“INTELLIGENCE HAS CONFIRMED TARGET WAS SOURCE OF RELEASED INTELLIGENCE AGENTS OFF MISSISSIPPI COAST. TARGET IS BELIVED TO BE NEW CONVENTIONAL POWERED SUB WITH NEW NUCLEAR HULL DESIGN. NO REACTOR. ILLNESS ON BOARD IS BELIEVED TO HAVE COME FROM TARGET’S RELEASE OF BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL FROM AFT TORPEDO TUBES. DO NOT TRACK FROM REAR POSITION. TARGET MISSION NOW UNKNOWN. BELIEVE TARGET IS WELL ARMED BUT MAY HAVE ORDERS NOT TO ENGAGE. MAINTAIN CURRENT ORDERS FOR TRACKING AND ID BUT DO NOT ENGAGE UNLESS TARGET TAKES AGGRESSIVE ACTION. KEY WEST AWS SQUADRON ORDERED TO YOUR LOCATION TO OVERSEE ENGAGEMENT. PROCEED WITH EXTREME CAUTION.”
After reading the message aloud, the captain said, “Belay that last course change and return to our previous course.”
The helmsman replied, “Aye, sir.”
The captain was prone to often thinking out loud. He was looking at the XO, but really talking to himself as he said, “We have a lot of new information to consider in this new communication. We have to stay away from the aft of this Target. We don’t want to follow her. She may have a hull capable of diving deep. She’s well armed but may have been ordered not to engage. We have Key West AWS squadron coming into the situation, which means they will take over our operation. I think we have limited options now, but our sonar readings may still be helpful to the CNO.” The captain now addressed the XO. “Is that the way you read it, Charlie?”
The XO was in agreement. “That pretty much sums it up, Captain.”
The captain said, “I’m going to take your charts and this message to my quarters to think about this for a while. I’ll be back within the hour.”
The XO released Hanna and he returned to his bunk.
The captain returned to Control in 45 minutes and said, “Here’s what I want to do, Charlie. I want to approach the Target at three different points, each at closer range than the prior point. Our last point will be at 3,800 yards. We take detailed readings at each point. I want the first intercept to be here,” pointing to a specific location on the chart that he had circled. “Depending on the Target’s reaction, I want to recalculate the next coordinate to intercept about here,” pointing to a second circle he had drawn.
“At all times, I want to approach where our bow is at midship and at the right angle to the Target. At no time do we follow the Target. She needs her prop wake to release and disburse the biological material and also so she can get the hell away from the biological material sticking to her own hull.”
The captain continued, “When we come into the Target’s sonar range, I want the Target seeing our smallest profile, which is at a right angle. I also don’t want to approach her from her bow or give her a side profile shot at us. I want to anticipate where she’s going to be, and be there waiting in silence for her to pass. If she goes deep on us, we’ll continue to track her until Key West arrives. Our Key West squadron will have the sonar and depth charges to deal with her at any depth.”
The XO replied, “Yes, sir. I’ll start to plot our first contact point right away.”
The Captain asked, “Where’s Hanna?”
The XO said “He was finished with his watch, and I sent him to his bunk to get some rest.”
“Send someone to get him. I want him on the helm when we start our approach.”
The XO said “Yes, sir and ordered one of the men in Control to get Hanna.
Hanna helped the XO plot the new course intercepts based on the captain’s new orders before he resumed his position at the helm.
The captain commented, “The uncertainty of these intercept points is because we don’t know the Target’s sonar range and don’t know how she’ll react when we get into her range. We will have to play it as we go.”
The first two intercept points seemed fairly safe, since the captain believed the Prowfish was outside of the Target’s sonar range. Hanna thought, “As we get closer, things will rapidly change and become more deadly.”
At the first Target intercept point, the Prowfish approached at 8,000 yards and arrived precisely on point and time and ran silent while the Target passed without detecting the Prowfish. The captain’s team had correctly estimated the Target’s next course and speed, and they were waiting silently as the Target passed the second coordinates. Excellent sonar images were obtained at each pass, using the new electronics profiles and extremely short signal bursts.
As the Prowfish approached the third coordinate at 6,000 yards, the Target immediately reacted. This confirmed to Hodges that he was now in the Target’s detection range. The Target immediately took evasive action by turning fast to port and diving. The Prowfish didn’t follow, which would have run the risk of being caught in the bio-plume. Rather it held back and waited until it was again outside the Target’s sonar range. Hodges wanted the Russian captain to believe he was well clear of the U.S. sub.
The Soviet captain was not fooled by Hodges’ maneuver. The Russian sub changed course again, this time on a straight course, heading away from the Prowfish at increased speed. It was giving the appearance that they were leaving the area.
The Russian Target could not be sure where the Prowfish was but hoped it would follow, trying to catch up. The Russian sub’s strategy now was to be in a race, with the U.S. sub following close behind. When the tailing boat least expected it, the Target planned to quickly slow its speed and release its deadly bio-plume before resuming full speed again.
Hodges had been fooled once before and wasn’t taking the bait again. Instead, he plotted a course that ran parallel to and above the Target at a distance beyond the Russian sub’s sonar range. The two subs resumed running this race at similar speeds. Hodges was surprised the Russian sub was not faster because of its new hull design. He concluded that while the Target had the more streamlined nuclear hull, it lacked the horsepower of the nuclear engine to go with it.
The two subs ran at near full speed for over two hours before the Russian boat slowed to look around for its follower. Not picking up a trailing profile on sonar screen, the Russian sub resumed its prior course.
Hodges took the chance that while the Russian captain was looking around for its follower he would maintain his course and speed and pass the Target. Hodges now knew his sonar equipment was superior and could help him keep clear of the Russian’s sonar range while he plotted his next move. His plan was to move ahead of the Russian sub before the next contact point, and then run silent as his foe passed the new intercept point. The only risk Hodges took in this strategy was that the Russians might resume another course.
Hodges was willing to take that chance, and his strategy seemed to be working. The Prowfish passed the Russian sub, and now Hodges had to carefully pick his intercept point. Hodges wanted to be stationary and silent, waiting for his adversary to approach at Hodges’ preferred angle of attack.
Just before the captain gave the order to turn for position at the final intercept point, his sonar operator called out, “Sir, I am showing a change in course direction by the Target.”
The captain held his order to turn. He wondered whether the Target had detected him or whether the Russian captain was playing a mental game and just changing course strategy. Hodges stopped engines and ordered silent running.
The sonar operator said, “Sir, the Target is turning to port and coming directly towards us.” The Russian captain for some unknown reason had chosen to turn toward the Prowfish without knowing their predator was there.
Captain Hodges immediately thought, “If this is correct, all I have to do now is wait.”