Summary
Sacred Oil – Turn 2 Summary Report (June 30–31, 1985)
WMD Release Phase.
U.S. Successes with WMD release; Strategic Gains
– WMD Employment: U.S. air assets (F-111D, F/A-18, ECM support) executed a nuclear strike on Jiroft Base 594, delivering 4 nuclear pulses, causing:- Level 3 radiological contamination, severely degrading base functionality [currently damaged].
– Elimination of 2 cobat unit steps, flipping from 1 to 3 eliminates the HQ base and 1 Brigade/III crippling Soviet forward air mobile operations.
– Doubling repair supply requirements, imposing critical logistical strain in the tight 12-day campaign timeline.
– Air Superiority Maintained: F-14As intercepted Soviet air resupply: – 1 transport damaged (escorts overwhelmed), but ~⅓ of 9 supply drops (≈3) successfully delivered, permitting limited base repairs, but not enough to regain full operation.
– MiG-23s suffered 1 damaged (abort) — no U.S. losses.
– Naval; ASW Operations: – USS Bluefish successfully detected and damaged Soviet K-492 submarine.
– Task Force 10 (7th Marines) evaded destruction after K-87 missile attack — missiles dispersed across inner-core units; zero losses.
– Interdiction ; Delay: – A-6E & F/A-18 conducted deep-strike to displace Soviet forward supply head to off-map, delaying logistics for 2 days.
– F-15s interdicted approach roads to Bandar Abbas, hampering Soviet ground advance.+10 MP
Soviet Setbacks; Failures
– WMD Failure: Soviets failed their WMD release roll, unable to employ chemical or nuclear weapons — a major operational and psychological blow?
– Ground Operations: Hampered:- 56th Air Brigade attacked Mujahideen south of Sirjan, inflicting fatigue but suffering 1 level of casualties in rough terrain.
– 4th Guards Division advanced southward but incurred 1 fatigue en route to Bandar Abbas.
– Reinforcements: (1st, 5th, 70th Guards Mech Divs) entered map southeast of Kahnooj — but faced U.S. interdiction in high-plains terrain, slowing momentum.
– Logistics; Infrastructure: Base 594 rendered operationally marginal: contamination + doubled repair costs severely limit airpower projection.
– Forward supply lines remain limited/undeveloped, with LOC vulnerable to interdiction.
Force Posture & Movement
– U.S./Allied:- 82nd Airborne consolidated at Base 584 (air-movable).
7th Marine lands in Bandar Abass and awaits equipment next turn.
– 3rd Tank Battalion (7th Marines) moved to oil fields NW of Base 582 — securing key economic terrain.
– Soviets: 17th HQ (4th Guards) reached edge of developed roads north of Bandar Abbas.
– Paratroopers & supplies (76th, 300th, 57th, 3rd Guards + escorts) delivered to Base 594 — under air duress, with degraded effectiveness.
☢️ Contamination Environment
– Base 594 contamination reduced by 1 level (die roll on decay table) — but remains Level 2, continuing to hinder operations.
🌐 LOC Map / Strategic Advance
– U.S. forces continued advancing with Naval and Air Assets toward the Strait of Hormuz, reinforcing regional dominance.
Strategic Takeaway: Turn 2 marked a decisive U.S. operational advantage, leveraging air supremacy, precision WMD effects, and agile interdiction to degrade Soviet logistics, delay reinforcements, and deny forward basing. Soviet failure to employ WMD — combined with mounting contamination, fatigue, and supply challenges — places them on the back foot in this high-tempo campaign. Time is now the critical constraint — and it favors the coalition.
Key Takeaways
| Domain |
|Status |
| U.S. Initiative |
| Fully seized — air dominance, precision WMD effects, interdiction, naval ASW success. |
| Soviet Momentum |
|Stalled — failed WMD use, logistical fragility, mounting fatigue/casualties, contaminated base. |
| Critical Infrastructure |
| Oil fields (secured by U.S.), bridges & damaged (secured), Strait of Hormuz (U.S. advancing). |
| Time-Critical Risks |
|Soviet repair timelines, supply delays, and U.S. contamination effects make Turn 3 decisive.|
– A Turn 3 plan?
- **For the US**:
– Exploit Air Dominance: Continue interdicting Soviet supply lines (e.g., roads to Bandar Abbas) and target remaining Soviet forward bases.
– Prioritize Submarine Hunts: Focus SSNs on neutralizing Soviet subs to secure naval lanes.
– Capitalize on Contamination: Delay Soviet repairs at Base 594 by maintaining pressure; consider follow-up strikes if feasible.
- For the Soviets:
– **Repair & Reinforce**: Redirect supply efforts to Jiroft Base 594 despite penalties; prioritize air defense to protect transports. Move ADA elements there ASAP.
– **Escalate WMD Use**: attempt chemical/nuclear strikes to offset US momentum (high-risk but high-reward).