Here is the first turn file. Please place it in a sub-folder of your choosing. Please make sure the turn files and the map file are kept in the same folder.

turn_1800_red.txt

turn_1800_red_intl.txt

My intention is to pass south of Tunb al Kubra and proceed at speed with the intent of maneuvering slightly to port of the presumptive location of Sposobnyy and Basil Belokonenko, thereafter to move into range and commence the attack. To this end, my intention is to proceed at 35 kts at 280T, maintaining passive emissions, for 1 hour until 1900 local time, or until such time as I detect presumptive targets or radar emissions. If I have not detected anything by 1900 local time, my intention is to come to 300T, continuing at 35 kts, and activate the Decca radar.

 

I could not find reference in Annex K as to whether the Sea Hunter fire control radar has the option of different modes, but since the fore Sea Hunter is used to control the Sea Cat missiles, and since I believe those have surface-to-air capability, I suspect it must be able to change modes. To that end, my intention is to have the fore Sea Hunter in air mode, the aft Sea Hunter in surface mode.

You are right about the Sea Cat. It is anti-air and anti-surface.

 

Now I am just waiting for Albert to post his orders and then we will get going.

OK, I've had the opportunity to think about this a little further and if it's not too late to do so, I'd like to amend my orders and plans. I'd also like to add a section here about my thought process, and maybe you or Albert could tell me, at the end, if some obvious glaring tactical errors were evident to you. Clearly I may be working from wrong assumptions and/or luck may go against me, but hopefully I'm not just being fool-headed with my thinking. I will put the actual intent and orders at as the very last paragraph so you can skip over the other stuff if you'd rather.

 

So my assumptions are, based on the scenario data and what I figure my distance from Tunb al Kubra to be, that Sposobnyy and Belokonenko are about 20 nm from me, and that they will continue in a vaguely northwesterly direction (call it 290T) at roughly the scenario speed of 14 kt give or take a few. I should close that distance by, very roughly, 10 nm per Intermediate Turn if I proceeded directly toward them. My original though had been to try to pass more to port, end up around 10 nm from them, and then, if I'd not already located them by other means, activate the Decca. Based on those assumptions, I would then be at or near attack range against Belokonenko with the Sea Killers, and a bit further from Sposobnyy-- if very lucky, in the envelope where I might attack without suffering attack in return.

 

However, I am not convinced I have sufficient missile strength to ensure that Belokonenko sinks, and might expect that I will need to resort to gunfire at some point. In such a scenario, with Sposobnyy getting closer, my chances look grimmer. But I anticipate Sposobnyy will have a tough time countering the sea-skimming Sea Killers, and is a smaller platform, so I wonder if I perhaps use the Sea Killers to try to weaken or even mission-kill Sposobnyy, then I might have the freedom to handle Belokonenko purely with my guns. I am confident I can do sufficient damage to Sposobnyy, at least, to make sure that Blue Side cannot get even a tactical victory (and any damage prevents decisive victory), though it does nothing to help me avoid a draw-- only damage on Belokonenko does that. But I wonder if it's not a gamble that perhaps I need to take if I want any chance at a decisive victory-- I think my original plan could manage to get me a tactical victory more safely, but I think it basically has not real hope of a decisive victory.

 

So, my new intention is to approach the presumptive locations of Sposobnyy and Belokonenko, still at 35 kt, but with the intent of coming up more to starboard. I intend to keep the fore Sea Hunter in air mode, the aft Sea Hunter in surface mode, and run passive initially. I will travel for 30 minutes at 300T, turn to 310T and travel 30 more minutes, and then activate the Decca unless I encounter targets first.

Yishten,

 

You can change orders since the game is delayed. I agree with your tactical thinking. In fact, this level of thinking is a big part of playing Harpoon4.

 

Although the scenario starts at 1800, no sunset is given in the scenario notes so I think 2000 will be last light. You can still engage surface targets at night with guns using radar.

 

Kevin

Albert will not be able to continue the game. I have another player set up to take his place (Eric). Eric is getting up to speed now so we will get started soon.