Treason, page 24
Patzke stopped behind each of the combat control consoles to examine the target solutions, then tapped the middle fire control technician. The watchstander pressed a button on his console and the XO announced, “Solution ready.”
The fire control technician at the Weapon Control Console sent the course, speed, and range of their target to the MK 48 torpedo in tube One, along with the target search presets. A few seconds later, the Weapons Officer reported, “Weapon ready.”
“Ship ready.” Lieutenant Cody announced. The torpedo countermeasure launchers were armed.
Michigan was a single button push away from firing.
The Russian Kilo continued its approach toward Michigan, but the three combat control consoles still had markedly different ranges to the target.
The Sonar Supervisor’s voice came across the Conn speakers. “Conn, Sonar. Mechanical transients from Master one. Contact is opening torpedo tube outer doors.”
Wilson acknowledged Sonar’s report, then turned on the 2-JV speaker on the Conn, listening to communications in the Engine Room. Main Seawater had been restored and they were drawing a vacuum in both main condensers, but it wasn’t low enough yet. If they sent steam into the turbines before there was sufficient vacuum on the other end, the steam would back up, bringing the turbines to a halt.
A sonar ping echoed through Michigan’s hull, coming from the approaching Kilo. The Russian crew was dealing with the same question as Wilson’s—what was the target’s range? With a steady, bow-on approach, the Russian captain had skipped the valuable maneuvers his fire control algorithms needed to determine the target’s range. He had two options: maneuver to the side to get a crossed-bearing range, or go active. Going active was much quicker, but would give his submarine’s presence away. The Russian captain had guessed correctly; Michigan was already aware of the Kilo’s approach.
Wilson moved to the front of the Conn, preparing to launch a torpedo, either when the Kilo fired or propulsion was restored. He listened intently to the Engine Room communications in the background, and the report he was waiting for finally came across the Conn speaker.
“Conn, Maneuvering. Ready to answer all bells.”
Wilson announced, “Match sonar bearings and shoot!”
The Weapons Officer ordered the torpedo launched, and Wilson heard the whirr of the ejection pump impulsing the torpedo from the tube.
“Helm, ahead flank!” Wilson ordered. “Hard left rudder, steady course one-three-zero! Launch decoy, hold jammer!”
The Helm turned the rudder hard left and twisted the Engine Order Telegraph to ahead flank. The submarine’s engines sprang to life, sending tremors through the deck. A few seconds later, a fire control technician called out, “Decoy away!”
The torpedo decoy had been launched none too soon, because Sonar reported, “Torpedo launch transients from Master one, bearing two-five-zero!” Seconds later, a report blared from the speakers, “Torpedo in the water, bearing two-five-zero!”
Wilson examined the red line on the geographic display, with new lines appearing every ten seconds. The bearing to the torpedo remained constant.
Either they weren’t moving out of the way fast enough, or the torpedo had been fired from long range. Hopefully, it was the latter, which would give Michigan time to slip away before the torpedo approached within acquisition range.
Michigan picked up speed and completed its turn. Wilson glanced at the torpedo bearing again. It was drifting to starboard. A good sign. The torpedo hadn’t yet acquired Michigan and was continuing on its preset course.
After Michigan moved far enough away from its decoy, Wilson ordered, “Launch jammer.”
The fire control technician complied and an acoustic jammer was launched, placing a blinding field of noise between the decoy and Michigan in the hope the torpedo would see only the decoy and not the larger object speeding away.
Wilson confirmed the torpedo remained on its original course, then turned his attention to their weapon, which was inbound toward the Russian submarine at medium speed.
Lieutenant Commander Patzke announced, “Possible target zig, Master one, due to downshift in frequency.”
The Russian submarine was mimicking Michigan, turning away and no doubt launching torpedo countermeasures to fool the incoming torpedo. The bearings to the Kilo submarine were almost steady despite Michigan’s speed and course change, which meant the Russian captain had turned in the same direction as Michigan. They were now on almost parallel courses, albeit slightly opening.
