Action in the Sulu Sea 1997

Harpoon

South China Sea 1997

---INCOMING COMMUNICATION---

USS Galveston, Third Fleet

The political situation in the South China Sea has degenerated into a naval war.  A US flagged oil exploration ship, The Trumpeter Trump of Boston, has been seized by the Chinese PLA, and a task force built around the USS Independence  has entered the South China Sea.

Mission 2

Interdiction: Sulu Sea

INT MESSAGE CMDRr Submarine Group Seven (CSG 7), 

To: Captain USS Galveston,

Naval Intelligence believes that a Chinese Task Force is being assembled in the Sulu Sea with the aim of engaging the Independence carrier Group.  Proceed to the Sulu sea en-route to rendezvous with the Carrier group, detect and destroy any undersea or surface elements you discover. 

Proceed with caution.  Strictly Military Targets.

 SSN 671 USS Galveston.   

4× 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes, 37× Mk 48 torpedo, Tomahawk land attack missile, Harpoon anti–ship missile, Mk 67 mobile, or Mk 60 Captor mines (FLTII and 688i FLTIII have a 12-tube VLS)

Max Depth 300 metres

Full Speed 32 Knots, Flank Speed 35 Knots.

133 crew.

For this transit, USS Galveston has been given only 24 Mk 48 ADCAP torpedoes, 8 harpoon Missiles and 6 Tomahawk.

Game Setup

Galveston is running at 5 knots on a course of 320 degrees into the Sulu Sea, depth Intermediate (4), with no cavitation.  The TB-23 towed-array sonar is deployed.  Sea Depth 1000 metres.

Galveston at Intermediate depth 

A Jianghu Frigate, and hiding underneath her a Romeo Diesel sub

Off to the flank the Frigate has deployed an ASW helicopter

The Frigate captain Active pings.  He discovers Galveston but gives the US SSN a firing solution, as well as revealing the Romeo.

Galveston launches two Harpoons at the Frigate and a single torpedo at the Romeo

But the Jianghu calls its Helicopter across to hunt the SSN

The Romeo and the Jianghu are hit together.  Both are destroyed

The Helicopter active pings and drops a torpedo as Galveston runs deep at flank speed

Galveston releases noisemakers and the helicopter's torpedo loses contact.

With nowhere to rearm (or land) the Chinese helicopter has no alternative but to surrender in the Phillipines.  USS Galveston meanwhile continues her mission.

SSN, the build, Phase 2

Let me take you down... or perhaps another lyric: 

Under the sea

Under the sea
Darling it's better
Down where it's wetter
Take it from me

Or maybe not...

In my SSN game I'm playing solo, one boat, USS Galveston, against the system.  Enemy vessel's actions and movement are dictated by the scenario as well as programming dice rolls.  The US fleet is pretty much restricted to one boat.  The Chinese fleet for SSN has around a dozen subs of differing size and capability.

Phase one of my SSN game used waterline models on one plane, the sea surface with dice indicating depth.  Phase two displays my megalomania to its true extent.

Here in Cyprus I have an oval glass table.  For our purposes here that represents the very deep water below which a sub can`t dive, and occasionally of course the sea floor.  My actual ships, only the Jianghu Frigate "Toytown" so far, will occupy a section of a perspex pedestal, riding above the submarine layer of the tabletop and representing the surface sea level.  This surface moves with the ship as it moves.

Sausages

To begin with I began furiously rolling modelling clay, like a Cuban maiden in a cigar factory.  I was soon well on in production.  These were then shaped, for submarine hull sausages of various sizes.

Not content with just the submarines of course I made the torpedo shapes and some sea mines which will ride tethers that are actually their stands.  The submarines will have tilts to show that they are either diving or rising, but retain the micro dice indicating depth.  If the Sub surfaces it will use one of my waterline models.

To inhabit the underwater ocean I also shaped some biologics (that's big old whales to you and me) and a sub breaking up model.   I`m also considering some rocks to represent underwater reefs and sea mounts, and perhaps a wreck.

My initial idea was to use something like one of my aircraft stands to mount the warships on.  This allows me to show Up and Down bubble, as the subs rise and fall in the water.  Subs at level 6 are Very Deep (but few subs can actually manage that depth without crush) and would simply go on the tabletop.  Deep go on a stand.  Intermediate go on a block and a stand, Shallow get two blocks under the stand and Periscope three.  

