Here's another excellent AAR. It is reprinted here with permission of the author:

 

SPOILER ALERT

 

 

After Action Report

Scenario: INDIAN OCEAN [21st Century Ocean Wars Battleset] by Freek Schepers.

Reporter: Taitennek

 

Side: RUSSIA

 

ORDERS RUSSIA:

 

Eyes-only Senior-Captain Petr Velikij.

The President congratulates you on your successful passage into the Indian Ocean.

You are authorized to conduct Operation Breshnjev.

 

ORDER OF BATTLE:

 

We have been preparing Operation Breshnjev for three months. An obsolete container ship has been prepared to carry a flight of Yak-38 Forgers and their armament. The ship has been cruising in the IO for a month. The Battlecruiser Petr Velikij, the transport Boris Butoma, and the Destroyer Marshal Shaposhnikov have slipped into the Indian Ocean last week.

 

SITUATION:

 

The war in the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and Barentz Sea has swung in favour of the Americans. Our long-range airpower has been destroyed and our remaining tactical fighter squadrons are barely sufficient for defence of the Motherland.

However, our alliance with China has brought good results; Thailand and Indonesia have been defeated and India has suffered terrible losses and has secretly opened Cease-fire negotiations with China and Russia.

 

MISSION OPERATION BREZHNEV:

 

Your mission is to permanently destroy the US influence in the IO. You are ordered to destroy the airbase and defensive installations on Diego Garcia.

Secondly, you are ordered to sink the Maritime Pre-positioning ships based at DG. These ships are pre-loaded with enough armour, artillery, and stores for 2 fighting divisions now being airlifted to the IO Theatre of war. They must be destroyed.

Upon completion of your mission make your way towards Cochin, India, where repair facilities will be made available under our Cease-fire agreement.

 

CLARIFICATION OF VICTORY CONDITIONS:

 

* Damage 10 enemy ships [50%], focus on MPS ships;

* destroy 6 of the airbase units on DG;

* ensure Petr Velikiy survives.

 

[This is a part of the written orders for Russia, the complete text can be found in the scenario itself].

 

Game Time: 02:00:00 Zulu

Game Date: 3 January 2004

 

My Tactic:

 

I will close in with the BCGN and K-456. The BCGN will fire all SS-N-19 Shipwrecks at the 2 frigates; you [probably] wonder why I fire all long-range anti-ship missiles on just 2 targets; the Underwood-class frigate is equipped with a MK13 Mod. launch system for SM1MR and AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles; if these ships survive the attack, the mission will turn into a disaster. After firing long-range missiles I have to close in to less than 10nm to destroy enemy surface targets with other systems; that makes the BCGN vulnerable to damage. Only few hits with Harpoon's could cause the loss of the entire Battlecruiser].

I will take out other vessels with medium- and short-range weapons. The K-456 will attack ground installations with SS-N-19 Shipwreck missiles against ground targets and ships with the remaining shipwrecks against surface targets, after she is in firing position.

The Udaloy and AOR are too far from the theatre to take part of the action. The Shaposhnikov will escort the AOR and conduct ASW-operations during her passage to Cochin-India. What will happen with the converted container vessel depends on what is going to happen with the onboard aircraft and helicopter.

 

 

Game on!

 

After 5 minutes I was able to launch a KA-27 Helix helicopter. With her Radar and ECM equipment active, she soon picked up several surface contacts [13 Maritime Pre-positioning Ships, escorted by 2 Underwood-class frigates] in the Bay of Diego Garcia. Some minutes later the ships grouped together into 3 groups. 1 group [without escort] was heading northeast and the other two groups were heading northwest, each group was escorted by 1 Underwood-class frigate.

 

 

 

Suddenly the BCGN came under fire; 16 AGM-84 Harpoon missiles were picked up and I gave the order "ALL WEAPONS FREE". The Pyotr Velikiy survived the attack without damage.

30 minutes after Zero Zulu [02:00:00] I launched 1 Yak-38 "Forger" for CAP around the enemy convoys and 1 KA-29TB Helix-B helicopter, armed with AT-6 "Spiral" short-range [5.7nm] missiles to attack the US Artillery Battery on Diego Garcia.

 

03:30:00 Zulu Time.

 

I launched the attack; each frigate 9 missiles. Both Frigates were hit and sank, as well as 2 other enemy vessels...

Meanwhile the helicopter was attacking the Artillery Battery, after firing a few missiles, she was hit by ground fire from AAA-units. The k-456 was rather successful; only 2 missiles did not reach their ground-targets, but she took out 5 of 6 ground targets [the sixth ground-target, the Artillery Battery, was destroyed by cannon fire from the BCGN]; with her other Shipwrecks she took out 5 of 7 enemy surface vessels. After her successful raid the k-456 will conduct anti-submarine/ship operations on the path of the BCGN on her voyage home.

