Ice Station Nautilus (34 page)

He directed his Watch Officer, “Man Combat Stations silently.” Ronin acknowledged the order and word was passed to the crew via messengers. Buffanov followed up, “Shift to the electric drive.”

In the conflicting need for stealth and maximum propulsion, Buffanov chose stealth. His plan was to approach close and leave insufficient time for the American crew to counterfire, which meant
Severodvinsk
would use her electric drive instead of main engines.

Ronin relayed the order, and a few minutes later reported, “Captain, Combat Stations are manned. Propulsion has been shifted to the electric drive.”

Buffanov acknowledged, then called out, “Compensation Officer, secure from ice pick. Make your depth one hundred meters.” The Compensation Officer complied, and as
Severodvinsk
drifted downward, Buffanov added, “Steersman, ahead two-thirds. Left full rudder, steady course three-five-zero.”

As
Severodvinsk
turned toward the American submarine, Buffanov ordered his Weapons Officer, “Flood down and open muzzle doors, tubes One and Two.”

92

PRM-1
FALCON

It had taken longer than Christine expected, but the silhouette of
Dolgoruky
’s hull in the video monitor finally appeared. The PRM slowed to a hover over the submarine’s aft-compartment hatch, and the pilot adjusted the articulating skirt on the bottom of the PRM to match the angle of the stricken submarine. The next few minutes passed slowly as Ennis dewatered the transfer skirt.

After the seal was established, the pressure in the PRM was increased to match the last recorded pressure in
Dolgoruky
’s aft compartments, so there would be no pressure differential between the submarine and submersible. However, Christine wondered how they would open the submarine hatch, with no one inside the submarine to operate the handwheel.

Eddie Stankiewicz, the Auxiliary Division Chief accompanying them, explained there was a special tool for each class of submarine. Stankiewicz produced just such a tool, which looked like a large metal T. He climbed down the metal rope ladder into the transfer skirt and slid the end of the tool into an indentation in the center of the hatch fairing. He then twisted the tool, which rotated the hatch mechanism inside the submarine. After several revolutions, the hatch popped up an inch, and after several more turns, Chief Stankiewicz removed the tool and reached down, opening the hatch and locking it in place.

Stankiewicz looked up and said, “Normally, I’d say ladies first, but I need to check atmospheres.”

He handed the tool to Ennis in return for a flashlight and an atmosphere sampling kit. Stankiewicz energized the light, then climbed down into the submarine. A few minutes later, he reappeared, his head sticking out the top of
Dolgoruky
’s hatch.

“The atmosphere isn’t great, but it’s good enough,” he said.

He dropped back down, and Christine and Brackman prepared to join him.

“After you,” Brackman said.

Christine climbed down the ladder into the transfer skirt, then descended into the darkness, guided only by the single beam of Chief Stankiewicz’s flashlight.

93

K-329
SEVERODVINSK
• USS
MICHIGAN

SEVERODVINSK

“Steady on course three-five-zero.”

Josef Buffanov acknowledged the Steersman’s report. They were headed toward the American guided missile submarine, only five thousand meters away based on their earlier solution. Hydroacoustic had not yet detected its presence again, but Buffanov was not surprised. If the American submarine was hovering, there would be no propulsion tonals, and the feedwater, cooling, and lube oil systems would be running in slow speed, supporting only the turbine generators.

Four thousand meters away.

Finally, Buffanov received the report he’d been awaiting. “Command Post, Hydroacoustic. Hold a new narrowband contact on the spherical array, designated Hydroacoustic four-nine, bearing three-five-two. Analyzing.”

Hydroacoustic would perform due diligence, comparing the received frequencies to their database and previous contacts. It didn’t take long.

“Command Post, Hydroacoustic. Contact four-nine is classified Ohio class submarine, a regain of contact four-eight.”

Buffanov called out, “Attention in the Command Post.” The watchstanders turned in his direction and he continued, “We will engage Hydroacoustic four-nine once we determine an adequate solution. We will also fire simultaneously at
Dolgoruky,
in case the American submarine survives and makes our return to the area difficult. Any questions?”

