D. M. Ulmer 01 - Silent Battleground (36 page)

The eager Vasiliy announced, his hand upon the firing key, “Ready to fire, Captain.”

The captain ordered in his firmest voice, “Check fire!  We’ll let this one slip away.  We’ve far more important fish to fry.”

Vasiliy could not believe the words he had just heard.  His hand tightened on the firing lever and actually
moved it half an inch.  Then his oath of obedience outweighed his hatred of Americans and he removed his hand from the lever.

The captain ordered, “Secure the launchers.”

Repeating the order, Vasiliy said, “Secure the launchers.”

He wondered if the target could have been USS
Denver. 
Had he missed a golden opportunity to settle accounts with Lieutenant Brent Maddock?

Phil Reynolds and all in
Newport
would never know how close they came to an eternal rest in the depths of the Pacific Ocean, within half an inch of motion by the hand of a man, whose hatred for Americans defied belief.

Captain Marty Baker completed his briefing to the President on the latest MACEDONIAN developments.  His third visit to the White House found him much more at ease.

President Dempsey asked the CNO, “What’s your learned opinion, Admiral Baines?”

“Guarded optimism, sir.  Everything we have points to the Soviets moving to plan and unaware of what we know.  Mr. President, if this continues like it has, we should eat their lunch.”

The President asked, “A decisive battle?”

The CNO said, “Decisive in terms of winning the war?  No, sir, but it’ll crack one of our biggest nuts; open up the Pacific Sea lanes.  And from my seat, only
a security breach can stop us.  Unfortunately, those are easier to come by than we like to believe.”

Turning to Marty the President said, “And your thoughts, Captain.  Do you think we have them fooled?”

“I do, sir,” Marty replied.  “As the Admiral points out, all the data shows their plan to be authentic and they carry it out on schedule.  If they are as precise as their plan, we’ll strike a major blow.”

The President went on, “Would either of you hazard a guess as to how many submarines both they and we might lose in this scrape?”

Baines responded, “With the element of surprise on our side, I’d say we should knock out up to fifty of them, sir.”

The President asked, “And what should we expect?”

“We hold the element of surprise so I expect light casualties, sir, especially against the northern fleet.  Our ships have substantial acoustical advantage over them.”

“When will it start?”

Marty answered, “Twelve hours from now, Mr. President.”

At that instant, the President’s intercom buzzed.

Pushing the talk button the President said, “Yes, Mrs. Bonner.”

“Senator Manning, Mr. President.”

“I’ll take it.”

The President put Darrel Manning on the speakerphone because he knew it irritated the senator.  The President could be very ornery when he wanted to.

“How are you this fine morning, Darrel?  I’ve got the Navy in tow, Admiral Baines, and Captain Baker from NSA.  You might recall them from our meeting the other day.”

It did upset Senator Manning when the President put him on the speakerphone with other people within earshot, but he pretended it didn’t and said, “Aha, the best audience I could have hoped for.  I just received a call from my Associated Press source.  I’m told a story is coming over the wire stating we’ve broken the top Soviet Naval code.”

Marty looked at the Admiral, each with a stunned expression on their faces then Marty quickly scrawled a note.

President Dempsey replied, “Well, Darrel, you really come up with some good ones.  I’ll check the Navy out on that,” as he read the hastily
written note. 

GET OFF THE SPEAKERPHONE AND SAY YOU’LL CALL HIM BACK ON A DIFFERENT LINE.  THEN TELL HIM WE PLANTED THE STORY BECAUSE WE WANT TO DISRUPT THEIR COMMUNICATIONS.  THEY’RE A LOT LIKE US, SKEPTICAL ABOUT WHAT THEY GET FROM THE PRESS.

The President went off the speaker and told Manning he would call him back on his private line then dialed the senator’s number.  “I got rid of my company,” he lied.  “Now keep this under your hat, Darrel,” then delivered Marty’s message, paraphrased to his manner of speech.

Manning asked, “Do you think it wise to fool around like this?  Maybe the Soviets are about to pull off something big.  Perhaps we should move our meeting up.  Timely
action on your part could save a lot of American lives and property.”

“Good point, Darrel.  I’ll think on that.  Call if you have anything else for me.”

The two hung up.

The President asked Marty.  “How bad is this?”

Marty said, “Let’s hope you just bought us the twelve hours we need.  After that it’ll be too late for the news to do the Soviets any good.”

