“Torpedo launch transient, bearing zero-six-two!”
Plecas spun toward the nearest sonar display, spotting a bright white blip on the reported bearing. As he wondered whether Hydroacoustic had identified the transient correctly, another report followed.
“Torpedo in the water, bearing zero-six-two!”
A red bearing line appeared on the torpedo fire control consoles, radiating outward, accompanied by a bright white trace burning into the sonar display.
“Terminate the launch!” Plecas ordered.
While the Weapons Officer shut the missile tube hatches, Plecas commenced torpedo evasion.
“Steersman, ahead flank!”
The Steersman rang up maximum propulsion as Plecas determined the best evasion course. He decided to place the torpedo twenty degrees aft of the beam, so Kazan could open range while evading.
“Steersman, left full rudder, steady course three-one-zero.”
To his Watch Officer, Plecas ordered, “Launch torpedo decoy!”
Kazan swung around as it increased speed, and a decoy was launched in its wake, which would hopefully distract the torpedo long enough for Kazan to slip away.
Once they had put enough distance between the submarine and the decoy, Plecas ordered, “Launch jammer!”
A broadband sonar jammer was ejected from the submarine, which would mask Kazan as it sped away, leaving only the decoy as a tantalizing target for the incoming torpedo.
Hydroacoustic’s next report confirmed what Plecas already knew. “Incoming torpedo is an American Mark forty-eight.”
Now that Kazan was on a good evasion course and countermeasures had been launched, Plecas returned his attention to the incoming torpedo. It hadn’t been a very good shot. The bearings were drawing steadily aft, indicating it had either been fired down a specific bearing or the American crew had been forced to shoot with an immature solution. Either way, it didn’t matter; the torpedo would miss unless the American crew steered it onto Kazan’s new track. Plecas planned to ensure that didn’t happen.
It was time to put a torpedo—or two—into the water.
Hydroacoustic didn’t hold the American submarine. All they had was the launch bearing, which meant the American submarine could be headed in any direction. To increase the odds of getting a hit, Plecas decided to launch a horizontal salvo: two torpedoes running side by side.
“Prepare to fire horizontal salvo from tubes One and Two, bearing zero-six-two.”
The bearing and salvo search parameters were sent to the torpedoes, then the Weapons Officer announced, “Ready to Fire, tubes One and Two.”
Plecas examined the torpedo settings, and satisfied they were adequate, gave the order.
“Fire tubes One and Two.”
Both torpedoes were ejected simultaneously from Kazan, one from each torpedo bank, and turned onto the ordered bearing.
Now that the MK 48 torpedo had passed astern and two torpedoes were on their way to keep the American crew busy, Plecas decided to slow and search for the enemy submarine.
“Steersman, ahead two-thirds. Right ten degrees rudder, course three-three-zero.”
Plecas turned Kazan slightly to starboard as it slowed, presenting a beam aspect to the likely position of the American submarine, bringing both of Kazan’s primary sensors into play: the spherical and towed arrays.
He had agreed to launch all twenty missiles in return for his daughter’s medical treatment, but thus far had launched only one. Nineteen more to go.
But first, he had to find the American submarine and sink it.