File Name: Old Friends

File Submitter: eclipse_trb

File Submitted: 13 Mar 2008

File Category: WestPac

DB Used: HCDB-080308

Authors: eclipse_trb

Battleset-WPac: .scq - WPac - WestPac

 

File Name: port1w

File Submitter: eclipse_trb

File Submitted: 13 Mar 2008

File Category: WestPac

DB Used: HCDB

Authors: eclipse_trb

Battleset-WPac: .scq - WPac - WestPac

 

Old Friends

 

A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the Westpac Battleset.

 

This scenario is designed for play by the BLUE side.

 

The military of Indonesia has decided that the experiment of Democracy is a failure. Ever since the last elections nothing good has come of it. The country has lost the lands in East Timor due to outside pressures. Piracy and corruption is an ever increasing problem and slowly there have been hints that some of the furthest island from the capital may seek to split off. General Djoko Santoso has taken control after a short and bloody coup and has begun to reorganize the military. So far there has been little resistance but the army has suffered from spending cuts over the years and will take time to mobilize. The navy and some of the air force units that were being used for anti piracy are well trained and funded; they only need a target...

 

Before being taken over by Indonesia at one point East Timor was a Portuguese colony and now that it is again independent ties are starting to form with its former colonial master. Since East Timor as gained independence from Indonesia it has had the support of both Portuguese and Australian forces and governments and both nations have maintained small garrisons there.

 

Orders Follow

At 8:15 Dili time the president of East Timor was assassinated the VP is currently in Australia and will prepare to return as soon as the police can take control of the riots in the capital that erupted after the assassination. Intelligence on the ground from the Australian and Portuguese support forces point to the Indonesians as the culprits.

 

The Americans have sent us satellite information that shows the Indonesian army in a convoy of trucks moving towards Dili but have balked at any other support or intel sharing. All calls to Jakarta and the Indonesian Embassy have been ignored. But from what we can surmise the Indonesians needing a cause to unite their people behind the new military leadership have decided to retake East Timor.

 

Orders:

 

The Corte Real Group headed for Dili on a friendship cruise is to continue but orders are changed to follow a southerly route out of Indonesian waters. DO NOT ENTER the Malacca straights. We must support our friends in this time of need and a show of the flag is necessary. Indonesian military is broadcasting a 300 mile exclusion zone around their islands and warns that any ship can be searched. Do not allow any of their ships to prevent you from reaching Dili but be prepared for a fight.

 

The Australians have placed limited resources available to you including some aircraft based in Dili that were there to begin training East Timorese pilots. They currently do not have any ships in position that can support due to their support of other missions outside of the area.

 

The Vasco de Gama group will separate from the American Fleet in the Persian Gulf after refueling but is not expected to enter the area in time to impact the current situation.

 

If you determine that the satellite intel from the Americans is accurate you are authorized to engage the Indonesian ground forces and stop them from entering Dili by any means available to you.

 

Intel:

 

The enemy convoy looks to include multiple trucks but seems to only be protected by AA.

 

According to local assets the Indonesians could have over 14 combat ships out at sea at this time also it is possible they have launched both their submarines.

 

There are many neutral vessels in the area do not engage unless you are aware of your target.

 

Objectives:

Get our battle group within 50 miles of Dili and make sure those ground troops do not take the Capital before you arrive.

 

 

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I like the detail provided within the orders. It's a nice story background and very believable.

 

I ran the scenario and promptly ordered my Wedgetail over to Dili. She detected the land convoy in motion and ordered the Hawks stationed at Dili air field to attack. Once they bombed the trucks and the AAA, victory was granted.

 

Since the scenario was set for 7 days, I decided to continue playing. I stationed CAP over Dili and shot down the occasional F-16 patrol until there was no more.

 

Meanwhile, the Corte Real group was sailing for Dili. They encountered a few Indonesian ships which they dispatched with gunfire and saved their SSMs for Indonesian vessels armed with similar weapons. Even though they didn't waste any SSMs, there weren't enough to sink the enemy and soon the Corte Real was overwhelmed by Harpoons and the group was wiped out south of Sumatra.

 

This isn't meant as a criticism, but I'm not sure if there is any way that the Real group can survive. It is outside of AEW and CAP coverage from either Dili or Australia so it has to rely upon its own resources. None of the helos can carry ASuW weapons and the number of Harpoons is very limited as are the SAMs. The only potentially viable option appears to be to sail away from Sumatra as fast as possible and then sail around all possible interference. That might make for a long game without much/any action.

 

I hope that this helps and does not hurt. Congratulations on posting up your first scenario!

Not a problem at all. To be honest I designed it and it still took me 4 tries before I got a total victory. It is possible just hard and I was trying to make it a quasi realistic as possible. I can tell you your somewhat on the right track as far as your harpoons being worth their weight in gold. Going south from somatra might save you but it does take away from how the scenario is set up. Otherwise I hoped you enjoyed it, If enough people do I will probably work on the second/continuation to the scenario.

Otherwise I hoped you enjoyed it, If enough people do I will probably work on the second/continuation to the scenario.

 

I sure hope that you do it, anyway. Just because an idiot like me cannot win it shouldn't discourage you from creating more scenarios.

 

No such thing as a 'Bad' scenario.

That was fun and challenging and in the end I didn't stand a chance!

 

I achieved minimum victory by finding and killing the encroaching land force (without loss!).

 

But then a series of mistakes and intattention took their toll. Early on I lost my NH-90 helicopter to a Flanker (I think). I accidentally ran my Wedgetail out of gas so my eyes were lost. That led to even more losses of my Hawks without even finding the culprit. My surface group fended off a number of attacks but eventually succumbed to missiles. Gunfire was terribly inaccurate on both sides but I did sink one gunboat with gunfire.

 

Thanks for the great scenario!

 

Just because an idiot like me cannot win it shouldn't discourage you from creating more scenarios.

 

That was fun and challenging and in the end I didn't stand a chance!

 

I'm glad to know that I'm in good company...

Yes the minimum victory part is sort of a bone I threw in for everybody. I figure the indonesians probably wouldn't think east timor had any aircraft to throw up so quickly and would get caught with their pants down. Also from the mission backround you learn their army is having issues so they probably wouldn't be able to put up a very powerfull convoy. The naval surface action is meant to be tough/realistic imagine being on the ship, one day your cruising along expecting to go hit the beach maybe some surfing very little worries of any kind of conflict the next day you got incoming everywhere.

 

Tony losing the nh90 hurts bad, its there for a reason not just for show or as an extra heli... The scenario is set up where you must be able to put yourself in the shoes of individuals, and you must know the capabilities of not only yourself but every ship the enemy has at sea that may get in your way. Imagine the guy lugging around his flashcards trying to figure out witch ship is the biggest danger to his...