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File Name: Operation Praying Mantis 1988, Historical Scenario File Submitter: broncepulido File Submitted: 07 Jan 2012 File Category: Middle East Operation Praying Mantis 1988, historical engagement. Note: This scenario is designed mostly to be played from the US/Blue and it's better to play that side in first place, and to play it later from the Iranian/Red side because it can be a little frustrating and boring, but the victory is also possible. Operation Praying Mantis was the Reagan administration answer to the Irani attacks on neutral tanker shipping and inmediate consequence of the mining deployed from the LST Iran Arj against the USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58) on 14 April 1988. This operation is often cited as one of the five historical naval actions to decisively stablish the USN supremacy in a determined theater of operations. It also marked the U.S. Navy's first exchange of anti-ship missiles by ships. In the context of Iran-Iraq War the Tanker War phase (1984-1988) was one of the more complex post-WWII campaigns from the naval viewpoint. Both Iran and Iraq attacked oil tankers and merchant ships, including those of neutral nations, to deprive the opponent of trade earnings. As higher stage answer the Iranians might close the Strait of Hormuz to all shipping, but as United States had threatened several times to go to war if the Strait was closed the Iranians refused to take the risk,, limiting their attacks in retaliation first to Iraqi commercial ships but also extended to neutral shipping. After several Iranian attacks on Kuwaiti and other neutral shipping, the United States Navy started in March 1987 to escort Kuwaiti tankers the United States after had reflagged half of Kuwait's fleet of twenty-two tankers. In April 1987, the then Soviet Navy also started escorting Kuwaiti tankers. Praying Mantis was a one-day retaliation strike focused in oil rigs and other instalations where the Iranians small forces were based to assault the neutral and Western shipping. Those had included bases for the minelaying operations that damaged the USS Samuel B. Roberts. The US forces were organized in three groups and with air support and air defence of the CVN-65 USS Enterprise Carrier Air Wing Eleven, escorted by CGN-35 USS Truxtun and FF-1063 USS Reasoner: VF-114 Aardwarks with F-14A Tomcat. VF-213 Black Lions with F-14A Tomcat. VA-22 Fighting Redcocks with A-7E Corsair II. VA-94 Shrikes with A-7E Corsair II. VA-95 Green Lizards with A-6E/KA-6D Intruder. VAW-117 Wallbangers with E-2C Hawkeye Group 0. VAQ-135 Black Knights with EA-6B Prowler ICAP I (ICAP II from late 1988). Surface Action Group Bravo, targets Sassan and Rahkish/Rahksh oil platforms (renamed Salman and Resalat after the Islamic Revolution): DD-976 USS Merrill, with 1xSH-2F. DDG-8 USS Lynde McCormick. LPD-14 USS Trenton, with 4xAH-1T, 2xCH-46, 2xUH-1, and the USS Samuel L. Roberts SH-60B. Surface Action Group Charlie, target Sirri oil platform (renamed Nasr after the Islamic Revolution): CG-28 USS Wainwright. FFG-56 USS Simpson, with 1xSH-60 and 1xUH-60. FF-1069 USS Bagley, with 1xSH-2F. Surface Action Group Delta, composed partly of former escort ships from the Enterprise group, with target the Iranian warship FFL Sabalan, because her reputation for deliberately attacking the crew quarters of neutral ships: DDG-16 USS Joseph Strauss. DD-975 USS O'Brien, with 2xSH-2F and 1xUH-60. FFG-24 USS Jack Williams, with 2xSH-2F. The rest is history ... or not. Historical Note: This scenario represents aproximatively only the historically engaged forces, as the US side decides to not attack mainland Iran to prevent a escalade, and the Iranian response was limited to a few warships and warplanes and not launching shore-based SSM (they are contradictory reports about that) because the Iranian fears to US retaliatory strikes over mainland Iran, and as in the case of the Gadaffi's Libya on 1981 and 1986, the fear of heavy losses on his own side could weak his position as regional power (In the case of Iran we should remember was in war with Iraq on 1988, and the outcome of Praying Mantis also forced Iran to settle the peace with Iraq). In the historical aftermath, Iran losed the FFL Sahand, the PTM Joshan (after be notified many times of "stop your engines, abandon ship, I intend to sink you", Joshan launched the last operational Harpoon in the Iranian Navy againts the CG-28 USS Wainwright who decoyed it, receiving in interchange a salvo of six Standard SM-1 and one Harpoon) and some three PG type Toragh/Boghammar based in the Abu Musa Island to attack commercial shipping, and also