I've been wanting to get in more Raid Scale gaming and finally made the time and dug out my TD 1/600 jets, GMT's Downtown/Elusive Victory rules, and lovely map of Lebanon. I thought up a linked scenario situation and off we go. This is the first BatRep…
It is mid-October 1973 in the Middle East and the Ramadan/Yom Kippur War rages on. Tensions are high in the region and both the United States and Soviet Union have dramatically increased the size of their fleets in the Mediterranean Sea, with the Soviet 5th Squadron going from 57 to 97 vessels of all types. Many of the new arrivals are troop transports loaded with naval infantry and the logistical strain is immense. The new Soviet supply and maintenance base at the Syrian port of Tartus is unable to handle the load and, using a combination of bribes and threats, Moscow persuades Lebanon to allow the use of Beirut's air and sea ports for the passage of non-munition supplies to the Soviet fleet.
The United States and NATO prefer to see the Soviets hobbled and find this new development a provocation. Complaints to Moscow go unheeded and protests in the UN Security Council move slowly. Unwilling to wait, NATO authorizes a strike against the new Soviet supply depot in Beirut.
While the US aircraft carriers USS Independence and USS Franklin D. Roosevelt are available on station off Crete, it is decided to hold their air groups in reserve to respond to any Soviet response to the mission. The nearest and most capable NATO member is Turkey and her air force is alerted to plan and deliver the strike. Using USAF equipment and tactics, a Turkish strike looks very similar to a USAF package without the electronic and jamming support. The operation is dubbed "Fate of Deterrence" and Turkish mission planners work late into the night. The target is the newly created Soviet main supply depot at the northern edge of the Beirut airport. Soviet heavy transports are continually landing and unloading but are not to be engaged. Also off limits is the Beirut airport complex proper.
Filos 131 (Dragons) and 132 (Daggers) equipped with F-100C/D's at Konya air base are tasked with the mission. Each squadron will provide 12 aircraft and the force is organized as follows:
Filo 131 (Callsign: Dragon)
2 x 2 F-100 w/cluster bombs SEAD (Dragon31/32, Dragon41/42)
2 x 4 F-100 w/AIM-9B CAP (Dragon11-14, Dragon21-24)
Filo 132 (Callsign: Dagger)
3 x 4 F-100 w/iron bombs BOMBING (Dagger11-14, Dagger21-24, Dagger31-34)
Filo 184 (Callsign: Scorpion)
1 x 2 RF-5A post-mission BDA
A US E-1B early warning radar aircraft (Callsign: Griffin) from VAW-121 off USS Franklin D. Roosevelt will augment Turkish radar coverage and early warning during the mission and an RAF rescue helicopter (Callsign: Rescue02) from Akrotiri air base on Cyprus will be off the coast of Beirut to perform any necessary CSAR tasks to rescue downed Turkish pilots.
The strike route will track due south from Konya over the Med along the Syrian coast well outside of SAM range. It will turn back after passing Beirut and attack from south to north before following the same route to base. After leaving Turkish airspace feet will be wet the entire trip except for the brief span over target.
There are no Soviet warplanes in the area but the Syrian coastline is an active combat zone as Israeli jets regularly raid the ports of Latakia, Tartus and targets beyond. The Syrians maintain an active Mig-21 presence as CAP and, while Syrian airspace will not be violated, the raid's path both in and out pass through this zone. A hostile response is highly possible. More uncertain is the readiness and willingness of the Lebanese armed forces to get actively involved. Lebanon fortunately does not possess SAMs but their 4th Squadron is equipped with a dozen new Mirage III-ELs. Cyrano II radar and a Matra 530 SAR missile slung between a pair of AIM-9B IR missiles makes this a BVR capable and dangerous fighter. They're based at Kleyate air base on the north Lebanese coast 6 km from the Syrian border which places them in a good position to interfere with the raid if they so desire. Of less concern are the 10 Hawker Hunter bombers split between Beirut and Rayak air bases. A hodgepodge of AAA positions protect all Lebanese air bases and they can be expected to open fire.
After a hectic night of planning and coordination, aircraft preparation and pre-dawn crew briefings, the heavily laden Huns thunder down the runway and head south toward destiny. The flight is uneventful and the Syrian coastline is quiet (both the Syrians and the Lebanese blew their readiness rolls and could launch no aircraft).
Griffin reports no contacts.
At Time on target minus fifteen minutes CAP Leader Dragon11 requests bogie dope. Griffin confirms no contacts.
Time on target minus ten minutes Rescue02 reports on station and loitering.
Time on target minus eight minutes Strike Leader Dagger11 orders bombs armed. Dragon CAP flights peel off to loiter between target and Syrian airspace.
Time on target minus seven minutes Beirut control tower repeatedly queries strike aircraft. Strike does not respond.
Time on target minus six minutes SEAD Leader Dragon31 reports Beirut airport in sight.
Time on target minus four minutes Rescue02 reports visual contact strike package.
Time on target minus three minutes SEAD Dragon31 confirms visual on target.
Time on target minus two minutes Strike Leader orders attack. Dragon31 and Dragon32 approach target. Dragon31 reports light AAA fire from several locations. Dragon31 reports bombs gone and good hits. The gun positions are plastered with cluster bombs and AAA fire is dramatically reduced. SEAD flight Dragon4 waved off as unnecessary and Dragon flight3 reports off target with no damage.
Time on target minus one minute Strike Leader reports IP reached. Confirms visual on target. The Huns are going in.
Time on target minus thirty seconds Strike Leader reports disorganized and inaccurate AAA fire.
Time on target Dagger bombing flights 1, 2 and 3 report bombs gone. Dagger11 and Dagger21 report good bomb placement. Dagger31 reports smoke and flying debris obscuring target and is less sure about results.
Time on target plus one minute all flights report off target with no damage.
Flights head for home. CAP flight Dragon2 joins bombers while CAP flight Dragon1 remains near target to cover Scorpion BDA which is due in nine minutes.
Griffin confirms no contacts.
BDA photos taken without incident.
Rescue02 reports leaving CSAR station.
All strike aircraft recover without problems and the BDA photos are quickly examined. The target escaped with only slight damage! A repeat mission is immediately ordered…
says he's pretty happy with these babes...
