Sea Power

Sea Power

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BOTA Prologue III - Valkyries' Vigil
   
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Timeframe and Location: 1980s, Atlantic
Alignment: NATO
File Size
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2.213 MB
19 Jul @ 3:56am
13 Aug @ 2:00am
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BOTA Prologue III - Valkyries' Vigil

In 1 collection by IlDuce-17
The Battle of the Atlantic
11 items
Description
***REVISED MISSION***
PROLOGUE III - VALKYRIES' VIGIL:
In the early hours of June 8th, 1984, the Soviet war machine grinds westward once more. With Finland and much of Sweden under occupation, and Gotland’s defense crumbling in NATO hands, Marshal Ogarkov shifts his sights to a new prize: southern Norway and the gateway to the North Sea. A powerful Soviet Surface Action Group (SAG) and Amphibious Landing Group (ALG) have broken out from Kaliningrad, blasting their way past Copenhagen and threading the Danish Straits with grim efficiency. Now, they churn the waters of the Skagerrak Strait, aiming directly for Oslo.

Meanwhile, Task Force 24.1 “LYNX” and Task Force 24.2 “LION” have been overwhelmed in their defense of Gotland and Stockholm and are withdrawing south to Copenhagen as the Soviets advances across Sweden’s east coast. Their actions have bought precious time—but cannot prevent the current threat from breaching the North Sea.

The stakes could not be higher. If the Soviets secure a foothold in southern Norway, they will gain access to deep-water ports, threaten NATO’s northern flank from the rear, and place the GIUK Gap within striking distance. A successful landing at Oslo may split the alliance’s northern and central defense axes. NATO cannot afford another breach.

MISSION:
Task Force 24.3 “VALKYRIE,” centered on the guided missile cruiser USS Valley Forge (CG-50), has been ordered to intercept and destroy the Soviet amphibious force before it can reach Norwegian shores. Working in coordination with Task Force 24.4 “DRAKEN,” a Royal Navy, German Navy and Royal Norwegian Navy composite force, VALKYRIE will lead the fight in the confined and volatile waters of the Skagerrak. Supporting elements include the attack submarine USS Sturgeon (“HAMMERHEAD”), HMS Churchill ("BULLDOG"), Norwegian P-3C Orion patrol aircraft, USAF F-15 fighters, and SEAD-capable strike elements—all arrayed to sweep sea, air, and undersea threats.

Intelligence from the Royal Danish Navy confirms multiple waves of Soviet surface escorts have already entered the Skagerrak, screening a larger landing flotilla steaming northwest. Radar tracking from Germany has identified heavy Soviet air activity originating from Kaliningrad and Belarus, likely in support of the amphibious assault.

This is the moment for decisive interdiction. In these narrow seas, every nautical mile matters. The mission is clear: locate and destroy the Soviet escort waves, crush the amphibious assault force before it reaches Oslo, and deny Moscow its foothold on the North Sea. There will be no second chance. The eyes of the alliance—and the future of Scandinavia—rest on the vigilance and firepower of the "Valkyries".

CAMPAIGN:
The Battle of the Atlantic campaign unfolds in a dark reimagining of 1984, where Cold War tensions erupt into full-scale war. After seizing power in the Kremlin, Marshal Nikolai Ogarkov launches a lightning invasion of Finland, Sweden, and Norway. Soviet forces pour across Scandinavia and surge into the Norwegian Sea, threatening to sever NATO’s transatlantic lifeline and dominate the GIUK Gap. In response, the U.S. Atlantic Fleet and allied NATO naval forces mobilize for a desperate stand to preserve control of the seas.

From the fog-choked Baltic to the windswept North Atlantic, players will command Task Forces through a series of missions: from the defense of Gotland and interdiction of Soviet amphibious landings, to high-stakes carrier battles in the mid-Atlantic and convoy escorts across submarine-infested waters, to full-scale amphibious warfare. In this struggle for maritime supremacy, every decision counts—and the future of Europe hangs in the balance.

