COMMAND: Northern Inferno Scenario 5: Beware the Badger Part 5

In Parts One, Two, Three, and Four of this scenario, NATO forces are attempting to send an amphibious group to reinforce Narvik and Bardufoss. The Soviets are determined to stop them. Their level of determination was demonstrated when they used nuclear weapons to attack both Bodo Airbase and radar sites in northern Norway. NATO has fought its way north through submarines and multiple air raids by Soviet Naval Aviation, while also being threatened by Soviet surface forces.

The NATO forces have taken some punches in the loss of several escorts, but delivered some serious counterblows as well, sinking submarines, several ships, and a large number of bombers.  Now they are closing in on their objective, and it remains to be seen if the Soviets have anything else up their sleeves.


211004Z Four Buccaneers fly in to finish off Ognevoy, dodge the three fired SA-N-1b Goas, and launch 11 AJ.168 Martels at the hapless vessel. The first missile sinks it, while the remaining ten missiles are all overkill.

Missiles away!

The Ognevoy is overwhelmed

235241Z It has been 2.5 hours since the last raid, with little activity. I have the group shut off sensors, as I have AEW up. I haven’t even seen any recon aircraft from Ivan, either. Things are quiet...I couldn’t have wiped out their strike forces, could I? Time will tell.

August 31, 1975. 021440Z Torpedo in the water! Detected by SOSUS. Four seconds later, USS Biddle is hit and sinks. It was our primary anti-air asset. This is NOT good.

USS Biddle is hit.

021450Z Torpedo in the water! The second torpedo hits the wreckage of the Biddle. Not good at all.

The surface groups go active sonar again, but nothing turns up. I have 3 Sea-Kings and a Sea Sprite searching the area, but I’ve found nothing at all.

The searching helicopters find nothing

023806Z A submarine is located, and the helos swarm it like angry bees.

024020Z Glamorgan Flt 1, a Wessex HAS.3, arrives on the scene first and drops a torpedo. The torpedo searches...and strikes the target, hitting B-64. The contact disappears.

The Wessex drops a torpedo on the target

064226Z As dawn approaches, a P-3B spotted a contrail far to the north, probably belonging to a recon plane. I dispatch a lone F-4 to investigate. Upon reaching the target, it spots a target and fires a pair of Sparrows. Then another Bogey is spotted nearby.

064235Z The aircraft is IDed as a tanker. Definitely a good target, but what’s it doing out here? Are the Soviets planning a wide raid to the west?

The Phantom takes out the first Bogey

Unsurprisingly, the first two Sparrows miss. The Phantom fires its second pair. The last missile hits. The Phantom goes after the second Bogey, which also turns about to be a Tu-16Z Badger A Tanker. Four Sidewinders later and the Badger is still alive. Winchester, the F-4 turns around and scouts for more targets. A F-104 from Bodo is scrambled to go after the tanker.

The F-4 spots no one, and turns around to continue shadowing the tanker, which ends up following a standard racetrack pattern. Eventually the F-4 has to go RTB, but the F-104 catches up to it and shoots it down with a Sidewinder.

081145Z My Gannet AEW detects another bogey, presumably a Badger, heading out to sea, and another F-104 is scrambled to intercept.

The bogey leaves radar coverage before the F-104 can intercept, and the F-104 begins searching far to the north for it, but there’s a lot of ocean out there. Ultimately the F-104 doesn’t find it.

131519Z As the forces get closer, the AEW aircraft moves further north, and detects Soviet tankers far to the north, trying to stay far from the allied TF. F-104s are launched from Bodo to intercept, and one is shot down. Over the next hour and a half, F-104s shoot down three tankers, but one F-104 is shot down by a lucky shot. [base-Ph of 5%, agility modifier -30%, Final Ph: 1%. Result: 1 = Hit. This has been happening a LOT in this mission]

142138Z 331 Sqn #8, on his second sortie, takes out another tanker--his ninth kill of the day.

152054Z Bogey detected, this time heading SW towards the Narvik region. The CAP is diverted to intercept. Speed 525 kts. More F-4s are launched as the raid count increases to three. Could they be going after Bardufoss like they did with Bodo? Two of the aircraft are at 525 kts. Fitters? Or are they Tu-16KSR-2-5-11 Badger G Mods? The last is 425 kts, probably a Badger.