“Confirm target zig, Master one. Target turned to starboard and increased speed. Set solution anchor range at five thousand yards.”
Five thousand yards. That was the last bit of information they needed.
“Weps, give me a steer recommendation.”
The Weapons Officer studied the Weapon Control Console display, examining their torpedo’s track and the updated target solution as the fire control technician simulated various steer commands.
“Recommend right six-zero.”
Wilson ordered, “Insert steer, right six-zero, tube One.”
The fire control technician sent the order to their torpedo over the guidance wire, and they watched the torpedo turn right.
“Tube One has accepted steer.”
Although their torpedo had been set back onto an intercept course with the Russian submarine, it still had to deal with the decoy and jammer the Russian crew had undoubtedly launched.
“Sonar, Conn. Have you detected decoy or jammer deployment?”
“Conn, Sonar. Yes, sir. Decoy bears two-seven-zero and jammer bears two-six-two.”
Patzke overheard the report and ordered one of the fire control technicians to insert symbols at the appropriate bearings, using the anchor range to the target before it maneuvered. The two symbols appeared on the display.
Michigan’s MK 48 MOD 7 torpedo was quite capable, usually able to identify small objects pretending to be a submarine as decoys, and able to see through jammers to some extent. But Wilson didn’t want to take a chance the Russian countermeasures were newer, more capable versions.
“Pre-enable tube One,” Wilson ordered.
The Weapons Officer sent the command to the torpedo, which turned off its sonar and search algorithms. Wilson stepped from the Conn, stopping behind the Weapons Officer and fire control technician, watching the MK 48 proceed along its ordered course.
After the torpedo passed the decoy and jammer symbols, Wilson ordered, “Enable tube One.”
The Weps complied, activating the torpedo’s sonar. Their MK 48 was close to acquisition range. If the steer was accurate enough, not even another maneuver by the Russian captain would save him.
Wilson returned his attention to the incoming Russian torpedo, which appeared to be attacking Michigan’s decoy. However, it wouldn’t be long before the Russian crew directed it onto a new intercept course with Michigan. Hopefully, the Russian crew would become preoccupied with their survival.
The Weapons Officer reported, “Detect!”
Their steer had been good enough, and Wilson’s decision to run the torpedo past the Russian countermeasures had worked superbly.
A few seconds later, the Weps announced, “Acquired!,” indicating the torpedo had verified the detection was a submarine.
The torpedo surged to maximum speed and increased its ping rate to more accurately calculate an intercept course. It would close the remaining distance in less than a minute, making course adjustments while the target maneuvered, likely giving the Russian crew insufficient time to insert a torpedo steer.
Wilson focused on the Russian torpedo again, which was circling back for another attack on Michigan’s decoy. So far, so good.
The seconds counted down, and then the sound of an explosion rumbled through Control, followed by Sonar’s report. “Torpedo explosion on the bearing to Master one.”
Wilson examined the Russian torpedo, which was still preoccupied with the decoy. Michigan had survived.
He was about to order a slower speed when Sonar reported, “Conn, Sonar. Detect a loud flow tonal coming from own-ship, starboard side.”
It must be the torpedo hole in the hull. As Michigan increased speed, the water flowing down the hull was interacting with the jagged metal surrounding the blast point, creating a flow tonal. With the Russian Kilo vanquished, it was time to slow down, blending into the Black Sea again.
“Helm, ahead two-thirds.”
Michigan’s speed tapered off and the adrenaline coursing through Wilson’s body began to fade. He stopped by a combat control console and examined where they were in the Black Sea. As he evaluated where to head next, an urgent report blasted from the Conn speakers.
“Torpedo in the water, bearing zero-nine-zero!”
A red bearing line appeared on the display. Michigan had been traveling at ahead flank, reducing the range of its spherical array while putting a tremendous amount of noise into the water due to the high speed and flow tonal from the damaged hull. There was another Russian submarine out there, probably the third Kilo, which had tracked Michigan during its evasion and had developed a firing solution.