A 25+ mission linear campaign, The Battle of the Atlantic, is inspired by famous naval battles of WWI and WWII. This is my first attempt at developing missions and a campaign. Please let me know in the comments about any bugs or suggestions.
19 Comments
IlDuce-17  [author] 23 hours ago 
Thanks @eeelziii. I have updated the Swedish boats and added Norwegian boats too. Added some civilian shipping exiting the AO.
eeelziii 11 Aug @ 3:56am 
Also what could be more fun and challenging is adding some neutral planes , ships and maybe whales or even spy ships mixed with neutral trawlers otherwise the scenario is great I had a lot of fun ! Thanks for making it !
eeelziii 11 Aug @ 3:49am 
Yeah good idea - hide them further up the fjord and make them friendly on EMCON from the start. I do not know if helis will be searching this area in that case but it is worth trying.
You could also consider moving them up north closer to Oslo so you will have some time to somehow deal with helis first .. maybe add small boats with better AA capabilities to this group?
The issue is that enemy battle group is screened pretty well by helis and by the time those boats move closer they will be destroyed. Fjords are excellent to hide but only if you have mountains and could hide behind them to avoid incomming missiles after being detected. I have tried to do that in this scenario and it helped with missiles coming from the WEST but not against those from the SOUTH. This is a pretty good strategy as enemy ships are wasting ammo and in that case you want to be detected but only if terrain allowes it ;)
IlDuce-17  [author] 11 Aug @ 2:20am 
Thanks @eeelziii. Looks like the AI switches the RADAR on while they are neutral, before becoming Friendly. I could hide them further up the fjord?? Or, make the Friendly to begin with??
eeelziii 11 Aug @ 12:07am 
Thanks for the update ! Norwegian missile boats are dying within first 5 min maybe because they are not on EMCON from the start , they are to close ,or maybe cuz being detected by helis pretty quickly or maybe all the above - they do not have air radar and long AA capabilites so they are not able to shoot down spying helis quickly enough and from the distance before being detected.
IlDuce-17  [author] 7 Aug @ 11:13am 
Thanks @Marshal Dunnik et al. I will update the mission tonight.
Thamepper 7 Aug @ 10:43am 
Very interesting mission with all the different capabilities, but quite frustrating considering what you have to defeat and what you have to work with.
Marshal Dunnik 7 Aug @ 8:04am 
(3/3)

5. Add two P-3s, one ASW, one Anti-Surface
Speaking of, the SAG does not lack for ASW helos but there's no time for them to deploy a sensor net, and even if the NATO submarine (just the one is fine) detects the sub, it may not be possible to prosecute. So add another P-3 with an ASW loadout, and considering the amount of NATO AShM may not be enough (needing also to rely on Exocets and Penguins), adding a 2nd (or even a third) P-3 with the Anti Ship loadout would be useful.

These are large and complex scenarios and since the AI isn't up to the task, the only way to add challenge is to add more: more ships, planes, missiles. So all NATO needs here is just a little bit more (but not too much more, NATO being on the backfoot in these initial clashes makes sense).
Marshal Dunnik 7 Aug @ 8:04am 
(Steam word limit!, post 2/3)

3. Add FABs
As noted by @Heet, the Norwegian and Dane FAB doctrine was designed for just this type of scenario. Hide two groups of 2 FABs along the invasion route. FABs are also fun to spring ambushes with.

4. Increase distances
I agree that NATO would not necessarily have a CBG to hand in European waters on a moment's notice, and that even if they did, they might not feel risking a carrier in the narrow waters of the Kattegat. So, nothing wrong with a SAG. Nevertheless I'd say set the start position to just outside Soviet AShW range to give the player a moment to breathe - but it's still a race to Oslo. If the NATO SAG stops, slows, or turns around to keep out of range, it will fail to prevent a landing. Giving the player some breathing room also grants a chance to spot the Soviet sub (which you certainly should retain).
Marshal Dunnik 7 Aug @ 8:02am 
@IIDuce-17 Here are some suggestions:

1. Merge Task Forces
The AI tends not to target incoming missiles unless its directed at the individual unit or the formation it's in; as a result the two TFs are not mutually supporting. Merge them: if NATO knows its going to be facing AShM spam, being tipped off in your scenario by Danish naval intelligence and German radar, then surely they'd enter the Kattegat with a single TF. Adding (or replacing another ship with) a third RN AA hull would certainly be nice (they're balanced by virtue of their Exocets).

2. More AA fighters
In one run, my ships spent all of their long-range SAMs on AShM from the ships, as such they could not deal with the following waves from bombers. I'd say retain the older F-4s with a SEAD loadout (lacking a Prowler, these are useful) but add another flight of F-15s (or F-4s) with an AA loadout.