tc.redstormrising-第143部分
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a breeze。 But that was behind them。 Now they were in seven hundred feet of water。 With their towed…array sonars deployed; they'd have an extra measure of warning for approaching danger。 Boston and USS Chicago cruised three miles on either side of their wounded sister。 Seven hundred miles at five knots; McCafferty thought。 Almost six days 。 。 。
〃Okay; what do we have here; Chief?〃
〃Came in slowly; sir; so it's probably direct path。 We have a slow bearing change rate。 My first guess would be a diesel boat on batteries; and close。〃 The sonar chief showed no emotion。
The captain leaned back into the attack center。 〃e right to zero…two…five。〃
The helmsman applied five degrees of right rudder; gently bringing the submarine to a northeasterly course。 At five knots USS Chicago was 〃a hole in the ocean〃 that made almost no noise at all; but her contact was almost as quiet。 McCafferty watched the line on the screen change shape ever so slightly over a period of several minutes。
〃Okay; we have a bearing change to the contact。 Bearing is now three…four…one。〃
〃Joe?〃 McCafferty asked his executive officer。
〃I make the range eight thousand yards; plus or minus。 He's on a reciprocal heading; speed about four knots。〃
Too close; the captain thought。 He probably doesn't hear us yet; though。
〃Let's get him。〃
The Mark…48 torpedo fired at its slowest speed setting; turned forty degrees to the left on leaving the tube; then settled down to head for the contact; its guidance wires trailing back to the submarine。 The sonarmen directed the fish toward its target while USS Chicago moved slowly away from the launch point。 Suddenly the sonar chief's head jerked up。
〃He's heard it! He just kicked his engines。 I got a blade count…it's a Foxtrot…class; doing turns for fifteen。 Transient; transient; he just flooded tubes。〃
The torpedo accelerated and switched on its homing sonar。 The Foxtrot knew it had been found; and her captain reacted automatically; increasing speed and ordering a radical turn to starboard; then firing a homing torpedo back down the line of bearing at its attacker。 Finally he dove deep; hoping to shake off the closing fish。
The hard turn left a knuckle in the water; an area of turbulence which confused the Mark…48 briefly; but then the torpedo charged right through it; and on ing back to undisturbed water; found its target again。 The green…painted weapon dove after the Foxtrot and caught it at a depth of four hundred feet。
〃Bearing is changing rapidly on the inbound;〃 the sonar chief said。 〃It's going to pass well aft of us…hit; we got a hit on the target。〃 The sound echoed through the steel hull like distant thunder。 McCafferty plugged in a set of phones in time to hear the Foxtrot's frantic attempt to blow to the surface; and the screech of metal as the internal bulkheads gave way。 He did not hear the captain's last act。 It was to deploy the rescue buoy located on the aft er of the sail。 The buoy floated to the surface and began transmitting a continuous message。 All the men aboard the Foxtrot were already dead; but the rescue buoy told their fleet headquarters where they had died…and several submarines and surface ships immediately set off to that point。
USS REUBEN JAMES
O'Malley pulled up on the collective control and climbed to five hundred feet。 From this height he could see the northern edge of the convoy off to the southwest。 Several helicopters were in the air…a good idea of someone's。 Many of the merchant ships were carrying Army helicopters as deck cargo; and most of them were flyable。 Their crews were taking them up to patrol the convoy perimeter; looking for periscopes。 The one thing any submariner would admit to being afraid of was a helicopter。 This procedure was called 〃black…sky〃 ASW。 Throughout the convoy; soldiers were being told to watch the ocean and report anything they saw; which made for many false sighting reports; but it gave the men something to do; and sooner or later they might just spot a real periscope。 The Seahawk moved twenty miles east before circling。 They were looking for a possible submarine detected on the frigate's passive sonar array during the last drift。