“Helm, ahead flank! Hard right rudder, steady course one-eight-zero. Launch countermeasures.”
Michigan was still at high speed and it didn’t take long to turn to the evasion course. Wilson listened for the reports of torpedo decoy and jammer launches, then focused on the enemy submarine. Unfortunately, they didn’t hold it on sonar and had no idea where it was or where it was headed, except that it had launched its torpedo from the east.
“Quick Reaction Firing, tube Two, bearing zero-nine-zero!”
Lieutenant Commander Patzke tapped one of the fire control technicians on the shoulder, who entered the ordered bearing.
Patzke announced, “Solution ready.”
The Weapons Officer followed. “Weapon ready.”
“Ship ready,” Lieutenant Cody reported.
“Shoot on generated bearings,” Wilson ordered.
The torpedo was impulsed from the tube, then turned east. It was a shot in the dark, aimed at where the enemy submarine had fired from as opposed to where it was headed, but it would have to do. Wilson focused again on the incoming torpedo. The red bearing lines were stacking on top of each other. The torpedo was on an intercept course.
“Helm, hard right rudder, steady course three-zero-zero.”
Wilson turned away from the incoming torpedo, reversing course to the northwest. As long as the torpedo hadn’t acquired Michigan or it wasn’t steered toward them, they’d escape. After Michigan steadied on its new course, the torpedo bearings drew steadily aft on the submarine’s starboard stern. Then the bearing drift halted.
“Damn it,” Wilson muttered. The torpedo had been steered back toward them. It was unclear how far away the torpedo was, but the rate at which it drew aft before it steadied indicated it was close and would acquire Michigan soon. Drastic action was required, beyond another course change.
Wilson glanced at the sound velocity profile recording by the Ship Control Panel, which reported the speed of sound as it varied by depth. During Michigan’s last trip to periscope depth to retrieve the SEAL RHIB, they had passed through a strong thermal layer, with its lower boundary at two hundred feet.
The thermocline was a thin layer of water where the temperature transitioned rapidly between the warm surface heated by the sun and the cold water beneath. Submarines used thermoclines to their advantage because the rapid temperature change bent sound waves as they traveled through the layer, reflecting the sound back toward its source like light reflecting off a window. Depending on the frequency and angle of the sound wave, some tonals wouldn’t make it through. If Michigan could pass through the layer before the torpedo acquired, they’d have a chance.
“Dive, make your depth nine-zero feet. Use thirty up.”
Wilson ordered Michigan shallow, placing the sail only fifteen feet from the surface. The massive stern planes rotated, tilting the submarine until a thirty-degree up-angle was achieved. With Michigan at ahead flank, the submarine shot toward the surface.
The Dive called out the depth change in one-hundred-foot increments, ordering a zero bubble as they passed through two hundred feet, hoping to arrest Michigan’s ascent at the ordered depth. The deck leveled off as the submarine passed one hundred feet, with the keel settling out at ninety feet as ordered.
Wilson monitored the water temperature as his submarine came shallow. There was a strong thermal layer, but there was no way to know if the gradient was sufficient without running sound-velocity profiles on the submarine’s computers. There wasn’t enough time.
“Helm, all stop.”
The Throttleman in the Engine Room shut the ahead throttles, and the screw coasted down. Now that they were shallow and at a lower sea pressure, the submarine’s screw would cavitate when spinning at ahead flank, serving as a beacon to enemy sonars. Wilson had traded speed for silence, hoping the torpedo passed beneath the layer without detecting them.
The first indication was positive; Sonar lost the torpedo after Michigan passed through the layer, which meant the torpedo engine sound waves were bending back down. Whether the torpedo’s sonar would penetrate the layer and detect Michigan was unknown, however.