The new raid is detected

152938Z The CAP closes in. Bardufoss itself marks 200nm from the fleet, so I really need to take out these bombers before then to eliminate the chance of cruise missile shots.

153048Z Sparrows away. Unsurprisingly, the first four Sparrows miss. The second salvo is launched.

Sparrows away.

153124Z The sixth Sparrow hits, destroying a Badger G.

153136Z And then the seventh Sparrow hits, destroying a second Badger G. Whew. One Bogey to go.

The last Bogey is eliminated

153340Z Splash Three. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief.

162037Z A Bogey is detected, and then another, but both are heading NW. This could be another raid. The CAP is diverted to intercept. Both contacts at 425kts.

162309Z The raid count is now 3, and the lead Bogey begins to turn south. CAP moving to intercept.

163234Z Sparrows away. Again, the first four Sparrows miss, and three are spoofed. For a 35% chance of spoofing, it’s amazing how many are getting spoofed.

Sparrow after Sparrow gets spoofed

163412Z The eighth Sparrow splashes a Badger. The second Badger is taken out by the second Sidewinder shot at it.

A Badger is taken out

The third Badger is splashed, and the raid is wiped out. Hopefully there will be no more, although there are plenty of fighters to deal with them if any should be launched.

164604Z Bogey detected...again. These guys just don’t know when to quit. It turns out to be a tanker, which is shot down, and then the tanker returning home is also shot down.

172123Z This is disconcerting...Ark Royal needs supplies! My F-4s are all out of Sparrows and and Sidewinders. Looks like this is it, kids.

Perhaps a strike on the airbases is in order.

200830Z All ships are now within the Safe Haven, and despite it being “safe”, I’m still a little nervous. What if I sub got in here? I want to keep going for a while before I start unloading operations, because I my boats might be too slow.

And then a 53-65K WH attacks HMS Devonshire.

200836Z The first torpedo misses...the second hits, and Devonshire sinks. I dispatch all my airborne choppers to the area. Not too pleased about this.

HMS Devonshire is sunk

202229Z Contact! Biddle Det #1 detects a sub with its dipping sonar. It monitors the sub while 824 Sqn #3 charges into attack. The sub is currently making a beeline towards Ark Royal.

Contact!

202420Z Torpedo away. The torpedo acquires and homes in...and misses. The seconds hits, but does not kill the sub. 824 Sqn #3 drops an active sonobuoy on the target to lock it in, and then has to depart the area.

Torpedo away

824 Sqn #2 arrives and drops a torpedo. The torpedo misses on its first pass, but keeps circling, finally acquiring the sub and sinking it. Whew.

The torpedo impacts

202930Z I begin my helo ferry missions to Bardufoss. I will be launching helos at regular intervals now.

211436Z All the helos are now airborne, and on the way to Bardufoss.

All aircraft begin the ferry mission to Bardufoss

082007Z Enough landing craft make it into the area, that the scenario concludes.

The hero of the scenario is clearly the pilot of 333 Sqn #8, who survived the nuking of his airbase, only to fly two sorties from it and rack up no less than nine kills. He is evacuated from Bodo, suffering from radiation poisoning, and later received the Norwegian War Cross with Sword, as well as Knighthood in the Order of the British Empire for his efforts in protecting the Ark Royal Group.  

Score: 600

SIDE: Soviet Union
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LOSSES:
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6x Su-17M Fitter C
2x SSV Okean
1x PLA-671 Victor I [Yorsh]
5x Tu-95RT Bear D
1x SSV Mayak [Pr.502, Intelligence Mod]
30x Tu-16KSR-2-5-11 Badger G Mod
2x Ka-25BSh Hormone A
1x RKR Kresta I [Pr.1134 Berkut]
1x BPK Kresta II [Pr.1134A Berkut A]
1x BPK Kanin [Pr.57A Gnevny]
3x Tu-126 Moss
1x BRK Kildin [Pr.56U]
1x SKR Kotlin Mod [Pr.56PLO Spokoinyy]
9x Tu-16Z Badger A
1x PL-665 Whiskey Long Bin
1x BPK Kashin [Pr.61]
1x PL-611 Zulu III
1x PL-641B Tango [Som]

