Thanks!

OK, I'll consider that. Do people still want me to do this? It's just I've had very little activity in this thread recently.

OK, I'll consider that. Do people still want me to do this? It's just I've had very little activity in this thread recently.

While I encourage everyone to try virtualization (makes any serious computer user's life much much better), if you have no desire to use the scenario editor I'd just skip over version 1.62B. You can run HC97 and newer GE's on your new machine without setting up a virtual machine.

 

As for interest, I for one am still interested in your AARs!

 

Thank you

Just chimin in ... don't stop now!

OK, I'm going to go straight to the WinHarp write-up... virtual machines aren't worth the hassle for this.

Here we go; this may take a while, but dribs and drabs is better than a slab.

 

WinHarp 1.62B

 

My first attempt at a game here, playing "Delhi Express" from EC2000 Battle for the Gulf of Oman crashed due to a general protection error, so I decided to try "SAGa" from USNI #2, playing the Red Side. This mission involved me having to destroy Blue Facilities at Keflavik and Vagar (Faroe Islands), as well as needing to go after a NATO surface fleet.

 

Unfortunately for this job, which is something best reserved for the Tu-22Ms, I don't have any Backfires. Instead, my air assets included Su-24s, Su-27s, MiG-29s that couldn't reach Iceland... and two carriers worth of the dire Yak-38. In addition, I had some Il-38s.

 

The game started with my ESM detecting a F-16 over Iceland. The Forgers launched and had to RTB without making an intercept. Like I said, dire.

 

My first attack on Vagar saw a batch of Su-27s and Fencers launching towards the target... with the Flankers coming up against a batch of Lightnings and somehow only winning 3-2. The AS-12 missiles from the Su-24s only did five percent damage. Oh for some Backfires.

 

Another Lightning did for an unescorted May. I've got to say, after some major sound problems previously, that I love the new aircraft launch noise. The second strike launched with MiGs added (after an initial launch in error without escort) and was surprised by five fighters because it was operating EMCON Alpha. IRST is very useful... but not a radar replacement by any means. The Vagar interceptors got whipped royally (or should that be socialistically) by the fighter escorts. The raid knocked Vagar to 21% damage and I reflected that I really needed to use bigger bombs.

 

As the returning Su-24s got loaded with iron bombs, a F-16 wandered over and left unharmed as it was too far out for the Fulcrums to intercept. MiG-29s are notoriously short-legged.

 

To be continued.

I'm working (or I should!) in a little academic paper for a little speech near 30 May 2014, about "Wargaming as auxiliary tool for Military History studies".

And don't doubt, folks, Harpoon and our common works will find a starring place on the paper, including this analysis of the Harpoon evolution.

http://asehismi.es/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Congreso-ASEHISMI-Programa.pdf

Very interesting; I hope it goes well!

 

****

The game was a bit quiet for the next 90 minutes, before I launched another 24-plane attack on Vagar. During the approach, some aircraft were spotted over Iceland and I broke off the Su-27s to intercept. The Su-24s reached Vagar with their load of iron bombs and knocked to 84% damage after dropping no less than 88 of the things on the base.

 

Meanwhile, a Be-12 fell victim to a surprise F-16. Two more would go later

 

I then discovered that the Su-24s lacked the range to reach Keflavik with their iron bomb cargo, so they would have to finish off Vagar. I also discovered that Su-24 Fencers seem to have a longer range than Flankers in this DB... now I know the Fencers were generally based in Poland rather than the GDR, but that seems a bit dodgy to me.

 

The radar took out Vagar, while Kegler-armed fighter-bombers launched a group of standoff missiles at Keflavik... which promptly got all shot down by MIM-104 Patriots. At that point, I chose to abort the raid The strikers went low to try to avoid F-16 interceptors coming after them as they left, but five of them were shot down without warning. Another F-16 got into visual range and made what only be deemed his final mistake as I let rip with some AA-8s at him. Viper... snake meat.

 

A wet station broke down on one of my AFS... I have no idea what one of those is, but I somehow doubt it's got anything to do with hair salons. Unless bearded Russians are bad for morale.

 

Two Hawks suddenly turned up next to my carrier, clearly trying for a Darwin award and were duly shot down. At that point, it was time to turn my radars on.

I also discovered that Su-24 Fencers seem to have a longer range than Flankers in this DB... now I know the Fencers were generally based in Poland rather than the GDR, but that seems a bit dodgy to me.

It is, in that old DB. The Fencer carries a little more fuel, but its AL-21 turbojets have an SFC that isn't as good as the more efficient AL-31 turbofans aboard the Su-27. That, and typical flight profiles resulting in better range (clean) for the Flanker. That said, the Fencer often carries a pair of those monster PTB-3000 fuel tanks. Did they have them here?

You know, I think they did...

 

****

Four large aircraft began to head for my carrier group. 4 Forgers were tasked for an intercept, although I didn't think they'd necessarily be able to engage them. A further contact turned up and the large aircraft were identified as Nimrod MPAs.

 

As I began to switch over my Forgers from strike loadouts to AtA, the Yak-38s achieved something that even the least effective fighter jets can do and ate the Nimrods for lunch.

 

Six hours passed and a bunch of attack F-16s began to head towards my ships. I didn't think this would be a huge air-to-air threat, but four of the Yaks promptly got whacked by Sidewinders. Not for the first time, I found myself cursing the useless products forced upon me by Moscow.

 

A Viper promptly came in on an attack run and did well enough to avoid two Grumbles launched from my SAMs, but the third proved to be its downfall. Two of my Kilos were sent to attack a surface group, while another aircraft that I misidentified as a F-16 begun to approach.

 

Deciding that it was awfully chivalrous of the 'F-16s' to attack one at a time, I sent six Yak-38s to intercept, rationalising that he couldn't shoot down six of them with a strike loadout and he was too far out to launch of my ships. It went down... and turned out to be a Hawk!

 

At 0830, the main attack force of six aircraft began to approach as 14 defending fighters headed for them...

As one of my Kilos went active and located the convoy, my Forgers proved unable to prevent the Blackburn Buccaneers from launching their missiles at my group. 12 Martels were heading my way... which the SAMs got rid of. Those missiles also dealt with three F-4s, but I lost two Hormone helicopters.

 

Meanwhile, the Fencers failed to launch early enough and paid the price... ten of them got shot down and I remarked that I was going to have to use the Forgers (which have a limited AtG capacity) on Keflavik. The rest of the force got picked off by SAMs. Someone is going to be in a lot of trouble.

 

My Kilo grop now engaged in an intense torpedo duel with the convoy, which appeared to contain at least one sub. I launched counter-shots down the bearing and managed to dodge a total of about four of them before both ships were sunk. In addition, I took out a Perry-class frigate.

 

Meanwhile six Flankers were heading for Iceland to do what they do best... destroy fighters.

As one of my Kilos went active and located the convoy,

Going active because it is your only reasonably ranged sensor always makes my skin crawl. You have no other choice yet it broadcasts your location far and wide. Cheers for going for it and making it work!

The Flankers reached Iceland and found some F-16s, which they promptly proceeded to deal with in the old-fashioned way by shooting them down. I then ordered them back to base.

 

My surface group reached Sandbox and Shipwreck range. Deeming this 'party time', I launched 44 missiles at Keflavik. Only eight of them actually reached the target, but that was enough to destroy Keflavik. Of course I now had to go for the convoy, which is the point I decided to end it.

 

With my new PC unable to run WinHarp without some excessive jigging about, it's now time to move on to the next version - Harpoon Classic 97.

I love those AARs, Silent! Go on with this good work.

Still going on with this at present; I'm trying to see if I can nuke something.