by M L Maki
U-160, 150 MILES SE OF NANTUCKET
1215, 13 March, 1942
Oberleutnant zur See Lutz Wechsler, the XO, says, “My Captain, are we not close to one of their Navy bases?”
Kapitanleutnant Georg Lassen, the CO, says, “Watch and learn. We do not just face machines of war. We face men. The Americans are new to war. I believe they would not expect us in their back garden. So, we come here to pluck their plums, while they are powerless to stop us. We charge batteries in the night and park ourselves on the shipping lanes during the day. As we wait patiently the targets will come.”
“You are not worried about their submarines?”
“I am not. Their torpedoes go straight like ours. Should they fire on us, we crash dive and the torpedoes will pass over our head.”
“Yes, sir.”
CHAPTER 26
THEATER, NSB, NEW LONDON
1650, 13 March, 1942
Morrison stands at the front of the room with over a hundred CO’s and XO’s listening to him. “So, now you understand a bit of the capabilities of the Japanese and German submarines you will be facing, as well as those of a modern, nuclear submarine. Questions?”
Lake raises his hand, “Is that why they pulled the guns off my boat and redesigned my sail and bow?”
“It is. You must surface to use a gun. Surfacing surrenders your biggest tactical advantage. As we start producing guided torpedoes, it will become unnecessary to fire a barrage of torpedoes in the hopes that one makes a critical hit. One will be all that is needed, because it is designed and programmed to make a critical hit.”
“How many diesel subs were around in 1990?”
“Other countries had them and some were pretty good. That said, the US was exclusively nuclear, and we had quite a few.”
“Did anyone else have nuclear subs?”
“Yes, our allies, England and France. Also, our adversaries, the Soviet Union and China. All other nations used diesel electric, if they had subs at all.”
“Who made the Chinese and Soviet subs. Lord knows, they couldn’t.”
“After this war, the world changes a great deal. The Soviets and Chinese dedicate themselves to industrialization. By 1955, the Soviet Union is a serious threat. In 1989 they collapse and China fills the power vacuum. Any more questions pertaining to the fight in front of us?”
“Are you Japanese?”
“My mother was Japanese American. My father was an Irish American naval officer. Questions about the fight.”
“Who was better? The Japs or Krauts?”
“As I said earlier, they use somewhat different tactics. As for skill, that depends more on the officer in command. Some were quite skilled. Others were less so. I hope all of you are of the former category, and not the latter. In combat, stupid people typically die. Unlucky smart people may also die, but I believe we each create our own luck. Any further questions?”
Admiral Turner steps forward, “Thank you, Commander Morrison. I remind all of you that this briefing is top secret. Take it back to your commands and adapt the lessons. The existence of nuclear submarines is top secret. Carry on.” He leaves the room, starting the exodus. A few come forward with questions. One he recognizes immediately, “Hello, Grandpa Henry.”
“Hello, John. These folks have questions, and then we can talk.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Hi, I’m John Bole, PCO of Amberjack. You said you are very familiar with the history of submarine warfare. How well we do I do in the war?”
“Everything is changed now. What happened before won’t happen now. What is relevant is how you manage yourself, and lead your crew going forward. Most of all, do not underestimate the skill of our enemies.”
“I’m George Porter, PCO of Bluefish. I take it from the lesson plan, crew training is critical. Do you use academic instruction, walk throughs, or operational training?”
Morrison, “A combination of all three. The emphasis is on demonstrating knowledge and competence through examinations, oral boards, and under instruction watches. Many things, like fires must be simulated. During that kind of training, safety observers are critical.”
Porter, “What about those crew who are unteachable?”
Morrison, “Ah. In my experience there is no such thing. You’re talking about the old line about how you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. As I learned from my grandfather, it’s true about the horse, but what you can do is put salt in its oats and make him thirsty. If you cannot motivate your crew to learn, it’s a failing of your leadership, not a failure of your crew.”
Porter, “We need a complete update in how we train our crews.”
Morrison, “I’m pretty certain it’s coming. Thank you.”
Porter, “Thank you, Commander.”
Lt. Commander Henry Morrison, “I’m glad the lesson plan got passed down.”
John, “It did, Grandpa.”
Henry, “Does this base have an O-club?”
“It does.”
“I took the train up. Do you have a vehicle?”
“I do. Is it okay that I call you Grandpa?”
“To my thinking it’s a term of respect. It sounds odd to my ears, but please do.” They get in John’s car.
“Where is the Livermore?”
“It’s in New Jersey. How are you, Grandson?”
“Pretty good.” They pull up to the ‘O’ Club. “The lessons are coming hard and fast.”
“Your submarine, what’s its hull number?”
“It’s the San Francisco, SSN-711. We can’t talk about it in the club.”
