Title:             Surprise.

Synopsis:          Soviet Surprise Attack on NATO Southern forces.

Version:           1.1.

Date:              10 August, 1991.

System:            IBM PC.

Files:             surprise.txt -- Introduction file
                   surprise.blu -- BLUE orders
                   surprise.red -- RED orders
                   surprise.sc3 -- Scenario file
BattleSet:         MEDC.

Memory needed:     >535k.

Comments:
        This is a revision to the first release.  I have added AAW protection
        to the Amphibious group.  In addition, I modified some of the orders
        for the Soviets for more complex air operations.  Soviet forces have
        more submarines and some of their groups now have variable starting
        points (Snooper group, SS group).  Finally, I changed one of the
        BLUE total victory conditions to be "Have 7 ships on station at
        Sigonella."  This changed from 8.  This condition has also been
	changed to an OR'ed condition.  This might change again if I feel
	that it needs it.

        I suggest that you turn off the option for notification of ships
        running aground.  The Aegean is a tight place and courses tend to
        bring ships/subs awfully close to land.

	Enjoy.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Kolin E. Hand
IP: hand@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov
    hand@hobbit.jpl.nasa.gov
    
HSWBBS: Kolin E. Hand #615

Introduction to "The Surprise."

It is the summer of 1992 and tensions between East and West have risen once
again after a coup in the Soviet Union which deposed Mikhail Gorbachev.
The conservative military hard-liners of the Central Committee have cracked
down on all of the break-away republics causing many Western European nations
to protest by bringing economic sanctions against the Soviet Union.  Two weeks
prior, in events that were described as "extremely unfortunate," a Soviet
cruiser on maneuvers in the Pacific, rammed a U.S. frigate, sinking the
vessel and killing many of its crew.  In protest, the U.S. has recalled it's
ambassador for "consultation" pending a full investigation.  In the meantime,
the U.S. Congress has drafted emergency legislation that would have the U.S
join the Western embargo on the Soviet Union.  Faced with the impending
choke-hold, the Central Committee has decided to attempt to bolster its
economy by inciting "limited" warfare on the Imperialist West in an attempt
to stimulate military production.  Once favorable results have been achieved,
the defeated nations of Western Europe will have to sue for peace enabling
the Soviet Union to regain some of its lost influence in the world econimic
order.

The backbone of the Soviet plan is to engineer several international
"incidents" (such as ramming non-Soviet shipping), resulting in an increased
level of tension which would push the the West into responding in a fashion
that would justify a Soviet military response.  In Germany, a bomb-blast kills
the Soviet ambassador and his family while touring Berlin.  Off of the
North Cape, a Soviet trawler claims to have been straffed by NATO warplanes
operating out of Norway.  In the Southern Republic of Armenia, the local
militia claim to have downed a transport plane with Turkish military personnel
aboard.

On the heels of diplomatic protests of these "provocative actions committed
against the peaceful peoples of the Soviet Union," Red Army units begin to
mobilize on the Northern border with Norway along with heightened Red Banner
Fleet traffic through the GIUK gap.  Additionally, shock units in the Ukraine
have been assembling at various points in anticipation of action in Central
Europe.  In northern Turkey, Spetznatz units have been reported to have attacked and
captured a remote northern airfield claimed to be the source of transport
flights into the Soviet Union.

In the Mediterranean, U.S. forces have recently stood down from NATO exercises
in the Aegean Sea.  Ambhibious Group Two (Phibron 2) with the 26th Marine
Expeditionary Unit embarked, has been in port in Athens on shore leave for
the past two days but is now preparing to get underway.  Except for a U.S.
Surface Action Group now transitioning the Suez Canal, Phibron 2 is the only
sizable NATO task group in the eastern Mediterranean.  The Soviet Southern
Command sees the present as a most opportune time to strike a crippling blow
to U.S. forces currently in the Mediterranean with the hope that if substantial
losses are absorbed by the U.S. it will back away from the troublesome region
and not risk an escalated conflict.

Downloaded from Firedrake.org, filename SURPRIS2.