SSN - Tom Clancy [120]
"Conn, sonar, two explosions, both bearing 250. Lost the Akula, Master 130, in the explosions."
And when the reverberations died out, the ocean was silent. Too silent, because the two Kilos had slowed to three knots when they heard the first explosion to their south.
Mack cleared the area to the north, not knowing he was closing on the Kilos. That was not a mistake; it was the next phase of Mack's search plan for sanitizing the Taiwan area.
As Mack was approaching communications (periscope) depth to report the attack on the three Akulas, radio reported that they had lost the broadcast on the floating wire. The wire was dead and would have to be changed out.
That was a mistake, for the motor reel noise was detected by the slinking Kilos, even before Cheyenne's radiomen had completed reeling the bad one into the ship past the Hne wiper.
"Conn, sonar, torpedoes in the water, ET-80s, bearing 355 and 008."
"Snap shots, tubes one and two, bearings 355 and 008 respectively," ordered the captain. Mack was not sure if the torpedoes were launched by Akulas or by Kilos. But H didn't matter. If the culprits were Kilos, they shot first.
"Conn, sonar, we have the submarines. They're Kilos, Captain, single six-bladed screws speeding up. The torpedoes are heading right for them." Mack and all of his officers, as well as all of the sonar men, knew the screw-blade configuration of every adversary. The Akulas had seven-bladed screws which helped in differentiating between the two classes. If foolhardy enough, one could also get close enough to detect steam-flow noises, which the diesels didn't have.
"All ahead flank. Do not cavitate. Make your depth one thousand feet," ordered the captain.
Cheyenne was already beneath the first layer. In less than three minutes Cheyenne was at flank speed, on course 175, and at one thousand feet, beneath the second layer. There was a deep sound channel present, something Mack would have known if he'd been able to acquire SSXBT information. As it was, he learned of its existence from the sound-velocity profiler.
"Unit three has acquired." Then, a moment later, "Unit four has acquired."
"Cut the wires, shut the outer doors, and reload tubes three and four," ordered the captain, but they didn't have to cut the wires. Cheyenne's speed and course away from the torpedoes caused both wires to break right after acquisition.
The torpedo's guidance wires had performed beyond all expectations. They would have to inspect Cheyenne's stern area for any signs of the thin wires being entangled in either the screw, sternplanes, or rudder.
When out of danger from the ET-80 torpedoes. Mack slowed Cheyenne and turned to the west to listen.
"Conn, sonar, we have two torpedoes in the water, bearings 275 and 209," the sonar supervisor reported.
Apparently there were more Akulas out there who had picked up Cheyenne as she ran fast and deep. Now that she had slowed, she was able to detect the torpedoes.
"Conn, sonar, two explosions, bearings 359 and 002, estimate range 20,000 yards."
The Kilos, Masters 133 and 134, had experienced their first and last battle with Cheyenne.
Mack once again increased speed to flank, launched two evasion devices, and turned away from the incoming torpedoes. As he did so, he couldn't help wondering how many other hornets' nests there were. He also ordered tubes three and four made ready, so that when he turned back to face the new Akulas, Cheyenne would be ready. He kept the muzzle doors shut, though, until he slowed. Once they were open, he would point the direction in which he expected the Akulas to be. Mack actually didn't care if they were Akulas or Sierras. They had shot first.
His orders were acknowledged and executed with Cheyenne's usual thoroughness and professionalism.