To Hunt and Protect
Page 45
Morrison, “Understood.”
“Conn, Torpedo. We’re ready to open doors.”
“Good. Open doors.”
Backes, “Sir, are we going to run the gauntlet at periscope depth?”
“It’s the safest way. At the speed we’ll be traveling, I’ll need visual navigation to avoid the rocks.”
“Yes, sir.”
TIRPITZ
Schmitt shouts for help, but can barely hear his own voice. Blood pours out of Topp’s chest, soaking his jacket. Topp pulls Schmitt down to him, “You have done your duty. I’m done.”
“Sir?”
Kapitan zur See Karl Topp looks at Schmitt and smiles. His eyes go blank, open and staring at nothing. Schmitt’s lowers his head, a tear falls on his captain’s face.
SAN FRANCISCO
Morrison, “Up scope.” He spins a quick 360. “Confirmed. The destroyer and cruiser are sinking. Right 5 degrees rudder.” The Frisco turns in the slight correction. “Steady as she goes. Mark.”
“308.”
“Snap fire. Match for 1.”
“Doors open. Bearings are set.”
“Fire 1. Down scope.” Thud, whoosh.
“Conn, Torpedo. Tube 1 fired electrically.”
“Conn, Sonar. Fish is hot, straight, and normal.”
Morrison, “Left full rudder.” He quietly counts to ten, “Back to base course. The hear and feel a shell landing to their starboard and astern.
Backes counts down, “4. 3. 2. 1.” The explosion shakes the sub.
Morrison, “Up scope.” Again, a 360 spin, “Mark.”
“306.”
“That’s the destroyer. Good kill. Right rudder.” He counts as the ship turns, “Back to base course. What do we have under our keel?”
Backes, “800 feet and increasing.”
“Good. Down scope. Take us down. Make our depth 400 feet. Ahead 1/3rd.” The sub slows.
“Conn, Sonar. Torpedoes in the water. Sierra 2 at 348. Bearing is constant.”
Morrison, “Ahead flank. Do we have a range for Sierra 2?”
“About 12 miles, sir.”
“Match bearings.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Conn, Sonar. The torpedoes are passing astern.”
Morrison, “Very well. Ahead standard.”
“Bearings matched. Door is open.”
“Firing tube 2.”
“Conn, Torpedo. Tube 2 fired electrically.”
Conn, Sonar. Fish 2 is hot, straight, and normal.”
“Very well.”
Backes counts down, “4. 3. 2. 1.” Again, they feel and hear the explosion.
Morrison, “Backes, secure from General Quarters. Have your relief take us out to 100 miles from the coast at 2/3rd and 600 feet.” The General Quarters watch team have been on watch since before entered the fjord.
“Yes, sir.” Backes calls for their relief and turns over the watch.
Morrison, “Sir, could you excuse me?”
Holtz, “Of course.”
Morrison walks into sonar, “Brown, thank you for calling out the position of the cruiser. I owe you a debt of gratitude. We all do.”
“Just doing my job, sir.”
“You saved the lives of everyone on board.”
“Sir, I just wanted everyone to show up for my wedding.”
“Right. We’ll get it done. Brown, you’ve turned down chief in the past.”
“Sir, I now have a family to care for.”
“Would you take a commission?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I’ll sort out the paperwork. We’ll do it in port so your girl can pin you.”
“That would be great, sir.”
Morrison walks back into control.
Holtz studies him, “Damn. I didn’t know you could fight.” He smiles, “You understand I’m giving you command?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Who do you want for XO?”
“Backes. He’s senior and we work well together. I’ll move Miller to navigator and Cutting to Engineer. I also want to commission one of my sonarmen.”
“The one who called the warning?”
“Yes, sir. He’s ready.”
“You have my approval.”
“Conn, Torpedo, request permission to take the tubes down one at a time for maintenance.”
Morrison, “Approved. Keep the conn informed.”
Holtz, “You okay, Commander?”
“Yes, sir. Just another boring day at sea.”
Miller, Backes’ relief, laughs.
Morrison, “Miller, it’s time to go home.”
Miller, “Aye, captain.”
THE END
Glossary
16: VHF channel 16 is the international emergency channel. It is also, generally the channel used to communicate in the open, or non-encrypted communications.
1MC: General announcing system. Ship wide loud speaker system.
2nd Lt.: Second Lieutenant. Army and USMC rank. (O-1)
(Number)K: Fuel state. K for thousand pounds.
AA: Navy rank. Airman Apprentice (E-2).
AB: Navy enlisted rate. Aviation Boatswain’s Mate. They do many duties on the flight and hanger decks and maintain other aviation equipment. ABAA through ABMC.
AD: Naval aviation rating. Aviation Machinist. ADAA through ADCM. AD’s maintain aircraft structural components, flight surfaces, and engines.
ADM: Admiral. Naval Officer rank (O-10). Also used colloquially for Rear Admirals Lower and Upper, and Vice Admirals (O-7 through 9).