EXPENDITURES:
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22x AS-9 Kyle [Kh-28]
2x RN-40 Tactical Bomb [30kT Nuclear]
4x SS-N-3b Shaddock [P-5D, AGM, 350kT Nuclear]
8x 53-65K WH
3x 14.5mm/73 Twin Burst [20 rnds]
3x SA-N-5 Grail [9M32M]
8x Generic Acoustic Decoy
4x SS-N-3c Shaddock [P-35 Progress, ASM]
59x Generic Chaff Salvo [4x Cartridges]
32x SA-N-1b Goa [M-1M/P Volna-M/P, 4K91 / V-601]
50x Generic Flare Salvo [4x Cartridges, Single Spectral]
78x 23mm AM-23 x 2 Burst [50 rnds]
15x 23mm AM-23 x 2 Burst [50 rnds]
8x AK-725 57mm/80 Twin HE Burst [6 rnds]
31x 57mm/81 ZIF-75 Quad DP Burst [6 rnds]
8x SA-N-3a Goblet [4K60]
3x AK-630 30mm/65 Gatling Burst [400 rnds]
4x AS-5 Kelt [KSR-11, ARM]
5x 53-57 Pattern [NATO 53-56]
17x AK-230 30mm/65 Twin Burst [50 rnds]
1x 53-51 Pattern
20x AS-6 Kingfish A Mod 1 [KSR-5, ASM]
60x 45mm/85 Quad Burst [8 rnds]
10x 130mm/58 Twin HE Burst [2 rnds]
8x 25mm/80 Twin Burst [20 rnds]
3x AK-726 76mm/60 Twin HE Burst [2 rnds]

SIDE: NATO
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LOSSES:
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2x Radar (S-266)
4x Radar (S-244 HF)
1x Radar (S-600 Gapfiller)
3x Vehicle (NH Target Tracking Radar (TTR))
3x Vehicle (AN/FPS-71 HIPAR)
3x Vehicle (NH LOPAR)
3x Vehicle (NH Target Ranging Radar (TRR))
3x Vehicle (NH Missile Tracking Radar (MTR))
1x Runway Access Point (Very Large Aircraft)
6x 40mm/70 Single Bofors
30x A/C Hardened Aircraft Shelter (1x Medium Aircraft)
13x F-104G Starfighter
13x F-104G Starfighter [CF-104C]
8x A/C Hangar (4x Large Aircraft)
1x Building (Control Tower)
2x A/C Underground Aircraft Shelter Entrance (Blast Doors)
1x AvGas (400k Liter Tank)
1x D 20 Fife [County Batch 2]
3x Wasp HAS.1
1x F 109 Leander [Type 12I Leander Batch 1]
1x P-3B Orion
1x Phantom II FG.1
2x Buccaneer S.2D
1x D 80 Sheffield [Type 42 Batch 1]
1x F 109 Leander [Type 12I Leander Batch 1, Ikara]
1x P-3B Orion
1x CG 26 Belknap
1x Wessex HAS.3
1x D 02 Devonshire [County Batch 1]
6x AH-1J Sea Cobra

EXPENDITURES:
------------------
402x AN/SSQ-47 Julie Active Range-Only
5x MIM-14B Nike Hercules
69x 40mm/70 Single Bofors Burst [4 rnds]
24x AIM-9J Sidewinder
18x 20mm/85 M61A1 Vulcan Burst [100 rnds]
1x Type 182 Towed Torpedo Decoy
12x Mk13 1000lb GPB
6x Mk82 500lb LDGP
31x AJ.168 Martel
2x Ikara [Mk46 Mod 2]
8x Mk46 LWT Mod 2
687x AN/SSQ-41A Jezebel LOFAR
87x AIM-7E2 Sparrow III
4x AGM-65A Maverick EO
152x 127mm/54 HE-PD [HiCap]
212x 127mm/54 HE-CVT [HiFrag]
147x 127mm/54 WP
41x AIM-9D Sidewinder
11x AS.37 Martel [ARM]
18x Sea Dart Mod 0
3x 30mm ADEN Mk4 x 2 Burst [50 rnds]
2x AIM-9G Sidewinder
4x Corvus Chaff [Distraction]
4x Corvus Chaff [Seduction]
5x 40mm/70 Mk9 Single Bofors Burst [4 rnds]
9x AGM-12B Bullpup A
229x AN/SSQ-41B Jezebel LOFAR

SIDE: Neutral Shipping
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LOSSES:
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2x Commercial Fishing Boat [35m]

EXPENDITURES:
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SIDE: Cuba
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LOSSES:
-------------------------------
1x Commercial Supply Vessel [6,000t DWT]

EXPENDITURES:
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