The Weapons Officer had the Dummies guide up on his screen. “Two tubes, Russian 53-65KE torpedoes. Sir. Phased array active homing, wire guided. Range, enough for this encounter, speed fifty one miles per hour.”
“Designate contact as Tango one, get me a firing solution. Has he spotted us?”
“Firing solution laid in, Sir. Mk 48 CBASS in tubes one two and three.”
“Weaps, get tube two ready.”
“Sir, tube flooded, outer doors open.” There was a ping against the hull, you didn’t need a headset on to hear it.
“He’s seen us now. Arm tube two.” Four miles was no distance, he knew this was a duel at twenty paces.
“Tube two fault, torpedo not arming.” Shit.
“Ready tube three.”
“Sonar, fish in the water.”
Damn. He calculated how long until it would be here; four minutes, 48 seconds.
“Weaps was on the line to the torpedo room, he knew to let him get on with it.
“Sonar. Fish now two miles.”
“Get countermeasures ready to port and starboard.” These would spin out from the boat emitting boat like sounds and blowing air out to create bubbles of confusion for the incoming torpedo.
“Tube three flooded, outer doors open. Ready in all respects.”
“Launch tube three.” There was a rushing sound up forward.
“Fish away. She’s tracking. The fish is hungry.”
“Sonar. Incoming fish one point one miles.” His voice showed signs of the stress they all felt. “Incoming fish point seven miles. Fish hunting, it’s turning around looking.”
Maybe it had lost lock?
“Steady now,” said Nathan. He didn’t feel too steady himself, but he couldn’t show it.
“Incoming fish locked on, point three miles. ” You could feel spirits fall and a few men cursed and sighed. The torpedo raced in on USS Stonewall Jackson at fifty miles an hour.
“Point two miles.” Nathan checked his wristwatch and waited. “Eject noisemakers.”
“Noisemakers ejected Sir.”
“Come hard to port on my mark,” he counted down the seconds, get it right, “now.” The boat heeled to the left. There was nothing else left to do.
“Sonar. Fish has gone for the noisemaker.” The control room cheered. There was a loud boom and the boat rolled to the left, then pulled up to normal as the sea turbulence subsided.
“Sonar. Our fish is running in. It’s gone active, pinging. Closing now, the revs are up. Hot datum. Hot datum. On target, yes. Sub is ripping up, she’s going down. We got her.” The control room cheered and exchanged high fives.
“Ok, ok,” said Nathan, “that could have been us. Let’s get back to work people. Well done.” He smiled.
“Reload tube three with Mk 48 CBASS and find out what’s wrong with tube two.”
He looked to his XO. “If they don’t know already, they’ll know soon that they’ve lost a boat. They’ll be pissed.”
Now we’ve got the momentum, thought Nathan, how do we use it?
“YOU’RE TELLING ME WE do nothing, nothing? Crazy bozo is laughing at us and we just sit here like a bleeding heart surrender monkey from Vermont?”
The National Security Adviser knew he’d have to play this one carefully.
“No, Mr President, but we’ll look weak if we just start shooting from the hip. We have to out think these guys. Be patient, but be ready with both barrels when the time’s right.”
“I’m all out of patience with this fat fuck.”
“Can we get two coffees in here, Mr President?”
“What?” The President stared at him. “Yeah, why not.” He pressed the call button. “Two coffees in here. OK. Yes, Penny.”
THIS HAD TO WORK FOR Peekaboo’s sake, thought Stockhaisen. Penny set the coffees down and left. He’d have to try.
“I think it’s like the Tortoise and the Hare, Mr President. We’d be wise to play the Tortoise for now. Let me get together with the brass at the Pentagon and we’ll find a way to smoke him out. His ass’ll be handed to him on a plate when we’re done.”
The President considered. “Ok, but I get to bitch slap that mother?”
“Yeah, all you want.”
“Ok, you’ve got your time. But I want his ass and I want it roasted.”
The National Security Advisor smiled. “Would you like fries and pickle with that?”
“RIG TRIM TO ASCEND fore and aft. Up bubble fifteen. Come to periscope depth.” The deck tilted to the rear and all leaned forward. The planesman pushed forward on the yoke and the deck levelled.
“Stream the communications buoy.”
Nathan walked over to the communications officer’s console.
“Lieutenant Commander Lemineux send this to COMSUBPAC.” Nathan handed him a note.
“Sir.”
PRIORITY RED
R 271345Z JUL 86 ZY10
STONEWALL JACKSON
PACFLT// ID S072RQ81//
TO COMSUBPAC PEARL HARBOR HAWAII//N1//
NAVAL OPS/02
MSGID/STONEWALL JACKSON 479/ ACTUAL//
MSG BEGINS://
REQUEST BIGBIRD TAKE ON MAYANG-DO ISLAND BASE. SEOPUNG MOORING.
EASTERN APPROACHES TO SINPO AND MAYANG-DO.
MSG END//
THE EVOLVED ENHANCED CRYSTAL reconnaissance satellite USA-186 received the command to burn its motor, lowering its orbit to a perigee of one hundred and forty miles over Eastern Korea. The burn occurred over Haxix, followed by the longer burn to correct the orbital inclination of the satellite to pass over the correct north south position required. The exposures would be taken over Sinpo, on the North Korean east coast.
Each of the Bigbird satellites cost more to make and launch than a nuclear powered Nimitz class aircraft carrier. It could resolve its image down to a couple of inches. Bigbird passed over its target at 17,000mph, shooting multiple times. The motor burned again to return it to a higher apogee. When it crossed the Pacific and was over CONUS, its onboard computer linked up with the NRO via area 58, classified location, but thought by many to be Fort Belvoir, Northern Virginia.
The processed files were transferred and stored securely by the NRO, then the results passed to COMSUMPAC Pearl Harbor.
HOURS LATER, USS STONEWALL Jackson returned to periscope depth and picked up the take relayed from the reconnaissance satellite USA-186.
Lemineux transferred the images to an 11” tablet.
“Here you go Sir.”
“Thanks. Flood forward one”, said Nathan, “open and trim vents fore and aft. Make for depth. Down bubble fifteen, make your depth sixty. All stop. XO, Kaminski. Wardroom.” They made their way aft. “I’m going to the galley for three coffees.”
The XO and Nikki Kaminski sat.
“War committee, Kaminski, that’s a new one for you,” said the XO.
“It is, I was nervous at first but I’m getting more used to it now.”
“You’re doing fine, just tell it like you see it. That’s what he wants. You bring a fresh eye.”
Nathan returned with the coffees. “So we have a recent Bigbird pass. Let’s give it a good looking over.” They spent five minutes viewing and zooming in on the details. The resolution was stunning.
“So what’s your view?”
“I can’t see any evidence of net fixings on the mainland or the island side. Nor any in the berthing area of the Seopung,” said Larry, “but they’re clearly there at the western entrance.”
“Mines?” said Nikki.
“Could be,” Nathan rubbed his temples. “You don’t normally use them in that situation, but who knows how the PRKN think?”