tc.redstormrising-第62部分

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The　frigate　was　steaming　at　twelve　knots；　and　her　Prairie/Masker　systems　were　operating。　Sonar　conditions　were　better　today。　A　hard　thermocline　layer　at　two　hundred　feet　severely　impeded　the　utility　of　a　surface　sonar。　Pharris　was　able　to　deploy　her　towed…array　sonar　below　it；　however；　and　the　lower　water　temperature　there　made　for　an　excellent　sound　channel。　Better　still；　the　layer　worked　in　both　directions。　A　submarine's　sonar　had　as　much　trouble　penetrating　the　thermocline　as　a　surface　sonar。　Pharris　would　be　virtually　undetectable　to　a　submarine　below　the　layer。
〃How's　the　plot　look？〃　the　tactical　action　officer　asked。
〃Firming　up；〃　ASW　answered。　〃Still　the　distance　question。　Given　the　water　conditions　and　our　known　sonar　performance；　our　sonar　figure　of　merit　gives　us　a　contact　distance　of　anything　from　five　to　fourteen　miles　on　direct　path；　or　into　the　first　convergence　zone。　That　predicts　out　from　nineteen　to　twenty…three　miles　。　。　。〃　A　convergence　zone　is　a　trick　of　physics。　Sound　traveling　in　water　radiates　in　all　directions。　Noise　that　traveled　down　was　gradually　turned　by　water　temperature　and　pressure　into　a　series　of　curves；　rising　to　the　surface；　then　bending　again　downward。　While　the　frigate　could　hear　noise　out　from　herself　for　a　distance　of　about　fourteen　nautical　miles；　the　convergence　zone　was　in　the　shape　of　an　annulus…the　area　between　two　concentric　circles…a　donut…shaped　piece　of　water　that　began　nineteen　miles　and　ended　twenty…three　miles　away。　The　distance　to　the　submarine　was　unknown；　but　was　probably　less　than　twenty…three　miles。　That　was　already　too　close。　The　submarine　could　attack　them　or　the　convoy　they　guarded　with　torpedoes；　or　with　surface…to…surface　missiles；　a　technology　pioneered　by　the　Soviets。
〃Remendation；　gentlemen？〃　Morris　asked。　The　TAO　spoke　first。
〃Let's　put　the　helicopter　up　for　the　near　solution；　and　get　an　Orion　working　the　far　one。〃
〃Sounds　good；〃　ASW　agreed。
Within　five　minutes；　the　frigate's　helo　was　five　miles　out；　dropping　Lofar…type　sonobuoys。　On　striking　the　water；　these　miniature　passive　sonar　sets　deployed　a　non…directional　sonar　transducer　at　a　preselected　depth。　In　this　case　all　dipped　above　the　thermocline　layer　to　determine　if　the　target　was　close。　The　data　was　relayed　back　to　Pharris's　bat　information　center：　nothing。　The　passive　sonar　track；　however；　still　showed　a　submarine　or　something　that　sounded　like　a　submarine。　The　helo　began　moving　outward；　dropping　sonobuoys　as　it　went。
Then　the　Orion　arrived。　The　four…engine　aircraft　swooped　low　along　the　frigate's　reported　bearing…to…target。　The　Orion　carried　over　fifty　sonobuoys；　and　was　soon　dropping　them　in　sets　both　above　and　below　the　layer。
〃I　got　a　weak　signal　on　number　six　and　a　medium　on　number　five；〃　a　sonar　operator　reported。　Excitement　crept　into　his　voice。
〃Roger；　confirm　that；〃　the　tactical　coordinator　on　Bluebird…Three　agreed。　He'd　been　in　the　ASW　game　for　six　years；　but　he　was　getting　excited；　too。　〃We're　going　to　start　making　MAD　runs。〃
〃You　want　our　helo　to　back　you　up？〃
