Location: A fictional area of coastline in Northern Waters. Norway, Greenland, Iceland type situation. NATO BRIEFING During a general clash with NATO, Soviet Naval Forces have generally remained close to their own airbases. This has enabled them to force NATO to fight them on their own terms. One week ago, a clash with NATO vessels on an offensive patrol into the SOVIET dominated zone took place. During this engagement, the Cruiser SLAVA suffered a serious machinery breakdown and engine room fire after a near miss. She is known to have taken shelter in DARFJORD while repairs were carried out. Several attempts to attack her with aircraft have failed due to the strong air defenses of the area. Intelligence sources have indicated that she is almost ready to sail. At least one other vessel has been dispatched to escort her but has not yet arrived. At least one coastal type frigate is present guarding EMOY Fjord. 72 hours ago, the weather blew up into Hurricane strength. Met. Reports show the eye of the storm about to pass over the area. In this period of low visibility and rain, it is expected that most SOVIET aircraft in the area will be unable to operate. Unfortunately, due to the Hurricane strength storm having now moved south, it is over the NATO air bases and preventing them carrying out a sortie. In the local area, however, it is expected Helicopters will be able to operate at low to very low. Intelligence reports are that during the period the eye is over the area, the SLAVA will either be re-located or leave the area completely. They are uncertain, which will apply, but are positive that the ship will move from its current location. It is understood from intelligence reports that a small SOVIET escort vessel may have entered DARFJORD to shelter from the storm. You should however be on the alert for all forms of hostile activity. As best is know, there are no mines in the area. Your force, made up of elements of the Northern Patrol, have been ordered to make their way to HAVEL SOUND, locate the SLAVA and sink her. They must then withdraw rapidly so they are out of these restricted waters when the second part of the storm arrives. It is also desirable that they will be as far back under NATO air cover as possible when the weather clears completely. The operation needs to be carried out and the ships withdrawn, without any undue delays. Any cripples should have their crews taken off and the ships scuttled rather than risk the rest of the force. Your priority is to locate and sink the SLAVA, however you may use your discretion to engage any other enemy vessels you should encounter. NATO FORCE The Norwegian frigate OSLO is with this force as the Captain is very familiar with the area and capable of acting as a Pilot. This ship should lead the way in any restricted waters. CORNWALL. British type 22, batch 3, Frigate. (Has Harpoon SSM.) OSLO. Norwegian, Oslo class frigate. (Has Penguin SSM) DUQUESNE. French. Suffren class DDG. (Has Exocet SSM). FLAG OF SENIOR OFFICER. This might not be the force an Admiral would deliberately choose for such a difficult mission. Nevertheless, they are the only ships close enough to call on. No submarines are available due to operations elsewhere and recent losses. SOVIET SITUATION BRIEFING Since recent outbreak of war with NATO, Soviet Naval Force have remained close to their own airbase. This is having forced NATO to fight them on Soviet term. One week ago, a clash with NATO vessel took place. During engagement, Red Banner Northern Fleet BSF Cruiser SLAVA, suffered machinery breakdown and fire after near miss. He has taken shelter in DARFJORD while repair are carried out. NATO attempt to attack him with aircraft have fail due to the strong air defenses of the area and bravery of Soviet pilot. 72 hours ago weather blew up Hurricane strength. Met. Reports show eye of storm about pass over area today. In period of low visibility and rain, is expected SOVIET aircraft in area will unable to operate. Fortunately, Hurricane strength storm now over NATO air base, prevent Capitalist Reactionary Pigs carry out sortie either. BSF Ship SLAVA is almost ready, sail for home, but he need a few more day for spare part to be deliver. Although Hurricane force storm keeps NATO away, it is considered wise to move him to another location while second half of the storm pass and new machinery part installing. GAR Fjord inspected and selected. Is very restricted and will make air attack even more difficult for Western Pilot. SLAVA is depart DARFJORD at 0130 but only capable of moving at half his speed. BKP ship ADMIRAL ZAKHAROV has been dispatch with spare part. He has not yet arrive, but has been told to meet SLAVA in GAR Fjord. ADMIRAL ZAKHAROV at point A11, 0100 and can proceeding straight to GAR Fjord. Priority is delivery of the spare parts to SLAVA but can be diverted to escort him if needed. SKR type Krivak I class frigate and a BSF type Grisha II class light frigate arriving in EMOY during storm to shelter. They can be used to patrol, or to directly escort SLAVA during his move to GAR Fjord. SOVIET FORCES SLAVA. Slava class missile cruiser. Machinery defects restrict her to 50% speed, but all other systems are operational. Her helicopter has data link. AMIRAL TIBUTS. Udaloy class destroyer. She is carrying spare parts for SLAVA. Her Helicopters are ASW only. RETIVYY. Krivak I class frigate. Has RBU 6000 removed and replaced by SSN-25. Towed ASW decoy. IZUMRUD. Grisha II class light frigate. KGB manned. SOVIET CONTROLLED MERCHANT VESSELS Several large and small ships are also sheltering in the area. AKADEMIK TUPOLEV. 