“Obviously, you’re a nuclear trained officer. Did you get your training in the Academy?
“I did. My major was physics. After I graduated, I went through an additional year of training before my first submarine.”
“What year did you graduate?”
“1973. You and Grandma were there. In fact, you were a guest of honor.”
“Let’s go in and save the classified stuff for later.” They get out of the car. “The letter said Mitch will be a rear admiral. I’m not sure I want to know what becomes of me.”
“I spent a lot of time at yours and Grandma’s house growing up, and we were close. Dad had to deploy a lot. That’s just how it goes, as we all know.”
“Okay, I have to ask. Do I get a star?”
“Three.”
“Wow. Okay. It’s a lot to live up to.”
“Remember, everything has changed now. There are no guaranties.”
They sit down at a table and order a meal. “So, Mitch turns out okay. How about Gretta?”
“She marries a young ensign named Jack Gentry. They do not work out, and they divorce about a year later. When she’s twenty-four and in graduate school, she meets Steven Lowell. Lowell was studying law. He’s now a state senator in his home state of Wyoming. They have a passel of kids and live on a ranch. She became quite a, um, cow-woman. My cousin, Michael, used to ride competitively at rodeo. One too many broken bones, and he retired. Gretta and Steven’s youngest was in Harvard, when I went back in time.”
“What was Gretta’s degree?”
“A doctorate in history. She teaches at a high school out there and writes books. Grandpa, our family was truly blessed.”
“There has to have been dark days.”
“Yeah, probably. As a kid, I never knew them.”
“Did you have any siblings?”
“I was an only child when my birth parents died. Mom and Dad couldn’t have kids. They talked about adopting another, but they never did.”
“What is the most amazing technology to come out of the war?”
“That, I can’t say. We’ve been forbidden to share it.”
“Okay, what’s the most amazing thing that you can share?”
“The jeep. It’s a little four-wheel utility vehicle that created a whole industry of off-road vehicles, along with clubs and competitions. Aircraft technology really took off. Shortly after the
war, high speed transport aircraft became the norm. For a fairly reasonable price, you can fly almost anywhere on earth in no more than two days. In the sixties, we land a man on the moon. By 1990, there are tons of satellites orbiting the earth, all with different purposes. Radio is mostly replaced by television, which is like watching a movie from your couch.”
“When I think of my son, Mitch, I have difficulty wrapping my mind around him being a father. How was he?”
“He was an amazing father. I learned most of what I know about leadership from you and dad.”
Henry’s eyes tear up, “Thank you.”
U-160, 100 MILES EAST OF NANTUCKET
0912, 15 March, 1942
Sonar, “Captain, multiple vessels approaching from the north.”
Lassen, “Very good. A convoy.”
Wechsler charts the bearing reports, “They will be traveling very near us, I hope. Shall we load the tubes now?”
“We should.”
SAN FRANCISCO, 60 NM SE OF NANTUCKET ISLAND
Cumberland and Morrison stand at the rear of control with Captain Warren and Commander Rickover. Backes is on watch, with Mallory standing the watch under instruction. Cumberland, “Captain, why do you want Mallory?”
“Because he’s a systems expert and it’s easier for you to replace an MM1 than a lieutenant, Commander.”
“You want Morrison?”
“No. Not right now. I want Miller, but I also understand how vital he is to your boat.”
“Yes, sir. Do you have to take Giblin? His knowledge and Mallory’s overlap quite a lot.”
“You masted him.”
“I had to. He disobeyed an order, but he’s competent at his job.”
“Conn, Sonar. New contact, designate Sierra 1. Bearing 075. It’s a submerged submarine.”
Backes pushes the button, “How many screws? How many blades?”
“Standby.”
Cumberland lumbers into sonar, “What do you have, Brown?” Rickover follows him.
Brown points at the waterfall, “It looks like two, four-bladed screws, sir. Are there any other American subs out here?”
“I think so. Get a good track, regardless. It’ll help later.”
“Yes, sir.”
Cumberland leaves, but Rickover stays, “Explain how you can tell the number of blades and screws.”
“See these dots, sir? This one is slightly larger and that one is slightly smaller. The frequency for each is every four beats. Also, see that the dots muddle, then become clear again? That is the two screws harmonizing, then going out of sync. The harmony is a pair, so it has to be two screws.”
“Thank you. How do you like the Navy, Petty Officer Brown?”
“Just a sec,” he passes information to the tracking team. “It isn’t a bad gig, sir. What we do is important and I get a paid trip around the world. I’m a confirmed bachelor with no kids, so I’m not leaving much behind.”
“Is ET1 Brown related to you?”
“No, sir. Brown is a pretty common name.”
“Thank you. Carry on.” Rickover joins the other officers.