President Dempsey asked, “How did I do this?”

“By undermining the validity of the news release.  It’s your private line, sir, but it’s on a public telephone system, almost certainly
tapped at a dozen or more places.  Transcripts of your comments are most likely
at the Kremlin already and it’ll make them vacillate.  Changing the primary code in the middle of a big operation is more risk than they’ll want to take.”

The President’s face brightened.  “Next time those jackasses from CIA tell me military and intelligence are mutually
exclusive terms, I’ll know what to say.  Nice job, Captain.”

Brent’s final lingering doubt dissolved when an
Akula
passed overhead at the precise depth and speed as ordered in her sailing directions, within a mile of the designated track and off schedule by only twenty minutes.  “This is unbelievable,” he said, “unique in the annals of military history.  Never has a warring nation lost so much advantage through a single screw up.”

Jim Buchanan compared it with the loss of Robert E. Lee’s special order number 191.  Wrapped around three cigars, two union soldiers found a copy and turned it over to their commander, General George B. McClellan.  The find revealed Lee’s entire battle plan, in particular, the intended movements of his troops, a major contribution to Lee’s defeat at the Battle of Antietam.

Dan Patrick added, “But the rigid compliance with orders,” then asked, “do you suppose the zampolits keep a close check on their positions to ensure orders are being carried out?”

Buchanan replied, “If they run true to form, yes.”

Neither Brent nor Dan could resist being in the sonar shack for the initial contact with the enemy.  Shortly, the call to battle stations came and the Denver crew commenced their initial MACEDONIAN attack.

The conning officer
briefed Captain Buchanan on the tactical situation when he arrived at the Attack Center.  The ship transitioned from normal cruise to full combat readiness.

Once in the
Akula’s
baffles and assured
Denver
would not be detected
,
Buchanan took the 1MC mike for the general announcements system and addressed the crew, “This is the Captain speaking,” he said in a firm voice and chose words to enhance the crew’s confidence.  “We are in contact with the enemy, an
Akula
class submarine.  She is opening to the north and gives no indication of having detected us.  We’ll let the target open to beyond his effective counterattack range and fire two Sealance missiles at him.  I expect all hands to give their best.  I’ll keep you informed.” 

The crew liked this,
one of many changes since the tenure of Buchanan’s predecessor.  This new skipper made each crewman feel the importance of his role in the ship’s mission.  They liked that.

Captain Buchanan released the 1MC press-to-talk switch, turned his attention to the Attack Center Battle Station crew and calmly said in a soft, controlled tone, “Well gentlemen, let’s find out how good we are at a submarine
first,
letting a target get by and open to long-range.  Dan, when will the target be there?”

“Computed target will reach firing range in twenty-three minutes, Captain.”

Buchanan nodded.  “Thank you, Dan.  Jack, that gives us enough time for two streets of cribbage … you ready for another lesson?”

Astonished, Jack Olsen quickly
read Buchanan’s strategy.  He’d just expressed confidence in the attack party.  “You’re on, Skipper.”  The two disappeared, heading for the wardroom.

Broad grins spread across each face in the Attack Center.  Even the stoic Jacques Henri could not resist initiating an exchange of wit.  “Now what’s different about this picture?”

Brent replied, “Don’t know, Henri.  For some reason I find it hard to remember.”

Twenty minutes later, Dan announced on the 21MC, “Captain, Conn.  Three minutes till shoot, sir.  Brent recommends spin up the birds, flood and open the outers.”

“Do it,” came Buchanan’s casual reply.

Dan demanded over the 21MC, “Sonar, Conn, hear anything?”

Gary Hansen’s voice replied, “Nothing hard, Conn.  Occasional transients on the generated bearing line.”

“Conn aye, sonar.  Give us a mark on the next one for fire control.  Pay attention all the way ’round.  Don’t let Ivan sneak up and get us napping.  We’ll give it one more baffle clear and we’re ready to shoot.”

Hansen replied, “Sonar, aye.”

With the baffle clear maneuver completed, Hansen reported, “No contacts, Conn.  Here’s a mark for fire control.  A good one.”

Dan ordered, “Conn aye, sonar.  Match bearings, Brent.”

“Matched,” replied Brent.

Next, Dan notified Buchanan over the 21MC, “Captain, Conn ready to fire, sir.”