 

05:12:00 Zulu Time.

 

All vital installations on Diego Garcia are destroyed now, except the runways. The convoy [5 ships], the one heading to the northeast, is the next target. This convoy leaft the harbour without escort. Now the BCGN is behind the convoy and closing in. The Converted container vessel now is prepared to launch their Forgers again for CAP ahead the path of the BCGN.

 

 

 

 

 

05:50 - 06:45 Zulu Time.

 

Hunting down the remained MP-Ships [the ones heading NE] with the BCGN, sinking one after the other [very hard nuts to crack, these MPS, they are massive and can survive several hits], the BCGN Peyotr Velikiy ran out of ammo. I left the last MP-ship; heavily damaged, knowing that it would only be a matter of time before she would sink.

Operation Brezhnev was very successful!!!

 

I managed to sink 13 ships, including 2 frigates and their helicopters, only 2 ships could get away, one of them is on fire.

I also managed to destroy Diego Garcia Airbase, including 20 aircraft

I only lost 1 helicopter so far.

 

 

 

 

 

Now it is time for heading home.

 

2 new surface contacts appeared on the radar screen, as well as several air contacts. The BCGN was not longer alone.

I ordered one of the helicopters to investigate the surface contacts.

The 2 surface contacts are the Thai VTOL-carrier Chakri Nareubet and the frigate Naresuan. Suddenly Harriers took off from the carrier [the Chinese information that the Thai VTOL-carrier did not have an air-wing, was not correct]. Soon 4 Harriers were underway to the BCGN. I managed to take them out before they could fire their missiles. The K-456 now is heading to the Thai ships for interception. That will take some time because the distance between the 2 Thai ships and the submarine is still 80nm. Suddenly there were torpedoes in the water. My submarine was detected by one of the helicopters of the Thai TF.

I have to sink these ships. They become a threat to the BCGN. She has only few rounds anti-ship ammo left. I launched the Forgers again to intercept enemy ASW-helicopters, I managed to shoot down 1 helicopter but lost the 3 aircraft by enemy fire.

The K-456 crept towards the enemy Taskforce, surrounded by 2 enemy Seahawks. I managed to sink both ships and even was able to escape from enemy torpedoes. The 2 remaining helicopters were shot down by a Tupolev-142 Bear-F......, the same aircraft managed to shoot down an American Orion some 45 minutes later.....great fun, flying with the Russian Bear.

 

 

 

 

 

13:00-17:00 Zulu Time.

 

The Battlecruiser still has to travel almost 900nm before she reaches Cochin-India. Several new unknown aircraft were visible on the screen. More trouble was underway. During the whole mission, the Battlecruiser was very lucky; it survived 2 massive missile-attacks and still was undamaged. I perhaps ran out of anti-ship ammo, but still have enough SAM's. Although there is a new threat, I turned off all Radar and ECM-equipment and rely on the airborne radars. At least 9 aircraft are approaching the BCGN. Later a Bear-F got exact position of 4 aircraft. A few minutes later a second group's position was clear, 4 aircraft on a distance of 150nm and closing in with 500 miles an hour. Time to ring the ship's alarm-bells again.

 

1 Hornet opened fire and destroyed the KA-29TB Helix-B. I used the helicopter as an ECM/radar-platform; only a Tu-95 is between me and the enemy formation and they still are coming closer to my ship. I launched another helicopters [the converted container vessel still has 1 helicopter onboard] to act as radar-picket in order to keep my ship's radar off as long as possible. At 115nm one of the Tu-95 identified the approaching aircraft......F/A-18E Super Hornet!!! Big trouble underway!

 

Soon the BCGN was under attack; 16 HARM-missiles were fired, I rapidly launched SAM's, but these damned rockets are going too fast. Soon the first missiles came in.....After the attack, the BCGN had 14 percent damage, all sensors [4].

 

During her voyage the BCGN was attacked two more times, but survived without further damage. The Converted container vessel was sunk by the enemy, but the ship was already given up after their aircraft and helicopters were destroyed.

 

I reached Victory conditions, too bad that the Peotr Velikiy was damaged, but the result is more important; 2 Russian naval vessels [a BCGN and a SSGN] and some helicopters were able to destroy an US-airbase, including aircraft, 13 of 15 US ships, 2 Thai warships and some more aircraft. All Russian warships survived. After repairs to her sensors, the BCGN Pyotr Velikiy soon will rule of the Indian Ocean again.

 

Wow! I have played a lot of scenarios, but this is a great one!!!!

Thanks Freek for sharing it with us.

 

 

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I like the way you've added relevant pics for flavour, Frans. Nice job.