As Michigan’s speed bled down, Wilson calculated how long before the torpedo passed beneath them, using a worst-case range for the Russian torpedo shot. He checked the clock and when it approached the predicted time, he listened for Sonar’s report that they had regained the torpedo, which would’ve been bad news; it’d mean the torpedo had followed Michigan through the layer.
The time passed and there was no Sonar report. Wilson waited another minute, then another. Michigan coasted to a halt, hovering at nine-zero feet.
Wilson was confident the torpedo had passed beneath them, so he stepped from the Conn and examined the geographic display on the nearest console. Wilson’s best guess, based on the torpedo launch transient and subsequent maneuvering, was that the Russian submarine was still to the east. That meant it would head west to regain Michigan. If the layer was strong enough, Wilson would have a nice surprise for the Russian captain.
“Helm, ahead two-thirds. Hard right rudder, steady course zero-nine-zero. Sonar, Conn. Prepare to deploy the thin-line array.”
As Michigan turned toward the Russian submarine, Wilson briefed his crew.
“Attention in Control.” When all eyes were on him, he continued. “We’ve got a strong layer beneath us, which we’ll use to our advantage. The Russian captain will likely head west in an attempt to regain contact, but we won’t be where he expects us. We’re heading east, and if things work out, we’ll pass over him, then shoot from behind.
“We’re going to deploy the thin-line array, letting it drop through the layer so we can get a look at what’s going on below us. Hopefully, the Russian won’t poke his head above the layer looking for us. But if he does, we’ll shoot him in the face. Any questions?”
There were none, so Wilson announced, “Carry on.” He then addressed the Weps. “Weapons Officer. Reload and make tubes One and Two ready in all respects.”
Sonar reported they were ready to deploy the thin-line array, and it was soon trailing a thousand yards behind Michigan. Wilson checked the array scope—its trailing distance—against ship’s speed, verifying it would droop through the thermal layer, but not drag on the sea floor.
“Conn, Sonar. Hold a new towed array contact, designated Sierra two-nine, bearing one-zero-five, classified submerged. Analyzing.”
Wilson announced, “Designate Sierra two-nine as Master two. Track Master two.”
The Fire Control Tracking Party went to work, focused on generating a firing solution. While they worked on the target’s course, speed, and range, Sonar provided additional information:
“Conn, Sonar. Master two is classified Improved Kilo class, traveling at high speed.”
“Sonar, Conn. Aye,” Wilson replied.
The Russian captain had increased speed, most likely using a sprint and drift tactic to rapidly close on Michigan, slowing on occasion for a detailed sonar search. During the high-speed sprint legs, the Russian sonar would be impaired and the submarine would remain deep so its screw didn’t cavitate. Both of these factors played into Wilson’s plan.
The XO announced, “I have a firing solution.”
The Kilo was traveling at twenty knots, due west. The Russian submarine wouldn’t pass directly beneath Michigan, but close enough. The contact’s rapid closure, then opening, would result in an even more accurate solution.
As Wilson pondered the best tactic to employ, the Weapons Officer reported, “Tubes One and Two are ready in all respects.”
“Firing Point Procedures, Master two, tube One. Set minimum run to enable.”
While he waited for the required reports, Wilson announced, “I plan to remain on a course to the east, firing an over-the-shoulder shot at minimum range.”
He watched as the three combat control consoles slewed to near identical solutions, showing the target passing just south of Michigan, six hundred yards away, still headed west.
“Helm, right twenty degrees rudder, steady course one-two-zero.”
Wilson adjusted Michigan’s course to pass directly behind the Russian submarine at one thousand yards.
Lieutenant Commander Patzke tapped a fire control technician on the shoulder, who sent his solution to Weapons Control.
Patzke announced, “Solution ready.”
The Weapons Officer reported, “Weapon ready.”
“Ship ready,” the Officer of the Deck announced.
Wilson monitored Master two on the geographic display. When it opened to one thousand yards, he ordered, “Shoot on generated bearings.”
The torpedo was impulsed from the tube. Sonar then reported the status of their outgoing weapon.
“Tube One is in the water, running normally.”
