“So, I think we’ re pretty sure about the South of Japan, and then?” Nathan shrugged.
“It’s south, direct or north, what would you pick Nathan?”
“He’ll know that ASW birds will be buzzing around Hawaii like flies around steaming Moose shit. There will be some out of Kodiak Island and Unalaska, Alaska. Will he go direct, I don’t know? I don’t know the guy out there. I doubt it. I think I’d go North, but not too North. It’s a tough one, he may be a surprise us all guy and go South.”
NOW BACK IN THE CONTROL room Nathan stood by the XO.
“We’ll stand picket duty Larry. Transit a line north northeast to south southwest from Yakushima Island to Amami Island, best speed for Benson and Lucy to pick her up. After that she’ll be out into the Pacific.”
“Yes sir. Planesman come to ten degrees trim for depth, down fifteen, make your depth 400 feet, speed 15 kts. Benson, I’ll put you a long smooth curve in the lure line and then it’s a south-southwest track.” It took seven and a quarter hour to complete one leg of the search. The first pass was coming to an end Amami Island lay ahead. Larry knew it was time
“Right rudder one quarter. Come to north northeast, nice and slow, long turn Planesman.” The boat started her slow turn back to mainland Japan.
CAPTAIN WANG YITIAN, of The People’s Republic Liberation Army Navy Submarine force,
stood before the navigation Officers chart. He knew the Japanese and American foes would be out here listening for him. They were so boring and unimaginative, he’d use a trick he’d used before to slip by. Right under their noses.
“Come to seven degrees, maintain speed.” He’d slip out north of Mishima and Takeshima about five kilometres south of Sata at the end of Kagoshima peninsula. Well inside Japanese waters. He counted the minutes down on his Japanese digital wristwatch.
“Come to twenty-three degrees.” Nice and slow, just 3 miles off the enemy coast.
The guests onboard were an odd bunch, mostly political he knew, with a few Military types, he’s spoken to two Generals in the Galley. They had to cram them in as best they could, some officers and men now slept on the fish up forward. The newcomers had discovered the large torpedo room in the bow and cleared it for meetings. Apart from the two times, Yitan had insisted his crew get their sleep.
“If you want another meeting, then hold it on deck.” They’d grumbled but gave way.
Two hours later the Navigation Officer looked up from his chart.
“Sir, chart and inertial instruments tell me we are ten kilometres clear of Tanegashima Island. We are in the open sea.”
“Thank you. Increase speed three knots. Come left to forty degrees.” The Jin class boat Great Wall II, with twelve JL-2 missiles and 36 warheads, each five times more powerful than the Nagasaki bomb was on her way across the Pacific.
“OK PLANESMAN, LONG slow left hander come to south southwest, we’re just off Yakushima Island. All clear Benson?” asked the XO.
“I’m afraid so sir. Just Whales and surface shit shifters.”
A couple of minutes later Nathan returned from Engineering, he saw the course change and made a sour face.
“No sign of him?”
“No sir. I’d have thought we have a tingling by now.” Nathan stood by the Conn with the XO.
“Larry, let’s think about this. Given the time he left Qingdao I’d have expected some activity by now.”
“Me too. We know Benson and his Lucy are just about shit hot. We’ve got ziltch.”
“Either this mother is the coolest sub driver they’ve got, or we’ve missed him. He could be creeping out, hanging back. He‘ll expect we’ll be here. He could be sat back waiting quietly until we give up.”
“He could Nathan, but I doubt it. He knows he has a job to do.” Nathan sighed.
“It’s down to us. Either we hang around here with our dicks in our hands, hoping we’ll hear him. Or we run out west, also with our dicks in our hands, and follow his ghost.” Nathan shook his head. It was his call.
“Run down southeast, let’s see if the bastard’s here. After that, it’s west, into the big blue guessing game.” Nathan went back to his bunk and got some sleep, he hoped he’d need it.
“DROP LEG ROW ONE, COMING up now.” Sonobuoys started to fall from port side mounts in the rear fuselage. The loader filled the port mount with replacements. The small parachute filled as the sonobuoy fell towards the grey sea. Two yards to go the chute detached and was pulled away. The sonobuoy fell into the sea and extended its Ariel. Handshake communications linked up with the controller aboard the aircraft. The JSDF Kawasaki P-1 ASW aircraft turned northwest, it’s four IHI F7 turbofans increased revs. Two minutes later it turned left again.
“Drop leg row two, coming up now.” More sonobuoys fell into the sea. Listening, listening for a subsurface contact. The Japanese Self Defence Force aircraft had flown out of Yamato air base near Tokyo hours ago. It still had plenty of time left on station. The P-1 added revs and increased its altitude.
“Sir, I have a possible contact,” said the Weapons Officer, “I’m refining.” The Kawasaki cruised in a large arc over its two rows of sonobuoys.
“Sir, drop leg one has contact to the east.” Two minutes went by.
“Sir, drop leg two has contact too. Subsurface, six miles east, depth 100 meters, speed 14 knots, heading four zero degrees. Still refining.” The pilot Commander glanced at his Weapons Officer, he was young but very competent.
“Sir, the NEC system analyser is indicating a 73 % chance of a Jin class SSBN.”
“Good work keep monitoring it, let’s see if we can refine it.” He pulled the P-1 into a left turn and let the wings level out. He held her at 700 feet.
“Sir, leg two readings are fully applied, contact is closer now, five miles east. NEC system analyser is indicating a 79 % chance of a Jin class SSBN.”
“Ok, call it in Lieutenant Okada,”
“JSDF ASW. JSDF ASW. We are Shadow Diamond. Flash, flash, flash. Jin class SSBN 79 % contact. 32.0305N 142.9002E, depth 100 meters, speed 14 knots, heading four zero degrees. Two lines confirm contact. Copy to Dark fish.
“JSDF ASW. JSDF ASW. We are Shadow Diamond. Flash, flash, flash. Jin class SSBN 79 % contact. 32.0305N 142.9002E, depth 100 meters, speed 14 knots, heading four zero degrees. Two lines now confirm contact. Copy to Dark fish end.”
“Copy Shadow Diamond. Good work. JSDF ASW out.”
“Sir, we can put a Mk 46 or a Type 97 fish on the contact. We can sink this bastard.”
“Our orders are to report any PLAN boats out here.”
“But sir, we can be the first JSDF crew to sink an enemy boat with a Type 97.”
The Pilot Commander wished he could do exactly that, Okada was right. We could sink the Jin. But orders are to report only.
“Kento Okada, you are right. But we cannot disobey orders. We’ll keep with the Jin as long as we can and report in. but that’s it.”
THERE WAS A KNOCKING on Nathan’s cabin door.
“Sir, are you up? Sir.”
“Yes.”
“Communication urgent from COMSUBPAC sir.” Nathan got out of his bunk and pulled on his blue coverall.
The duty Communications Officer saw him enter the control room. “Comms Sir, from Pearl.”
“Run it to my screen.” Nathan sat at the Conn.
PRIORITY RED
R 251367Z MAR 91 ZY09
COMSUBPAC PEARL HARBOR HAWAII//N1//
TO STONEWALL JACKSON
PACFLT// ID S072RQ81//