Finished up Mark Gellis' latest scenario, Hungry Lion, last evening. Here's a short AAR:

 

This is a traditional convoy scenario, in which you (as the Blue player) are tasked with moving a large number of ships across the pond (i.e. the Atlantic) from CONUS to Europe. It is also primarily a submarine warfare scenario, and like all traditional ASW, tended to comprise long periods of little activity punctuated by moments of sheer terror.

 

The submarine threat to my convoy(s) was very real from the outset. Though I managed to escape the loss of any of my "merchies", the escorts suffered for their efforts in probing the unknown waters ahead.

 

Shore based maritime patrol aircraft (Orions in the West, Nimrods and Atlantique 2's in the East) proved extremely valuable, scoring the bulk of the kills and providing decent coverage to the convoys while they remained relatively close to shore. I used the Nimrods and Atlantiques to scour the approaches on the European side, while Orions remained in close proximity to the convoys as they set out from the Eastern Seaboard.

 

Hostile air activity was quite low, which served to keep me nervous as I wondered where they might strike. My concern eventually manifested itself in the form of numerous SS-N-19 Shipwreck incoming from the northeast, heading straight for my lead group of escorts. Miraculously, only (though hard to accept) a Canadian Navy TRUMP destroyer was hit and lost.

 

A Los Angeles class SSN eventually discovered the source of the attack: an Oscar SSGN and a powerful SAG traveling together. I managed to maneuver the LA past the Oscar without being detected, and put her between the Oscar and the SAG. A couple of volleys of Mk 48 heavyweight torpedoes later, the threat was neutralised without further loss.

 

In the East, a Royal Navy Type 42 was lost to a torpedo from a Victor II (or was it a III, I can't quite recall) SSN. Interestingly, the Victors proved to be the most dangerous foes encountered.

 

A British Nimrod made a chance MAD detection on an Akula while enroute to her patrol station, and he proved a tough nut to crack. He was claimed only after a French Atlantique 2 was called to the scene and teamed up with the Nimrod to chase down this ghost.

 

In the air, a pair of four-ship flights of Backfires were detected and downed by a roving Tornado fighter patrol as they attempted to sneak past Scotland, but this was the extent of the air war.

 

Victory was awarded after sinking eight submarines, though the convoys were only about halfway across the Atlantic. I will probably play through to their eventual arrival in Europe just to see if Mark has any more surprises in store.

 

Thanks to Mark Gellis for another enjoyable scenario. Always a pleasure.

That's odd...the idea was that you would get a MinVic for bringing the convoy across (i.e., a certain number of ships on station for a certain amount of time), and a TotalVic for sinking the subs (of course, if you got eight of the submarines, the odds of a Red TotalVic are very slim, so it's a moot point). Was there a Red MinVic first?

 

Mark

 

 

-----from original message-----

 

Victory was awarded after sinking eight submarines, though the convoys were only about halfway across the Atlantic. I will probably play through to their eventual arrival in Europe just to see if Mark has any more surprises in store.

That's odd...the idea was that you would get a MinVic for bringing the convoy across (i.e., a certain number of ships on station for a certain amount of time), and a TotalVic for sinking the subs (of course, if you got eight of the submarines, the odds of a Red TotalVic are very slim, so it's a moot point).  Was there a Red MinVic first? 

Mark

 

Its the opposite, actually (from looking at your scenario in the SE). Total Vic for being on station, and Min Vic for the subs. There was no Red Vic at all.

That's odd...the idea was that you would get a MinVic for bringing the convoy across (i.e., a certain number of ships on station for a certain amount of time), and a TotalVic for sinking the subs (of course, if you got eight of the submarines, the odds of a Red TotalVic are very slim, so it's a moot point).  Was there a Red MinVic first? 

Mark

 

Its the opposite, actually (from looking at your scenario in the SE). Total Vic for being on station, and Min Vic for the subs. There was no Red Vic at all.

 

All right, I think I see what I did wrong. I'm going to repost the scenario. I've changed the Blue Victory Conditions so that being on station OR killing the subs gives you a MinVic, but you have to do both to get a Total Victory. Please check the Victory Conditions in the SE...there should be several ones for Red.

 

Thanks.

 

Mark

Please check the Victory Conditions in the SE...there should be several ones for Red.

 

Oh, there are. I just meant that Red didn't achieve any of them while I played the scenario.