That gives me a 3" height for the sea surface level.

For the mechanics of the game I need to represent: running torpedoes, or harpoon missiles, underwater explosions, (although I`m thinking white cotton wool puffs) mines, depth charges, noisemaker countermeasures and there are probably many more I just haven't thought of.

Harpoon as a game is quite detailed, but I like the structure of the turn.  It`s really designed for surface and air, but the Submarine rules will obviously be what I use the most for SSN.  Aircraft will make an appearance, mainly as ASW assets, riding a stand above the surface layer.  

Modern subs don't fight it out on the surface, but in SSN there are occasions when a diesel sub uses the surface in ambush, attempting to pose as a normal vessel.  In addition a diesel boat may well travel faster on the surface, Tom Dodge anyone?  

I owned the original Harpoon rules as a box set.  Never liked the aircraft though, which were raised square counters.  My thinking is that Tumbling dice do some 1:600 Tomcats among other aircraft of the 90s, although once again I may just scratch build. Maverick anyone?

Photos of SSN phase 2 under construction...

USS Galveston at Periscope (5 levels)

Sea Mines under construction

My fleet during the build.  Five subs so far, Six hulls left to finish.

Harpoon: The Hawaiian Trough 1997

Harpoon
South China Sea 1997

USS Galveston, Third Fleet

The political situation in the South China Sea has been deteriorating.  A US flagged oil exploration ship has been seized by the Chinese PLA, and a task force built around the USS Independence  has engaged and sunk a Han class submarine that fired on the carrier.

Mission 1
Passage: Ballast Point, San Diego
to Pearl Harbour, Honolulu.

INT MESSAGE 3rd Fleet HQ

To: Captain USS Galveston,

A Canadian P-3 Orion operating on a training mission out of San Diego thinks that they may have picked up a submarine 237 miles southwest of Galveston's current position. They even got positive MAD (magnetic anomaly detection) contact, but lost contact after tracking the submarine for about twenty minutes. The P-3 crew is pretty confident that what they found was an SSN.  Naval Intelligence thinks it may even be one of the Chinese Han class of nuclear attack submarines.

Proceed with caution.  Strictly do not engage hostiles unless in self defence.

SSN 671 USS Galveston.   

4× 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes, 37× Mk 48 torpedo, Tomahawk land attack missile, Harpoon anti–ship missile, Mk 67 mobile, or Mk 60 Captor mines (FLTII and 688i FLTIII have a 12-tube VLS)

Max Depth 300 metres

Full Speed 32 Knots, Flank Speed 35 Knots.

133 crew.

For this transit, USS Galveston has been given only 12 Mk 48 ADCAP torpedoes.  With a top speed of over fifty knots while running deep, and a range in excess of 30,000 yards, the Mk 48 ADCAP is arguably the best heavy torpedo in existence.  Its only real competition coming from the British Spearfish, carried by the submarines of the Royal Navy.

Game Setup

Galveston is running at 25 knots on a course of 310 degrees towards Pearl Harbour, depth Intermediate (4), with some cavitation due to speed.  The TB-23 towed-array sonar is deployed.  Sea Depth 5000 metres (over the Hawaiian Trough)

Speed	Depth	Sonar	Firing	Command	Targeting
Flank 40kn	1  Surfaced	Active Pinging	Mk 60 Captor mines	Capt	FIRE One to Four
30kn	2  Periscope	Single Ping	VLS Tomahawk Land targets	1st Officer	Firing Solution
20kn	3  Shallow	TB-23 array	VLS Harpoon Anti-ship	OOD	Second Bearing
10kn	4  Inter	TB-16 array	21" Tube Mk 48 ADCAP	Weapons	First Bearing
All Stop	5  Deep	Internal Passive	Opened Outer  Doors	Ch.Engineer	Scope Up
Spin reverse	6  Very Deep	Closed	Closed Outer  Doors	Chief	Scope down

Turns
Intermediate Turn (10 minutes)	Tactical Turn (1 minute)
Plotting Phase	Plotting Phase	Log Movement, Firing, other orders
Movement Phase	Movement Phase	Move either 10 mins (Inter)or 1 min (Tct)
	Planned Firing Phase	Plotted fire exchanged Simultaneously
Detection check Phase	Detection check Phase	Visual, Radar, Sonar, ESM.
	Air movement Phase	Air Move and Fire
	Reaction Fire Phase	Shipboard at New Targets (half max)
	Resolution Phase	Resolve all weapons fire or movement

