erratically though still attempting to stay somewhat on station. Waves of active sonar pulsed through the ocean from the escorts as though the sheer mass of energy used could create a protective wall around the convoy. The remaining five convoy ships maintained a steady course, unable to do anything other than watch and wait and hope that someone else would be the next torpedo's victim.
When the fire-control coordinator was satisfied with the TMA solutions, he informed Captain Mackey. Mack then directed that all tubes be made ready, and opened the outer doors on tubes one and two. This time he would take no chances. Another submarine was out there, waiting. He could feel it.
'Sonar, conn. Keep your ears open after we shoot tube one. You might be able to hear an enemy submarine flooding its tubes and opening the doors. Hopefully we can get off a shot before he does.' 'Conn, sonar, aye.'
'Firing point procedures, tube one, Master 62.' The range, speed, and course of the target were verified and the torpedo from tube one sped toward the first merchant container ship. The sonar supervisor and his operators all strained to catch the first indication of another submarine reacting to Cheyenne's torpedo launch.
'Conn, sonar. Noise bearing 250. Sounds like,? yes, sir. It's a submarine flooding his tubes. He's preparing to launch!'
'Sonar, conn. Stand by.' Mack designated the new contact Master 65 and then ordered, 'Match sonar bearing and shoot, tube two, Master 65.'
'Conn, sonar. Standing by.'
'Match sonar bearing and shoot, tube two, Master 65, aye, sir,' the combat systems officer completed the repeat back.
'Conn, sonar. Unit from tube two is running hot, straight, and normal. Target is turning and increasing speed.'
'Sonar, conn. Did he launch?'
'Conn, sonar, negative, sir. Our torpedo has already acquired the target and he is increasing speed. It's another Romeo, Captain.'
In the control room, all hands were silent as the narrative from sonar followed the pursuit of the enemy submarine by Cheyenne* s torpedo.
'Conn, sonar. Master 65 has launched countermeasures.'
At the weapons control console, the combat systems officer indicated that he had heard the report and informed Mack that the torpedo was still under positive wire-guidance control. The decoys would not work as long as Cheyenne could continue to steer the torpedo past the countermeasures.
'Conn, sonar. Impact on Master 65. Multiple explosions. It's gone, sir.'
Before Mack could acknowledge that report the sonar supervisor added. 'Conn, sonar, explosion on the bearing of Master 62. It's breaking up. Captain.'
'Sonar, conn, aye. Good work, everyone. Firing point procedures, tube three, Master 63, and tube four, Master 64. Shut the outer doors on tubes one and two, and reload tubes one and two.'
'Conn, sonar. The escorts have all increased speed and are shifting to cover the forward arc of the convoy. They must have heard their friends get hit.'
'Sonar, conn, aye. Fire control, are we still out of their detection range?'
'Yes, sir. We're well beyond their range.' 'Very well,' Mack replied.
The fire-control coordinator informed the captain that course, speed, and range were verified for targets Masters 63 and 64. Mack prepared to give the shoot order.
'Conn, sonar. The escorts have suddenly changed course toward the northeast. They are all maneuvering to the port quarter of the convoy.'
'Sonar, conn, aye.' Then Mack asked. 'Do the BSY-1 computers show any indication of what's going on?'
'Not yet, Captain,' answered the fire-control coordinator.
'Conn, sonar. Sounds like there's another Romeo out there closing on us at high speed from the direction of the escorts.'
'Conn, sonar. Captain? my God, sir! They're shooting at their own submarine! One, two, five torpedoes are in the water. Multiple explosions. Captain, they're dropping all sorts of ordnance in the water!'
'Sonar, conn. Understand.' Mack could have almost expected that. The convoy was on guard against any submarine contact, and they had mistaken the Romeo for Cheyenne. 'Any change in the remaining convoy?' he asked.
'Conn, sonar. Negative. Convoy same as before.'
'Sonar, conn, aye. Match sonar bearings and shoot, tube three, Master 63 and tube four, Master 64.'
'Match sonar bearings and shoot, tube three, Master 63, and tube four, Master 64, aye, sir.'
Mack walked to his stool and sat down to wait as the torpedoes raced toward their destination. With the escorts busy attacking one of their own submarines, there would be less warning than ever of the approaching doom. Not that the convoy itself had ever reacted to their ship's being torpedoed.
Mack's attention shifted as a new report came in.
'Conn, sonar. Explosions on the bearings of Masters 63 and 64. They're going down, Captain.'
'Sonar, conn, aye. Any reaction from the escorts?'
'Conn, sonar. Affirmative. They're drawing left, turning north. No, wait, sir. The convoy is changing course. Coming starboard. The convoy is changing course to their right.'
'Captain,' the combat systems officer said, 'the BSY-1 computer shows the convoy is turning to the north as well. Ranges to the contacts indicate the escorts are settling in behind the limping convoy.'
Cheers swept through Cheyenne as crew members congratulated one another. They had done it! The convoy was turning and heading for home.
But when the executive officer suggested standing down from battle stations, Mack shook his head. They would remain at their stations while Cheyenne was repositioning to finish that tanker. Mack thought that it might try to get back under way and slip into the Spratlys during the night, if it had not spilled all its tanks' contents.
As Cheyenne closed on the wounded tanker, Master 60, Mack's hunch proved correct. The ship was back under way and headed for the Spratly Islands. An Mk 48 from tube one finished the job, however, and soon Cheyenne was headed back towards McKee. It was time to rearm and resupply, and to take a deep breath before it all over again.
8. Patrol
It was still dark when Cheyenne completed reloading her torpedo tubes and vertical launchers from McKee. The submarine tender was still anchored off the coast of Brunei under the protection of the Independence carrier air cover.
As in their previous refit, on the final day Captain Mackey, his combat systems and operations officers, navigator and communicator, and sonar officer, proceeded to McKee's war room for their pre-underway briefing, but this time the other officers from Cheyenne also would attend the meeting.
Now that Cheyenne and McKee had established a smooth mini-refit routine. Mack wanted all his officers present. Besides, CTF 74 had requested the remaining officers' presence at this briefing. Partly because of that, Mack expected this upcoming Patrol 3 to be of more significance, if that were possible, than the previous