the FFL Sabalan resulted crippled, but was returned to service on 1989. The oil platforms of Sassan and Sirri, employed as bases for the attacks on commercial shipping, rested unoperative after the previously demanded evacuation and subsequent combined attack of warships, Cobra helicopters and SEAL and USMC teams. The attack against the Rahksh oil platform was called off to ease pressure on the Iranians and denote a desire for de-escalation. The FFL Sabalan not was sunk also because when Defense Secretary Carlucci asked Admiral Crowe, then CJCS, what he thought about launch another strike to finish she, Crowe responded, "Sir, I think we've shed enough blood today". Enrique Mas, January 2012 Edited 7 January 2012 because bad characters in the text file. Click here to download this file

File Name: The Killing of bin Laden, 1 May 2011 (Hypothetical). File Submitter: broncepulido File Submitted: 03 May 2011 File Category: IOPG On the 2 May 2011 the World was surprised when US Government Officials informed about the killing the previous day in a daring Special Forces raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan, of Osama bin Laden, the founder and leader of the al-Qaeda islamist international terrorist network. The action was excuted mostly by DevGru (Naval Special Warfare Development Group) members, previously the SEAL Team Six and nowadays with other classified name, descended in the house by fast rope and probably in collaboration with other Special Forces/CIA/Intelligence operatives intervention and support. They were flown into Pakistan from Afghanistan by helicopter from the 160th Special Operations Air Regiment (Airborne) Night Stalkers, part of the Joint Special Operations Command, two MH-60 stealthy modified and two MH-47. One MH-60 was lost in the operation because mechanical breakdown. The helicopters probably taked-off from Bagram, Afghanistan, where is based the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing and the Special Forces aircraft can be merged stealthly with the usual resident units. The corpse of Osama bin Laden was buried in the sea the same day by the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), with the CVW-17 embarked. Edit 28 november 2012: for the start I was speculating about the bin Laden corpse ferried to CVN-70 in a C-2 Greyhound because range, load and speed reasons, but a Greyhound present in Bagram or other Stan base is too notorious and conspicuous. In the December 2012 issue of Air Forces Monthly is mentioned as widely and unofficially accepted the corpse was ferried in a more discrete V-22, doing the first and unofficial landing of the Osprey type in a carrier. At the moment of the scenario design the data about the operation are scarce, and it's not historically accurate. This scenario only pretends to be a little divertment and a little tribute to the people who ultimately has killed Bin Laden. Change 4 May 2011: 2xMH-53J Pave Low III replaced by 2xCV-22B Osprey (the last MH-53M Pave Low IV were retired in 2008). Change 8 May 2011: Title name changed from Kill to Killing, added 2xMH-47G, added 6xF-22A, added a FARP in the placement of the Tarbela Dam/Ghazi airport, suggested the first day as support for the helicopters flying from Pakistan. Change 12 May 2011: added 2xMH-60 Dark Hawk stealthy modified assault helicopters, added mention to 2xMH-47 included in the operation. Click here to download this file

File Name: Battle of the Ebro, Summer 1938, Air Operations File Submitter: broncepulido File Submitted: 17 Oct 2009 File Category: MEDC Battle of the Ebro, Air Operations, near 14 August 1938. For use with the HCE World Wars (HCWW) database. Image: The museum at the former Spanish civil war airfield at La Sénia in the very south of the Catalonia region features this two-dimensional mock-up of the Bf 109B-2 as flown by Harro Harder, commander of Fighter Group 88 of the Legion Condor and participant at the 1936 Olympic Games. From Wikipedia Commons. Air Strikes and some AAA added in the new uploaded file. The fight for the air dominance in the first days of the II Spanish Republic last offensive. After the "coming to the sea/llegada al mar" by the Nationalist land forces in Vinaroz (15 April 1938)(ZVa), the Republic owned territory was divided in two parts. The Republican land operations initiated 25 July 1938, and were centrated in the river Ebro crossing and staigned in the take of the cross-roads town of Gandesa (ABa). 