Sky Masters

by Dale Brown

  strike group-they only have mines and fuel-air explosives left by now,

  but that should do the job." He pointed at the high-definition monitor.

  "HongLung will need to move farther north, right to the mouth of Davao

  Gulf, before firing. That means we have about twenty minutes to get

  someone in position..."

  "There isn't time to send retargeting data to the B-Is, Tom, " Jarrel

  said. "We've got two orders we can give the bombers now-attack or

  withhold. If we order two planes to withhold, they abort right in the

  middle of all that air defense. They have to traverse a hundred and

  twenty miles of stiff defenses, find the right ship, and attack. It's

  crazy. I say send the B-Is in and finish the job. This is an obvious

  bluff, and we're falling for it. "But if it's not a bluff..."

  "I have a suggestion, sir, " Masters said. "I think I have a way we can

  strike that Chinese destroyer in time. And Jon Masters began to outline

  his plan to his audience. . MINDANAO, THE PHILIPPINES The frigate

  Xiamen had been hit by no less than six Harpoon missiles and was burning

  as fiercely as a volcano in the mouth of Davao Gulf-its patrol boat

  escorts could not get within five kilometers of it because of burning

  fuel oil on the water, the intense heat, and the occasional explosions

  in her weapon magazines. Three of Xiamen 's six patrol boat escorts had

  been hit by Harpoon missiles, which left Davao Gulf wide open for the

  strike package to enter. Two B-52s took heavy-caliber gun fire hits

  from patrol boats and were forced to jettison their ordnance armed

  before penetrating into the target area, and one was shot down as it

  withdrew from the area; all of the crewmen safely ejected and were taken

  prisoner. The destroyer Yinchuan, which had few antiair weapons in its

  arsenal, was the next to fall. Ten B-52s from the three southern strike

  packages descended on it and her escorts, filling the air with forty

  Harpoon missiles designated just for one vessel. Most of the missiles

  struck other vessels or were intercepted by Yinchuan 's escorts, but ten

  Harpoon missiles found the heavy destroyer. It sank in less than twenty

  minutes. The destroyer Dalian, which was equipped with the Hong Qian-9 I

  surface-to-air missile system, and its antiair-equipped escorts wreaked

  havoc on the six B-52s that were fragged to attack it. Two B-52s

  sustained heavy damage and were forced to withdraw; one crashed over

  land to the east of Bangoy Bay, while the other was attacked by fighters

  and destroyed as it tried to escape the target area. But Dalian had

  expended most of its weapons defending the amphibious assault force

  against Tomahawk cruise missiles, and it soon found that it could not

  defend itself against an onslaught of twelve Harpoon antiship missiles

  launched against it. Battered and listing to starboard, the destroyer's

  captain finally decided to beach his vessel near Matiao rather than have

  it sink in Bangoy Bay. The vertical-plot greaseboard in the flag bridge

  of the destroyer Hong Lung was physically painful to look at. Destroyed

  vessels were in red, damaged and out-of-commission vessels were in

  black, damaged but operational vessels were in green-and-black stripes,

  and fully operational vessels were in green-and there were damned few of

  those. Fortunately, most of the green vessels were amphibious assault

  ships-the attackers still had not reached the Marines on the beach.

  "Flag, bridge, we have visual sighting on destroyer Xiamen, " the

  skipper of the Hong Lung radioed to Admiral Yin. "He is signaling a

  request for assistance. Shall we come alongside?" Captain Sun looked at

  Yin, who silently shook his head. Sun considered asking the Admiral to

  reconsider, thought better of it, then radioed, "Bridge from flag.

  Tactical recovery only, longboats and stage-three damage-control

  parties. Maintain course and speed to establish patrol position. Flag

  out." Sun shut off the intercom before the captain could argue as well.

  "Dalian reports he is safely aground, sir, " a radioman reported.

  "Captain Yeng reports he can repair his fire-control system, estimated

  time to completion, thirty minutes." Another silent nod from Yin. "Tell

  Captain Yeng to continue antiair coverage with electro-optical and

  visual means until his radar fire-control system is repaired, " Sun

  said. "Add that the Admiral commends him for saving his vessel and for

  his confirmed kills, but that he is still the primary antiair warship

  for the invasion force." Captain Sun stepped over to the vertical plot,

  studied it for a moment, then said, "We should have the transports evade

  north into Bangoy Bay-it will hide them better from any bombers that are

  still in the area. When the all-clear sounds, they can travel at flank

  speed south with their escorts to recover. "What escorts?" Yin

  muttered. "What escorts are left?"