After no one responded, Buffanov issued the orders. “Prepare to fire salvo from tubes One and Two. Assign tube One to Hydroacoustic four-nine and tube Two to
Yury Dolgoruky
. Tube One will be fired first.”

First Officer Novikoff stopped by the navigation table. After examining the location of
Yury Dolgoruky
on the chart, he sent the coordinates to Weapons Control, then focused on determining a solution for the American submarine. The bearing was known, as was the speed, assuming the guided missile submarine was hovering. Both fire controlmen matched the bearing to the contact and entered zero knots. However, they needed to verify the range.

Novikoff announced, “Captain, request maneuver to a beam aspect.”

Buffanov accommodated the request. “Steersman, right standard rudder, steady course zero-eight-zero.”

Severodvinsk
turned to its new course, and both fire controlmen matched the new bearing rate to the American submarine, developing identical solutions. The contact was 3,200 meters away. Novikoff tapped one of the men on the shoulder and ordered, “Send solution to Weapon Control.”

Novikoff announced, “Captain, I have a firing solution on Hydroacoustic four-nine, and the coordinates for
Yury Dolgoruky
have been entered into Weapon Control.”

USS
MICHIGAN

It was just past noon aboard Wilson’s submarine, and the two off-going watch officers—the Officer of the Deck and Engineering Officer of the Watch—had just delivered their after-watch report to Wilson and were sitting down for lunch. Wilson was at the other end of the wardroom table, finishing a cup of coffee before heading to Control to relieve his Executive Officer, who was stationed as Command Duty Officer.

It was obvious that the Akula had attacked
Michigan
to prevent the SEAL detachment from interfering with the Spetsnaz’s attempt to scavenge
North Dakota
, and now that the Russian plot had been thwarted, there seemed no reason for Russia to attack again. As a precaution, however, either Wilson or his Executive Officer would be in the Control Room 24/7 until he became convinced there was no further threat or
Michigan
departed the area.

Rescue operations on
Dolgoruky
had wrapped up, but
North Dakota
needed a tow from under the ice cap, and
Michigan
had been tagged. NAVSEA was working on the problem, manufacturing the tow cable and figuring out how to attach it to both submarines. In the meantime,
Michigan
would wait. Wilson took a last sip of coffee, then headed to the Control Room to relieve his XO.

SEVERODVINSK

Buffanov stopped beside his First Officer, evaluating the solution to Hydroacoustic four-nine. The American submarine was hovering three thousand meters away. He retreated to the rear of the Command Post, where he had a clear view of all stations and awaited the remaining reports.

His Weapons Officer announced, “Ready to Fire, tubes One and Two.”

Severodvinsk
’s Watch Officer followed. “Countermeasures are armed.”

Buffanov ordered, “Steersman, prepare to shift to the main engines.” He examined the solution for the American submarine and the distance to
Dolgoruky
one final time.

Satisfied that all parameters were optimal, he announced, “Fire tubes One and Two.”

USS
MICHIGAN

Wilson had just stepped from the Wardroom when he heard the 1-MC announcement.

“Torpedo in the water! Man Battle Stations Torpedo!”

The loud
gong, gong, gong
of the submarine’s General Emergency alarm reverberated throughout the submarine as Wilson ascended the ladder to Control two steps at a time, entering as the Chief of the Watch repeated the announcement on the 1-MC. The XO, Lieutenant Commander Sparks, was hunched behind one of the fire control technicians at a combat control console, and the Officer of the Deck, Lieutenant Lake, was on the Conn. Wilson stopped beside the OOD and scanned the displays in Control, assimilating the data.

He could feel the tremors in the submarine’s deck, indicating the main engines were coming to life, and a glance at the Engine Order Telegraph by the Helm confirmed Lieutenant Lake had ordered ahead flank. The navigation repeater confirmed what Wilson already knew;
Michigan
was on course three-four-zero, depth three hundred feet.

As Wilson turned toward the sonar display, another announcement blared from the Conn speakers.

