“Do it!”
“Sealance away!”
The ship shook slightly as the rocket-borne ASW weapon blasted out of the vertical-launch systems in the bow of the ship, immediately followed by two more, separated three seconds apart.
Aboard the enemy submarine, unless they heard the muffled sounds of the launches, they wouldn’t know they were under attack until the airborne torpedoes hit the water and their rapid-turning props activated.
“Momma, this is Devil Six, ready to launch!”
“Captain, this is the bridge; coming right to course three three five for winds to launch the 60.”
“Roger, after launch bring the Havler back onto intercept course.”
“Captain, ASW; we have lost contact with the submarine. I repeat, sir, we have lost contact.”
The SH-60 helicopter was the most deadly ASW weapon that a surface ship possessed. It could fight a submarine miles from the mother ship without endangering the surface platform. In this case, the surface ships were in the middle of the battle, fighting an enemy who had attacked them. They had a general location from where the torpedoes were fired, but as the captain of the Haylcr knew, the sea is a big shadow.
The captain of the USS Hayler speculated the enemy submarine had fired its torpedoes and then gone deep, changed direction, and altered speed to complicate ASW computations and to put as much distance as possible from its firing position. ASW was nothing but speculation. It was like playing chess blindfolded with the crowd only hinting as to what your opponent’s moves were.
“Captain,” said the lieutenant junior grade supervising the TMA plot.
“We have a solution. Sir, the submarine is on a course of three three zero, speed twelve knots.”
The captain knew the solution was wrong. The submarine had done something to cause them to lose it. Most likely, it had changed either speed or depth.
On the holograph plot in front of the officers, the virtual submarine shifted its nominal position to the TMA solution 2500 yards further north. Course and speed were added to the enemy symbol. On the NTDS console the same information was in putted and transmitted simultaneously to the fleet.
“Combat, ASW; still no contact with enemy submarine.”
“Momma, this is Devil Six. We are airborne port side awaiting instructions.”
“Devil Six, this is Momma; come to course three zero zero. Target is six thousand seven hundred yards. Depth unknown. Weapons load out
“Momma, Devil Six; one Mark Forty-Six and sixteen sonobuoys. Course three zero zero. Six thousand seven hundred yards in the computer.”
“Papa Oscar, this is Sugarloaf Eight; ready to switch control,” called the SH-60 helicopter from the Yorktown.
“Sugarloaf Eight, I have you on radar. My position is to your port, bearing one two zero at a range of ten nautical miles. Devil Six is to your port also, eleven o’clock at six nautical miles. Descend to altitude two five zero for approach. Your engagement altitude will be seven live feet. Maintain fifty feet altitude separation from Devil Six. Ensure all navigation lights are on.”
“Roger, navigational lights on. I have visual on Devil Six.
Altitude is seven hundred fifty feel, descending to two live zero.
Request vector to attack area.”
“Devil Six. take altitude one hundred “
“Sugarloaf Eight, come to course two seven zero.”
On the holograph plot the torpedoes showed twenty seconds to impact.
“OTC. this is King, making hard turn to starboard at flank speed.
Trailing NIXIE. Decoys deployed in the water port side.”
Two torpedoes on the holograph veered lo the port decoyed by USS King’s acoustic NIXIE countermcasures system. One exploded, while the other passed through the decoy pattern and began an active search. The third torpedo plowed directly into the NIXIE system, blowing it to pieces in the wake of the arsenal ship. The explosion one hundred feet astern shook the warship, but did no damage.
“King, this is Hayler. We show misses. I repeat, we show all misses.”
“King, this is OTC.” Commodore Ellison’s voice interrupted over the secure speakers. “At flank speed come to course zero five five.
Yorktown, take defensive position between King, Nassau, and Trenton.
Nashville, remain east of Nassau.”
“Sealances in the water. Captain!”
The Sealances, fired prior to the TMA solution, entered the choppy seas nearly two miles from the actual enemy submarine location. The Hayler captain knew they were misses and that they’d alert the enemy submarine it was under attack. Maybe the knowledge would cause the submarine to make a mistake. A mistake that would bring the wrath of ASW weapons raining down upon it.
“Captain, ASW here. We have the submarine again. The target is in a sharp port turn! Bearing two six five.” “Bingo!” said the captain softly.
The holograph plot showed the enemy submarine turning left, away from the main body of the battle group, which was now heading at max speed away from the battle scene. Be Iween the main body of the American battle group and the fleeing submarine, the holograph reflected the USS Hayler with two SH-60 helicopters heading toward the datum.
The gas turbine engines of the USS Spruance sent spray over the bow of the oldest destroyer on active duty as it hurried to its assigned position abreast of the USS Hayler. Arriving, the two warships settled into an aligned formation at eight knots with a five-nautical-mile separation.
“Spruance, this is Hayler; report status of your 60.”
“Hayler, 60 is down hard, awaiting engine parts. Request instructions.”
“Roger, stand by.”
“Sugarloaf Eight, request weapons load out
“Roger, Mother; Sugarloaf Eight with one Mark Forty-six and full sonobuoy complement.”
“Sugarloaf Eight and Devil Six, this is Mother. Continue present heading. Devil Six, prepare for sonobuoy launches on my command.
Sugarloaf Eight, prepare to launch torpedo at my command.”
Two “rogers” blared from the ASW circuit.
“Hayler, this is Yorktown. Am in position astern of you fifteen thousand yards,” the secure speaker announced.
“Roger, Yorktown. My intentions are to have Devil Six drop a zigzag row of sonobuoys to firm up target location, course, and speed. When target fixed, will have Devil Six drop its Mark Forty-six and then vector him ahead of target course for second sonobuoy pattern.
Sugarloaf Eight will conduct a follow-on attack immediately after Devil Six.”
“Roger, Yorktown standing by.”
“Spruance standing by.”
“Roger, Spruance; request you be prepared to launch subsequent attacks along threat course in the event helicopter at tacks are unsuccessful.
What I would like to do is have both of us launch Sealances and over-the-sides in a mass attack. You take the first hundred feet depth. Hayler will take from one hundred to four hundred feet depth.
Report when ready.”
“Roger, out.”
“Hayler, Spruance; this is the OTC,” Commodore Ellison broke in. “Be advised that with both of you traveling away from the main body, there is no, I repeat, no ASW protection with the exception of Yorktown.
Request rejoin battle group soonest. How copy, over?”
“Roger, Commodore, this is Charlie Oscar Hayler. We expect resolution within ten minutes. Did you copy my intentions with Spruancet
“That’s affirmative, Hayler. You have the cog of the ASW group. You have twenty minutes and then we’ll revisit the situation. Good hunting.” Ellison said, and then in a hoarse voice that was probably not intended for transmission. “I hope they sink the bastard.” “Now. now. now!” shouted Devil Six as he commenced dropping an eight-sonobuoy /.igzag pattern. Within a minute the saltwater-activated sonobuoys began transmitting passive noise data.