In reply to Seth Joseph Delaney (msg #78):
Team,
As a caution, my computer died a really hard death (power supply meltdown) this morning. This is not catastrophic because I can still get on the net, more or less, by stealing time on my wife's computer. However, it's annoying because I had all my files and so on on my own computer, including the rules and all my notes. I'll try and soldier on the best I can until things are sortied out! Meanwhile, on with the show.
That's a good analysis. During the active phase of the war precautions were taken against Soviet air and sea-based attack. Many of these defenses were taken down or have been neglected over time but many of the Trolls once formed airport security detachment and so they would at least be aware of them. Taking your points one at a time:
1) This is the proposed riverine landing site. No minefield warnings or obstacles. The plan is to move in towards the terminal from there. As you lack fire support (direct or indirect) commando operations will be used instead to disrupt enemy force movement and organisation. (That is, take out strongpoints from behind, cut landlines, ambush any reaction forces, etc.)
The main problem with this landing zone is there is a lot of loose timber that has washed up along the riverbanks. At least 3-4 logs will need to be cleared, if not more.
2) There is indeed a seaplane terminal. Before the war, Vancouver had the largest number of seaplanes in the world due to a combination of rugged terrain, many bodies of water, and the needs of a resource industry that operates in remote areas. There are no visible defenses or obstacles other than fishermen report a pair of abandoned-looking bunkers dug in at the top of the ramp.
3) The Coast Guard hovercraft station does not seem to have much in the way of visible defenses, either. It has an intact SN.10 hovercraft permanently parked outside the main building to the SE. It was retired when the new, larger hovercraft came into service. It was featured in the Jackie Chan movie "Rumble in the Bronx" (1995), which your characters may have seen at some point.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVoHt-cg-_g
4) It seems the defenses are still unfortunately mostly intact in this area. Plus, it's basically mud flats (at low tide) below a large earth/sod dike. There are wire traps all through the mud flats which are partially underwater at high tide, plus minefields along the seaward side and top of the dike. As well, there are bunkers dug into the dikes with interlocking fields of fire.
5) All the breakwaters have wire on them to prevent easy landing or exit. Not impossible to cut through by any means but enough to slow any attacker down.
6) The airport probably does need its own sewage plant, so that seems like a reasonable assumption to me. No visible defenses observed here.
7) Most of the log rafts in the river have broken free over the years, and the loose timber has ended up all along the riverbanks and cause continual water navigation hazards. See Note #1. The rafts in the sheltered water (sort of a lagoon) are more stable but there are loose logs here, too. You wouldn't want to walk on the log rafts but you could put a small boat in there without getting it crushed!
8) The narrow point has been thoroughly mined and blocked off with wire, concrete barriers, etc.
Ironically, I have to use Wikipedia myself to determine what wildlife is on Sea Island. It's basically all bird life, although the seal and sea lion population has exploded after the war. They larger mammals avoid the western part of Sea Island due to the wire obstacles that are placed on the mudflats as they pose a serious entanglement hazard. No booms anyone can remember.
Tony