“Second torpedo in the water, bearing one-seven-two!”

Wilson examined the two white traces on the display. Both torpedoes had been fired from the south.
Michigan
needed to turn east. He didn’t wait for a turnover from his XO or Officer of the Deck.

“Helm, hard right rudder, steady course zero-nine-zero.”

The Helm twisted his rudder hard right, and
Michigan
turned slowly to the evasion course. The eighteen-thousand-ton submarine had accelerated to only five knots thus far, and
Michigan
would evade the incoming torpedoes only if they had been fired from long range. As Wilson wondered how far away they were, the announcement over the Control Room speakers gave him an indication.

“First-fired torpedo is homing!”

Wilson cursed under his breath. The first torpedo was within two thousand yards and had locked on to
Michigan
. With the torpedo already homing, a decoy would do little to distract it from the 560-foot-long submarine. However, it could still be jammed.

“Officer of the Deck, launch acoustic jammer!”

Lieutenant Lake complied, launching one of the five-inch countermeasures, then Wilson tackled the problem of where to place
Michigan
. The torpedo would be momentarily blinded, but once it passed the countermeasure, ahead would be clear water. And
Michigan
.

“Helm, all stop. Back emergency!”

Wilson decided to stop-and-drop. Rather, stop-and-rise. The best way to prevent the torpedo from locking on to the submarine was to stay near the acoustic jammer and get as close to the ice canopy as possible, hoping the jammer and sonar reflections from the ice would sufficiently confuse the torpedo. Unfortunately,
Michigan
was moving too slowly to drive to the surface quickly enough. The Hovering system wasn’t an option, either; it would adjust
Michigan
’s depth gradually. Wilson needed a radical depth change.

“Chief of the Watch, Emergency Blow all main ballast tanks!”

The Chief of the Watch stood and activated the mechanical levers above the Ballast Control Panel, porting high-pressure air to the main ballast tanks. The sound of air rushing into the tanks drowned out the conversations in Control, and Wilson felt
Michigan
rising toward the surface.

With the ballast tanks full of air, the submarine’s ascent would be uncontrolled, and it would smash into the ice above. They were either going to mangle the sail, or if the ice was thin enough to break through, they might shear off the fairwater planes on the sail. This wasn’t going to turn out well, but he had no choice.

After
Michigan
began rising rapidly, Wilson ordered the Chief of the Watch to secure the blow, then flood all variable ballast tanks, bringing on weight to decrease the rate of ascent and lessen the submarine’s impact with the ice. As the Chief of the Watch flooded water into the tanks, Wilson turned his attention to the incoming torpedoes, and the submarine that fired them.

Sonar did not hold a contact, so there was no target solution to send to the torpedo. The best they could do was get a torpedo in the water ASAP, ramming it back down the throat of whoever had attacked them.

Wilson called out, “Quick Reaction Firing, tube One, bearing one-seven-two!”

The Control Room was fully manned now, and as the Fire Control Party prepared to launch a torpedo, Wilson checked the submarine’s depth.
Michigan
’s keel was at one hundred feet and rising rapidly. They were going to smash into the ice cap any second.

Wilson grabbed on to the Conn railing as he called out, “Brace for impact!”

94

K-329
SEVERODVINSK
• K-535
YURY DOLGORUKY

SEVERODVINSK

Buffanov stood behind his Weapons Officer, monitoring the status of his outgoing torpedoes. The first torpedo was homing on the American submarine, while his second torpedo had descended to a search depth of 175 meters, as close to the bottom as possible, which would increase the probability it detected the sunken ballistic missile submarine. A rocky ocean bottom would have been problematic, but the smooth bottom of the Barents Sea should present no issue. The announcement from his Weapons Officer confirmed his assessment.

“Detect, second fired torpedo!”

Buffanov listened to the next report; their torpedo was performing as expected.

“Second fired torpedo is homing!”

On the Weapon Launch Console, the parameters updated as the torpedo increased speed and angled down toward its target.

YURY DOLGORUKY