Larry Bond - Shattered Trident

The computer’s estimate of the closest point of approach was no more than a hundred yards, the approximate length of either sub. “I don’t like the look of that,” Thigpen remarked.

“At least it’s not an intercept course,” Jerry answered.

A few moments later, sonar confirmed the Indian sub’s course change. Going active was the right move , Jerry thought. Passive tracking takes too long for this business .

“Pilot, make turns for fifteen knots.” Jerry could see Thigpen’s worried reaction to the speed change, but the XO remained silent, and Jerry took that as a compliment.

North Dakota ’s speed built up quickly, but Chakra ’s projected vector continued to stay just ahead of North Dakota . That’s his active sonar tracking , Jerry thought. He can see small changes in my course and speed as well. Good. It also showed Samant didn’t want to ram them, just make a dangerously close pass.

“Two minutes to CPA,” Thigpen reported. “We’re still well within our box.”

“Then we’re done maneuvering for now. No surprises until after they are clear. Attention in Control, stand by for rapid maneuvers by both boats.”

INS Chakra

As he closed, the American’s sonar pulses became noticeably louder. It was an unusual sound, but Samant welcomed the noise. He felt he could almost gauge the boat’s distance and direction through the hull.

“Closest point of approach in thirty seconds,” Jain reported. His first officer was tense, but all business.

The active sonar gave them an unrealistically clear picture of the American sub’s position, course, and speed. In Perisher, he’d had to keep this all in his head based on periscope observations, but then again, this was going to be harder than lining up for a simple torpedo shot against a frigate.

Jain’s voice was steady. “Loss of active signal! We’re in his baffles! Ten seconds, Captain. Five seconds. At CPA… now !”

Rajat reported, “Captain, the U.S. boat is slowing and turning to the right. He’s changing depth, going deeper.”

He’s trying to open the distance between us as we pass, Samant thought. I don’t care. I’ve got the speed I need to compensate . The correction came to him instantly.

Samant ordered, “Left thirty, steer zero zero five, make your depth one three zero meters.”

“We’ll pass two hundred meters astern, and we should be slightly higher than him in depth, perhaps twenty meters,” said Jain, looking at the fire control console.

“Perfect.” Samant smiled.

USS North Dakota

“He’s turning to the left again, Skipper, blade rate’s unchanged.” The chief paused for a moment, then added, “Sir, he may have changed depth.”

“Continue the descent,” Jerry ordered. There was little else he could do. If Samant had immediately turned back toward him, then they were dangerously close. No zigging or zagging.

Jerry flashed back to Captain Rudel’s maneuvering duel with Severodvinsk . He’d been just the navigator then, as he watched Seawolf ’s captain skillfully maneuver his boat during the Russian sub’s insanely close passes. Rudel had done his best to stay out of the Russians’ way, and yet they still collided.

“He’s going co-depth, sir, matching our change…”

Before the chief sonarman could finish his report, a slight jolt ran through North Dakota, and half the sonar displays went dark. Alarms rang and Jerry felt a surge of fear. “All stations, report!”

There was no flooding, no apparent effect on their propulsion, but the TB-33 thin-line towed array was gone, snapped off cleanly.

“He’s on our port side now sir, bearing two nine zero. Speed is slowing to ten knots. His active sonar is off now.”

“Maintain active sonar contact,” Jerry ordered. “I don’t trust that SOB. Bernie, best course to launch point?”

“Two one zero, Skipper. At ten knots we’re there in four minutes, with four minutes to spare. Chakra is still heading away from us, steady on course zero zero five at ten knots.”

“Understood, XO. Pilot, right fifteen degrees rudder, steady course two one zero.”

“Right fifteen degrees rudder, steady course two one zero, Pilot, aye.”

“Skipper, what if he’s still nearby when we have to shoot?” Thigpen asked.

“I can’t see him interfering with the actual launch, and being nearby is a good thing… for him,” Jerry answered. “That means he’ll be clear of the blasts.”

“Good point,” the XO observed. “But why was he messing with us to begin with? We weren’t interfering with one of his attacks.”

“It’s preemptive, and smart. He’s told us to get lost, and took away our primary search sensor. He can break contact and we won’t be able to find him as easily. Our TB-34 towed array was short enough to be clear of him, but it isn’t as good as his array. We’re even now.”

“Yeah,” grinned the XO. “For another eight minutes, anyway. Luckily, we don’t need our thin-line array to shoot our two little friends.” Thigpen paused, then suddenly realized that he’d have to document the lost towed array. “Wait a minute! That bastard! Now I’ve got to do the paperwork for Minot and the TB-33! Are you sure we can’t shoot him, sir?”

INS Chakra

“All stations report no damage, Captain,” Jain announced.

Perfect . He’d crippled the American’s sonar capability, and incidentally cost the U.S. Navy a million dollars or so. Samant had held his breath when they’d rammed the towed array. It was the exact opposite of what submarine captains were trained to do.

Running into another sub’s towed array was something one usually avoided at all costs. There’d been a very real risk of fouling Chakra ’s screw with the array’s cable. That would have been embarrassing at the very least, and potentially deadly if they’d been forced to surface and request a tow back to a friendly port. But he’d bet and he’d won. Take that, he thought happily.

“What’s he doing now?” Samant demanded.

Lieutenant Rajat reported, “He’s come right, steadied on two one zero at ten knots, Captain.”

“Still at ten knots?”

“Yes, sir,” Jain confirmed. “He’s not leaving.”

Samant’s face slowly turned red. He looked ready to explode. “Can’t this fellow take a hint? He is not welcome here! We must convey that message to him in the strongest possible terms. Set up another UGST torpedo shot. Bring tube one to action state. Disable the seeker, five degree offset. He won’t dare ignore this!”

“It worked before,” Jain added hopefully.

USS North Dakota

“Launch transients! Torpedo in the water!” shouted Halleck. “UGST torpedo bears three five zero. Weapon has not yet enabled.”

“Pilot, hard left rudder, steady course south! All ahead flank! Torpedo defense, launch an ADC Mark 5 and mobile decoy, stand by anti-torpedo defense system!”

The deck tilted under his feet as North Dakota turned sharply to port.

“Sonar, what’s the weapon doing?”

“Slight right drift, but the bearing rate isn’t changing as we change course.”

“So he’s steering the weapon, following our movements,” concluded Jerry.

“Yes, sir.”

“Just like before. XO, course back to the launch point?”

“We’re good, Skipper. On this course we’ll pass within five hundred yards of the launch point in two minutes. With five minutes to spare!”

“It was four minutes before!” Jerry protested.