5000 Ton, Roll on, roll off, ship. Vessel is not armed. She is anchored in DARFJORD. STAKHANOVETS KOTOV. 8000 ton, ro-flo-ship. Vessel is not armed. She is anchored in DARFJORD. AKHTUBA. Large, Sofia class naval tanker. Vessel is not armed. She is anchored in the center of EMOY Fjord. BORIS BUTOMA. Very large, Bulk Ore Carrier. She is anchored 2 miles west of the Akhtuba. REFEREE NOTES If possible, so that ADMIRAL ZHAKAROV at least, can be run separated, the SOVIET forces should have more than one player. If the patrol ships were to operate separately, it would be desirable for them to also have a separate commander. This only applies the NATO side should the ships separate. However, the importance of keeping together, should be impressed upon the NATO player. None the less it will not matter if more than one player is present to control the individual ships. REFEREE CONTROLLED MERCHANT VESSELS MITZI WITZHOF. A small local cargo vessel. This ship has been sheltering in VASLOS Bay. (D9) She will leave there at 0100 and attempt to make it to shelter in VARN (H5) before the storm returns. BELGOG XIV. Local fishing trawler. This vessel has left BADSOS. At 0100 is in G5 on passage to DARFOSS refrigeration plant with a full load of fish getting dangerously close to 'use by' date. KREMLIN KAVKAZ. Very large, Bulk Ore Carrier. At 0100 this ship is in A5, steaming Southwest. It has been lost in the storm and is moving slowly, having suffered severe storm damage and been lost for 48 hours. Her Navigation Radar is operating and the Navigator has just picked up LANLOY Island. Having worked out where they are, he will attempt to make it into EMOY Fjord via HAVEL Sound. LOCAL CONDITIONS Low and dense overcast. Cloud base 100m. Visibility by night .25 nautical miles. Visibility in twilight is 1 to 5 miles depending on rain. Heavy to medium, continuous rain is falling, but due to the eye of the storm passing over, Sea State is 3. Slight. Wind is calm. Visibility by day 3 to 10 nautical miles depends on the intensity of rain. Morning twilight is at 0320. Dawn is at 0450. Dusk at 2315. Due to the iron content of the rugged local mountain region, all radar's are seriously degraded if any target has land within 12nm behind it. At ranges of up to 24nm, they are moderately degraded if any target has land behind it. If it becomes important, the coastline colour is generally black, with white snow patches. Sonar conditions are degraded by 50% within 5nm of any of the reefs shown. Sonar contact cannot be made or maintained if a direct line between searcher and target passes over a reef area, or naturally, through land. Surface to Surface Missiles that are fired at targets within the radar conditions above must be given a higher chance of acquiring land than ships. Missiles that miss their targets and roll to acquire a new one must have a higher chance of acquiring land than a ship. Missiles fired in conditions other than the radar conditions mentioned will function normally. Visual sightings will however be within the visibility prevailing. There are no shore defenses other than at AAMOS airfield, which has Sam's and radar's etc but should not figure in this operation. It should be impressed upon players that the situation is one of dull, nasty, dark weather with very poor visibility and the threat of the hurricane resuming. In fact the players are not to be told anything other than the meteorological report that expects the eye of the Hurricane to pass over. Helicopters may fly, but only at very low, or low. MAP The area is, as already stated, a fictional one. The map is gridded in ten nm squares, purely to give players a visual estimation of distances. All measurements should be made target to target. Depths shown are in fathoms. The water in DARFJORD is therefore 60 feet deep. F4 in the FONOY PASSAGE is therefore 30 feet deep. Players and referee must check ships draught. Any ship operating in an area of 5 or less fathoms and travelling at more than 2/3rds speed, will roll a die for each map move and will strike an uncharted rock on the roll of '0'. Ship will suffer light damage (10% points loss) and will lose the use of sonar for the rest of the game. The heavy black edging represents the area via which NATO ships must enter or exit. The dotted border represents the area via which SOVIET ships must enter or exit. Back to The Gauntlet No. 20 Table of Contents Back to The Gauntlet List of Issues Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 2000 by Craig Martelle Publications This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com