AAR The Second Crimea War, HDS 1 Battleset, Med, Ukrainian side

This is an interesting setup. written back in 1992, there was some prophecy in it. The

Ukrainian Navy is much more powerful then it ever was was in reality, though.

In this scenario Ukraine has a Kiev Class Carrier and a Kirov Class Battlecruiser.

On we go.

Shortly after scenario start my two AKI Okean recce vessels are sunk by missile

attacks.
Some of those missiles were Shipwreck SSMs. Thus coming from either an

Oscar Class SSGN or some heavy cruiser. Other missiles were air launched, indicating

that there are Fulcrums.

Few minutes later: The first air-to-air engagement: I lose one Flanker due to a very long

range ATA missile. There must be Foxhounds over there. The second Flankers closes

in, downs to Foxhounds and is shot down, too.

This looks like there is a very tough battle ahead.

A hostile Carrier Battle Group, just entering the Black Sea, has been identified!

It launches a swarm of missiles towards my Kirov SAG. At the same time swarms of

hostile Flankers arrive in my airspace and aggressively attack my birds.

What an intense battle!
A second Russian SAG detected. These are the landing boats, heavily guarded by

Cruisers and Frigates. My Kiev launches its Sandbox SSMs at this group but this fails: I

get only one escort. Bad shots.

My first Backfire attack, conducted by four bombers, fails: all 12 Kingsfish ASMs are

shot down. Certainly there is aKirov Class BCGN or a Slava Class CG around.

First summary: Lost 10 aircraft so far, downed 31. Lost three ships, sunk one.


The next attack wave: six Fencer bomber closing in on my carrier group. The Yaks do

their job and down five, Kievs SAMs destroy the remaining intruder.

Sadly, this last Fencer kills one of the scarce AEW Helix helos.

I attack with six Backfires the Kusnetzov carrier, the heart of the problem. 18 more

Kingfish missiles.

Another marauding Foxhound downed. The Kingfish missiles are all destroyed.

Four more Flankers coming in, obviously launched by the carrier. Ambushed them with

two pairs of my Flankers and got them all. This was a major air victory and the

Kusnetzov carrier cannot have many ac left.

Two Foxhounds are coming it. Amos missiles streaking towards a pair of Flankers! Bo

go to afterburner, will it be enough?

Yes! Missiles miss! Now it is my turn. I want to chase down this Foxhounds
.

Grilled them! My Flankers get both of them.

Alas, there are two more coming in. No, it is only one. But it gets one Flanker and is

killed by the remaining one.

I still haven´t regained the initiative when it comes to ship vs ship. Still there are two

SAGs closing towards the Crimea from the East. And the Kusnetzov group is coming in

from the South. I need to deal with those groups.

Three ASM armed Yaks are launched in order to attack the leading hostile group

coming from the East. It consists of Tarantul Missile boats. dangerous vs ships but

good to kill with ASMs.

The body count looks well, though: downed 55 ac, lost 12 in return. I hope I got most

Russian´s fighters and now can aggressively make use of my Backfire squadron.

Success! Two out of three Tarantuls are sunk.

Vectoring three subs towards the Northbound Kusnetzov group, two vs the Westbound

groups.

Fatal mistake! What a blunder: forgot about my only Bear D recce bird which was rather

close to the Kusnetzov group. And forgot about possible reamining fighters on this

group. A pair of Flankers aggressively chased and downed my Bear. This chasing for

AEW birds is one HC trade mark.

It gets worse: Undetected, four hostile Flankers closed in on another recce bird, a

Badger, and kill it. This AI is REALLY nasty and hard to beat. A piar of Flankers is

heading for revenge, but both are killed. Lesson learnt: do not attack four fighters with

two fighters.

A pair of Fulcrums coming in from the South. So the Kusnetzov still has them both,

Flucrums and Flankers. This time I act more clever: The Fulcrums are ambushed and

shot down by two pairs of Flankers.

Meanwhile my carrier group has to defend again group after group of Yaks. So far it

works.

