is recreated with the submarine force intercepting the south bound invasion fleet at the narrow northern entrance to the Makassar Strait.

(ScreenShot US SS Porpoise, http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08172.htm, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2030041)

Use game version 2022.027 (matrix patch) or later in Westpac Battleset with Database HCCW 140314

The "Landing at Pontian" (17 August 1964) was an amphibious landing made by a small body of Indonesian troops in the Pontian District, Johor, Malaysia. The landing took place during the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation, an undeclared war fought between Malaysia and Indonesia during the early 1960s over the creation of a Malaysian Federation encompassing parts of northern Borneo, areas that Indonesia sought to increase its own power in Southeast Asia.

On 17 August 1964, Indonesian President Sukarno announced a 'Year of Dangerous Living' as a part of his country's Independence Day celebrations. To reinforce his point, Sukarno had ordered that a force of Indonesian troops and exiled Malaysian-Chinese land in mainland Malaysia to kick off a campaign of such invasions to create guerrilla bases in enemy territory and stir up Communist sympathizers. The effort was a failure, as targeted Malaysians proved unreceptive to Indonesian efforts and the invaders were swiftly rounded up by Anglo-Malaysian security forces.

The landing shocked the British, who had not expected such a strong and prominent step from the Indonesians, but did not incite them to respond to Sukarno's escalation of tensions. The absence of violent reply stiffened Sukarno's burgeoning resolve, and led him to continue with more landings, amphibious and airborne, throughout the fall and winter of 1964. 

The landings at Pontian, though small in scale, and unsuccessful in nature, caused a huge political crisis for Britain. The Malaysian government was infuriated, and accused the Indonesians of "blatant aggression," threatening to strike (through Britain) at their bases in Sumatra, simultaneously putting immense pressure on London to act. Though Sukarno had suffered a minor defeat, he had still managed to put the British in an extremely awkward position: if they did not retaliate, they would be seen to have lost face and to lack enough resolve to risk escalating the crisis. Retaliation, however, might bring the Confrontation towards open war, which the British were understandably unwilling to consider. The debate whether or not to act raged on in Cabinet backrooms. Lord Anthony Head proved an influential voice in the conversation, stating that interrogation had shown that more raids were impending, which would stretch British forces between the Malaysian Peninsula and Borneo, forcing an unwanted reinforcement of Southeast Asia. Head advocated preventative strikes against Indonesian bases should another raid occur.

Before the British could decide upon a policy, however, Sukarno struck again, making an airborne assault Labis in the night of 1-2 September. Though the raid was a catastrophic failure, with one of the transport planes crashing en route, and the remainder of the troops arriving scattered with little food and battered morale, the move further infuriated the Malaysians, who in turn put pressure upon the British to act. The next day, colonial secretary Duncan Sandys authorized on-site naval commander Admiral Varyl Begg to plan for strikes against Indonesian bases in Sumatra.

In this scenario the British begin their actions of retaliation in Sumatra without waiting for further Indonesian attacks.

Can be played game versions 2022.27 (matrix patch) and later

Play in Westpac Battleset using HCCW 140314 database.

The Sunda Straits Crisis was a two-week confrontation between the United Kingdom and Indonesia over the passage of the Illustrious-class aircraft carrier HMS Victorious through the Sunda Strait, a major waterway separating the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra, occurring between August and September 1964. The incident was part of the larger Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation, an armed conflict between Indonesia and Malaysia (with the military support of Britain) over the formation of the latter as an independent state.

On 27 August 1964, the British aircraft carrier HMS Victorious and her two destroyer escorts sailed through the Sunda Strait, an international waterway claimed by Indonesia, en route to Australia. Upset by the casual warning the British had given of the ships' impending passage through the Strait (a telephone call made two days before, which did not mention the carrier) and wary of the possibility that the British were attempting to provoke a violent response, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided two days later to prohibit the warships from making the return journey to Singapore, scheduled for the middle of September.

Infuriated by what was perceived as another affront to British prestige after the recent landings at Pontian and Labis by Indonesian volunteers in southwestern Malaysia, members of the British Cabinet, particularly Peter Thorneycroft and Louis Mountbatten, favoured sending the carrier back through the Strait in spite of the Indonesian ban. Though British naval commanders in the Far East had grave concerns that the Victorious would be indefensible while in passage, the prevailing opinion was that not to send the ship would result in an immense political defeat on both a domestic and international scale as well as the loss of rights to an important waterway. Tension mounted as the British and Indonesians each refused to bend, and as the carrier's time to sail came, war became increasingly likely.

On 10 September, however, the Indonesians proposed a way out: an alternative route through the Lombok Strait. The British took them up on this offer.