Morrison, “We’ve identified Sierra 1 as the Growler on shake down.”
“Thank you.”
Propulsion plant drills are announced and the inspection team heads aft with Cumberland. Six hours, two American subs, and fifteen drills later, “Conn, Sonar. New contact, designate Sierra 4. Bearing 088. Twin, four-bladed screws. Sierra 4 is submerged.”
Backes, “Very well.”
Morrison walks to the tracking table. Sierra 4 is in deeper water almost due east of them. On the surface there’s a scattering of individual ships and a large convoy out of Nova Scotia. He draws a line to estimate the future location of the convoy. FC2 Edwards marks the range to Sierra 4. It’s just east of the convoy’s path. The two men look at each other and Morrison pushes the button, “Brown, what do you make of Sierra 4?”
“It’s tooling around at minimum steerage and is very quiet.”
“Does it sound like a Gato class?”
“No, sir. There are significant differences. It’s closer to the last German we sank off of Cape Hatteras.”
“Thank you.” The sub is shaking with a backing bell for drills. He picks up the 1MC, “Secure propulsion plant drills. Possible hostile submarine. Captain, please lay to control.”
GERMAN SUBMARINE U-160
1428, 15 March, 1942
Sonar, “Captain, I am hearing screw noises to our west. Bearing 270. Sir, there was nothing, and then it was there.”
Lassen walks up behind the sonar operator, “Any idea what it is?”
“It’s gone now. It was a single screw, or two screws meshed together precisely. It seemed to have a lot of blades.”
“Listen carefully in that direction. See if you can hear anything else. You do well.”
USS SAN FRANCISCO
Cumberland invades control, “What do we have?” Warren and Rickover follow him a moment later.
Morrison, “We have a submerged contact. Bearing 088. Range, 14 nautical miles. Two four-bladed screws. Propulsion noises similar to our target off Hatteras. It’s sitting on a convoy lane.”
Cumberland, “Right standard rudder. Make our course 060. Come to 2/3rds.” The orders are repeated and the sub leans to starboard in the turn. Cumberland, “Morrison, do you think our drills revealed our location?”
Morrison, “The back full emergency probably did.”
Rickover, “What is your plan, Commander?”
“If he’s a German, he’s laying lying low in wait for the convoy. I’m going to place us in between him and the convoy. If he makes a hostile act, we’ll take him out. Our shot will be away from the convoy. Load and make ready tube 2 with a Mark 48.”
Rickover, “Only one?”
“Fair point. Load tube 3. Normally it only takes one shot.”
GERMAN SUBMARINE U-160
Sonar, “Sir, I hear a very faint thrum. It comes and goes, but it is very quiet.”
Lassen, “Can you give me a bearing?”
“I think it is moving north. I am not sure.”
“You are doing quite well. Anything new with the convoy?”
“Bearing is unchanged. It continues toward us.”
“Very good. Thank you.”
USS SAN FRANCISCO
Cumberland, “Ahead 1/3rd. Right standard rudder. New course 120. What’s the speed of the convoy?”
“Speed, 10 knots. Range to first ship is fifteen miles, sir.”
“Right. Sonar, do you have Sierra 4?”
“Yes, sir. They’re at 170 and ticking over at minimum steerage.”
“Very well.”
Cumberland looks at the table, Sierra 4 is about six miles south. The convoy will pass west of both them and Sierra 4.
GERMAN SUBMARINE U-160
Lassen, “Do you have the anomalous vessel?”
Sonar, “No, sir. It has one many bladed screw and is extremely quiet. If it wasn’t for that one noise transient, I would never know it was there.”
Wechsler, “Sir, we know an advanced aircraft carrier came back in time when the airfield did, could there have been a submarine present?”
“A submarine cannot keep up with a carrier, Lieutenant.”
“Yes, sir. Today’s submarines cannot. Yesterday’s submarines cannot. Do we know tomorrow’s submarines cannot?”
Lassen, “If there is a highly advanced submarine out there, why hasn’t it attacked us? Wait, we are very near an American submarine base. Perhaps, they cannot tell us from their own submarines. Perhaps, we have been quiet enough. Pass to the crew that they must remain silent. All persons not on watch need to go to bed. Suspend all maintenance and cooking.”
“Yes, sir.”
After a time, as the convoy nears, Lassen, “Flood tubes 1 through 4.”
USS SAN FRANCISCO
“Conn, Sonar. Sierra 4 is flooding tubes.”
Cumberland, “Flood tube 3.” He begins pacing, “Come on.
Come on.”
GERMAN SUBMARINE U-160
Sonar, “Sir, submarine flooding tubes at 017.”
Lassen, “Right full rudder. Ahead full. Torpedo, get those doors open. Match bearings. I want a five-degree spread. Set depth to fifteen meters.”