〃Roger　that；　yes；　but　tell　him　to　keep　low。〃
Seconds　later　the　frigate's　SH…2F　Sea　Sprite　helicopter　sped　off　north；　her　magnetic　anomaly　detector　trailing　out　by　cable　from　a　shroud　on　the　right　side　of　the　aircraft。　Essentially　a　highly　sensitive　magnetometer；　it　could　detect　the　disturbance　in　the　earth's　magnetic　field　made　by　a　large　chunk　of　ferrous　metal…like　the　steel　hull　of　a　submarine。
〃Signal　on　number　six　is　now　medium…strength。　Signal　on　seven　remains　medium。〃　The　plotting　team　took　this　to　mean　that　the　submarine　was　heading　south。
〃I　can　give　you　a　working　range　figure；〃　ASW　said　to　the　TAO。　Forty…two　to　forty…five　thousand　yards；　bearing　three…four…zero　to　three…three…six。〃　The　frigate　relayed　this　at　once　to　the　Orion。
As　they　watched　on　radar；　the　P…3C　quartered　the　area；　flying　very　precise　tracks　across　the　box　of　ocean　defined　by　Pharris's　sonar　data　as　the　probable　location　of　the　submarine。　A　puter　system　plotted　the　lines　as　they　extended　to　the　south。
〃Pharris；　this　is　Bluebird。　Our　data　indicates　no　friendly　subs　in　the　area。　Please　confirm；　over。〃
〃Roger　that；　Bluebird。　We　confirm　no　reports　of　friendlies　in　the　area。〃　Morris　had　checked　that　himself　half　an　hour　before。
〃Signal　strength　increasing　on　number　six。　We　now　have　a　weak　signal　on　number　five。　Number　seven　is　fading　out。〃　The　technician　was　really　struggling　to　be　professionally　impassive　now。
〃Range　is　firming　up。　Estimate　target　speed　roughly　eight　knots；　distance　forty…three　thousand　yards。〃
〃Transient！　Transient！〃　called　the　ship　sonar　operator。　A　metallic　noise　had　e　from　the　target　bearing。　A　closing　hatch；　a　dropped　tool；　an　opening　torpedo　tube　door…something　had　made　a　uniquely　man…made　sound。
〃Confirm　mechanical　transient；　copied　on　buoys　five　and　six；〃　the　aircraft　called　immediately。
〃Confirmed；〃　Pharris's　TAO　answered。　〃We　got　that　on　the　towed　array；　too。　We　evaluate　the　contact　as　positive　submarine　at　this　time。〃
〃Concur；〃　the　Orion　replied。　〃Positive　Redboat　classification…madman！　Madman；　madman；　smoke　away！　We　have　a　NLAD　contact。〃　A　big　spike　appeared　on　the　MAD　readout。　Instantly；　a　crewman　flipped　a　switch　to　deploy　a　smoke　marker　and　the　aircraft　turned　hard　right　to　circle　back　on　the　contact　point。
〃Plotted！〃　The　tactical　action　officer　marked　the　position　on　his　tactical　display　scope　with　a　large　V　symbol。
The　helo　raced　in　on　the　contact　as　the　Orion　circled　back。
〃Madman！〃　its　systems　operator　called　out；　and　the　helo　dropped　its　own　smoke　bomb；　slightly　south　and　west　of　the　Orion's。
The　data　was　now　being　relayed　to　the　frigate's　torpedo…tube　and　ASROC　attack　directors。　Neither　had　anything　like　the　range　to　engage　the　target；　but　that　could　change　quickly。
〃Patience；〃　Morris　breathed　from　his　chair　in　the　CIC；　then　louder：　〃Take　your　time；　people。　Let's　lock　this　guy　in　before　we　fire。〃