AE: Navy rate. Aviation Electrician. They maintain the electrical generation, conversion and distribution systems associated with jet aircraft. AEA through AECM.
AGL: Above Ground Level.
Ahead (Bell): The standard bells, or speeds of a ship are ahead 1/3, ahead 2/3, ahead Standard, Ahead full, and Ahead Flank. The number is the amount of revolutions per minute of the shaft.
Ahead Flank Emergency: Order to come to the fastest ahead speed as fast as possible. See Bell.
Air Boss: The ship’s force air department head. The air boss commands all operations on the flight deck and hanger deck.
Air Chief Marshall: Royal Air Force Officer rank. Equivalent to Vice Admiral or Lieutenant General.
Air Commodore: Royal Air Force Officer rank. Equivalent to Captain or Colonel.
Air Marshall: Royal Air Force Officer rank. Equivalent to Rear Admiral or the current Rear Adm Upper Half or Major General.
Air Vice-Marshall: Royal Air Force Officer rank. Equivalent to Commodore or the current Rear Adm Lower Half or Brigadier General.
Amphenol: Multi-prong electronic or electrical connection.
AN: Naval Enlisted non-designated aviation rank. Airman (E-3).
AO: Enlisted rate. Aviation Ordinanceman. AOAA through AOCM. They inspect, care for and handle air delivered ordinance.
Arco: When an aircraft flies as a refueler they are given a special call sign. Usually the name of a gas station chain.
ASROC: Anti-submarine rocket. A torpedo delivered by a rocket.
ASW: Anti-submarine warfare.
AT: Navy rate. Aviation Electronics Technician. They maintain the complex electronic equipment associated with jet aircraft. ATA through ATCM
Auto-gyro: An emergency landing technique that uses the wind blowing through the helicopter rotors to keep them spinning, then uses the collective to slow the bird’s descent at the last moment.
(AW): Naval specialist Badge. Air Warfare Specialist. Placed after rate such as AD1(AW).
Back (Bell): Astern bells for a marine engine. Back 1/3, Back 2/3, and Back Full.
Back Full Emergency: Astern bell to be answered as fast as possible.
Bandit: NATO code for enemy aircraft.
Battalion: Army/USMC tactical unit smaller than a brigade or regiment but larger than a company. Smallest unit designed to function independently. Generally commanded by a LT Colonel.
BDU: Battle Dress, Utility. The basic Army an
d Marine uniform.
Bell: The speed a ship is traveling at: Ahead they are Ahead 1/3, Ahead 2/3, Ahead Standard, Ahead Full, and Ahead Flank. Astern they are Back 1/3, Back 2/3, and Back full. In an emergency the order given is ahead flank emergency, or back full emergency which is a command to go as fast as possible.
Bearing: Compass or relative bearing in degrees from 0 to 360. Compass is true north, not magnetic north. Relative bearing puts 000 as straight in front of the bow of the ship and clocks degrees clockwise around the ship.
Bingo Fuel: Near the minimum to safely return to base.
Binnacle List: List of people sick or injured. Every unit and division maintains the Binnacle List and turns it in daily.
Blow: Submarines use ballast tanks to surface or submerge. By blowing high pressure air into the tanks water can be displaced and the vessel surfaces.
Blue Tails: Nick name for the VAW-122 Griffins. VAW-122 flies the E-2C Hawkeye radar plane.
Blue Water Ops: Carrier operations beyond reach of alternative air fields. You land on the carrier or swim.
Boatswain’s Mate of the Watch (BMOW): In charge of all the lookouts, the helm and lee helm. The BMOW pipes (whistles) required ships announcements.
Bogey: An unidentified aircraft.
Boiler: Boilers generate the steam for propulsion, electrical generation, water distillation, and other uses.
Bolter: An aircraft missing the arresting wire.
Bridge: The ship’s navigational control center. Where we drive the ship. The Officer of the Deck (OOD) is in charge except when the CO or XO are present. The Conning Officer directs the ship’s coarse and speed. The Boatswains Mate of the Watch (BMOW), Quartermaster of the Watch (QMOW), Helm and Lee Helm are stationed here.
Brigade: Army/ Marine Tactical unit smaller than a Division and larger than a Battalion. Sometimes called a Regiment. Generally commanded by a Colonel or Brigadier General. They are usually armor, infantry, or airborne focused for the Army but still contain other units to permit independent operations.
BTOW: Boiler Technician of the watch. Senior watch in a boiler room.
BT: Navy Enlisted rate. Boiler Technician. BTFA through BTCM. Currently the BT rate is merged with the MM rate. Boiler Technicians operate and maintain marine boilers.
CAG: Commander Air Group. The CAG is in charge of all the air squadrons attached to the ship. The CAG is the counterpart to the ship’s commanding officer. The carrier CO is always the senior.
Call the Ball: The Landing Signal Officer asks the pilot if they can see the Fresnel lens that shows the correct glide slope for landing.
Control: In a submarine Control is a room and watch station equivalent to both the bridge and combat control center on a surface ship.
Calico: NATO brevity code for an intruder on the radio net.
