The captain placed a restraining hand on Vasiliy’s shoulder. “No, stay here a while,” then Sherensky left.
Despite his best efforts, Vasiliy’s eyes flooded with tears and he wept. The tragic event fueled his hatred for Americans and helped him to regain composure. He remembered his last visit to the security vault and the likely name of the submarine that had launched the strike against Vladivostok, the USS Denver. He had forgotten the officers’ names save one. He’d seek out the man who launched the weapon against his mother and personally take the life of Lieutenant Brent Maddock.
Chapter 16
Positions of each hydrophone in Dutch Meyer’s array along with the location of the Sealance missiles showed on an old IBM PC screen. A computer wizard from USS Newport worked up a systems program and now enjoyed his achievement by tracking Newport through the approaches to Zane’s Pitstop. Radio transmitters and receivers added by Meyer converted the austere Blockhouse into a top-notch command center.
A radioman transmitted to Birdman Four, the radio voice call sign for an S3A Viking pilot en route to a coded position designated as Springboard with serpent assigned as the code name for the submarine Newport. “Estimate time on top of Springboard in two minutes. Have serpent for you, over.”
The airman responded, “Springboard in two, Bottom.”
Bottom identified the command center Blockhouse.
Dutch Meyer wanted the plane to drop a small explosive charge to fix its position in order to vector it on top of Newport.
“Roger, Four, request boomer on top, over,” said the Blockhouse radioman, referring to the explosive charge.
Birdman Four responded, “You got it, Bottom.”
Two minutes passed then the message came from Birdman Four, “Boomer away at Springboard, one-five-one-three-three-zero Zulu. Let us know how we did.”
The transmission relayed a worldwide date-time-group used by the United States Navy with numbers 1 and 5 meaning the date, 1330 the twenty-four hour clock and Zulu meaning Greenwich Mean Time. All U. S. military units use this time code system as a standard to avoid confusion when combat and training operations are conducted within various time zones throughout the world.
A short time later, the PC screen displayed an explosion close in to Springboard and the computer immediately generated intercept data for transmission to the aircraft. A series of coded numbers, giving the time, distance, course and speed of Newport, accompanied the message.
“Now give us a boomer on the serpent, Birdman Four.”
“Roger, Bottom, tell ’em to watch their ears.”
Forty seconds later, the boomer signal merged with Newport’s position, winning a cheer from all in the Blockhouse.
The watch officer, a submariner, exclaimed, “This beats all! Never believed I’d help zoomies drop trash on one of our pipes.” He radioed the S3A, “Great job, Four. Put a scalp in your training log.”
“Roger, Bottom. Now find me the real thing.”
“Soon as we do, you got ’em. Four released to dry feet.”
Bottom then cleared Birdman Four to return to base.
The watch officer thought, Wow! Somebody sneaks in here and we bang ’em with a Sealance. Then Birdman comes out and drops the kitchen sink on ’em.
Days later and with the first Pitstop refit completed; Newport had patrol orders in hand.
CLEAR SEAWAY FOR IDAHO DEPARTURE. UPON COMPLETION, PROCEED TO SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AND ATTACK/DESTROY ENEMY ASSETS.
Everyone turned out to see Newport off. Commander Phil Reynolds, looking more like he should be leading his company onto the parade ground at the Annapolis Naval Academy rather than taking a warship to sea, personally thanked each person with a hand in getting his ship ready for war. This involved a good number but he didn’t miss anyone.
The Pitstop’s informality did not include provisions for a band but a temporary public address system played recordings of Sousa marches in the background.
Phil Reynolds’ sense of humor revealed itself in the form of a large pasteboard box near the gangway. It bore a sign,
ALL WHO’D GIVE THEIR LEFT ARM TO BE GOING WITH US — PLEASE DROP THEM HERE.
At their pre-sail meeting, the commodore commented to Newport’s skipper on his youthful appearance. Then Reynolds reminded the commodore that as a Lieutenant, Danis was two years younger than Reynolds at the time he took command of his first submarine.
Danis then congratulated the Newport skipper. “You did a superb job, Phil. You know Captain Zane wrote Newport off as a box of spare parts when you showed up here, but you sure turned that around. Your ship is the first distinguished graduate of what we hope will be a long list from Pitstop.”
“Captain Zane says a lot of things, sir, but his bark is much worse than his bite. He can resist anything but a challenge. We’re very lucky to have him, sir.”
Next, Phil sought out the ever-busy Gerry Carter. “Thanks for everything, Commander.”
Carter took the young skipper’s hand and shook it firmly. “Even for turning your ship into an overpriced anchor?”
“Especially for that, sir. You taught us we’re all in the same Navy despite the badges on our shirts.”
“If you find the bastard that sank Savo Island, make a big hole in him for me.”
“That’s a promise, sir.”
The public address system, at maximum gain, blared Anchors Aweigh as a pair of tugs rotated Newport and pointed her bow toward the harbor entrance. The submarine’s air horn sounded a long resonant blast, in compliance with Rules of the Road, but actually signaled a final expression of gratitude to all at the Pitstop.
Dave continued to watch after the crowd dispersed to the next job. Newport glided along slowly till she cleared the breakwater. Then her propeller dug into the sea and thrust her ahead at full speed. White foam contrasted with her sleek black hull as she slipped majestically out to sea.
With well-deserved satisfaction Dave Zane thought,This is what it’s all about.
Later, Blockhouse notified squadron operations that Newport had crossed the hydrophone array and performed the identifying maneuver.
Dutch Meyer took the phone call.
The watch officer said, “She sure is quiet, Commander. Held her less than three minutes.”
Dutch added, “And Newport’s at high speed. If someone tries to sneak in, we’re only gonna get a peek so our trigger finger better be quick.”
A furious Vasiliy Baknov believed sea conditions to be marginal for transfer of personnel from the rubber raft to ladder of a Peruvian tanker. The zampolit had lectured on a Communist Party mandate that South American countries, a key factor in winning hearts and minds of conquered peoples in the Western Hemisphere, must be handled with care. They had been exploited far too long by capitalist American greed and the Soviet Union would show them a better way.
These platitudes did little to aid Vasiliy and his boarding party as they struggled to leap from raft to ladder. Soaked through, Vasiliy’s group appeared more as a pack of drowned rats than warriors from the most powerful Navy in the world.
He thought, Too bad Poplavich didn’t have to drag his fat-ass up this ladder. Maybe the Party policy would become less important to him.