Kirov II: Cauldron of Fire

countermeasures system indicated numerous undersea contacts, and very near the ship. Some were moored mines, anchored to the seafloor by a long chain, detected by the ship’s forward looking high resolution sonar in the big bow dome.

Federov slowed the ship to just ten knots, clearly worried about the mine threat now. It was perhaps the cheapest weapon the enemy might deploy against them and, unlike the enemy ships and planes, which could be seen and engaged well before they posed a danger to the ship, the mines lurked in waters Kirov had to pass through in order to transit the strait. He seemed very anxious, knowing that much of the threat would not be visible on the surface and that they might face an array of minefields here: delayed-action, magnetic, acoustic, and older contact mines; moored, and floating mines. Snag lines might also connect a series of mines to set off numerous detonations. He was not sure what to do.

“It could take days to adequately sweep this channel and remove all threats,” said Karpov. “We will have to take more expedient measures and use the UDAV-2 ASW system.” Fedorov confessed he had no idea what the Captain was talking about, and Karpov explained.

“There,” he pointed to a weapon system on the starboard side of the ship. “There is one on the bow as well. Think of it as a rocket launcher we can use against undersea threats.” The unit did, in fact, look a bit like the old German nebelwerfers of WWII, with ten rocket tubes, five on each side in a semicircle arc. It was derived from the British use of the “Hedgehog,” which was a kind of seaborne mortar system that could fire a pattern of twenty-four explosives out in front of an advancing ship. Russia’s modern day equivalent could range out to 3 kilometers with salvos of rockets bearing 300mm warheads. Karpov aimed them much closer to the ship, trying to saturate areas where Tasarov’s sonar detected heaver concentrations of mines. Minutes later the sea ahead in the windy channel seemed to erupt with explosions and geysers of white frothing seawater as the first salvos landed. Kirov was literally trying to blast her way through the minefields, slowing to five knots now as the ship slowly advanced through the turbulent waters.

They fired three salvos at varying ranges ahead, using UDAV batteries on both sides of the ship, and the large secondary explosions told them their plan was working. Some of the mines were packed with up to 1000 kilograms of explosive material, and the concussion shook the ship, sometimes setting off other mines rigged to explode via pressure or sound. They would fire a salvo, wait while Tasarov reacquired new contacts with his active ranging sonar, then fire again. To any landward observer, it looked as if the big battlecruiser was at war with the sea itself.

Soldiers of the 4th Coastal Defense Brigade stationed at Piazza La Maddalena and the northern coast of Sardinia gaped at the sight of the big ship out in the channel. If the British had such vessels, the war was lost for certain, some said. Others shook their fist at Kirov’s grey silhouette and claimed that the Navy would soon arrive to deal with this ship. The intruder had batted aside the light 795 ton torpediniera, but the 7th Cruiser Division was still coming up fast now, it’s lead elements just thirty kilometers from the scene with the heavy cruiser Trieste, light cruiser Muzio Attendolo and three destroyers. Behind them came heavy cruisers Goriza and Bolzano with three more destroyers, and the two groups were now coordinating their course and speed to join as one mailed fist and attack together.

Rodenko had a good fix on them with his long range radars, but Fedorov decided not to use any of the ship’s precious anti-ship missiles, thinking they could push on through the Bonifacio Strait and out into the Mediterranean Sea beyond in another hour, and he did not think the pursuing ships would follow. He thought there would be nothing to oppose them at that point, and they might sail for the Balearic Islands as planned with only occasional observation by reconnaissance planes… But he was wrong again. As they reached the center of the channel, a new contact was sighted, not behind them in hot pursuit, but ahead of them, steaming towards the western exit of the Bonifacio Strait.

Commando Supremo had sprung its well planned trap.

Chapter 15

“Sighting ahead, sir. Surface contact. Five units at a range of twenty-five kilometers. Speed twenty knots, increasing, and closing on our position!”

Fedorov was surprised to hear this, coming quickly to Rodenko’s side to look at his screen. “Five units?”

“It was apparently hugging the coast of Corsica, and masked by this landform.” He was pointing at the coastal signal returns, outlining the southern edge of Capo de Feno. The land rose steeply there to a height of over 200 meters, and this new enemy contact had been effectively hidden behind the cape. But what could it be, Fedorov wondered? There should be no further Italian warships in this sector. The last remaining threat should be behind them in the steady advance of the 7th Cruiser Division.

“Focus the Tin Man optronics on that contact and see if we can get an image. Use the highest resolution possible.” Fedorov needed to know what he was dealing with. Could this be merchant traffic, or was it a threat? Minutes later he had his answer in the stalwart silhouettes of two very large warships on the far horizon. “My god,” he breathed. “Those are battleships!”

“British? Up here?”

“No… Those two stacks amidships right behind the main mast …These are Italian— Littorio Class ships, but this isn’t possible! All those ships were at Taranto! There is no way they could have reached this position from that distance, and they weren’t moved to La Spezia until December of this year.”

“Yes, in the history you know, Fedorov, but apparently things have changed, just like the early arrival of those cruisers at our backside.” Karpov thumbed over his shoulder to the wake of the ship as they slowly crept through the straits. Then they heard the muted but prominent sound of a large detonation and the ship shuddered.

“What was that?” said the captain. “Tasarov? Rodenko?”

“I’m starting to see air contacts over land both north and south,” said Rodenko, “small flights of three to six planes, and nothing close enough to pose a threat at the moment. Tasarov had a trace of some undersea movement just before the explosion, which prompted him to rip off his headset, started by the sudden sound. The news sent Karpov to a higher pitch.

“Another submarine? Ready on ASW systems!”

“I don’t think so, sir. I think it was a moored mine, possibly jarred loose from its cable by our last UDAV barrage. I don’t think we hit it, but it exploded off our port side.”

Even as he finished Fedorov saw bright flashes and billowing smoke obscure the image of the oncoming ships on the Tin Man display. They were under fire, and this was not from the small six inch rounds of a light cruiser or shore battery. This time it was coming from the 15 inch batteries of the lead battleship.

“That is our main concern now,” he pointed, noting how the big ships were turning, their dark silhouettes more prominent and threatening with the maneuver. Ahead of them a fan of three smaller destroyers were churning their way forward to make a torpedo attack. They heard the whine of oncoming shells, and a deep whoosh as the first rounds swooped well over the ship and plunged into the channel behind them. Fedorov realized that at five knots they were now an easy target.

“Very well,” said Karpov, folding his arms. “We’ll pepper them with our deck guns as before.”

“That’s won’t be enough,” said Fedorov quickly. “These are battleships, Karpov. Those rounds they just flung over our main mast were from the most powerful 15 inch guns ever mounted on a naval ship. Don’t underestimate them, Captain.” His tone warned of danger, his eyes carrying the seriousness of the moment. The ship was now in grave danger—a situation he had never thought to encounter. “They have 350mm belt armor and our 152 mm guns will not penetrate that,” he continued. “Their main gun turrets are equally well protected. They will be able to stand with us in a gun fight indefinitely if they have the will to do so, and the constricted water here gives us no room for maneuver. I hope you understand what would happen if we were to take just one serious hit from a fifteen inch gun!”

“Then we will use the Moskit-IIs, as we did with the British.”

“Yes, but you will need multiple hits to really harm these ships.”