Turn #1 Intermediate 17th October 0130hrs

Plotting  

Make the turn to 310 degrees

Movement

25 knots  4.1" on table

Detection

Passive Sonar reports “Tonal contact, center bearing 253 on the end-fire beam,” 

The contact is designated "Master 1"

“Blade rate indicates Master 1’s speed is steady at eighteen knots, identifies as Han#239”

Turn 2 (Intermediate) 0140hrs

Plotting 

“Man battle stations torpedo, reduce 10 Knots.”  

Movement

10 knots  1.6" on table

Detection

“Master 1 now bearing 169, BSY-1 range is 12,000 yards. He is not in a convergence zone.  Confirmed as Han#239”

Turn 3 (Tactical) 0141hrs

Plotting Phase

“Torpedo room, fire control, make tubes one and two ready in all respects and open the outer doors. Waiting on Firing solution."

Movement Phase

10 knots 0.16"

Planned Firing Phase
Galveston's orders are clear.  She must only fire to defend herself.

Detection Check Phase
Active Pinging from Master #1.  Firing solution bearing 169, 12000 yards

Air movement Phase

Reaction Fire Phase

Resolution Phase

Turn 4 (Tactical) 0142hrs

Plotting Phase

“Lock Firing solution. now bearing 163"

Movement Phase

10 knots 0.16"

Planned Firing Phase

Galveston's orders are clear.  She must only fire to defend herself.

Detection Check Phase

Torpedo in the water! Type SET-53, bearing 163.

Air movement Phase

Reaction Fire Phase

Resolution Phase

Turn 5 (Tactical) 0143hrs

Plotting Phase

“Firing solution locked. now bearing 163"

Movement Phase

10 knots 0.16"

Planned Firing Phase
Galveston's orders are clear.  She must only fire to defend herself.

Detection Check Phase
Torpedo from Master #1 goes active. bearing 163.

Air movement Phase

Reaction Fire Phase

Resolution Phase

Turn 6 (Tactical) 0144hrs

Plotting Phase

“Lock Firing solution. now bearing 162  Turn 162, all stop.  Match sonar bearings and shoot, tubes one and two,

Movement Phase

Turn to 162 all stop

Planned Firing Phase
Firing two Mk 48 ADCAP torpedoes.  Ten remain.

Detection Check Phase
“Both torpedoes have acquired Master 1,  Enemy Torpedo Type SET-53, bearing 163, remains active.

Air movement Phase

Reaction Fire Phase

Resolution Phase

Han torpedo runs down at 6000 yards. That;s Russian technology for you, its supposed to do 12000.

Turn 7 (Tactical) 0145hrs

Plotting Phase

“Cut the wires, shut the outer doors, and reload tubes one and two,
Evasive action, launch two ADC Mk 2 decoys”  Spin the screw to Flank speed.  Come to heading 50 degrees.
Movement Phase

Increasing speed beyond 10 knots Heading 50 degrees

Planned Firing Phase
Two ADC Mk 2 decoys.

Detection Check Phase
“Both torpedoes locked Master 1, closing fast.

Air movement Phase

Reaction Fire Phase

Resolution Phase

Explosions in the water  bearing 160 degrees.

Master #1 is destroyed.

Turn 8 (Intermediate) 0155hrs

Plotting 

Secure from battle stations.  Reduce 25 Knots. Come to 340 degrees for Pearl Harbour.  

Movement

25 knots, Turning 340 degrees 

Detection

Master #1 breaking up

The board is clear.  

A win for USS Galveston who totally outclassed her opponent.

Let's see how she copes with stronger opposition...

Scratch building my Modern Naval Game

Back in the 1990s I played the Video game SSN to a standstill.  I got pretty good at it and for once even managed to finish a computer game.

Based on Tom Clancy's novel of the same name, SSN covers a series of encounters by the Los Angeles Class submarine USS Cheyenne in a war with China in the South China Sea.  It`s an interestingly episodic book, no flim flam or plot worries, it just covers the Cheyenne's individual battles in detail.

