Empire Rising (17 page)

As Harrow dwelled on the disastrous scenario, three new symbols appeared on the left display of the Video Wall: red semicircles with the rounded end downward, representing submerged contacts. China's submarines were moving in for the kill. Without propulsion,
Nimitz
was a sitting duck.

 

THE SACRIFICE

 

23

CNS
CHANG CHENG

Commander Zeng Yong rotated swiftly on the attack periscope of his Shang class nuclear-powered submarine, the CNS
Chang Cheng
, pausing for longer than he should have. It was a sight to behold: one of America's great aircraft carriers sinking. Zeng swung the periscope around, stopping to examine his target, the second carrier, marked by a single black plume on the horizon. Resuming his clockwise scan, he spotted two destroyers—one on each side of his submarine—forming a screen in front of his target. In a few minutes, Zeng and his crew would pass between the two warships and their helicopters equipped with dipping sonars and lightweight torpedoes. A few minutes more and their target would be within range of the
Chang Cheng
's heavyweight Yu-6 torpedoes.

The
Chang Cheng
's Periscope Attendant, standing between the submarine's two scopes, called out loudly, “Time!”

Zeng stepped back, pressing the
Lower Periscope
button on the bulkhead behind him. The scope had been up for thirty seconds, the time limit he had set for periscope exposure. Not only did Zeng need to worry about being detected by the sonar systems aboard the destroyers and their helicopters, he also had to ensure his ship wasn't detected by periscope search radars.

The attack scope descended to the bottom of the well and Zeng turned his attention to the fire control consoles just forward of the two periscopes, studying the red symbols on their screens. The two destroyers were holding steady on course and speed, giving no indication they had detected Zeng's submarine. It appeared the aircraft carrier was dead in the water, making his job that much easier.

Four days earlier, Zeng had left port along with two other Shang class submarines, and they had caught an American submarine monitoring the port of Zhoushan. Zeng's orders were clear. He had been surprised at how easy it was; the American submarine hadn't even fired back. Either the submarine's captain had been caught unprepared or the vaunted American Submarine Force was more propaganda than capability. Not a single United States submarine remained in the Western Pacific—every submarine on deployment had been sunk.

The Americans were arrogant, sending in their aircraft carriers without submarines to protect them. Is that how little they thought of their Chinese counterparts? The Shang class submarines were a marvel of engineering, built with the latest sound-quieting enhancements and new, sophisticated sensors, and his crew was well trained. Zeng's thoughts moved past the glorious moment when he would sink the American carrier, to his first engagement with a prepared American fast attack.

The Periscope Attendant called out, “Prepare!”

Zeng took station behind his attack periscope again, and a few seconds later, the Periscope Attendant followed up. “Next observation!” Zeng pressed the
Raise Periscope
button on the bulkhead, folding down the periscope handles as the scope emerged from its well. Placing his eye to the periscope, he swung it in the direction of the closest American destroyer, pausing to examine it for a second before continuing on to the second. Satisfied that neither destroyer had maneuvered toward them and no helicopters had repositioned along his path, Zeng stopped on the bearing to the American aircraft carrier. It was clearly visible now, no longer a gray speck beneath a spiraling black plume.

“Prepare for observation, Contact One!” Zeng called out.

The Fire Controlman announced, “Ready!”

“Bearing, mark!” Zeng pressed a red button on the right periscope handle, sending the bearing of the contact to fire control. “Range, one division, high power! Angle on the bow, starboard ninety!”

He stepped back and pressed the Lower Scope button as the Periscope Assistant announced, “Range, sixteen thousand, eight hundred yards!”

Zeng compared the visual range to the distance calculated by the submarine's automated fire control system. The range was an exact match, and the calculated speed of their target was indeed zero. Zeng smiled. With the American aircraft carrier dead in the water and a starboard ninety-degree angle on the bow, his torpedoes couldn't miss. The only question was how many torpedoes it would take.

