Damaged Equals Killed Part II

Across the board in the Third World War, damage control officers and sailors worked heroically to save their stricken ships. Some efforts were ultimately successful while others were not. In many cases owing to circumstances beyond their control. For the officers and sailors who were able to extinguish fires and restore stability and buoyancy, their …

Damaged Equals Killed Part I

The Third World War spanned twenty-five days from beginning to end. In comparison to its predecessors from earlier in the Twentieth Century, the final installment’s longevity is comparable to two shakes of a lamb’s tail. In the previous world wars campaigns that lasted for months on end were the norm. This forced individual commanders to …

WWIII Naval Losses: NATO, D+0 (9 July, 1987)

As anticipated, the first day of the Third World War generated fierce engagements between NATO and Warsaw Pact forces at sea. From the North Cape to the mouth of the Persian Gulf naval and air forces clashed. Surface warships and submarines from both sides were damaged and destroyed. From the opening of hostilities in the …

Naval Losses In World War III: Introduction

Until recent times, the Third World War was widely considered to have been the final war where control of the oceans was a critical prerequisite for victory. NATO and Warsaw Pact naval strategies were focused on the North Atlantic. The mission for NATO was to maintain control of the North Atlantic and its sea lanes. …

The North Atlantic D+22 (31 July 1987) Part III (Alpha)

0405- News of the failed Badger attack on Strike Fleet Atlantic reaches Norfolk. SACLANT agrees with strike fleet commander’s assessment of the situation, which was helpfully included with the initial report. After reading over the telex, SACLANT ordered his staff to  be recalled immediately (it was 2105 hours, the previous evening in Virginia). Then he …

The North Atlantic D+22 (31 July 1987) Part II (Alpha)

0201- The first Tu-16 Badger started rolling down Severomorsk-3’s 2500-meter runway. The twenty-seven bombers and three ECM-equipped Badgers of the regiment were airborne and heading towards a pre-designated rendezvous point over the Barents Sea, 321 kilometers from the northern coast of the Kola Peninsula. 0220- As the Badgers flew north, operations for the morning’s offensive …

The North Atlantic D+22 (31 July 1987) Part I

Aboard the US Navy aircraft carriers of Strike Fleet Atlantic, aircrews and intelligence staff were preparing for the first set of the day’s missions against targets on the Kola Peninsula. 0400 was the scheduled launch time. Surviving radar sites and air defenses near the bomber bases in the central region of the peninsula were the …

2022 WWIII Video Game Tournament Championship

For those in Peril on the sea.... Early in this tournament I had a feeling the championship matchup might very well end up being between Harpoon and Command. They are thoroughbreds in every way, and I expected both to go far. Prophesy fulfilled.  So, here we are. Two games that accurately simulate naval and air …

The North Atlantic D+21 (30 July, 1987) Part II

Vice Admiral Feliks Gromov was the new commander-in-chief of the Red Banner Northern Fleet. He served in the capacity of deputy commander of the fleet until the removal of his former superior Admiral Kapitanets. Gromov inherited the same damaged Northern Fleet and deteriorating circumstances his predecessor had labored to reverse before the KGB arrived and …

2021 Holiday Tournament Round 1: Naval Operational

#1 Harpoon vs #8 3rd Fleet Very few wargames have had as much clout and influence as Harpoon. The game was responsible for helping to launch the writing career of Tom Clancy and almost singlehandedly brought on a golden age in naval wargaming during the 1980s. And of course, Harpoon the tabletop game led to …