BOTA 08 – The Hunted UPDATED

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Author: IlDuce-17

Last revision: 13 Mar at 08:20 UTC (1)

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BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC PART 8 – THE HUNTED:

It was a trap! Marshal Nikolai Ogarkov’s strategic deception nearly worked. By dangling the Kiev Carrier Group in front of NATO forces, he lured Task Force IRONCLAD into the Gulf of Cádiz—straight into a coordinated pincer movement. Beneath the waves, a Soviet wolfpack had already taken flanking positions and to the rear, additional submarines moved in to close the noose. From the skies, Soviet aircraft—launched from Algeria’s Tlemcen Air Base—attacked in relentless waves. It was a bold and cunning move: overwhelm IRONCLAD with superior air power and submarine encirclement before it could reach the Kiev battlegroup.

But Ogarkov’s trap did not close fast enough. Although NATO suffered losses—USS Samuel B. Roberts sunk and USS O’Bannon damaged—the combined strength of NATO forces fought back with tenacity. IRONCLAD’s air wing, bolstered by NATO TG60.1 “ARGO”, Spanish air assets and NATO submarines, broke through and sank the Kiev and her escorts. It was a devastating loss for the Soviet Navy and a sharp blow to Ogarkov’s reputation—this was humiliating.

Yet the danger is far from over. Algeria, despite clear signs of military collusion with the Soviet Union, continues to deny involvement. NATO diplomatic overtures have been rejected. Tlemcen remains active, its runways launching combat sorties, and its air defences bristling. In response, COMLANTFLT has issued orders for a retaliatory strike: wipe out the Soviet presence at Tlemcen and eliminate the threat from Algeria’s western coast.

Time is critical. NATO ground forces are holding firm along the borders of West Germany and Denmark, but the fighting is brutal and unrelenting. USAF reinforcements have helped stabilize the air picture over central Europe. Meanwhile, a US Army Expeditionary Force is now embarked aboard U.S. Navy transports, bound for the European front. The Atlantic sea lanes must be protected—the Soviet air threat from Algeria must be neutralised to ensure the safe arrival of these reinforcements.

MISSION:
IRONCLAD’s RA-5 Vigilantes have conducted deep reconnaissance over Tlemcen, identifying the presence of mobile SAMs, radar units, and AAA. To penetrate this shield, SEAD elements will strike first, paving the way for a larger air assault on the base and its support infrastructure. Soviet fighters are still operating in the area, and airborne intercepts are expected. The strike must be sharp, fast, and final—before the Soviets can rearm, regroup, and retaliate.
At the same time, IRONCLAD’s escorts are wounded, and its magazines are running low. A NATO replenishment group is en route from the Atlantic, but Soviet submarines are still active along the approach. IRONCLAD must maintain full-spectrum ASW operations to secure the replenishment corridor or risk being isolated.

Ogarkov overreached—and paid for it. The Kiev is gone. But the threat from Algeria remains real, and it cannot be ignored. This mission is more than retaliation. It is about protecting NATO’s lifeline, regaining momentum, and ensuring the reinforcements reach Europe. The strike on Tlemcen will send a clear signal—not just to Algeria, but to Moscow.
The hunters have become the hunted.

CAMPAIGN:
The Battle of the Atlantic campaign unfolds in a dark reimagining of 1984, where Cold War tensions erupt into full-scale war. After seizing power in the Kremlin, Marshal Nikolai Ogarkov launches a lightning invasion of Finland, Sweden, and Norway. Soviet forces pour across Scandinavia and surge into the Norwegian Sea, threatening to sever NATO’s transatlantic lifeline and dominate the GIUK Gap. In response, the U.S. Atlantic Fleet and allied NATO naval forces mobilise for a desperate stand to preserve control of the seas.

From the fog-choked Baltic to the windswept North Atlantic, players will command Task Forces through a series of missions: from the defence of Gotland and interdiction of Soviet amphibious landings, to high-stakes carrier battles in the mid-Atlantic and convoy escorts across submarine-infested waters, to full-scale amphibious warfare. In this struggle for maritime supremacy, every decision counts—and the future of Europe hangs in the balance.

A 25+ mission linear campaign, The Battle of the Atlantic, is inspired by famous naval battles of WWI and WWII.

***FULL CAMPAIGN MOD COLLECTION: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3718111590

Full credit to @Stealth17Gaming for the playthrough Youtube videos. The mission has since been updated.