Date/Time: 02 October, 1975 / 06:00:00 Zulu
Location:
Northern Norway
Duration: 36 hours
Introduction
The Buccaneers of the Ark Royal CVBG successfully attacked Soviet
airfields with WE.177 nuclear bombs - but the carrier group did not survice the
operation. Cornered off Bear Island between multiple Soviet submarines and
subjected to a barrage of nuclear-tipped torpedoes and cruise missiles, the Ark
Royal group has been eliminated.
Now on
station to the north-east of Jan Mayan Island are the Saratoga and John F.
Kennedy carrier groups. Their primary role now is to support NATO land forces to stem and
turn back the Soviet units present in the north of Narvik.
Two airfields
are now in Soviet hands, Banak and Bardufoss, providing critical air support to
their land operations.
Norwegian Army units have engaged in fierce
delaying actions to slow down every step of the invaders' advance. The defending
Norwegian brigades have been decimated by continuous Soviet attacks, and the
only remaining viable formation is the hollowed-out 15th Infantry Brigade
supported by USMC, Royal Marine and Dutch Marine units.
This
polyglot tactical group and the remains of a few tank units with M48 tanks
and M113 APCs are holding the line 20 miles from Narvik; but they are short on men, equipment
and supplies. The next big Soviet push may well dislodge them out of the area
altogether. To prevent collapse of the front, the Saratoga and John F. Kennedy CVBG's have been tasked to
support these units.
The two carrier groups, tied down to a
finite area by necessity (to support the ground troops) instead of roaming free
in the open sea, could hardly go unnoticed by Soviet surveillance. Numerous Tu-16 Badger and
Tu-22M Backfire bomber squadrons have been redeployed from the quiet Southern
Front to nearby airfields. These fresh and unhurt units, trained and equipped
for the task of destroying NATO carrier groups, will now attempt to do just
that.
Can the carrier groups protect themselves while also holding the line in Norway?