Victory Games war game company did great simulations back in the ‘80s covering the 2nd Fleet area of responsibily as well as the Med, Carribbean and South China Sea.
USN planners had big brass ones, they planned to go into the Barents Sea after the Red Banner Northern Fleet if the balloon went up.
That scenario was called “Into the Teeth of the Back Fires” if I recall.
Most of the scenarios we’re pretty tough for NATO and the USN, with heavy losses fighting a second Battle of the Atlantic to keep the sealanes open for the REFORGER convoys.
Yep, I remember that game well. I had both 2nd Fleet and 6th Fleet. I used to have a blast with those games. Wonder what the hell ever happened to my copies. You’re right about the scenarios where NATO had to secure the G-I-UK gap and then foray into the Norwegian and Barents seas....you usually ended up removing a lot of cardboard from the map...