A while ago I came across a series of posts by Brad over at Hexsides and Handgrenades, the subject of which was Victory Games' Sixth Fleet. At the time I knew nothing about this gaming institution, but I was intrigued by Brad's updates and so resolved to track down a copy for myself.
As Brad is another Japan resident and a dedicated moderns wargamer we got in touch and made plans to get a PBEM game underway 'some time'.
Well, it's taken us nearly two years, but that time has now arrived, and last night we kicked off the first scenario.
Brad knows the game fairly well but was kind enough to go easy on me and let us begin at the beginning.
Lord knows I need it!
So far I have managed to lose USS Drum and see USS Baltimore badly damaged, but the Soviets have been given a bloody nose as well, thanks to some Orions on ASW duty and the VASSAL modules' ability to roll three sixes in a row at a crucial point.
It's no lie to say that I've only been kept in the game by those dice rolls.
My planning has been pretty poor, and even though Brad has had only one decent sub against my two he has outplayed me throughout. I do hope I'm beginning to get a better handle on ASW tactics now though, and if the activation rolls go our way we might just escape with a draw, which would be celebrated here as a Claudian Triumph, though without a full-sized elephant, naturally.
And the game? I'm loving it, and it's going to be well worth the learning.
Prufrock's Wargaming Blog
Showing posts with label 6th Fleet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 6th Fleet. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
6th Fleet shock - Admiral Prufock demoted!
Scenario 1:
Anti-Submarine Warfare in the Western Mediterranean.
"To ensure the safe passage of NATO merchant shipping through the Strait of Gibraltar and on to Isreal, EUCOM (European Command) has ordered the US 6th Fleet to conduct high-tempo ASW operations against Soviet submarines in the western Mediterranean. With most of 6th Fleet's forces committed in the Aegean Sea, COMSIXTHFLT (Commander, 6th Fleet) currently possesses only two subs with which to commence this sweep...
Meanwhile, the Soviet Black Sea Fleet has received intelligence that the US submarine strength in the western Med is weak. With four submarines currently on station in this area, Commander, Black Sea Fleet has ordered the US submarines to be hunted down immediately."
Day 1.
On the morning of day one the Soviets assign their single squadron of Tu16s to detection duties and it begins tracking the USS Baltimore, just north of Naples. The US assigns two units of Orions to follow the Sumy and the Byngi.
Baltimore shadows Sumy, hitting it south east of Sicily and causing severe damage. P3 Orions on ASW duties continue the attack, which sees Sumy sink early afternoon.
Baltimore is in turn shadowed by the Nezhen. Unable to locate the enemy, Baltimore makes for the Corsican coast.
Nezhen's superior speed allows her bring Baltimore to bay under the very noses of the air cover on Sardinia.
Baltimore desperately seeks to locate the enemy but is unable to do so and is sent to the bottom with all hands.
Day two.
The Soviets shift focus to the USS Drum, which is detected in the AM by Tupolovs. The US assigns two units of Orions to the Drabv and the Byngi.
Confrontation is not long in coming.
The Drabv is engaged and damaged by USS Drum, but the Byngi is in close proximity.
Drum is on her own for the time being and without air support to aid her she sustains damage as Byngi closes and strikes.
Fortunately, Drabv is too far gone to aid in the attack, and the Drum employs evasive tactics in the hope that an opportunity to strike will open up.
In the meantime, the Orions make an attack at 3:30, but are unable to hit the Drabv. This is almost the last chance for the Drum, and tension is high as the Soviets close for the kill.
By 5:30 Drum has been sunk. The Soviets, now unmolested in the western Mediterranean, can begin hunting the supply vessels coming through the Strait of Gibraltar.
This was my first game of 6th Fleet and my amateur tactics are testament to the fact. By not assigning a unit of Orions to detect Nezhen on the first morning I made a real hash of the strategic air mission choices. This meant that after destroying the Sumy Baltimore was blind and a sitting duck for the Nezhen, whom she couldn't outrun.
It has been a valuable lesson in the importance of setting the right units to do the right jobs at the right time.
This was a good and enjoyable introduction to the Fleet system, and while it's clearly going to take me some time to figure out good strategies the rulebook is not at all as daunting as you might think at first glance. That the first scenarios introduce players to the concepts in manageable progressive chunks is very useful, and I think 6th Fleet is the best example of this approach I've yet seen.
Next up will be Scenario 2, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to get it done before I'm off on holiday. We shall see!
Anti-Submarine Warfare in the Western Mediterranean.
"To ensure the safe passage of NATO merchant shipping through the Strait of Gibraltar and on to Isreal, EUCOM (European Command) has ordered the US 6th Fleet to conduct high-tempo ASW operations against Soviet submarines in the western Mediterranean. With most of 6th Fleet's forces committed in the Aegean Sea, COMSIXTHFLT (Commander, 6th Fleet) currently possesses only two subs with which to commence this sweep...
Meanwhile, the Soviet Black Sea Fleet has received intelligence that the US submarine strength in the western Med is weak. With four submarines currently on station in this area, Commander, Black Sea Fleet has ordered the US submarines to be hunted down immediately."
Day 1.
On the morning of day one the Soviets assign their single squadron of Tu16s to detection duties and it begins tracking the USS Baltimore, just north of Naples. The US assigns two units of Orions to follow the Sumy and the Byngi.
Baltimore shadows Sumy, hitting it south east of Sicily and causing severe damage. P3 Orions on ASW duties continue the attack, which sees Sumy sink early afternoon.
Baltimore is in turn shadowed by the Nezhen. Unable to locate the enemy, Baltimore makes for the Corsican coast.
Nezhen's superior speed allows her bring Baltimore to bay under the very noses of the air cover on Sardinia.
Baltimore desperately seeks to locate the enemy but is unable to do so and is sent to the bottom with all hands.
Day two.
The Soviets shift focus to the USS Drum, which is detected in the AM by Tupolovs. The US assigns two units of Orions to the Drabv and the Byngi.
Confrontation is not long in coming.
The Drabv is engaged and damaged by USS Drum, but the Byngi is in close proximity.
Drum is on her own for the time being and without air support to aid her she sustains damage as Byngi closes and strikes.
Fortunately, Drabv is too far gone to aid in the attack, and the Drum employs evasive tactics in the hope that an opportunity to strike will open up.
In the meantime, the Orions make an attack at 3:30, but are unable to hit the Drabv. This is almost the last chance for the Drum, and tension is high as the Soviets close for the kill.
By 5:30 Drum has been sunk. The Soviets, now unmolested in the western Mediterranean, can begin hunting the supply vessels coming through the Strait of Gibraltar.
 |
| USS Drum under attack. |
It has been a valuable lesson in the importance of setting the right units to do the right jobs at the right time.
This was a good and enjoyable introduction to the Fleet system, and while it's clearly going to take me some time to figure out good strategies the rulebook is not at all as daunting as you might think at first glance. That the first scenarios introduce players to the concepts in manageable progressive chunks is very useful, and I think 6th Fleet is the best example of this approach I've yet seen.
Next up will be Scenario 2, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to get it done before I'm off on holiday. We shall see!
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