In this scenario  Peter Thorneycroft and Louis Mountbatten have their way and Victorious turns to transit the Sunda Straight while  the reinforcing carrier group Centaur speeds down from Singapore.

NOTE: to transit the exit from Sunda Strait you will need to carefully manage you group and close in the formation watching for shallowing waters.

see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunda_Straits_Crisis#Victorious_sails_from_Singapore

 

Requires Harpoon Classic version 2022.027 (matrix patch) or later, Westpac BattleSet and HCCW 140314 database.

(Photo circa 1965 HMAS Melbourne, Vendetta and Voyager)

The Indonesia - Malaysia confrontation was an armed conflict from 1963 to 1966 that stemmed from Indonesia's opposition to the creation of the state of Malaysia from the Federation of Malaya. After Indonesian president Sukarno was deposed in 1966, the dispute ended peacefully.

The creation of Malaysia was a merger of the Federation of Malaya (now Peninsular Malaysia), Singapore and the British Crown colonies of North Borneo and Sarawak (collectively known as British Borneo, now East Malaysia) in September 1963. Vital precursors to the conflict included Indonesia's policy of confrontation against Dutch New Guinea from March to August 1962 and the Indonesia-backed Brunei revolt in December 1962. Malaysia had direct military support from the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. Indonesia had indirect support from the USSR and China, thus making it an episode of the Cold War in Asia.

The conflict was an undeclared war with most of the action occurring in the border area between Indonesia and East Malaysia on the island of Borneo (known as Kalimantan in Indonesia). However Indonesia also conducted lower intensity covert actions on the Malay Peninsula and in Singapore. The conflict was characterised by restrained and isolated ground combat, set within tactics of low-level brinkmanship. Combat was usually conducted by company- or platoon-sized operations on either side of the border.

It has been claimed that a Central Intelligence Agency memorandum of 1962 indicated that UK Prime Minister Macmillan and US President  Kennedy were increasingly alarmed by the possibility of the confrontation with Malaysia spreading, and agreed to "liquidate President Sukarno, depending on the situation and available opportunities".   [extract from Wikipedia]

In this alternative to history situation Sukarno has been removed by external efforts but rather than calm the situation it has inflamed it and resulted in more direct involvement of China and the USSR.

This scenario is written to be played with harpoon classic version 2022.027 or newer.

To be played in Westpac Battleset using custom database HCCW-140314.

Scenario Background:
Its a few days before christmas in a fictional 1964.
There has been a continous close co operation between USSR and the Peoples Republic of China (PRC).  Pressure in other locations and internal political change has lead to a significant withdrawal of USA forces from the South East Asian area, although a retained interest in the politics.
Meanwhile negotiations between PRC and the Republic of China (ROC: Taiwan), following on from repeated incidents in the late 1950's, seem highly likely to lead to a peaceful re unification of Taiwan (Formosa) with it's parent, only a resistance group predominantly within the military stand in the way. This  group has been unofficially using military equipment via sea channels and relying on a combined presence of UK, US and democratic West Pacific countries such as Australia.  
A typical convoy of supply ships is approaching from the Pacific destined for the southern port of Tungkang. 

A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for EC2003 Battle for the Mediterranean Battleset and the HCDB2-170909 (or later) 1980-2025 era Platform Database. This scenario is designed with Advanced Scenario Editor Build 2017.013 and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later.

 

This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/Israeli side or from the Red/Algerian side. You should play a few times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red side.

 

Image: Algerian Navy LPD Kalaat Beni Abbes (L-474) on April 2, 2016, a San Giorgio-class derivative with very reinforced weapons, included sixteen ASTER 15 missiles. She is also employed as ASW ship capable to carry up to five Super Lynx Mk140 ASW helicopters, intended also for use in the MEKO A-200AN frigates, and equipped from 2023 with Compact FLASH dipping sonar. Photo by Messaoud Mesbouk, and took from Wikipedia Commons under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

 

This scenario was inspired yesterday by a comment by Mackie Folsom on the Navy General Board Facebook group, and fast researched a little time.

It’s not clear its historicity, but at least a very interesting story and scenario.

Basically at September 27, 2021, an unnamed Israeli submarine was collecting data on Algerian Navy drills, probably to know sound signature of Project 06361/Kilo II submarines opening tubes and launching 3M14E/SS-N-30B Sagaris land-attack cruise missiles.

On the Algerian side was claimed their forces ride out the Israeli submarine presence, forcing her to surface and quit the area.

For many and the lack of sources (Read the sources links on the Harpgamer website) is simply a foul propaganda action by the Algerian side, but none is clear or definitive.

Anyway is basis for an interesting scenario, but in this play both sides are more aggressive and some boats could be past of The Med Sea Sharks.

 

Enrique Mas, July 12, 2025.