                  GIUKPK01:  BACKFIRE BLUES

              By Pat Kapsner, Harpoon BBS #1037

During the 22 years I served on active duty in the Navy, it
always seemed to me that the air defense of the British Isles
was one of the keys in any ground warfare scenario between the
Warsaw Pact and NATO.  My sailor training told me these
islands sit like an unsinkable aircraft carrier just off the
coast of Europe, standing guard over the North Sea, Baltic,
Norwegian Sea, Eastern Atlantic and southern approaches to the
GIUK gap.  In addition, they are a very significant staging
area for troops, equipment and supplies coming by air and sea
from North America and also contain the primary UK and US
submarine support facilities.  If this little fortress is to
be nullified, it would seem that the best way would be by
Backfires operating from the Kola Peninsula.  In the GIUK
Battleset this contingency seemed to be proposed in the
scenario "DOOLITOV'S RAID", but did not accurately depict
Soviet doctrine in use of the extremely capable force of
Backfire bombers that should be available, or the upgrades to
the air defense of Britain begun in the early 1980's.

In order to improve on this scenario, I tried to think like
Gorshkov would have, using whatever Soviet Navy elements might
be available, as well as integrating Soviet Air Force assets.
Then I thought back to the many scenarios for North Atlantic
exercises I'd participated in, and reread the book "THE THIRD
WORLD WAR" by General Sir John Hackett & other top ranking
NATO advisors.  Thus we come up with "Backfire Blues".

BACKGROUND:  The Soviet ground attack in central Europe went
too well during the first week of hostilities, outstripping
the Red Army's ability to logistically support its combatant
units.  This has allowed NATO to dig in and get ready for the
counteroffensive actions to begin as soon as the men and
additional materials arrive by convoy from the US & Canada, in
addition to the steady stream of airlifted reinforcements sent
to use prestaged equipment on the continent and British Isles.
Iceland has been neutralized by a quick paratroop attack
followed by an amphibious landing, and is now firmly in the
hands of the Soviets headquartered at the former NATO
facilities at Keflavik.  Likewise, Norway has fallen to a
lightening quick Soviet blitz.  Consequently US CVBG assets
are not available, forcing the British to throw a battle group
centered around an Invincible class carrier into the fray with
orders to watch for and stop the advance of a powerful Soviet
Navy surface group (possibly containing a Kiev class carrier
and multiple Kirov class battlecruisers) and ASW patrol.  In
order to slow down and stop the NATO reinforcement, it is
anticipated that the USSR will start air attacks from Norway,
Iceland and possibly even from the USSR itself (by Backfires
coming in waves of 20 to 40 planes each).  Your orders are to
hold off these air attacks at all costs, seek out and destroy
any Soviet Navy surface and/or submarine forces found, and if
possible, neutralize USSR bases in Norway & Iceland.

Downloaded from Dr. Who's Harpoon Page, filename GIUKPK01.