〃Okay; Willy; drop a LOFAR…now…now…now!〃
The petty officer punched a button to eject a sonobuoy out the side panel。 The helicopter continued forward; dropping four additional buoys at intervals of two miles to create a ten…mile barrier; then O'Malley held his aircraft in a wide circle; watching the sea himself as the petty officer examined the sonar display on his screen。
〃mander; what's this I hear about the skipper? You know; the night before we sailed。〃
〃I felt like getting drunk; and he was kind enough not to make me drink alone。 Didn't you ever get drunk before?〃
〃No; sir。 I don't drink。〃
〃What's this Navy ing to! You take her for a minute。〃 O'Malley took his hand off the stick and adjusted his helmet。 It was a new one and he hadn't quite gotten used to it yet。 〃You got anything; Willy?〃
〃Not sure yet; sir。 Give me another minute or two。〃
〃Fair enough。〃 The pilot contemplated his instruments briefly; then resumed his outside scanning。 〃I ever tell you about this thirty…five…footer in the Bermuda…to…Newport race? Storm beat hell out of it。 Anyway; it had an all…girl crew and when the boat swamped they lost all their…〃
〃Skipper; I got a weak signal on number four。〃
〃Grateful as hell for being rescued; too。〃 O'Malley took the stick and brought the helicopter around to the northwest。 〃You don't do any of that either; Mr。 Ralston?〃
〃Strong drink giveth the desire; sir; but taketh away the ability;〃 the copilot said。 〃Two more miles; sir。〃
〃He even knows Shakespeare。 There may be hope for you yet。 Talk to me; Willy。〃
〃Still a 'weak' on number four。 Nothing else。〃
〃One mile;〃 Ralston said; watching the tactical display。
O'Malley's eyes scanned the surface; looking for a straight vertical line or a wisp of foam。
'Number four's signal strength is now medium; sir。 Getting a twitch on five。〃
〃Romeo; Hammer; I think we may have something here。 I'm going to drop another LOFAR between four and five。 Designate this one number six。 Dropping…now!〃 Another sonobuoy was ejected clear of the aircraft。
〃Hammer; this is Romeo;〃 called the controller。 〃Looks to us like the contact is north of the line; say again north。〃
〃Roger; concur on that。 We ought to know something in a minute。〃
〃Skipper;〃 Willy called。 〃I have a 'medium' on six。〃
〃Romeo; Hammer; we're going to dip on this character right now。〃
Aboard Reuben James they marked the helicopter's position; along with the line of sonobuoys。
O'Malley eased back on the stick to kill forward velocity; while his other hand eased the collective control down very gently until the helicopter was in hover fifty feet over the water。 Willy unlocked the dipping sonar and lowered it to a depth of two hundred feet。
〃Sonar contact; sir。 Classify as possible submarine; bearing three…five…six。〃
〃Up dome!〃 O'Malley manded。
The Seahawk lifted high and raced north for one mile。 Hovering once more; O'Malley dipped his sonar a second time。
〃Contact! Bearing one…seven…five。 Sounds like a twin screw doing turns for maybe ten knots。〃
〃We've bracketed him;〃 the pilot said。 〃Let's set this one up。〃 Ralston entered the numbers into the tactical puter。
〃Bearing change; looks like he's turning to port…yeah;〃 Willy confirmed。 〃Turning to port。〃
〃He hear us?〃 Ralston asked。
〃He might hear the convoy and be turning to get a fix on them。 Willy; up dome;〃 O'Malley ordered。 〃Romeo; Hammer; we have a maneuvering target; classify as probable submarine。 Request weapons free。〃
〃Roger; Hammer; weapons free; repeat weapons are free。〃
The pilot flew one thousand yards southeast。 The sonar dome went down again and the helicopter hovered head into the wind。
〃Got him again; sir;〃 Willy said excitedly。 〃Bearing three…five…five。 Bearing is changing right to left; sir。〃
〃Going right past us;〃 Ralston said; looking at the TACNAV。
〃Romeo; this is Hammer。 We're calling this a positive submarine and we are making a deliberate attack on this contact。〃 O'Malley held the aircraft in hover as his petty officer called off the bearing change。 〃Attack sequence。〃
〃Master Arm。〃 Ralston ran his hands across the buttons。 〃Torped