File Name: Sixth Battle

File Submitter: CV32

File Submitted: 6 Dec 2008

File Updated: 8 Dec 2008

File Category: South Africa

DB Used: HCDB-081124

Authors: Brad Leyte

Battleset-South Africa: .scu - CDB - CDB

 

Sixth Battle (version 2.0)

 

A Harpoon Commander's Edition (HCE) scenario for the South Africa Battleset.

 

This scenario is intended for play by the BLUE side only.

 

This scenario is a tribute to a favorite novel of mine, The Sixth Battle by Barrett Tillman, and although some effort has been expended at recreating the battle depicted in that book, I have also taken varied some of the events and players to make a workable Harpoon scenario. The scenario background contained in the file is considerably more detailed, but essentially:

 

Several large Soviet battle groups, now operating under the banner of the Union of Eurasian Republics (UER), have assembled off the coast of South Africa. Their intention is to force a change of power in the Republic of South Africa (RSA), into one that favors the African National Congress (ANC) and, indirectly, the Front Line States (FLS) of Angola, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The UER has cut a deal with the ANC and FLS to form a cartel that would extend to all of the RSA’s resources, including uranium. Hard line regimes in the client states of Cuba, North Korea, and Vietnam have pledged their assistance. The UER and its allies in the region have overwhelming firepower, and the South Africans stand virtually no chance without American intervention.

 

The elderly US Navy carrier USS Ranger is the only NATO carrier in the Indian Ocean, and it can count on little support from other friendly forces. The Ranger battle group has been planning for several days the best way to attack the UER carriers, plotting and wargaming several possible options, and now they think they have found a winning idea.

 

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Interesting. I found the book by accident while surfing Amazon and ordered it. I am just finishing it now. I look forward to checking out the scenario and will provide feedback after I have played it a few times.

 

Thanks,

Chuck

I've been dreaming of trying that situation out on Harpoon as soon as I first read the book, too.

I won't be able to get to playing this for a week or so, but it looks like BIG FUN. Hope you made us some nice booby traps. Thanks.

Tweaked this scenario slightly, and the new version has been uploaded.

 

A version of this scenario, playable by the RED side, is coming.

Allright, what an enjoyable scenario! I think it took me almost 3 months to make it to the end but it was entertaining the whole way. What struck me was that the pressure remained almost the entire scenario. There was a threat of Soviet bombers right to the end, and a significant threat until about 18 hours were left in the scenario. My approach was pretty much pound the enemy to dust rather than finesse. Ranger was a challenge with the reduced airwing but all turned out well. The carrier group was detected a number of times but luckily I was able to thwart the resulting attacks. The African forces took a beating. All that was left of them by the end was two Cheetas and six C-130s. Speaking of the C-130s, they just barely had the range to destroy a Red base in the NW area of the scenario and helped finish off another base, the first time in my Harpoon history that the C-130 has been much more than a target.

 

imho this is a great scenario, one of the best I've played. If some of the AI carrier groups hadn't run themselves aground it could have been even nastier for me, as it was Red did just fine. I was awarded both minimum and total victory but time ran out before I could sink the last Soviet carrier.

 

Thanks Brad!