“Sir.”
PRIORITY RED
R 2713555Z JUL 86 ZY10
STONEWALL JACKSON
CIA-OPS// ID C796TF722//
TO CIA OPS LANGLEY//COMSUBPAC//N18//
NAVAL INTEL OPS/04
MSGID/STONEWALL JACKSON 479/ ACTUAL//
MSG BEGINS:/7
GULF OF OMAN. IN AN ACTION AGAINST ESCORTS, TWO PLAN SHANG CLASS SSN DESTROYED. AM FOLLOWING TWO CARGO SHIPS INTO STRAIT OF HORMUZ. YOUR ORDERS?
MSG END//
NATHAN, NIKKI AND LARRY Sayers sat at the Wardroom table.
Nathan stared at the pair of them and then looked at the ceiling.
“What’s your view on what we’ll get back from the Pentagon?” There was a knock on the door, a sailor opened the door and set down a tray of Oreos and coffee.
“Thanks.”
“I’ll be outside if you need any more Sir.” He left.
“I can’t see us being told to sink them immediately,” said Larry.
“Why?” asked Nathan.
“Too simple,” said Nikki.
Nathan slyly smiled at her. “You’re learning how to speak Pentagonese Nikki.”
He took a drink of his coffee and carefully set down the cup. He sighed.
“Assume they have us follow the ships into the Strait of Hormuz, we’ll be seriously outnumbered.”
“Yeah, the Pentagon must want the ships to be dropped, otherwise why send us half way around the world following them?”
“I know Larry,” said Nikki, “but we are dealing with the Pentagon. The easy thing to do would have been to sink them in the Strait of Malacca.”
“The system doesn’t like it easy,” said Nathan, “what’s our main threat?” Nikki took out her Tablet and accessed the idiot's guide to CENCOM area forces and equipment.
“Iran. ASW capabilities. Three Frigates armed with 324mm torpedoes, Sonar 174 type. One has two Bell-Agusta 212 helicopters, it’s not known what their anti-submarine capability is.
Three Kilo class boats. Various other classes, around four boats in total and twenty-one Ghadir class,” she looked at the two of them, “we’ve already met one of those.
Ten Sea King anti-shipping and anti-submarine helicopters. ASW Sonar and weapon types unknown, but not thought to be very capable. They also have a large number of missile equipped patrol boats and fast launches, but these focus on surface threats.” Nathan rested his elbows on the table, his hands raised with fingertips touching.
“So, three surface vessels with limited capability. Three Kilo and twenty-one Ghadir class boats. We can make a reasonable assumption that some of these assets will be unavailable due to maintenance, crewing shortages, et al.”
“Can we?” asked Nikki.
“We can. These guys aren’t supermen, they’ll be fighting the same bureaucratic battles that we do.”
Larry leaned forward. “As we get closer to Bandar Abbas their defensive intensity will increase. The job will get more difficult until it’s finally impossible. The top brass needs to get their heads above the five sided foxhole.”
“Nathan,” said Nikki, “you need to shove a Gerbil up their asses.” Nathan nodded and stood.
“I’ll think about it, in the meantime let’s prepare for battle.”
Nathan grabbed some rack time, he awoke, took some breakfast in the galley and walked forward to the command room.
“Any orders from the CNO?” Lemineux shook his head. Nathan sat at his console and wrote out a few words.
“Raise the mast and transmit this.”
“Yes Sir.” The message arrived by satellite in the Pentagon and Pearl Harbor.
MSGID/STONEWALL JACKSON 479/ ACTUAL//
MSG BEGINS:/08
SIRS, YOUR TASK AWAITS YOU. A VESSEL OF WAR IS READY TO ACT. COMMAND US TO ATTACK AND THEN SIR WE WILL GIVE THEM THE BAYONET. FAIL TO DO SO, AND A VAST HOST WILL PERISH. - STONEWALL JACKSON AND NATHAN BLAKE. YOUR ORDERS?
MSG END//
He let the XO read it, who gave him the thumbs up. He then passed it to Lieutenant Kaminski. She smiled at him warmly with her alluring eyes. “Perfect Sir. The Gerbil is on its way.” Nathan looked to an officer sat at his nearby console.
“Weaps. Standby to give them the bayonet.”
Chapter 15
USS STONEWALL JACKSON sailed west in the gloom below the sun sparkled waters of the Gulf of Oman. She was heading toward the world’s oil artery.
Nathan had just got back from his ship’s inspection rounds. “Kaminski, where are we now?”
“Sir, we’ve come to a heading of north northwest. We’re off the UEA coast, heading to the east of the Northern Oman peninsula. We’re one hundred and twenty miles from Bandar Abbas. Around fifty miles from the Strait of Hormuz proper.”
“Roll on Roll off ships are six miles ahead of us,” said Benson.
“Weaps, designate them as Tango one and two.”
“Aye Sir.”
“You’re optimistic Sir. It’s only been five hours since you requested orders?”
“I know XO, but we’ve got to be prepared.”
“Sir, I’m picking up a possible contact. Subsurface. I’d like to go quiet.”
“All stop,” said Nathan.
“All stop aye.” The boat’s drive was shut down and she coasted slowly forward, generating little noise. The minutes passed by.
“Sir, I think we have a contact, probable Kilo. Range six miles, speed ten knots heading south.” He knew this was a dangerous very quiet opponent, a Russian made diesel electric boat. It was so quiet it was known as the black hole. The Kilo was fitted with sophisticated sonar and type 53 torpedoes, range fourteen miles, speed fifty MPH.
“Where will his course take him Benson?”
“Sir, he should come to our left. I’d guess within two miles of us.” Nathan knew the Kilo may be expecting the two ships to have a tail.
“Weaps, designate Kilo as Tango three.”
“Aye Sir.”
“We’ll stay quiet and wait. Let me know if he turns.” It was time to wait. After fifteen minutes Benson reported.
“Sir, Tango three is now range three miles, no course change.”
“Weaps, compute firing solution, tube one.” Nathan waited for the Black Hole to get closer.
The minutes went by. “Sir, Tango three is now one mile range, he’s point six miles to port. Still ten knots.”
“Hold still and quiet.” Nathan knew at some point the Kilo would decide to give up and turn back to follow its two charges. But when?
“Sir, the Kilo is passing our position.”
“Keep me posted Benson.”
“Tango three is point five miles off our port rear quarter.”
“Planesman, four knots light left rudder, turn slowly to port. Come to south southwest. Weps, flood tube one.”
“Tube one flooded Sir.”
“Tango three is now south southwest, range point four miles.” The Kilo was now just south of them and still making way. He knew it would soon decide the area was clear.
“Sir, Tango is coming about. Tango three is turning slowly towards us, coming to his port.”
Weaps, open outer door tube two. Make ready. Update firing solution.”
“Tango three is slowing Sir.” Nathan knew he was going quiet to listen to his area of operations, it was possible he’d hear them, the Kilo was equipped with the sensitive MGK 400E sonar.
“Tube one is ready in all respects Sir.” This was it.
“Weaps, launch tube one. Aim amidships, dive the fish prior to impact, be ready to climb up into him.” From up front came a whoosh sound.
“Fish is running, good launch, running and hungry.” The room tensed, many of the crew looked to Weaps.
“Range, point two miles,” said Benson excitedly, “gas escape, he’s flooding and opening a tube, he’s rushing. Tango three has launched countermeasures.”