“What? It is over a thousand nautical miles to reach the western approaches to the Malacca Strait, and from there another six or seven hundred miles to make the transit. If we are pursued by the Independence, that would become another suicide mission.”
“When you depart, you will get strong air cover from all our fighters here on Sri Lanka, and the J-20’s can give you that 600 miles out.”
“Can they? Twelve were lost trying to welcome me here.”
“They were not deployed in good numbers, and overwhelmed by the American fighters, but we will correct that. We have acquired basing rights at Yangon in Burma, and the Air Force will move both fighters and bombers there.”
“The War Gods?”
“Yes, those we used to support you in Karachi. They were withdrawn to Lhasa, and will be transferred to Yangon tonight. Our fighters there will help cover the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal with those based on Sri Lanka. But there’s more. Admiral Zheng Bao has assumed command of the Taifeng group, which has returned to the South China Sea. He will maneuver to the Gulf of Thailand to extend his air cover over the isthmus into the approaches to the strait. Then, as you transit the strait, he will be moving on a parallel course on the other side of the Malayan Peninsula, so you will have J-31’s over you the entire time, from not one, but two carriers. Guandong was moved from the East China Sea to enable this.”
“And what is the opposition?”
“The Enterprise group is in the Java Sea.”
“And the Independence….” Sun Wei thought about that. “Two carriers could present an insurmountable defense. So once again, in spite of the air cover, I believe I will be on another suicide mission.”
Shen Jinlong, understood why his Admiral was so recalcitrant. He had seen so many ships and crews go into the sea, and did not want to undertake another risky operation like this. But there were mitigating factors.
“You forget that the American carriers have been at sea, and in combat, for a good long while. They, too, need to replenish in port from time to time. We have learned that the Independence has been ordered to Diego Garcia. When it gets there, that strike group will be almost a thousand nautical miles from the waters off Sri Lanka. So the quicker you replenish here, the quicker you can leave. It will give you an insurmountable lead on that carrier group, and then, with Zheng Bao’s fleet, the two of you can face down the Enterprise .”
“All this simply to recover my ten ships to home waters? What of Sri Lanka?”
“We have SAM batteries and fighters to defend it, and I do not think the Americans will attempt a landing there. You will not be under attack as you move east. You will outrun the Independence, and then drive off the Enterprise with Zheng Bao.”
Sun Wei took a deep breath. “And then that is the end of our naval presence in the Indian Ocean Theater. The Army can sit on the oil in Iraq for as long as it likes, but no ship will ever carry it to Shanghai—not while this war continues.”
“Sun Wei… if you remain at Sri Lanka, you will be isolated, just like the group that tried to hold Aden. Once they replenish, then both these American carriers will come for you here. This is our only chance to salvage what remains of your fleet. You must replenish quickly, and then race east. We have technicians and shipwrights here from China. Do not worry, the damaged Eagle God will be ready to resume operations in 24 hours. They have already boarded to assess what needs to be done. Configure your fleet, Admiral. Load out the ships as you see best. When that work is completed, and before the Independence reaches Diego Garcia, slip away in the night, and run east like the wind. Operation Dong Feng is hereby ordered to commence at your earliest opportunity.”
The hidden reason behind this urgent need to recall Sun Wei was never mentioned. Zhen Bao had taken command of 17 ships returning from the Celebes Sea. There were nine ships at Manila Bay, four patrolling the Taiwan Gap north of the Philippines, and seven assigned to the reef island bases in the South China Sea. Eight more ships composed the Guandong CVBG, and two older destroyers were at Sanya Harbor on Hainan Island. Aside from submarines and Corvettes, this was the South Seas Fleet now, 40 surface ships of any note. So Sun Wei’s ten ships were sorely needed, because the General Staff had read the tea leaves and knew the war was coming to home waters sooner than they ever expected.
All thought of trying to control the Gulf of Oman or Indian Ocean dissipated with the defeat of the 40 ship Fleet Sun Wei had once commanded. Now it was becoming a question of whether the South China Sea could be held. That fleet could be further reinforced by ships from the East China Sea, which was presently holding and guarding the long Ryukyu island chain, China’s new great island wall at sea.
While Wu Jinlong’s attempt to control the Celebes and Sulu Seas had failed, those waters were still contested, the province of hidden Chinese subs, and also defended by SSM batteries ashore to some extent, and modest air power. But they were not waters where the Chinese surface fleets could sail without risk, and it was likely that the Americans would take control over the Celebes Sea soon with their Washington Carrier Strike Group.
The General Staff had watched the deployment of the US Carriers to assess where their own risk was, and it now appeared that any future enemy offensive would be aimed at the South China Sea before it happened in the East China Sea. So China was calling its last overseas squadron home, and looked to be planning a defensive war from that hour forward. Unless something happened, and the “fortunes of war” Shen Jinlong had mentioned began to favor them, China would now be fighting to defend the homeland.
It had been a grand ambition, and perhaps hubris that led them to strike so boldly into the Middle East, but now the sea lines of communications to that region had been decisively severed, and any hope for control of the Indian Ocean was lost. With Sun Wei, the war would soon be coming home, but there was a secret new reason for hope. Shen Jinlong had left much unsaid about these new missiles China was building. It would not be long before he would see them in action.
Part XI
The Milkman
Chapter 31
The stateroom was a very dangerous place now, thought Trushin, and he always quailed at the thought of entering the room, deep at the heart of the airship, just above the main bridge gondola. But enter I must, at the beck and call of my master, Ivan Volkov. I was the fool who thought it would be a good idea to get close to the man, and serve him as Adjutant in all his busy ways.
Yes, I know him quite well now, more than I ever wished to know. He was always ruthless, determined, self-absorbed, and often cruel, but now he has changed for the worse. The man is obsessed, and bent on revenge. He tells me Tyrenkov betrayed him, and fled to some far off future, and that he will find that place if it is the last thing he does. God only knows, but it may be the last thing any of us do on this dreary airship. Three times we have tried to ride the storms, tried to move again, but all we find is this barren, frozen emptiness, a silent cold world where nothing moves or lives. And now Volkov is getting restless, frustrated, angry.