 

Ok, time for a pause.

 

Losses so far:

 

Russia: 63 aircraft, three ships, two helos

 

Ukraine: 16 aircraft, three ships, two helos

END OF PART ONE

PART TWO

...starts with Russian pressure. A pair of Fulcrums, coming from the Kusnetzov, is after

another Badger recce bird, loitering close to the Kiev group.

Bad, to bad. The Badger survives, but an AEW helo is shot down. And the lone Yak,

which tried to intercept the Fulcrums, died, too.

Now it is time for revenge. All Backfires have refueled and are reloaded. Six attack the

carrier - no missile comes through.

One goes for the last remainder of the Russian SAG. Three others attack the second

SAG.

Meanwhile a pair of Flankers shots down two hostile Fulcrums coming from the

Kusnetzov.

My Akula class SSN is in firing range and launches torpedoes at the Russian invasion

flotilla.

At the same time the lone Backfire sinks the lone Tarantul.

And nine Akingfish are heading for Tuapse. Eight hits, the Russian base is destroyed!

A Russian helo sinks my second AKI Okean vessel which kills the helo in return.

The first landing ship is sunk! The Ivan Rogov is destroyed. The Akula closes in.

The Kusnetzov still sends aircraft: a pair of Flankers comes Northbound and is shot

down by a piar of Ukrainian Flankers. Good hunt.

Another pair of Flankers downed. They came from the East, from Yeysk.

Half a dozen attack choppers are heading for my Kirov class BCGN. Two pairs of

Flanker annihilate them.

Is Kusnetzovs air power gone?

I could kick myself: Vectored the Akula far too fast and thus too noisy into the Russian

SAG. The sub is detected and hunted by several helos. It fires another torpedo salvo

and sinks one LST. But it is destroyed by several rocket boosted torpedoes.

Ok, all ten Backfires are ready for the next strike. Launched, formed up. Thirty Kingsfish

heading for the Russian Carrier group.

18 missiles break through and sink three ships, including the carrier and the

battlecruiser. Is the backbone of the Russian forces now broken?

Two pairs of Fulcrums, left over from the Kusnetzov attack and kill two Flankers. All

Fulcrums shot down.

The count is now 86 ac shot down vs 20 own destroyed.

Six Yaks attack the remaining Russian SAG. Four are downed and sink two vessels in

return.

A pair of Flankers comes in from the East. One shot down, no own losses. I must shut

down the second Russian base asap.

My Backfire squadron is up in the air again. Six fire 18 missiles at Yeysk AB, four attack

the SAG Westbound.

Yeysk is hit, but not destroyed. The SAG takes hits, but the powerful CG Azov is still

firing Grumbles and not damaged.

Victory is achieved! I got enough landing boats it seems.

My Victor II gets two hits, surfaces and is dead in the water. I handled the subs

mediocre to say the least.

There the Victor goes, one last hit.

My MissileBoat squadron attacks the CG Azov, but this ship has thousand lifes: One of

my boats is sunk, no hit on the Azov.

The remaining elements of the carrier group attack my incoming Missile Boat squadron.

The three Missile Boats again attack the Azov: this time it works, the Azov seems to be

out of effective SAMs, takes hit and finally...sinks!

Meanwhile my other Missile Boat squadron destroy the last men standing of the carrier

group.

All sunk. One missile boat is lost, torpedo hit. Another one, the last Russian victory.

One task left: to destroy the second and last hostile AB Yeysk. All Backfires are

launched and formed up.

30 Kingfish are too many - the base is destroyed.

95 ac, 38 helos, 1 carrier, 18 ships, and two bases destroyed.

24 ac, 4 helos, 7 ships, 2 subs lost.

Game over - Victory!

It´s always fascinating to detect one of those scenario marvels in the package. Combined with the current nasty HC AI, this gives endless hours of dedicated playing and fun. Sometimes I doubt that HC will ever die.

Sometimes I doubt that HC will ever die.

There is no doubt at all.