Attack of the Seawolf

“Diving Officer, blow depth control number two empty and don’t let us broach if that’s too much buoyancy.

Helm, all ahead two thirds!”

First water, then air blew out of the Seawolf’s underside as the depth control tank went dry. The propulsor aft spun, still submerged in silt. As the ship grew buoyant she lifted out of the mud, righted her roll and surged ahead, the stern lifting out of the silt.

The deck leveled and the speed indicator rolled the numerals up on the ship control display.

“Helm, all ahead full. Steer course east. Depth one five zero.”

When they had gone down, Padno remembered having less than ten miles to go. At full speed he could be out of the Go Hai Bay before the Chinese realized he wasn’t dead. He watched the chart and when he was sure they’d gone at least twenty miles he stood up on the conn, grabbed the microphone to the Circuit One PA. system and put the mike to his gas mask exhalation filter.

“Attention, this is the captain.” His voice rang out through the decks and the compartments of the submarine.

“We are now in international waters in the bay of Korea. Because our atmosphere is still contaminated I intend to surface, which will give us a chance to check out the sail and see how bad the damage is.

That’s all, carry on.”

He took a last look at the sonar display console.

The surface was clean.

“Diving Officer, surface the ship.”

“Surface the ship, aye. Chief of the Watch, prepare to start the low-pressure blower on all main ballast tanks. Bowplanes to full rise, five degree up angle on the ship. Depth eight zero, seven five, six zero, sir.

Depth three eight, three seven. Open inboard induction, drain the header, okay. Open the outboard induction valve, and, Chief, start the blow.”

“PLACING THE LOW PRESSURE BLOWER ON ALL MAIN BALLAST TANKS.”

With a howl from the fan room aft, the huge displacement blower began blowing the ballast tanks dry.

Ten minutes later the Chief of the Watch stopped blowing air into the tanks and began to ventilate the ship with the same blower.

“Captain,” the Diving Officer announced, “the ship is on the surface, atmosphere is in spec. Recommend securing air masks.”

“Very well,” Pacino said.

“Mr. Keebes, announce to the crew to remove air masks and let’s get a navigation fix, then get Mr. Turner up here to check out the sail. If it will work let’s get the radar mast up and find out where the surface action group is. Once you’ve got their position, recommend a course to intercept the task force.”

“Yes sir,” Keebes said, already working on the navigation system.

Pacino sat back down on the Pos Two control seat and put his feet up on the console. The best feeling on the run was taking off the gas mask and breathing pure, clean outside air.

USS REAGAN

Admiral Richard Donchez stood on the starboard bridge wing looking out to sea, chewing on a cigar that had gone out a half hour before. Next to him Captain Fred Rummel waited for Donchez to speak.

“I’m sorry, Fred, what did you say?”

“We’ll have to notify the Pentagon, sir, that Seawolf is lost.”

Donchez stared at the blue waves running down the starboard side of the massive aircraft carrier, not seeing the waves but the face of a man he considered his own son.

“Admiral, sir, the Officer of the Deck wants you,” an enlisted man announced from the bridge.

Donchez walked into the bridge.

“Sir,” the commander said, “we have radar contact on an unidentified submarine that just surfaced about two minutes ago, about twenty miles east of the line marking international waters.”

Donchez dropped his cigar.

“What are you doing about it?”

“Trying to raise it on UHF. So far no reply. But she’s giving off radar that’s classified as a BPS-14.”

“What radar did the Seawolf have?”

“BPS-14, sir.”

The VHF radio monitor blared out into the room the unmistakable voice of Michael Pacino.

“USS REAGAN, USS REAGAN, THIS IS U.S. NAVY SUBMARINE SEAWOLF, I SAY AGAIN, THIS IS U.S. NAVY SUBMARINE SEAWOLF, OVER.”

Donchez grabbed the VHF microphone, not quite believing it.

“Goddamnit, Mikey, where the hell you been?”

“WE WERE LOST, BUT NOW WE’RE FOUND.”

Donchez smiled and handed the microphone back to the OOD. He walked out to the bridge wing and stared back out to sea, the wind howling in his face.

Down below, a school of dolphins began to jump in the waves of the ship, as the carrier plowed through the bay, heading south toward the waters of the Yellow Sea, and from there to the Pacific.

EPILOGUE MONDAY, 20 MAY

YOKOSUKA NAVAL STATION PIER 4

USS SEAWOLF

“I’m glad you could make it, Sean, but you sure you’re okay to sit through all this?” Pacino asked, holding onto Murphy’s arm as he walked slowly to the seat in the front row.

“I’m fine, Patch, better than I’ve ever been, thanks to you and your crew … and those SEALs.”

“Well, take it easy, and if you don’t feel good get out of here.”

“I wouldn’t miss this for anything, old buddy.”