tc.redstormrising-第87章

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〃Conn；　sonar。〃
〃Conn；　aye；〃　McCafferty　answered。
〃We　got　some　pingers；　active　sonobuoys　to　the　northwest。　We　count　six　of　them；　all　very　faint。〃　The　sonar　chief　read　off　the　bearings　to　the　signal　sources。　〃Still　no　active　sonar　signals　ing　from　the　target　formation；　sir。〃
〃Very　well。〃　McCafferty　returned　the　mike　to　its　holder。　Chicago's　depth　was　changing　quickly；　as　they　dove　at　a　fifteen…degree　angle。　He　watched　the　bathythermograph　readout。　At　two　hundred　twenty　feet　the　water　temperature　began　to　drop　rapidly；　changing　twelve　degrees　inside　of　seventy　feet。　Good；　a　strong　layer　to　hide　under；　and　cold　water　deep　to　allow　good　sonar　performance　for　his　own　sensors。
Two　hours　before　he　had　removed　a　torpedo　from　one　of　his　tubes　and　replaced　it　with　a　Harpoon　missile。　It　gave　him　only　one　torpedo　ready　for　instant　use　if　he　found　a　submarine　target；　but　a　salvo　of　three　missiles　available　to　fling　at　surface　ships；　plus　his　Tomahawks。　He　could　fire　either　now；　and　expect　hits；　but　McCafferty　didn't　want　to　fire　at　just　anything。　There　was　no　sense　wasting　a　missile　on　a　small　patrol　craft　when　there　was　a　cruiser　and　a　carrier　out　there　waiting　for　him。　He　wanted　to　identify　specific　targets　first。　It　wouldn't　be　easy；　but　he　knew　that　easy　things　didn't　have　to　be　done　by　the　688…class　subs。　He　went　forward　into　sonar。
The　chief　caught　him　out　the　er　of　his　eye。　〃Skipper；　I　may　have　a　bearing　to　Kirov。　I　just　copied　six　pings　from　a　low…frequency　sonar。　I　think　that's　him；　bearing　zero…three…nine。　Trying　to　isolate　his　engine　signature　now。　And　if…okay；　some　more　sonobuoys　are　dropping　to　the　right。〃　The　display　showed　new　points　of　light　well　to　the　right　of　the　first　string；　and　a　sizable　gap　between　the　two。
〃Think　he's　dropping　them　in　chevrons；　Chief？〃　McCafferty　asked。　He　got　a　smile　and　a　nod　for　an　answer。　If　the　Soviets　were　deploying　their　sonobuoys　in　angled　lines　left　and　right　of　the　formation；　that　could　mean　that　their　ships　were　heading　right　for　Chicago。　The　submarine　would　not　have　to　maneuver　at　all　to　intercept　them。　She　could　stay　as　quiet　as　an　open　grave。
〃They　seem　to　be　alternating　them　above　and　below　the　layer；　sir。　A　pretty　fair　gap　between　them；　too。〃　The　chief　lit　a　cigarette　without　averting　his　eyes　from　the　screen。　The　ashtray　next　to　him　was　crammed　with　butts。
〃We'll　plot　that　one　out。　Good　work；　Barney。〃　The　captain　patted　his　sonar　chief　on　the　shoulder　and　went　back　to　the　attack　center。　The　firecontrol　tracking　party　was　already　plotting　the　new　contacts。　It　looked　like　an　interval　of　just　over　two　miles　between　the　sonobuoys。　If　the　Soviets　were　alternating　them　above　and　below　the　layer；　there　was　a　good　chance　he　could　sneak　between　a　pair。　The　other　question　was　the　presence　of　passive　buoys；　whose　presence　he　could　not　detect。
McCafferty　stood　at　the　periscope　pedestal；　watching　his　men　at　work　as　they　entered　data　into　the　fire…control　puters；　backed　up　by　other　men　with　paper　plots　and　hand…held　calculators。　The　weapons…control　panel　was　lit　up　by　indicators　showing　ready。　The　submarine　was　at　battle　stations。
〃Take　her　up　to　two　hundred　feet；　we'll　listen　above　the　layer　for　a　few　minutes。〃　The　maneuver　paid　off　at　once。
〃I　got　direct…path　to　the　targets；〃　the　sonar　chief　announced。　They　could　now　detect　and　track　sound　energy　radiating　directly　from　the　Soviet　ships；　without　depending　on　the　on…again；　off…again　convergence　zones。
McCafferty　manded　himself　to　relax。　He'd　soon　have　work　enough。
〃Captain；　we're　about　due　for　another　sonobuoy　drop。　They've　been　averaging　about　every　fifteen　minutes；　and　this　one　might　be　close。〃
〃Getting　that　Horse…Jaw　sonar　again；　sir；〃　sonar　warned。　〃Bearing　three…two…zero　at　this　time。　Signal　weak。　Classify　this　contact　as　the　cruiser　Kirov。　Stand　by…another　one。　We　have　a　medium　frequency　active　sonar　bearing　three…three…one；　maneuvering　left…to…right。　We　classify　this　contact　as　a　Kresta…II　ASW　cruiser。〃
