Vengeance

78 USS MICHIGAN

In the guided missile submarine’s Control Room, Captain Murray Wilson watched the battle unfold, attempting to discern what was happening from the icons on the combat control consoles and the various displays selectable on Conn monitors. Michigan remained in a thin sliver of waterspace spanning the strait just west of the minefield, which USS Theodore Roosevelt also occupied above. Farther west, the waterspace had been divided into six operating areas, each owned by one of the six fast attack submarines that had recently passed through the minefield into the Persian Gulf.

The plan was simple in concept. The entire width of the Persian Gulf west of the strait had been divided into six areas, and no Russian submarine could approach Theodore Roosevelt close enough to launch torpedoes without being engaged by one of the American fast attacks. Unfortunately, to prevent blue-on-blue engagements, the Americans could not take advantage of their superior numbers, at least not in a way that truly mattered.

In an ideal situation, the battle would pit a single Russian submarine against two American fast attacks simultaneously. But two U.S. submarines operating in the same waterspace required a stratum separation scheme, with one submarine operating shallow and the other deep. However, the Persian Gulf was too shallow to accommodate this scheme, which meant each American submarine was on its own within its operating area.

As Wilson studied the sonar displays and various consoles, the Russian strategy became clear. The Akulas were operating closely together on the north side of the gulf, attempting to slip by along the Iranian coast. An Akula had entered each of the three operating areas to the north. In those three areas, it’d be a one-on-one battle between Russian and American submarines.

Wilson brought Michigan to the northern side of the Persian Gulf to better monitor the battles as they unfolded, and also so Michigan could serve as a stopgap if one of the Russian submarines prevailed and a nearby fast attack wasn’t available.

The Akulas had slowed down upon detecting their American adversaries surging toward them as they exited the minefield, and each engagement had settled into the classic cat-and-mouse game as each submarine crew tried to determine a firing solution while both submarines frequently maneuvered. Eventually, the two submarines in the northernmost operating area engaged, with both launching torpedoes. After Sonar reported the dual launches, Wilson listened to the broadband sonar speaker for an indication of the battle’s outcome. Not long thereafter, the sound of a single explosion rumbled from the speakers.

“Sonar, Conn,” Wilson called out to the microphone above the Conn. “Can you determine which submarine was hit?”

“Conn, Sonar. Analyzing.” A moment later, Sonar reported, “Loss of fifty-point-two-Hertz tonal in the northern operating area. The Akula has been sunk.”

The tension in Michigan’s Control Room eased somewhat, as one of the three Akulas had been dispatched. As Wilson focused on the other two areas with Russian submarines, Sonar delivered a new report.

“Conn, Sonar. Gained a new contact in operating area Foxtrot, classified Yasen class.”

Wilson shifted his attention back to the northernmost operating area, where the Akula had been sunk. It appeared that the Yasen-class submarine — Krasnoyarsk, based on the submarines that had surged from Vladivostok — had joined the fray. As capable as the Akulas were, Krasnoyarsk was three decades newer, with much more capable sensors and tactical systems.

The replacement Russian submarine would be a more challenging opponent than the previous Akula, and Wilson monitored that operating area more closely than the others. Krasnoyarsk and its opponent engaged in maneuvers and analysis as each crew attempted to discern an adequate firing solution. Eventually, dual torpedo launches were detected, and Wilson waited tensely as Sonar reported both submarines increasing speed as they attempted to evade the incoming torpedoes. Time ticked away and there was no explosion; both submarines had survived.

Moments later, an explosion emanated from the speaker selected to broadband sonar, and Sonar determined the explosion came from operating area Delta. Further analysis indicated that another Akula had been sunk. The southernmost of the three engagement areas was now clear of Russian submarines, with the third Akula still lurking in operating area Echo and Krasnoyarsk in Foxtrot.

Then another explosion rumbled from the Conn speaker.

Sonar analyzed the remaining acoustic frequencies in that area, then reported, “No longer detect U.S. submarine tonals in operating area Foxtrot. Yasen-class tonals remain.”

Wilson took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Krasnoyarsk had sunk the U.S. fast attack. It now had a clear lane to approach Theodore Roosevelt. The fast attack in the adjacent area to the south would not be able to engage, since it was still dealing with the third Akula.

In normal situations, U.S. submarines could not enter a friendly submarine’s operating area without permission and a stratum separation scheme. However, today’s engagement was not a normal situation. Wilson had no order or authorization to do so, but made the call.

“Helm, ahead standard. Left full rudder, steady course two-eight-zero.”

He was taking his submarine into operating area Foxtrot. For Krasnoyarsk to approach within firing range of Theodore Roosevelt, it would have to get past Michigan.