 As the encounters escalate the Cheyenne rises to the challenge, winning the war and defeating a Military Coup in China itself.

Transit
Insertion
Cruise Attack
Patrol
Interdiction
Enforcement
Skimmer Bust
Airstrip Assault
Reinforcements
Liberation
Defense
Prosecution
Choke Point
Knife Fight
Special Delivery

Speed	Depth	Sonar	Firing	Command	Targeting
Flank 40kn	1  Surfaced	Active Pinging	Mk 60 Captor mines	Capt	FIRE One to Four
30kn	2  Periscope	Single Ping	VLS Tomahawk Land targets	1st Officer	Firing Solution
20kn	3  Shallow	TB-23 array	VLS Harpoon Anti-ship	OOD	Second Bearing
10kn	4  Inter	TB-16 array	21" Tube Mk 48 ADCAP	Weapons	First Bearing
All Stop	5  Deep	Internal Passive	Opened Outer  Doors	Ch.Engineer	Scope Up
Spin reverse	6  Very Deep	Closed	Closed Outer  Doors	Chief	Scope down

Turns
Intermediate Turn (10 minutes)	Tactical Turn (1 minute)
Plotting Phase	Plotting Phase	Log Movement, Firing, other orders
Movement Phase	Movement Phase	Move either 10 mins (Inter)or 1 min (Tct)
	Planned Firing Phase	Plotted fire exchanged Simultaneously
Detection check Phase	Detection check Phase	Visual, Radar, Sonar, ESM.
	Air movement Phase	Air Move and Fire
	Reaction Fire Phase	Shipboard at New Targets (half max)
	Resolution Phase	Resolve all weapons fire or movement

Obviously the computer game presents a series of scenarios that would translate well to a modern naval game like Harpoon.  Realising this as a game meant that I would have to do some scratch building.

One model I did have for this is a 1:3000 Skytrex Los Angeles submarine.  I bought it years back, and discovered it lurking at the bottom of my paints box last week.  I used this for my scale.

The Los Angeles and a Russian Akula

It's not controversial to say that the Island of Cyprus has a surfeit of barbecue sticks.  I started my modelling by finding the dimensions of the submarines in the various scenarios and working out the scale length I needed for the hull.  


Submerged or not all of my models will be waterline with a depth dice, so I split the bamboo sticks with a craft knife and sanded them to smooth.  A shaped coffee stick sail was mounted on the top.

Simple but effective. Painted up they look just the part.  

The Han is a much smaller submarine than the Los Angeles, and the tiny Romeo diesel sub smaller still.  Once I started though I was churning them out and before long I had a dozen.

My Russian Alfa subs were built using bamboo on a raised base to get the hull width, and the huge Typhoon class made larger still with the use of modelling clay.

The first vessels finished are the USS Galveston (a fictional Los Angeles instead of Cheyenne which is real) the two Han Class and the Akula.  The Aeroplanes being built and glued behind are four Gloster Gladiators for the Desert Air Force. (and wish me luck using those old ladies against the Luftwaffe!)

SSN has the Chinese use military hardware supplied from Russia (and France) so Akula,  Alfa and other sub classes will be present to provide the Galveston with more of a challenge than the aged Han class.

I used modelling clay to build the big Alfa II subs and a Chinese Jianghu Class Frigate.  

The subs are fine, but that frigate has an amazing childlike quality about it.  Give me a piece of balsa or bass wood and I can make a pretty accurate model of just about any ship.  

Modelling clay though... nah, not so much.  It's the toytown version so I named her the Wánjù Chéng.  (Literally the Toytown, I`ll have to do the Noddy and BigEars as sister ships) 

Still the helicopter, my version of a Harbin Z9 French built ASW Helo, and the water spout strikes work pretty well.

I`m going to have to put up with that odd looking Jianghu until I can source the materials to do a proper build.  It would be really annoying if it proved to be effective though!

An index card storage box holds the entire collection, including the table aids for Harpoon.  

Table Aids:
Markers for Active Pinging, towed array, Torpedoes in the water, Fire One and Two tracks (up to four), depth dice to mark each submarine model, from 1 (Surfaced) to 6 (Deep Depth) and plot markers for Master 1 to 6.  

Cost for the project... well I suppose I better do a barbecue and it will work out at precisely nil!