Eagles Of The Gulf
Part II (Subpart A)

Scenario: EOG-18:
Across the Suez! 6 October 1973

by J.D. Webster

Background

The greatest Arab success of the 1973 war was the Egyptian assault across the Suez Canal. Anticipating a heavy IAF response, they used easily replaceable pontoon bridges and defended the bridgeheads with multiple layers of SAMs and AAA. The War of Attrition had taught the IAF that it needed ECM equipment which it obtained, but it had also taught the Arabs lessons.

They got new mobile SAM systems, radar directed mobile AAA guns and shoulder fired SAMs. ECM had not yet been developed against the new SAMs and the IAF suffered heavily in its attacks. Faced with a high loss rate, meager results, and the critical situation on the Syrian front, the IAF backed off the Egyptians for several days.

Ground Units

Pontoon bridges x 4: N-1010, 1012, 1014, 1015. Infantry x 9, Inf. HQ x 1, Inf. SAM (SA-7A) x 4: in any hex of megahexes N-1508, 1513, 1518. Trucks x 10: two per hex in hexes N-0312, 0313, 0314, 0414, 0515. Artillery (entrenched) x 3: N-0611, 0612, 0613. Hvy. armor x 9, Ann. HQ x 1: two per hex, except one per bridge hex: N-0814, 0915, 1014, 1015, 1115, 1116. Med. an-nor x 9, three per hex: N-0812, 0912, 0913. Lt. armor x 9; one per hex: N-0909, 0910, 1010, 1110, 1111, 1210, 1311, 1410, 1511. Jeeps x 2; both in N-1113.

Egyptian Air Defenses

Free set-up on map N in any hexes west of Suez Canal. ZPU4 14.5 mm lt. AAA x 3, ZSU-234 mobile AAA x 2, ZSU-57-2 mobile AAA x 2, ZPU4 mobile AAA x 2, Infantry SAM (SA-7A) x 2, SA-6 SAM fire unit x 1 Free set-up on map N east of canal: DShk 38 12.7mm lt. AAA x 3, one each with an infantry unit.

Free set-up anywhere on Map L: EWR type A x 1, EWR type x 1, power station x 1 (bunkered), SA-3 SAM fire unit x 2, S-60 57mm med. AAA with FCR type A x 3, ZPU-2 14.5mm lt. AAA x 3, M-38 37mm med. AAA x 3.

IAF strike aircraft

Choose one of the following forces.

    A. Eight F-4E Phantoms (normal export variants).
    B. Twelve A-4H Skyhawks.
    C. Six F-4E Phantoms plus four A-4N Skyhawks.
    D. Four F4E Phantoms plus eight Super Mystere SMB.2.

Game Length:

30 game turns

Notes

1. Aircraft Loads. Use the following pool of weapons to load strike aircraft.

    BB. 40 x 500 lb. HE, 12 x 1000 IN BE, 24 x 750 lb. BE, 24 x 750 lb. mixed cluster, 16 x 500 lb. Fire. Fuse extenders and high drag options available.
    RP. 12 x small pod with med. rockets, 16 x small pod with hvy rockets, 8 x med. pod with large rockets.
    RG. 8 x AGM-12B Bullpup, 6 x AGM-12C Bullpup.
    ARM. 4 x AGM45 Shrike.
    GP. 4 x Md. 4 twin 20mm pod, 4 x SUU-16 Vulcan pod.
    EP. 6 x US DJM pod #1, 2 x US AIM pod #3,4 x US IR Jammer # 1.
    FT, WR. As needed.

2. All nonmobile AAA and SAM units are considered entrenched. The maps are fixed, IAF aircraft may only exit the east edge of Map K safely, to exit any other results in a hit of attack rating 5 by other defenses and the aircraft is out of play.

3. The EWR type A constitutes an IAD system with the SA-3 sites, and the EWR type B makes an IAD system with the SA-6 sites. However, the EWRs can only pass down as long as the air defense command post (represented by the power building) is unsuppressed or undamaged.

4. IAF strike force enters play as follows. four aircraft per game turn enter at "T" level from east edge of Map K. All must enter from adjacent hexes. All must enter by turn three.

5. Victory. The IAF player wins by fulfilling these two requirements: 1) scoring at least 45 points against ground units on either side of the canal, and 2) destroying all four pontoon bridges while keeping Egyptian victory points less than double Israeli. The Egyptian player wins by scoring at least twice as many points as the IAF player, all else is a draw.

6. Optional rules. Fuel (not including Frs): F-4 start = 300, bingo = 150, A-4 start = 150, bingo = 100, SMB.2 start = 140, bingo = 100. Pilot/crew quality is generated from the tables.

Eagles Of The Gulf Part II (Subpart A)

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© Copyright 1990 by J.D. Webster
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