〃I　think　he's　right；〃　the　plotting　officer　said。　〃Bearing　three…two…zero　is　close　to　our　bearings　for　a　pair　of　screen　ships；　but　far　enough　off　that　it's　probably　a　different　contact。　Three…three…one　is　consistent　with　the　center　screen　ship。　It　figures。　The　Kresta　will　be　the　screen　mander；　with　the　flagship　a　ways　behind　him。　Need　some　time　to　work　out　the　ranges；　though。〃
The　captain　ordered　his　submarine　to　stay　above　the　layer；　able　to　duck　beneath　it　in　seconds。　The　tactical　display　was　evolving　now。　He　had　a　workable　bearing　on　Kirov。　Almost　good　enough　to　shoot　on；　though　he　still　needed　range　data。　There　seemed　to　be　a　pair　of　escorts　between　him　and　the　cruiser；　and　unless　he　had　a　proper　range　estimate；　any　missile　he　launched　at　the　Soviet　flagship　might　attack　a　destroyer　or　frigate　by　mistake。　In　the　interim；　the　solution　on　the　attack　director　set　the　Harpoons　to　fly　straight　for　what　he　believed　to　be　the　battle　cruiser　Kirov。
Chicago　began　to　zigzag　left　and　right　of　her　course　track。　As　the　submarine　changed　her　position；　the　bearing　to　her　sonar　contacts　changed　also。　The　tracking　party　could　use　the　submarine's　own　course　deviation　as　a　baseline　to　pute　ranges　to　the　various　contacts。　A　straightforward　process…essentially　an　exercise　in　high…school　trigonometry…it　nevertheless　took　time　because　they　had　to　estimate　the　speed　and　course　of　the　moving　targets。　Even　puter　support　couldn't　make　the　process　go　much　faster；　and　one　of　his　quartermasters　took　great　pride　in　his　ability　to　use　a　circular　slide　rule　and　race　the　puter　to　a　hard　solution。
The　tension　seemed　to　grow　by　degrees；　then　it　plateaued。　The　years　of　training　were　paying　off。　Data　was　handled；　plotted；　and　acted　upon　in　seconds。　The　crew　suddenly　seemed　a　physical　part　of　the　gear　they　were　operating；　their　feelings　shut　off；　their　emotions　submerged；　only　the　sweat　on　their　foreheads　betraying　that　they　were　men　after　all；　and　not　machines。　They　depended　absolutely　on　their　sonar　operators。　Sound　energy　was　their　only　indication　of　what　was　happening；　and　each　new　bearing　report　triggered　furious　activity。　It　was　clear　that　their　targets　were　zigzagging；　which　made　the　range　putations　even　more　difficult。
〃Conn；　sonar！　Active　sonobuoy　close　aboard　to　port！　Below　the　layer；　I　think。〃
〃Right　full　rudder；　all　ahead　two…thirds；〃　the　executive　officer　ordered　instantly。
McCafferty　went　to　sonar　and　plugged　in　a　set　of　headphones。　The　pings　were　loud　but　。　。　。　distorted；　he　thought。　If　the　buoy　was　below　the　temperature　gradient；　the　signals　radiating　upward　would　be　unable　to　detect　his　submarine…probably。　〃Signal　strength？〃　he　asked。
〃Strong；〃　the　chief　replied。　〃Even　money　they　might　have　picked　us　up。　Five　hundred　yards　farther　out　and　they　lose　us　for　sure。〃
〃Okay；　they　can't　monitor　them　all　at　once。〃
The　XO　moved　Chicago　a　thousand　yards　before　returning　to　base　course。　Overhead；　they　knew；　was　a　Bear…F　ASW　aircraft　armed　with　homing　torpedoes　and　a　crew　whose　job　it　was　to　listen　to　the　sonobuoy　signals。　How　good　were　the　buoys　and　the　men？　That　was　one　thing　that　they　didn't　know。　Three　tense　minutes　passed　and　nothing　happened。
〃All　ahead　one…third；　e　left　to　three…two…one；〃　the　executive　officer　ordered。　They　were　now　through　the　line　of　buoys。　Three　more　such　lines　were　between　them　and　their　target。　They'd　nearly　determined　range　for　three　of　the　escorts；　but　not　to　the　Kirov　yet。
〃Okay；　people；　the　Bears　are　behind　us。　That's　one　less　thing　to　worry　about。　Range　to　the　nearest　ship？〃　he　asked　the　approach　officer。
〃Twenty…six　thousand　yards。　We　think　he's　a　Sovremenny。　The　Kresta　is　about　five　thousand　yards　east　of　him。　He's　pinging　away　with　hull　and　VDS　sonars。〃　McCafferty　nodded。　The　variable…depth　sonar　would　be　below　the　layer　and　had　scant　chance　of　detecting　them。　The　hull　sonar　they'd　have　to　pay　attention　to；　but　it　wouldn't　be　a　problem　for　a　while　yet。　Okay；　the　captain　thought；　things　are　going　pretty　much　according　to　the　plan…
〃Conn；　sonar；　torpedoes　in　the　water；　bearing　three…two…zero！　Signal　faint。　Say　again　torpedoes　in　the　water；　three…two…zero；　bearing　changing　…additional；　lots　of　active　sonars　just　lit　up。　We're　getting　increased　screw　noises　for　all　contacts。〃　McCafferty　was　in　the　sonar　room　before　the