14 August 1938 marks the first encounter with the new Polikarpov I-16 Type 10 Rata/Mosca. This is a scenario only historically inspired, I regret. The fragmentary data, bad records, erroneously transcripted airfield names in very obscure and secondary places, confuse airfield denomination (as example, the mentionated case of the twin airfield of Sanjurjo/Valenzuela/Garrapinillos/Zaragoza) and constant controversial issues about everything prevents more precision in the orders of battle and number of planes employed. The aim is the same for the two sides, shot down enemy planes, to bomb enemy airbases (historically also direct support of land forces, not represented), and to obtain air supremacy to guarantee so the success in the terrestrial actions. About the command, control and communications issue, remember in this time very few planes where radio equipped. Some units and bases claimed as identified: Nationalist side: 1, 2, 3 and 5 Staffeln J/88 Legion Condor, La Cenia (ZWa) and his dispersion airfields Alcala de Chivert (ZSa) and Cati (ZRa). 1, 2, 3 and 4 Staffeln K/88 Legion Condor (He.111B-1/B-2/E-1), Sanjurjo/Valenzuela/Garrapinillos/Zaragoza (ZXa) (Actually a twin base Sanjurjo (German)/Valenzuela(Italian/Spanish), years later became Zaragoza Air Base). A/88 Legion Condor, Vinaroz (ZVa) (*). AS/88 Legion Condor and Grupo 2-G-62/73, Pollensa (ZYa). XXXV Gruppo Autonomo Mixto (-) (230 and 231 Squadriglia, BR.20), 21 Stormo Bombardamento Pesante, XXIV and XXV Gruppi "Pipistrelli" (213, 214, 215 and 216 Squadriglia, S.81) , Aviazione Legionaria, Tudela (ZTa) (*). Escuadrilla 8-E-3 (CR.32), Tudela (ZTa) (x). XXXV Gruppo Autonomo Mixto (-), 65 Squadriglia (Ba.65), Puig Moreno (ZLa). Grupo 10-G-25 (5xHe-111B-1), Leon (ZQa). X Gruppo Autonomo Caccia "Baleari" (101 and 102 Squadriglia, some elements in La Alcudia (*)(ZPa ), 8 Stormo Bombardamento Veloce, XXVII and XXVIII Gruppi "Falchi delle Baleari" (18, 52, 10 and 19 Squadriglia, S.79), Aviazione Legionaria, Son San Juan/Palma de Mallorca (ZUa). 3 Stormo Caccia (-), VI Gruppo Caccia "Gamba di Ferro" (31, 32 and 33 Squadriglia), XVI Gruppo Caccia "La Cucaracha" (24, 25 and 26 Squadriglia), 111 Stormo Bombardamento Veloce, XXIX and XXX Gruppi "Sparvieri" (280, 289, 281 and 285 Squadriglia, S.79), Aviazione Legionaria, Valenzuela/Zaragoza (ZXa). 3 Stormo Caccia (-), XXIII Gruppo Caccia "Asso di Bastoni" (18, 19 and 20 Squadriglia), Teruel (ZKa). XXII Gruppo Autonomo Oservazione Aerea "Le Linci" (120 and 128 Squadriglia, Ro-37bis), Squadriglia Autonoma Caccia e Mitragliamento "Frecce" (CR.32), Aviazione Legionaria, La Salada (ZOa) (*). II Brigada Hispana, 3-G-28, 4-G-28, 5-G-28, 6-G-28 (S.79), Valenzuela/Zaragoza (ZXa). Grupos 1-G-22, 2-G-22 (Ju-52), Valenzuela/Zaragoza (ZXa). Grupo 10-G-24 (Hs.123A-1), Tablada/Sevilla (ZZa). Grupos 2-G-3, 3-G-3 (CR.32), Escatron (ZMa). Other airfields: Son Bonet (ZNa). Republican side: Polikarpov I-16 Mosca/Rata, Grupo 21: 1 Escuadrilla de Moscas, El Vendrell (AHa). 2 Escuadrilla de Moscas, Casinos (AJa). 3 Escuadrilla de Moscas, Camporrobles (*) (AKa). 4 Escuadrilla de Moscas, Valls (ALa). 5 Escuadrilla de Moscas, El Carmoli (ADa). 6 Escuadrilla de Moscas, Barracas (*) (AMa). 7 Escuadrilla de Moscas, Pachs del Penedes (ANa). Polikarpov I-15 Chato, Grupo 26: 1 Escuadrilla de Chatos, Requena (APa). 2 Escuadrilla de Chatos, Saceruela (AQa). 3 Escuadrilla de Chatos, Alcublas (ARa). 4 Escuadrilla de Chatos, Balaguer (ASa). Tupolev SB-2 Katiuska, Grupo 24 (*): 1 Escuadrilla, Camporrobles (AKa). 2 Escuadrilla, San Clemente (AGa). 3 Escuadrilla, Banyoles (ATa). 4 Escuadrilla, Lerida (AOa). Escuadrilla de Caza Nocturna (I-15 and other types), 1 Escuadron, Grupo de Asalto 28 (Grumman G-23 Delfin), El Prat/Barcelona (AFa). Grupo 30 (R-Z), Grupo 72 (R-5), 2 Escuadron (-), Grupo de Asalto 28 (Grumman G-23 Delfin), El Carmoli (ADa). 2 Escuadron (-), Grupo de Asalto 28 (Grumman G-23 Delfin), Pozoblanco (AEa). Other airfields: Alcala de Henares (ACa), Madrid/Barajas (AAa), Manises/Valencia (AUa), La Rabasa/Alicante (AVa), Liria (ALa). (*) denotes only an informed guess about the unit/base. Some links: http://members.fortunecity.com/sanmarca/index.htm http://members.fortunecity.com/sanmarca/iindex.htm http://usuarios.lycos.es/sanmarca/ http://www.geocities.com/red_spain/ Click here to download this file