One heavyweight torpedo would sink most combatants. An aircraft carrier would take several, depending on where along the carrier's keel the torpedoes exploded. Zeng decided to play it safe. The
Chang Cheng
had six torpedo tubes and they would therefore launch a salvo of six torpedoes. He wouldn't get a second chance. Once the torpedoes were detected, every anti-submarine sensor and weapon would be directed his way. He'd be forced deep, sprinting to safety before he could return to periscope depth, hopefully in time to savor the last minutes of the aircraft carrier sinking beneath the ocean waves.

Checking the fire control solution, Zeng calculated they would be within firing range in another two minutes. It was time to prepare their torpedoes. Standing between his submarine's two periscopes, Zeng gave the order.

“Prepare to fire, Contact One, all tubes!”

The men in Control responded immediately, powering up the Yu-6 heavyweight torpedoes loaded in their tubes and sending the target solution to the torpedoes' guidance and control computers. A minute passed and the submarine's Executive Officer announced, “Ready!”

“Open muzzle doors, all torpedo tubes!”

A minute later, Zeng received the report that all doors were open. Satisfied all preparations were complete, he approached the periscope for a final observation. Pressing the
Raise Periscope
button, he announced loudly, “Final Observation, Contact One!”

Zeng placed his eye to the scope again, swinging it in the direction of his target. At this range, he could almost see the texture of the black smoke spiraling upward. The target was still dead in the water. Zeng pressed the button on the periscope handle, sending a final bearing to fire control. Stepping back, he lowered the periscope. But just before giving the command to launch their six torpedoes, the Sonar Supervisor's voice blared across the speakers in Control.

“Incoming torpedo, bearing zero-nine-zero! An American MK 48!”

 

24

USS
TEXAS
• CNS
CHANG CHENG

USS
TEXAS

Standing in the Control Room of his Virginia class fast attack submarine, Commander Jim Latham peered over Petty Officer Colby Marshall's shoulder, watching the green inverted V on his console speed toward the red semicircle to the west. His crew was at Battle Stations, every console in Control manned, with supervisors crowding behind them. Commander Latham noted with satisfaction that there was little change in their target's position or course. In less than a minute, their torpedo would detect Master One.

Texas
had been speeding west at ahead flank for the better part of four days, reactor power pegged at one hundred percent from the moment they received their orders. They'd had a head start on the rest of the Pacific Fleet;
Texas
was already outbound on the first leg of her six-month West Pac deployment, headed to relieve USS
Jacksonville
in the East China Sea. But as
Texas
surged westward, Latham had been informed they would not relieve the Los Angeles class submarine.
Jacksonville
had been sunk.

Texas
, however, was no Los Angeles class submarine. She was the second of the new Virginia class, quieter at ahead full than a Los Angeles class submarine was tied to the pier. And
Texas
had a full Torpedo Room of the Navy's newest Heavyweight torpedo, the MK 48 Mod 7 CBASS, built with state-of-the art processors loaded with advanced search algorithms.

Commander Latham had timed it perfectly. The Chinese submarine hadn't detected the launch of their quiet MK 48 torpedo and he had let it close to almost point-blank range before activating the torpedo's sonar. The Chinese crew probably had no idea they had less than a minute to live. Data from the torpedo began streaming into the combat control system through the thin wire trailing behind their weapon. Their torpedo was increasing speed and the frequency of its sonar pings. It was homing on its target.

CNS
CHANG CHENG

Zeng spun toward the sonar display between the two periscopes, observing the bright white trace burning in at 090 degrees. How had an American submarine approached to within firing range undetected? That was an important question, but the most pressing issue was evading the incoming torpedo. That effort began with speed, and his submarine was at periscope depth, lumbering along at five knots.

He shouted out his orders. “Helm, ahead flank! Hard left rudder! Launch torpedo decoy!”

Confusion reigned in Control as the
Chang Cheng
began evasive maneuvers. They were still in the middle of Firing Procedures, their torpedoes locked on to the disabled aircraft carrier. Zeng needed a torpedo to fire back at the American submarine. To do that, he would have to cancel his Firing Order. Zeng decided the carrier could wait; it would still be there after the American submarine was dealt with.

