Sessions, Torelli, and Milgrom immediately groaned.
“I see it has not been lost on you that we face some difficult choke points to and from our destination. Steps are being taken by higher command to assist us. Whether or not these diversions work, we have to press on at each stage.”
Jeffrey ran through the basics about radio silence, forbidden use of nukes in crucial areas, and other topics covered in briefings he’d attended earlier in Washington or Norfolk. He couldn’t tell them about the defector, Klaus Mohr, aka Peapod, aka Zeno, or about Plan Pandora — and this requirement to deny his key subordinates an understanding of what was truly involved weighed heavily on Jeffrey.
“The enemy is meant to believe we’re going south, after von Scheer in South Africa. You who were present then I’m sure remember our last delightful encounter with that beast.” People nodded and murmured uncomfortably.
“The first leg of our course will support the outward appearance of this incorrect conclusion. False signal traffic that the enemy may be able to read will further reinforce the impression that Challenger and Ohio are heading south. Farther out in the Atlantic, however, we will turn east. In the interests of time, we will then take the shortest route to the Strait of Gibraltar. Nav,” Jeffrey said to Sessions, “you can work out the details.” Sessions nodded, and Jeffrey could see gears were already turning in his mind. “Our course will take us north of Bermuda, and then north of the Azores. The steaming formation and routine I’ve chosen is this: Ohio will remain below the sonar layer, but otherwise Captain Parcelli and his crew will determine their depth along the way as they see fit. Ohio will periodically trail her floating wire antenna to provide updated tactical data for both ships. Challenger will stay as close to the seafloor as practicable, for stealth, keeping about ten thousand yards ahead of Ohio. Challenger will scan passively for threats, using the deep sound channel and various sonar modes as apply. That’s your division’s main task, Sonar, as usual.”
“Understood, sir.” Milgrom sounded chipper enough, but there were bags under her eyes and her shoulders drooped more than usual from fatigue. Jeffrey sympathized. He continued.
“Ohio as the slower ship will set the pace. Our mean speed of advance will be eighteen knots. Our trip to Gibraltar should therefore take eight days. Ohio will, at Captain Parcelli’s discretion, trail her towed array, which was recently upgraded to be the same type as Challenger’s, i.e., triple-line fiber optic…. The two ships will remain in contact by the secure covert acoustic link. Challenger will maneuver so as to remain in direct acoustic line of sight with Ohio as much as possible. Given the complex paths that sound rays take between different depths, and Challenger’s occasional proximity to bottom terrain, this will call for careful coordination between Sonar and Navigation, on both ships. However, again, since Ohio will be setting the pace, and as the shallower unit she’s more inherently vulnerable, the onus is on Challenger to keep the acoustic path open. If the two ships become separated, with both being so quiet, it may prove very difficult to reestablish contact, even if both try calling by using the link. The result of such separation could be disastrous…. I cannot disclose more, but suffice it to say that a sword of Damocles hangs over our heads by one strand of hair, and that strand gets weaker with every day that goes by.”
Sessions and Milgrom glanced at each other, both carefully poker faced.
“Although we all did well in our combat with those three U-boats, I have to emphasize that whenever possible, we must avoid further contact with enemy units. Detection of either of our ships by the Axis now risks seriously compromising the mission. Any further combat also risks damage to Ohio or Challenger or both. This, again, could be disastrous, even if neither of us is actually sunk.”
Torelli raised his hand. “Skipper, won’t two subs trying to sneak through Gibraltar get noticed? The gap there’s so narrow, and the Germans have controlled both sides for most of a year at this point. They’ll have all kinds of sensors and weapons aimed our way.”
“All true. Hydrophone arrays, undersea smart minefields, the works. That’s the next part of the deception process. This much, you all do need to know now, since we’ve got to start working out our penetration tactics right away.”
Milgrom raised her hand.
“Sonar?”
“Captain, why weren’t we told any of this before? A week to develop cooperative tactics with Ohio, computer models, simulator rehearsals, contingency planning… It’s awfully rushed.”
“For security. You were to be told this only after we left port.” Jeffrey had by now, in private, opened the first sealed pouch from his safe.
“Of course. Understood, sir.”
“It won’t be quite as difficult as you think,” Jeffrey said to the group in the wardroom at large.
He tapped keys and another image appeared on the screen. It showed one submarine towing another, both submerged.
“The way we’ll increase our chances of sneaking through safely is to make use of a big-time diversion scheme…. You’re aware that some months ago USS Texas was damaged in combat and had to ground on top of a seamount near her crush depth.” Texas was a Virginia-class, steel-hulled sub. Challenger had helped rescue her surviving crew — just before the Germans could get to them. “The engineering compartment was completely flooded. Some of you may have heard rumors of plans to refloat and salvage the ship, repair her, put her back in action.”
People nodded again.
“Well, yes and no. Texas has been refloated, basically by robotic minisubs inserting gas bags as floatation bladders inside the flooded spaces. But rather than be salvaged, she’ll be sacrificed.”
People gave each other doubtful looks.
“It’s supposed to work like this,” Jeffrey said. “The Royal Navy’s HMS Dreadnought will tow the submerged but refloated Texas to near the Gibraltar Strait. Dreadnought is ideal for the job since her ceramic hull gives her a very deep crush depth. If something goes wrong with the tow or buoyancy control, and the Texas starts to sink again, the Dreadnought at least won’t need to worry about being dragged below her own crush depth. And before you ask, yes, a system is in place to cut the towing cables, just in case, and also one to make Texas heavy if she threatens to bob to the surface. Of course, implosion of the floatation bags and the unflooded forward hull of Texas would be heard for hundreds of miles, and prematurely give that game away, so we better hope this part goes smoothly. If it does, Dreadnought will release Texas near the Strait to free-float at her normal operating depth, and then subtly draw the attention of Axis antisubmarine forces. This should stir up a nice hornet’s nest, and the Challenger-Ohio task group will sneak through while the enemy’s busy attacking a derelict Texas and a very capable Dreadnought. Texas, already stripped of most classified gear, and her reactor compartment filled with special high-strength sealant, will suffer hits and seem to be sunk by Axis fire in water ten thousand feet deep. Dreadnought will then withdraw, also in very deep water…. It’s rather convenient for our side that the continental shelf by the strait is extremely narrow compared to the eastern U.S…. The Axis will thus be left with the impression that a two-sub task group attempted entry, with one vessel destroyed and the other repulsed. This will strengthen Axis confidence that the Strait is secure, when in fact, God willing, Challenger and Ohio will have gotten inside and we’ll have a good laugh at German expense.”
Bell leaned forward. “Making this work will take some precise coordination, sir, between us and Dreadnought.”
“That’ll be accomplished by a coded ELF radio message. The same message will also be our final go-ahead to proceed with the main part of the mission, inside the Med. And it’s one more reason why we