File Name: Battle of North Cape, 26 December 1943 File Submitter: broncepulido File Submitted: 12 Sep 2009 File Category: GIUK Christmas 1943, bad day for sailing in the Far North. Picture: BC Scharnhort, circa 1939. Source: Wikipedia from German Federal Archives/Kommando der Volksmarine - Bildbestand (DVM 10 Bild), Accession number DVM 10 Bild-23-63-12 With BB Tirpitz damaged by attack of midget submarines, BC Scharnhorst remains the only Kriegsmarine capital ship available to be utilized against the Arctic convoys from Great Britain to Soviet Union. Admiral Fraser, Home Fleet commander, decides to set a trap to the last operational German capital ship, reinforcing the convoys escort, and using HUMINT from Norwegian agents for request information about the Scharnhorst movements. At the closing hours of December, 25, 1943, westbound convoy RA55A was converging with eastbound convoy JW55B, near the Bear Island area, while the German group, coming from Altafjord, was approaching the area from south. At 0755 on December, 25, 1943, Konteradmiral Erich Bey on command of BC Scharnhorst orders his accompanying DDs of the 4th Zerstorer-Flotille to explore in search of the convoys. Bad transmitted orders, bad weather and bad luck, and the BC and the DDs lost contact one with the others. It's the time of the British trap execution ... Some links: http://www.scharnhorst-class.dk/scharnhors...rnostfront.html http://www.naval-history.net/Cr03-56-00NorthCape.htm http://www.9thflottilla.de/9s130.htm For U-Boat patrols on this date: http://uboat.net/boats/patrols/patrol_1673.html http://uboat.net/boats/patrols/search.php Enrique Mas, September 2009. Click here to download this file

File Name: Battle of the River Plate, December, 13, 1939. Historical Scenario. File Submitter: broncepulido File Submitted: 04 Sep 2009 File Category: South Atlantic Battle of the River Plate, 13 December 1939. Historical Scenario. A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the EC2003 Battle for South Atlantic The Americas Battleset and the HCWW-101110 World Wars era Platform Database. Picture: Source Wikipedia Commons from Imperial War Museum. IWM caption : The German battleship Admiral Graf Spee in flames after being scuttled in the River Plate Estuary off Montevideo, Uruguay. 17 December 1939. This is photograph A 3 from collections of Imperial War Museums (collection no. 4700-01). A very fast and furious encounter between the Royal Navy and the Kriegsmarine, in middle of the Phoney War, decisive for aftercoming naval events. Good also for testing the artillery. I did played it many times, and the results can be surprising due to the hazards and random capability of the AI and the Game Engine mechanisms. Playable from Red or Blue sides. December 1939. In this period of the phoney war, while a couple of months the German pocket battleship (classified as heavy cruiser or armoured cruiser for others scholars) Admiral Graf Spee had been commerce raiding since the start of the war in September, a very extent cruise while avoiding killing anyone but with no very impressive results. And she's now the only Kriegsmarine warship operating in far seas. And the fate led she to fulfil the same destination as her predecessors in the South Atlantic in WWI, not far from the places where the CL Dresden and the rest of the East Asia squadron commanded by her name-sake Vice Admiral Maximilian Graf von Spee were sunken 25 years earlier, almost entirely in the now forgotten First Battle of the Falklands (Malvinas) Islands. Her own captain, Kapitan zur See Hans Wilhelm Langsdorff , a not Nazi sympathizer officer and old neighbour of the family of the own Maximilian von Spee, was himself a longstanding naval officer who had seen action at the Battle of Jutland. Now, after a bloodless cruise, enfaced with a group he think is composed of CA Exeter and two DDs, Langsdorff must decide to fight or to flee. His ship is superior in battle capabilities, and she's diesel engined with more rapid response than the steam engined British ships, but the enemy is faster, and aided by his very numerically superior forces,undoubtedly can speed-up and chase his slower ship at middle term. More informations at http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/WH2Navy-fig-WH2Nav03a.HTML Enrique Mas, September 2009. Click here to download this file

File Name: The Battle of the Denmark Strait, May 24, 1941 File Submitter: broncepulido File Submitted: 03 Sep 2009 File Category: GIUK For use with the WW DB, a very simple, direct and fast battle inspired in historic events, the fight between BB Bismarck and CA Prinz Eugen against BB Prince of Wales and BC Hood in the Strait of Denmark. Good also for testing the artillery. Playable from both Red and Blue sides. Picture: An aerial photo of HMS Hood taken from a RAF Coastal Command Hudson aircraft on 24 May 1941. The battlecruiser was sunk later that day during the Battle of the Denmark Strait. Source: Wikipedia from the Collection Database of the Australian War Memorial under the ID Number: P00250.012 More and interesting data at http://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/hist...raitbattle.HTML Enrique Mas, September 2009. Click here to download this file