believed it was the appropriate time and place to punish the treacherous Americans.
Admiral Botschka had other reasons to perform well. Rumors had been carefully circulated suggesting that Vosoghiyan would ... retire on Soviet Navy Day, the first Sunday after July 22, leaving the Fleet Admiralty open.
Botschka knew he would be the selectee to replace the fleet Admiral if he could confirm the sinking of the intruding American submarine.
Botschka also felt certain a second Hero of the Soviet Union medal would be placed on his uniform.
Defcon One (1989)
USS TENNESSEE
Booker concentrated on his sonar panel, waiting for the Russian ship to ping them again. Another forty minutes and they would be in open waters where the Tennessee could dive deep to avoid detection.
Ping, PING!
There it was. Closer this time.
They've really got us bracketed, sir, Booker said quietly to Captain Mcconnell.
The sub skipper nodded and glanced at his executive officer.
What do you think. Ken? Should we set a straight course for the group?
It's been over an hour and they haven't done anything but tail us.
Houston thought a minute, calculating all the contingencies within logic.
No sense in trying to evade them. We can't go deep enough at this point and we can't outrun the choppers, Houston replied as another ping sounded through the Trident's hull.
True. Might as well come to periscope depth. We need to alert the task force of our position and situation, Mcconnell said as he glanced at his watch. Thirty-five minutes before the water would be deep enough to use the Tennessee's full capability.
We better request air-cover back to the battle group, Mcconnell said as Houston silently nodded in agreement.
Steady course zero-eight-zero, Mcconnell ordered the helmsman.
Steady course zero-eight-zero, the officer of the deck repeated.
All ahead one-third, Mcconnell said quietly.
Periscope depth.
Ahead one-third, coming to periscope depth, the lieutenant repeated as the sailor manning the diving planes eased back on his controls, changing the deck angle of the Tennessee.
' Communications, stand by for a message to Constellation, Mcconnell ordered as he picked up the microphone to transmit his report to the American carrier.
The communications antenna would be the only piece of hardware protruding above the water. It would be difficult to detect if the sub was going slow, reducing the size of the wake created by the antenna.
All ahead slow, Mcconnell ordered, not wanting to leave a visible marker for the Russians to spot.
If the Soviets detected a wake from the antenna, they would know the American sub had sent a message. That might force the Russians into action since the Tennessee was in a vulnerable position. The Soviets apparently wanted to make an issue of the situation, and that meant keeping the American nuclear submarine in a precarious location.
The sub leveled at sixty feet as Mcconnell prepared to send a message to the Constellation.
I sure hope the Connie' is listening, Mcconnell said to his executive officer.
Yeah, Houston answered. We're already overdue.
THE AKHROMEYEV The Udaloy-class antisubmarine ship was pacing the Tennessee at a distance of six kilometers. One of the Akhromeyev's ASW helicopters was orbiting over the intruding sub, trailing a sonobuoy, while a sister helo was being refueled on the Akhromeyev. Both Kamov Ka-27s were stalking the sleek American submarine, landing aboard their ship to refuel at staggered thirty-minute intervals.
The ship's master, Capt. Myroslaw Surovcik, was listening to the crew of Akhromeyev Two as the helicopter circled the Tennessee. Next to his command chair on the port wing of the bridge were a speaker and discreet phone direct to Admiral Botschka aboard the Frunze.
Akhromeyev One was lifting off the aft helo-pad, lowering its nose to gain speed, when Surovcik heard the pilot of the other Kamov radio an urgent report.
Akhromeyev Two, the submarine is slowing, we think surfacing!
Admiral Botschka had other reasons to perform well. Rumors had been carefully circulated suggesting that Vosoghiyan would ... retire on Soviet Navy Day, the first Sunday after July 22, leaving the Fleet Admiralty open.
Botschka knew he would be the selectee to replace the fleet Admiral if he could confirm the sinking of the intruding American submarine.
Botschka also felt certain a second Hero of the Soviet Union medal would be placed on his uniform.
Defcon One (1989)
USS TENNESSEE
Booker concentrated on his sonar panel, waiting for the Russian ship to ping them again. Another forty minutes and they would be in open waters where the Tennessee could dive deep to avoid detection.
Ping, PING!
There it was. Closer this time.
They've really got us bracketed, sir, Booker said quietly to Captain Mcconnell.
The sub skipper nodded and glanced at his executive officer.
What do you think. Ken? Should we set a straight course for the group?
It's been over an hour and they haven't done anything but tail us.
Houston thought a minute, calculating all the contingencies within logic.
No sense in trying to evade them. We can't go deep enough at this point and we can't outrun the choppers, Houston replied as another ping sounded through the Trident's hull.
True. Might as well come to periscope depth. We need to alert the task force of our position and situation, Mcconnell said as he glanced at his watch. Thirty-five minutes before the water would be deep enough to use the Tennessee's full capability.
We better request air-cover back to the battle group, Mcconnell said as Houston silently nodded in agreement.
Steady course zero-eight-zero, Mcconnell ordered the helmsman.
Steady course zero-eight-zero, the officer of the deck repeated.
All ahead one-third, Mcconnell said quietly.
Periscope depth.
Ahead one-third, coming to periscope depth, the lieutenant repeated as the sailor manning the diving planes eased back on his controls, changing the deck angle of the Tennessee.
' Communications, stand by for a message to Constellation, Mcconnell ordered as he picked up the microphone to transmit his report to the American carrier.
The communications antenna would be the only piece of hardware protruding above the water. It would be difficult to detect if the sub was going slow, reducing the size of the wake created by the antenna.
All ahead slow, Mcconnell ordered, not wanting to leave a visible marker for the Russians to spot.
If the Soviets detected a wake from the antenna, they would know the American sub had sent a message. That might force the Russians into action since the Tennessee was in a vulnerable position. The Soviets apparently wanted to make an issue of the situation, and that meant keeping the American nuclear submarine in a precarious location.
The sub leveled at sixty feet as Mcconnell prepared to send a message to the Constellation.
I sure hope the Connie' is listening, Mcconnell said to his executive officer.
Yeah, Houston answered. We're already overdue.
THE AKHROMEYEV The Udaloy-class antisubmarine ship was pacing the Tennessee at a distance of six kilometers. One of the Akhromeyev's ASW helicopters was orbiting over the intruding sub, trailing a sonobuoy, while a sister helo was being refueled on the Akhromeyev. Both Kamov Ka-27s were stalking the sleek American submarine, landing aboard their ship to refuel at staggered thirty-minute intervals.
The ship's master, Capt. Myroslaw Surovcik, was listening to the crew of Akhromeyev Two as the helicopter circled the Tennessee. Next to his command chair on the port wing of the bridge were a speaker and discreet phone direct to Admiral Botschka aboard the Frunze.
Akhromeyev One was lifting off the aft helo-pad, lowering its nose to gain speed, when Surovcik heard the pilot of the other Kamov radio an urgent report.
Akhromeyev Two, the submarine is slowing, we think surfacing!
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