AAR: Allegro [Spoiler Alert]

AAR: Allegro [spoiler Alert]

A Harpoon Classic scenario

By Christopher Stoner [a.k.a. DarkNite]

The PRC has initiated an attack on Taiwan's base in the Spratly chain at Taiping Island (ZMm) via bomber and paratroop assault.  They have also increased force levels and op tempo at their southern bases and enclaves in the Philippines.  Taiwan stands on the brink of all-out war with Mainland China. PLAA aircraft are aggressively probing the ROC ADIZ and PLAN vessels have sortied with the intent of blockading the island.

 

A small force of Taiwanese ships has been dispatched to make their way south, re-take Taiping Island (ZMm), and degredate PRC/Philipino strongholds in the area.  They are supported by a contingent of ROCAF aircraft and Malaysian forces operating near Borneo.  Additionally, one of Taiwan's precious submarines, Hai Hu, has been tasked to support this operation.

 

Significant PLAN surface and submarine forces are expected to be ready to intercept a Taiwanese response in the Spratlys.  High-value air units are known to patrol PRC holdings in the area, most likely staged from Subic Bay (ZXb) and southern China.  They have increased defensive capabilities on their outposts of Thitu Island (ZZb), Fiery Cross Reef (ZYm), Mischief Reef (ZOm), and Subi Reef (ZNm) - including the addition of ASM batteries.

 

All civilian sea and air traffic has been re-routed, causing global economic impact.  However, the Vietnamese are re-enforcing their position on Spratly Island (OBm) and are defiantly patrolling the area.

 

The United States faces extensive force commitments elsewhere at this time and is under severe diplomatic pressure to avoid involvement.  However, some passive strategic assistance has been made available from their base at Anderson Field (ALa), whose involvement cannot be revealed to the PRC under ANY circumstances.

 

The ROCN Surface Action Group (Flag Zuoying - AIS) is to screen the Amphibious Assault Force (Flag Tsu I - AJS) during transit to Spratly AO.  Avoid detection and commitment to battle as long as possible until Amphib Force in place off Taiping Island (ZMm).  Once amphib assault underway (LST must stay off ZMm) attack targets of opportunity.  ROCAF assets are to cover SAG/Amphib transit and assist as possible. 

PTM Tze Chiang had been the hero of the opening act in what would soon be known as the Spratly Affair. Her four victories over two Batillo-class gunboats and two H-6 Badger bombers made her the must successful command in the history of the Republic of China’s armed forces. However, Lieutenant Zhao knew that luck was a finite quantity and he firmly believed that he and his crew had used up all of theirs in the first scene. She was currently paired up with the frigate, Hsi Ning off the coast of Labuan.

I ordered CAP [Combat Air Patrols] aloft over all of the task forces under my command. Flankers and Fulcrum would guard the Spratlys while Mirage and Ching-Kuo were positioned over the transports. Tze Chiang reported aircraft approaching from the Philippines. Their signature identified them as Airguards. MiG-29 Fulcrums from Labuan moved to intercept. Instead of wasting their precious long-ranged Alamo missiles on them, they were each killed with a pair of AA-11 Archers. Another pair of Airguards approached the Amphib's Screening force and were summarily handled in the same way with short-ranged Magic AAMs.

The Fulcrum had such short legs, that I decided to re-base the tankers out of Labuan since they appeared to need the most support. It was a good thing that the Fulcrums and Mirage had not expended their long-ranged missiles on the first available targets as the Philippines and PRC soon sent up their first-class fighters, Flankers. These aircraft were far superior to the Mirage except for the MICA-EM. Those were fire-and-forget missiles. After exchanging missiles with the Flankers, the Mirage could turn away. Instead, the Flankers had to keep their radar aimed at their targets. When the MICA arrived first and wiped them out, the Alamo lost their guidance and dropped into the sea. This was a very hazardous tactic, but the only one available due to the short-ranged nature of the MICA.

An IL-38 May MPA [Maritime Patrol Aircraft] out of Huiyang kept tabs on the Amphibs and their escorts. I desperately wanted to destroy this all-seeing platform, but I couldn't get near enough to kill it due to the LR AAMs of her Flanker escorts. Soon, Mirage, Ching-Kuo, and Flankers were exchanging missile fire all around the Amphib task groups. Although the PRC and Filipino Flankers were killed by the Mirage CAP, they were able to tie up the fighters long enough for the bombers to complete their mission. Additional PRC Flankers behind the leading escorts were able to launch their AShMs [Anti-Ship Missiles] along with XH-7 from the Philippines. While the Amphib screening group was able to bring down all of the missiles, the Kidd-class destroyer depleted her entire long-ranged SAM inventory in doing so. Since the screening group no longer had any area-defence capability, I ordered them to join the Amphibs which still had a full inventory of SAMs.

