WHEN IT HIT THE FAN

A Harpoon scenario for the North Atlantic Convoys module by Tom Sweeney

DAY 12, aboard the DDG Curtis Wilbur, somewhere in the North Atlantic:

Rear Admiral Jim "Skip" Thompson was reading the sitreps while nursing
a luke-warm cup of coffee.  Things hadn't been going NATO's way the
past week and a half.  NATO forces on the North German Plain were being
stretched to the breaking point.  Keflavik had been captured and was
being used to stage Soviet recon flights over the North Atlantic.  The
British had their hands full fighting off long range bombers while
trying to interdict the southern part of the GIUK gap.  The trouble
with that was, with Keflavik gone, NATO task forces had withdrawn from the north of
Iceland, and it was becoming close to impossible to prevent Soviet 
submarines from entering North Atlantic.  This last item was of special
concern for Thompson.  He was responsible for getting FC020 containing
badly needed replacements and equipment to Europe.  Also included in
the convoy was the Tarawa.  The allies would need this ship if they
planned to make a counter invasion of either Iceland or Norway.  Damn,
he thought, things look bad!  

Just then his aide, Captain Terry Sumner knocked and quickly entered
the cabin.  "Sorry to disturb you sir", he apologized, "but I thought
you would want to see this as soon as possible".  "It looks like it's
really hit the fan now, sir!" he commented.  

The admiral took the communiqu from his aide and scanned its contents.
The CBG that was supposed to screen his convoy had been hit bad by a 
combined submarine and air attack.  The carrier was heavily damaged,
and was returning to the U.S. for repairs.  This meant that the convoy
would have to cross nearly half of the Atlantic without almost no air
cover, save the marine harriers aboard the Tarawa.  The good news was
that there was a French CBG centered on the Foch leaving Lorient and
heading towards them.  The only help he could count on until the
French arrived would be a few Orions from Canada, a couple Nimrods from
the UK, and some French Atlantiques.  Suddenly, the Admiral felt very
cold and alone.

This scenario is, at present, designed to be played only from the NATO
side.  Your objective is to reach either St. Mawgan or Lorient with
the Tarawa and most of the transports and remain on station for 2
hours.  The idea is to prevent the convoy from being detected as long 
as possible.  Good Luck!     

Downloaded from Dr. Whos Harpoon Page, filename NACVTJ01.
