Two hours later, Kazan altered course. One of the fire control technicians announced, “Possible target zig due to upshift in frequency.”
Lieutenant Commander Schwartz evaluated the various displays, then announced, “Confirm target zig, Master one. Contact has turned to the north. Set solution range at four thousand yards.”
Buglione kept Pittsburgh on its northwesterly course until they were behind Kazan, then turned north to follow. Kazan continued north at ten knots for just over an hour, when she turned to the east. But what caught Buglione’s attention wasn’t the ninety-degree course change — it was Sonar’s report over the Control Room speaker.
“Conn, Sonar. Receiving mechanical transients from Master one. Consistent with torpedo tube muzzle doors opening.”
The report took Buglione by surprise. Why would Kazan’s crew open its torpedo tube doors? Then he realized Kazan hadn’t been to sea for several weeks and its crew was most likely exercising their torpedo tubes for routine maintenance — American crews fired water slugs once a week to verify tube operability.
Just in case, Buglione brought his submarine to full manning. “Officer of the Deck,” he ordered, “man battle stations silently.”
This close to Kazan, Buglione didn’t want to activate the General Alarm — the loud bong, bong, bong used to awaken and alert the crew to a battle stations order or emergency. The sound traveled through the steel hull into the water, and at only a few thousand yards away, might be detected by Kazan’s sonar.
The Messenger and LAN Technician hurried through berthing and the other submarine spaces, alerting the crew. The Control Room and Sonar were already at full manning due to the Fire Control Tracking Party being stationed, and the rest of the crew streamed into the Torpedo Room and other spaces in preparation for combat. Buglione turned his attention to his weapons load. Tubes One and Two were loaded with MK 48 MOD 7 warshots, the most advanced heavyweight torpedo in the U.S. arsenal.
“Weps, power up tubes One and Two.”
The Weapons Officer relayed the order to a fire control technician manning the Weapons Launch Console, who applied power to both torpedoes. Buglione contemplated loading tubes Three and Four, but reloads were sometimes noisy, plus at this range, Pittsburgh would need only one torpedo.
Now that precautions had been taken for Kazan opening its torpedo muzzle doors — for what was almost assuredly routine operability checks — Buglione focused on the geographic situation. Due to Kazan’s turn to the east, Pittsburgh was now on the Russian submarine’s starboard beam, headed north. Buglione decided to maintain course. As Kazan moved eastward, Pittsburgh would slowly drive into Kazan’s baffles again, then turn to follow.
Buglione waited patiently while Pittsburgh moved in behind the Russian submarine again. But Sonar’s next announcement changed everything.
“Conn, Sonar. Torpedo launch transients from Master one!”
Buglione’s thoughts went in several directions at once. Under normal combat conditions, the response was clear: evade the incoming torpedo and counterfire. But Kazan couldn’t possibly be firing at Pittsburgh. There was no indication Pittsburgh had been detected, aside from the sudden maneuver to the east, plus the United States and Russia weren’t at war — and counterfiring might start one. If Buglione and his crew misinterpreted the sounds and sank the Russian submarine when it intended no harm, there’d be hell to pay. But if Kazan had really launched a warshot torpedo and Pittsburgh didn’t evade…
He needed more data, but couldn’t delay. “Helm, hard left rudder, steady course two-seven-zero. Ahead full.”
Buglione would normally have ordered ahead flank, but the submarine’s screw would have cavitated at maximum propulsion, spinning so fast in the shallow water that it’d serve as a sound beacon, giving away Pittsburgh’s presence. Buglione was still hopeful they’d somehow misinterpreted things, so he’d ordered ahead full, hoping to move out of the torpedo’s path without giving Pittsburgh’s presence away. In about thirty seconds, he’d know where the torpedo was headed and could increase speed to maximum if required. In the meantime, he prepared to counterfire.
“Firing Point Procedures, Master one, normal submerged presets. Tube One is primary, tube Two is secondary.”
As Pittsburgh swung to the west and increased speed, Buglione focused on the bearings to the incoming torpedo. They were drawing slightly aft, which told him the torpedo wasn’t aimed directly at Pittsburgh. But modern torpedoes weren’t like the World War II straight runners, which had to be aimed perfectly to get a hit. Today’s torpedoes were artificially intelligent, with their sonar and search algorithms turning on at a predetermined point. It would then scour the surrounding water to find its target, then adjust course and increase speed, closing on its prey until it was close enough to detonate.
Buglione’s crew prepared to counterfire, delivering the expected reports:
“Solution ready!” the Executive Officer announced, informing Buglione that a satisfactory target solution had been calculated and that the parameters — course, speed, and range — had been sent to the two torpedoes.
“Weapons ready!” the Weapons Officer reported. The torpedoes had accepted the target solution and search presets.
“Ship ready!” Lieutenant Cibelli announced, indicating the torpedo countermeasures were armed and ready to launch.
Pittsburgh steadied on its evasion course and speed. There had been no additional torpedo launches by Kazan, so Buglione focused on the single incoming torpedo. It was still drawing aft and would approach acquisition range — the distance at which its sonar could detect Pittsburgh—at any moment. As Buglione contemplated pulling the trigger, firing a warshot torpedo at Kazan, Sonar interrupted his thoughts.
“Conn, Sonar. Hold a new contact on the towed array, designated Sierra two-two, ambiguous bearings one-seven-zero and three-five-zero.” A moment later, Sonar followed up, “Conn, Sonar. Sierra two-two is classified submerged.”
Buglione examined the sonar display on the Conn. There was a second Russian submarine in the area, to the south of Pittsburgh, with Kazan to the north. Pittsburgh was bracketed. He shifted his attention to the torpedo bearings. They continued drawing aft, giving no indication the torpedo had detected Pittsburgh. The torpedo was headed south, toward — the second Russian submarine.
Then everything clicked. Pittsburgh had unwittingly stumbled into the middle of a Russian TORPEX — torpedo exercise — and Kazan was firing an exercise torpedo at its adversary to the south.
“Helm, ahead two-thirds. Right ten degrees rudder, steady course zero-three-zero.”
With the torpedo drawing aft, away from his submarine, Buglione slowed down and turned toward Kazan, attempting to slip into her baffles again.
As Buglione worked his way behind Kazan, he realized they’d stumbled into a gold mine. His eyes canvassed the Control Room displays — the Sonar and Combat Control Systems were recording every facet of the Russian torpedo exercise. Once the details were transmitted to the Office of Naval Intelligence, experts would analyze every aspect of the exercise: Russian submarine engagement tactics and torpedo characteristics — speed, sonar frequencies, and homing technique.