While the Amphibs were re-organizing, the Tze Chiang and Kang Ding were under air attack from Subic Bay. Before they realized it, missiles were slamming into the Kang Ding and she was left an inferno as F-5 Tigers continued to close on her. The Tze Chiang’s gunners promptly shot them out of the sky as they thought to themselves, “There, but for the grace of God, go I.” Unbeknownst to them, their luck really had run out. Soon afterwards, a flight of OV-10F Broncos were sighted approaching from the same direction. The gunners of the Tze Chiang threw up a curtain of steel, but it was all in vain as the strikers pressed home their attack. The little PTM was totally ripped apart. In war, the victors can become victims in the blink of an eye. In this case, the Broncos were, in turn, shot out of the sky by late-arriving Fulcrums as they made their egress. Just like the PTM, they had changed from victor to fish food in the flash of a missile's eye.

After the Fulcrum re-fuelled on Labuan, there were sent after the Searchmaster and Phalcon patrol aircraft stationed over the Spratlys. I hoped that by blinding the enemy, I could help keep the Amphibs hidden and secure. Both targets were easily destroyed. The escorting Flankers arrived too late to protect their charges and were killed, too.

Two Jiangwei-class frigates were detected skulking around the Spratlys. Malaysian Hornets were re-armed with Harpoon missiles and sent after them. Without proper air cover, they were easily overwhelmed by four Harpoons each and left burning.

With relative aerial superiority gained over the Spratlys, the Hornets, Fulcrums, Flankers, and Hawks began to re-arm with air-to-ground ordnance. In order to assist the process, I ordered the frigates Jebat and Kasturi to close on the PRC installations in hopes of shelling them into oblivion with their long-ranged naval guns. This would turn out to be a monumental blunder on my part.

As they made their approach, a lookout on the Kasturi suddenly reported, “Smoke trail bearing 310!” The ship’s crew was still hurrying to air defence stations when the first missiles slammed into the frigate and detonated her magazines. Evidently, the PRC had been able to deploy an SSM battery to the island. The Jebat did not hesitate or linger to search for survivors. She immediately turned around and ran for her life. However, her air search radar quickly reported helicopters rising from the island and the world has yet to see a ship win a race against a helicopter. Soon, multiple contacts were detected separating from the helicopters. The big CSS-N-8 Saccade missiles quickly ate up the distance to the Jebat and swarmed over her meagre defences. There would be no survivors from this debacle.

I was not going to make the same mistake twice. Instead of risking any additional ships in NGFS [Naval Gunfire Support] missions, the air force would have to suppress the missile batteries and the airfield. The short range of the Hornets and Fulcrum meant that they had to arm, ferry to a field in range of the Spratly targets, land, re-fuel, conduct their strike, and then return to their home field in order to re-arm. This long and arduous process was only possible since the Amphibs were such a long ways away. As they made their transit, the island defences were hammered into submission due to their lack of air defences. SAMs and AAA claimed only a few of the strikers. Soon, clouds of smoke were rising from all the PRC-occupied islands. The only thing remaining was to land the troops.

The Amphibs made their transit unmolested aerially, but there were three separate SAGs [surface Action Groups] along their path. The first group was able to fire their Saccade SSMs at the Amphibs, but these were easily shot down by the Mirage and Ching-Kuo on CAP over the group. In retaliation, the PLAN task group was met by Super Cobras and a wave of Hsieng Feng SSMs [surface-to-Surface Missiles].

While the missiles were in flight, a submarine was detected to add to my troubles. The PLAN had executed an excellently timed submarine attack to coincide with their SSMs. While the PRC SSMs were shot down, my own SSMs all but wiped out the ships so I could concentrate on hunting down this obstacle to my transit. After a through search, the submarine was classified as a Song-class SSG and it was apparently commanded by an adept captain because he skilfully dodged nearly every torpedo dropped on him. However, it takes just one torpedo to ruin your day. Only after every helicopter in the group was committed to the attack did a torpedo finally track and hit him. One torpedo hit out of five attempts was abysmal, but only the final result mattered.

Two more SAGs were waiting in ambush. However, to be forewarned is to be fore-armed. The Hornets in distant Malaysia were ordered to re-arm with Harpoon missiles. Once ready, they launched to the attack. The distance that they had to travel meant that they had to be tanked on both their inbound and egress routes, but, like UPS, they ‘delivered the goods’. Ships with the best air defences were specifically targeted. Once they were sunk, the Super Cobras from the amphibs was able to slowly and methodically sink the survivors with short-ranged Hellfire missiles.

Soon after the SAGs were cleared, the transports arrived at their destination and began disembarkation of their passengers. Although at a high and bloody cost, round two in the Spratly Affair would also go to the Taiwanese.

Thanks for another fun and challenging scenario.

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