The　Orion's　tactical　coordinator　agreed；　forcing　himself　to　relax　and　take　the　time　needed。　The　P…3　and　the　helicopter　made　another　MAD　run　north　to　south。　This　time　the　Orion　got　a　reading　and　the　helo　did　not。　Another　run；　and　both　had　the　contact's　course　line。　Next　came　an　east…to…west　run。　At　first；　both　missed；　but　on　the　second　run　both　had　him。　The　contact　was　no　longer　an　it。　Now　it　was　a　he；　a　submarine　being　driven　by　a　man。　Control　of　the　operation　now　passed　exclusively　to　the　tactical　coordinator　on　the　Orion。　The　big　patrol　aircraft　orbited　two　miles　away　as　the　helicopter　lined　up　for　the　final　pass。　The　pilot　made　a　very　careful　check　of　his　tactical　display；　then　locked　his　eyes　on　the　gyropass。
The　helo　began　the　last　MAD　run；　with　the　Orion　two　miles　behind　it。
〃Madman；　madman；　smoke　away！〃　The　final　smoke　marker　dropped；　a　green　flare　floating　on　the　surface。　The　Sea　Sprite　banked　hard　to　the　right　to　clear　the　area　as　the　Orion　came　in　low。　The　pilot　watched　the　smoke's　movement　to　figure　wind　drift　as　he　lined　up　on　the　target。　The　P…3C's　bomb　bay　doors　opened。　A　single　Mk…46　ASW　torpedo　was　armed　for　launch。
〃Torp　away！〃
The　torpedo　dropped　cleanly；　its　braking　parachute　trailed　out　of　the　tail　to　make　sure　the　weapon　entered　the　water　nose　down。　The　Orion　also　dropped　an　additional　sonobuoy；　this　time　a　directional　DIFAR。
〃Strong　signal；　bearing　one…seven…niner。〃
The　torpedo　dove　to　two　hundred　feet　before　beginning　its　circular　search。　Its　high…frequency　sonar　came　on　as　it　reached　search　depth。　Things　started　happening　quickly。
The　submarine　had　been　oblivious　to　the　activity　over　her　head。　She　was　an　old　Foxtrot。　Too　old　and　too　noisy　for　front…line　operations；　she　was　there　nonetheless；　hoping　to　catch　up　with　the　convoy　reported　to　her　south。　Her　sonar　operator　had　noted　and　reported　a　possible　overhead　splash；　but　the　captain　was　busy　plotting　the　position　of　the　convoy　he　had　been　ordered　to　approach。　The　torpedo's　homing　sonar　changed　that。　Instantly；　the　Foxtrot　went　to　flank　speed；　turning　hard　to　the　left　in　a　pre…planned　evasion　maneuver。　The　suddenly　increased　noise　of　her　cavitating　screws　was　discernible　to　several　sonobuoys　and　Pharris's　tactical　sonar。
The　torpedo　was　in　ping…and…listen　mode；　using　both　active　and　passive　sonar　to　find　its　target。　As　it　pleted　its　first　circle；　the　passive　receptors　in　the　nose　heard　the　cavitation　noises　of　the　submarine　and　homed　in　on　them。　Soon　the　active　sonar　pings　were　reflecting　off　the　submarine's　stem　as　it　dodged　left　and　right　trying　to　get　away。　The　torpedo　automatically　went　to　continuous　pinging；　increasing　to　maximum　speed　as　it　homed　in　on　its　target　like　the　remorseless　robot　it　was。
The　sonar　operators　on　the　aircraft　and　the　frigate　had　the　best　picture　of　what　was　happening。　As　they　watched；　the　bearing　lines　of　the　submarine　and　torpedo　began　to　converge。　At　fifteen　knots；　the　Foxtrot　was　too　slow　to　run　away　from　the　forty…knot　torpedo。　The　submarine　began　a　radical　series　of　turns　with　the　torpedo　in　pursuit。　The　Mk…46　missed　its　first　attempt　for　a　kill　by　twenty　feet；　and　immediately　turned　for　another　try。　Then　the　submarine's　captain　made　a　mistake。　Instead　of　continuing　his　left　turn；　he　reversed　it；　hoping　to　confuse　the　oning　torpedo。　He　ran　directly　into　its　path　。　。　。
Immediately　overhead；　the　helicopte