With his trademark soft monotone, Buchanan asked, “What are we waiting for?”

Initially taken aback by the captain’s casual approach, Dan quickly recovered.  “Final bearing and shoot!” he ordered.

Brent called out, “Bearing matched, fire one!”

The launcher gave its customary shudder as it expelled the new missile into the seaway.

Sonar reported unnecessarily, “Rocket motor start.” 

The booster ignited at the surface and the noise could be
heard in the Attack Center on the underwater telephone speaker.  The long-range combined with
Denver
being in the target’s baffles prevented the event from being detected by the hapless
Akula
.

Buchanan called on the 21MC, “Conn, Captain.  I’ll be in sonar.  Check fire on two but be ready.  We’ll use the bearing to the MK-50 explosion as a spot when we hear it.”

Dan replied, “Conn aye, Captain.”

Grinning, Brent asked, “Why didn’t you ask who won the cribbage game, Dan?”

Hansen reported, “Torpedo running on the target bearing line.”

Brent exclaimed, “Damn!  Now if we only
got the range right!”

Seconds later the rumble of
a warhead explosion sounded over the underwater telephone.  Cheers erupted throughout the Attack Center.

Hansen reported, “Conn, Sonar, explosion.  Can no longer hear the MK-50.”

“Conn, aye, Sonar.  Listen closely and see if you can find out what the target’s doing.”

Five miles north of the wounded
Akula
, SSN 637 Class USS
Clamagore
heard the same commotion and scanned the area with short periscope looks.  Suddenly
a huge black hull pushed its way above the waves and
Clamagore
released a previously
readied salvo of two Encapsulated Harpoon Cruise Missiles.  At mach point eight five, it didn’t take long for them to reach the target.  In less than a minute, each bird made its terminal maneuver and cracked into the hull of the unsuspecting submarine. Just minutes later the foundering
Akula
disappeared beneath the waves forever.

Identical scenes played out six more times across the lower boundary of MACEDONIAN, destroying the entire Soviet screen.  Satellites received reports from the laser equipped 688s and rebroadcast them to the MACEDONIAN Flagship.

Commodore Eric Danis said to
Denver
’s new commanding officer, “Ya know, Skipper, I’m sure glad the Soviets obey the rules.  Do you think they even close cover before striking?”

Denver
joined other SUBPAC 688s and 637s making their way into what history would record as The Bering Sea Fish Barrel Shoot.  MACEDONIAN units charged with disrupting the Soviet offshore screen succeeded beyond their wildest dreams, again because the Soviets followed instructions to the letter.  The Soviets sacrificed stealth, the most important submarine asset and paid for it dearly.

U.S. forces dispatched twelve Soviet offshore screen units before the Soviets caught on and sent desperate messages to the Northern Fleet units ordering them to withdraw and advising the
Zhukov
maneuver had been compromised.  Most of the soviet submarines well south in the Bering Sea en route to the Pacific Ocean received the warning too late.  By then, SUBLANT units had completed their transits and blocked the Soviet escape routes.

Commodore Danis ordered transmission of instructions to attack.

FLASH PRECEDENCE TO ALL MACEDONIAN UNITS.  INITIATE ATTACK ON NORTHERN FLEET 130130Z.  PICK ONE OUT OF THE FLOCK AND SHOOT.  GOOD HUNTING AND GOD BLESS.  ERIC DANIS SENDS.

High radiated noise levels from the older Soviet ships masked the approaching attackers who fired at point-blank range.  Some units, having received the withdraw message and hearing distant explosions, retired toward shallow water and surfaced, hoping to take cover among the many inlets in the Kamchatka Peninsula.  American submarines followed as close as they dared and attacked with anti-ship missiles.  MACEDONIAN units performed like a school of hungry sharks in a feeding frenzy.

Finally, Commodore Danis said to Captain Jim Buchanan, “I think we’ve done as much good as we can.  I’m concerned our guys might get too cocky and take unnecessary risks.”

Jim nodded.  “I agree, Commodore.  The fight actually ended when we took out their high priced hardware.  But additional kills boost the morale factor.  The country needs this.”

Danis replied, “Good, Jim.  Draft a withdraw message.  I’d like score reports as units cross a line two hundred miles southeast of Kamchatka.  It’s risky, but folks at home are long overdue for some good news.”