CAP: Combat Air Patrol. A fighter mission to circle an area ready to defend the fleet.
CAPT: Captain: Army and USMC rank. (O-3)
CAPT: Captain: Naval Officer rank (O-6).
CATCC: Carrier Air Traffic Control Center. This center controls all aircraft within 50 miles of the ship and manages take offs and landings.
CAV or Cavalry: Specialized Army Unit: These are units historically used for reconnaissance for larger units. They can be Armor, Airmobile, or Airborne. By WW2 the CAV distinctions were somewhat less than in wars past. Today the distinction is more historical than practical.
CDR: Naval Officer rank. Commander (O-5).
CHENG: Chief Engineer. Engineering department head.
CMAA: Chief Master at arms. A senior cop on a Navy ship.
COL: Army and USMC rank. (O-6)
Combat: Sometimes Combat control center. Weapon’s and communications control center on a naval ship. The CO generally goes to combat during battle stations (General Quarters).
Combat Engineer: Specialized Army or USMC person who is trained to support combat operations by destroying obstacles. Structural engineers build things. Combat engineers blow them up.
Commodore: USN Officer rank. Equivalent to current Rear Admiral Lower half or Brigadier General. This rank was reauthorized in 1942 and discontinued after the war. It has been brought back, changed, and discarded since for the rank Rear Admiral Lower Half. If a unit of ships does not have an Admiral in charge, the senior or assigned Captain can take the title of Commodore to designate they are in charge of the group. This does not involve any change of pay or rank.
Company: Army/Marine tactical unit. Generally Commanded by a Captain. They are made up of a number of platoons and are organized into Battalions. Generally, companies are too small to function independently.
CORPS: Army tactical unit. Normally commanded by a Lieutenant General or General. It is a group of divisions and/or other units. Corps are not permanently assigned their divisions but rather receive and lose units based on need.
COTAC: Copilot Tactical Coordinator. Antisubmarine duty on S-3 Viking Aircraft.
Decimal: On radio the word ‘Decimal’ is used to indicate tenths. Thus, fuel at 9 decimal 2 is 9,200 pounds. Fuel is always given as weight.
Diesel Dyke: Nickname for women in the engineering fields, regardless of their rating. Obviously, it is not a term of respect and isn’t tolerated in the modern Navy.
Division (Army/ USMC): Army and Marine Corps organizational unit. Army/USMC Divisions are tactical units commanded by a Brigadier or Lieutenant General that command a number of Brigades and supporting units. They are sometimes armor, infantry, airborne specific but contain all those other units needed to be an independent military unit.
Division (Navy): Naval organizational unit. Naval units are divided into Departments and Divisions. Divisions are functionally oriented units with all the enlisted members typically of one rating.
Eject: Order to initiate the ejection sequence for abandoning a doomed aircraft. Once ordered everyone must eject.
Electric Boat: Submarine Manufacturing firm based in Groton and other New England towns. In 1952 it merged with General Dynamics. Most US submarines are made by Electric Boat.
ELT: Navy Enlisted trade. Some MM’s are qualified Engineering Laboratory Technician (Nuclear). They are chemistry and radiation specialists, though they also stand normal mechanical watches.
EM: Navy Enlisted rate. Electrician’s Mate. Electricians operate the electrical distribution system on the ship, and also maintain all the electrical equipment. EMFN through EMCM.
EMP: Electro-Magnetic Pulse. A powerful change in the magnetic field. An EMP could damage or destroy electronic and electric gear.
Engine Room: Space where the main engines, electrical generators, and water distilling unit are located. This equipment is operated and maintained by Machinist Mates.
ENS: Ensign: Naval Officer rank (O-1). Junior most officer. Sometimes called a butter bar for their rank insignia which is a single gold bar.
EOOW: Engineering Officer of the Watch. Watch stander in charge of the propulsion plant. Normally a Lt. on a nuclear ship. Sometimes a senior or master chief on conventional powered ships.
ETA: Estimated Time of Arrival.
F-14: The Tomcat. An all-weather interceptor and fleet defense fighter.
Faking hose: Laying out a hose or line in parallel lines so the hose can be safely charged or the line let go without jamming.
Far CAP: Combat Air Patrol. Far CAP is a defensive position away from the fleet.
Feuerwerkermaat: Kriegsmarine (German Navy) enlisted rat and rank. Boiler worker mate.
Fire room: Location of the boilers in a fossil fueled steam ship.
Fire Team: An Army and USMC tactical unit consisting of two to four people and generally commanded by a Corporal. A squad will typically have two to four fire teams.
Flight Lieutenant: Royal Air Force Officer rank. Equivalent to Lieutenant Junior Grade (Navy) or Lieutenant (Army, USMC).
Flight Sergeant: RAF senior enlisted rank. Equivalent to Master Sergeant. May or may not be air crew.
Flying Officer:
Royal Air Force Officer rank. Equivalent to Ensign or Second Lieutenant.
FN: Navy Enlisted rank. Fireman (E-3). A non-designated engineering striker. If designated his rate would precede his rank.