“Cancel Fire, Contact One! Reactive Fire, bearing zero-nine-zero, Tube One!”

The
Chang Cheng
's Weapons Officer acknowledged the Captain's order, reassigning the torpedo in Tube One to the initial bearing of the incoming torpedo, back down the throat of the American submarine that had fired it. It would take less than thirty seconds; their torpedoes were already powered up and the torpedo outer doors were open, but Zeng was distracted by the frantic report from Sonar over the speakers in Control.

“Torpedo is homing! Ignoring torpedo decoy!”

Zeng's face went slack. They had detected the American torpedo only twenty seconds ago and it was already homing on his submarine, disregarding the decoy they had launched. The American submarine Captain had placed his weapon perfectly, giving Zeng insufficient time to react. As the pings of the incoming torpedo's sonar echoed through the
Chang Cheng
's hull, Zeng realized the American Submarine Force was as capable as China feared.

USS
TEXAS

The fast attack submarine shuddered and the sonar screens whited out as the shock wave from the explosion swept past USS
Texas
. Latham's Weapons Officer called out, reporting their torpedo had exploded.

“Loss of wire continuity. Final telemetry data correlates with Master One.”

Less than a moment later, the Sonar Supervisor confirmed their torpedo had sunk its target. “Hull breakup noises, bearing two-seven-zero.”

Latham glanced at the geographic plot on one of the combat control consoles. Where there was one Chinese submarine, there would soon be another. They had to stay focused and begin their search for the next one. However,
Texas
would not hunt alone. Two fast attack submarines from Guam were close on
Texas
's heels, only an hour away. And not far behind them, twenty-four more fast attack submarines from Hawaii and the West Coast of the United States were surging west at ahead flank speed. China had caught the three deployed American submarines by surprise. The remaining twenty-seven fast attack submarines in the Pacific Fleet would not be caught unaware, and China would pay dearly for what it had done.

“Conn, Sonar. Hold a new contact, designated Sierra one-five, possible Shang class nuclear submarine, bearing two-five-zero.”

Latham acknowledged Sonar's report. A second Chinese submarine, just south of the first one, was no doubt creeping toward
Nimitz
. He stood erect, making his announcement loudly so everyone in Control could hear. “Designate Sierra one-five as Master Two. Track Master Two.” Turning to his Weapons Control Coordinator, Latham followed up. “Assign presets for Master Two to Tube Two.”

Sonar called out again. “Conn, Sonar. Hold a new contact, designated Sierra one-six, also possible Shang class nuclear submarine, bearing two-eight-eight.”

Latham frowned. They'd have to prosecute both submarines simultaneously, engaging first one, then the other. “Designate Sierra one-six as Master Three. Master Two is Primary contact of interest, Master Three is Secondary. Assign presets for Master Three to Tube Three.”

Texas
had its hands full, engaging two submarines at once. Unlike the Chinese submarine they'd just sunk, these two crews knew an American submarine was in the area and would not be surprised. Still,
Texas
was the quieter submarine, carrying more sophisticated sensors and weapons. It looked like Commander Latham and his crew were going to have a busy day.

 

25

BOHAI SEA • USS
MICHIGAN

The gentle vibration pulsing through Christine's body finally woke her up. Her eyes fluttered open but her vision remained shrouded in darkness. Breathing was an effort for some reason, and she felt something over her face. The upholstered seat of her sedan had somehow turned into hard metal, and she was cold, shivering beneath a thin, metallic blanket. There was a source of heat on her right side. She leaned toward it and her arm ignited in pain, clearing the fog from her mind.

Christine realized she had a full-face diver's mask on, and the pieces of the puzzle came together. She was underwater. Looking around closely, she made out the dim outline of the vehicle she was in—a James Bond–like mini-sub with two men in black scuba gear seated in front of her in the open-top submarine. Between the two men, she could see the faint illumination of green electronic displays. A third diver sat beside her on the right, his arm wrapped around her shoulder.