As he seated himself, Svedrov reported, "All ships have expanded the screen in preparation for any nuclear attack, sir. Our computers indicate that the American planes are not armed with atomic weapons at this time, but I felt it better not to take any chances. We have already dispersed high-level chaff to counter their missile radar, and our escorts are radiating large-ship signals. I doubt they will be able to select Lenin unless they are willing to come within visual range."
"The lead aircraft will fire Harpoon missiles, and that should be any minute now. Their range is over fifty miles," remarked Kupinsky. "Once those are locked onto a target, they will then send the secondary flight in with their Bullpup missiles. Do not let anyone be fooled when those first aircraft turn back after firing. I know that is just what David Charles would like to see."
"Who, Admiral?"
"Admiral Charles, their commander. He believes quite strongly in the dual-strike method." Svedrov looked quizzically at his commander. "I know the man well v Svedrov. Remember my explanation of the other day? He is a brilliant commander. I can also assure you that his submarines are maneuvering to position now to fire at about the same time as those aircraft."
It didn't happen exactly the way that Admiral Kupinsky predicted, but it was close enough to satisfy his staff. The submarines anticipated the A-7's by just half a minute, but David Charles had expected that would be possible. All of his fleet units were instructed to act independently when they were going into action, unless they were tied into the master computer. In this case, he wanted his commanders to shoot when they were in the best position.
While Dallas sped off underwater to the east to draw off some of the helicopters, the captain of Mendel Rivers simply went full ahead for a few moments, directly toward the center of the Russian force. It was relatively easy to evade the helos in the vicinity for long enough to confirm a solution in the computer and fire the Harpoon missiles. The formation had been adequately plotted by satellite earlier in the day and Rivers' sensors were able to maintain the locations of the larger Soviet ships.
The missile broke the water approximately forty miles from the southernmost cruiser in the extended screen. After igniting and orienting itself, it raced toward the target in full view of the helos already warning of its approach. The CO of Rivers had chosen his target because of its name and importance to the Russian people. He had a perfect solution for the missile, and it was fired too close for the captain of Marshal Timoshenko to consider evading. There was no time for a solution for his own antimissile weapons, and his men vainly fired their 76- and 23-mm. guns at a missile that could barely be perceived at that speed. The ship also tried to maneuver. The explosion on impact literally ripped the stern off the 7,500-ton ship, completely destroying the after engineering spaces and detonating one of the magazines. The secondary explosion tore a hole farther forward from the main deck to well below the waterline. She was dead in the water in less than thirty seconds, the fires providing an excellent target for any aircraft that cared to finish off the long sleek cruiser, but she soon sank of her own accord.
Just moments later, as the lead aircraft from Nimitz were launching their own attack, Dallas successfully fired two missiles, one at the lead destroyer of a group of four heading in her direction, and the second at another cruiser in the rear of the formation. An instant before the missile exploded, blowing the bow off. Bodry, one of the newest destroyers in the fleet, the Russian ship fired its own antisubmarine missile, based on a quick solution in tandem with one of the helicopters. The missile from the fated destroyer did not land in the water as close to Dallas as it had been planned, but that was of no help to the American boat. The torpedo carried by that missile locked on to its target immediately. Seconds before Dallas's pressure hull was shattered, each man heard the whine of the high-speed propellers overtaking their boat. The destroyer, racing forward at thirty-two knots, ripped itself apart. With no bow, its weak interior bulkheads collapsed from the forward motion. The second missile from Dallas removed the bridge and the three top levels from the giant cruiser Nikolayev, named after the yard that had built so many of the ships in that task force. Nikolayev was also a target of the air attack. Just as she regained control in after steering, with her executive officer now in command, two more missiles hit, one amidship at the waterline, destroying main control, and the second in a torpedo magazine. The dual explosion, and the water rapidly filling the starboard side, rolled Nikolayev onto her beam. Secondary explosions completed the job, and she turned turtle.
As far as Admiral Kupinsky was concerned from his position in flag plot, the exchange was weighing in favor of the Americans. While the latter did not have as strong a defense against airborne missiles as his own force, he decided — that his own antisubmarine protection was not as effective as it appeared on paper. Though their ships carried enough weapons to sink each American sub three or four times, they had to catch them first, and the rapid acceleration of a nuclear attack boat easily confused his own helicopters. He needed the long-range standoff capability to fire on the subs before they fired on him. The loss of one cruiser and one destroyer convinced him that it was time to send his ASW units away from Lenin to keep the subs at a distance. He would have credited Dallas with a second cruiser, but that had actually been finished off by the Americans' planes.
Just as he had predicted to Captain Svedrov, the American aircraft first launched their long-range missiles from enough distance to protect them from shipboard missiles. Then, right behind that attack, came more aircraft with the shorter-range weapons. Their ploy was to hide behind the Harpoons, assuming the Russians had their hands full just bringing down the first flight of missiles. The less maneuverable Forgers that Lenin had launched earlier were no match for the American fighters. The Tomcats flying shotgun had been armed with Sidewinder missiles. These easily brought down most of the Soviet jets, which had been designed as bombers anyway.
The Russians' electronic deception equipment was the equal of the Americans'. The missiles fired at the Soviets had locked on the best available targets. They wanted Lenin, but only visual contact would suffice. As the second flight came in more closely with their Bullpups, they saw the destruction caused by the submarines. They had unknowingly assisted Dallas in the sinking of Nikolayev, but many of their Harpoons had been picked out of the air by antimissile fire. One had streaked in past the defenses to explode on Sevastopol, a guided missile cruiser, but now this secondary attack was necessary to inflict maximum damage.
The Bullpup missile has a range of about ten miles. The Soviet antiair missiles have a range of about fifteen miles, and the latter were fired first. The A-7 pilots spent their time evading these missiles while their men in the rear coordinated their own firing. First one, then two, then three of the attacking planes were hit. The remainder were able to complete their attack, turn, and head back for Nimitz. As they turned, two more were brought down, and a third was hit and began immediately to lose altitude, desperately struggling for that long glide toward safety.