  "You see, sir, we have at least six patrol boats . . . and the Hong

  Lung group will be in position to cover their withdrawal, of course.

  Once past us, our air coverage will protect them until they dock at

  Zamboanga to load reinforcements."

  "Six... patrol... boats.. ." Yin said in a low, wavering voice. "Six.

  . . I began this operation with eight destroyers, twenty frigates, and

  nearly sixty patrol boats. There are no capital ships left that can

  escort the amphibious assault ships back to port? None?"

  "Sir, most of our frigates and patrol boats are still operational and

  still on patrol in the Philippine Sea, " Sun said. "We have recalled a

  few of them, along with the destroyer Zhangzhou, to holster our inner

  defenses." Sun stepped toward Yin, straightened his back, and said,

  "Sir, you deployed your forces like a true master tactician. You fought

  a superb battle against the best the Americans could throw at us. Your

  objective, the Marine invasion and the occupation of Davao and Samar

  International Airport, is almost complete. You have won, sir. You

  have-"

  "Sir! Enemy aircraft inbound from the northeast and east of Davao, "

  the radioman reported. The vertical plot technician began drawing in

  the aircraft reported inbound, and the number seemed to grow to alarming

  size every second. The northeast aircraft were farther behind the

  eastern group, but were moving in rapidly. "What kind of aircraft are

  they?" Sun ordered. "The Admiral needs type of aircraft. Get it!"

  "Aircraft in eastern group reported as B-52 aircraft only, " the

  radioman replied after several inquiries. "No identification yet on

  northeast aircraft." But judging by the speed at which the vertical plot

  technician was updating their position, Sun could easily guess-B-52

  bombers, followed by B-I and F-I I I bombers. The three southern groups

  were just the first wavethe second package, not as large as the first

  but even more powerful, were going after the Marines themselves. "Issue

  an air-defense alert to all vessels and all forces; enemy bombers

  inbound from the east and northeast, " Sun ordered. "Have all forces

  take cover on the beach. Disperse landing craft and assault vessels as

  much as possible." Admiral Yin looke
d as if he had been deflated with a

  knife. He could only stare at the vertical plot, muttering something to

  himself that Sun could not hear. "Sir? Do you have further orders?"

  Sun asked. The Chinese Fleet Admiral could only mutter something

  unintelligible, stare at a slip of paper he had been given by the

  communications section, and stare at the board in absolute horror.

  "Attention! Attention! Air-defense warning! Gunners man your

  batteries and stand by." Colonel of Marines Yang Yi Shuxin glanced

  nervously at the loudspeakers on the "island" superstructure above him,

  then at the turrets where the ship's numerous 37-millimeter antiaircraft

  guns were mounted, but he quickly turned his attention back to the men

  on his landing craft. No one said a word, but Yang raised his voice

  easily above the amplified voice and said, "Be silent, all of you. The

  gunners have their job and you have yours. Stand by." Yang was leading a

  troop of forty heavily armed Chinese Marines in the invasion of Davao.

  They were aboard the aircushion landing craft Dagu, a monstrous

  sixty-ton vessel that skimmed above the surface of the water on a

  cushion of air created by six gas-turbine-powered propellers on the

  bottom of the craft; two turboprop propellers above pushed the craft to

  over seventy kilometers per hour over land or sea. Dagu carried two

  small armored personnel carriers, each with 30millimeter machine guns on

  board; the landing craft itself was armed with two 14.5-millimeter guns

  manned by four very young-looking soldiers. Unlike other landing craft,

  Dagu would take her Marines right up onto dry ground instead of into

  chest-deep water. The amphibious landing ship they were on carried two

  such air-cushion landing craft, plus four conventional landing craft,

  along with twenty armored troop-carriers on the tank deck and thirty

  "deuce-and-a-half' utility trucks on the main deck, plus a total of four

  hundred Marines. Other amphibious assault tank-landing ships carried

  air-cushion landing craft, but they always called on Colonel Yang to

  lead any assault. Yang's men would be the first Chinese soldiers to

  occupy Samar International Airport and lay siege to the city of Davao

  itself. Other smaller Yuchai or Yunnan-class landing craft had gone

  ahead to try to draw fire, spot targets for the destroyer's guns, or

  dismantle beach defenses. Dagu would lead the main Marine assault on

  the beach itself. After Yang's Marines and APCs captured the beach, they

  would bring the amphibious assault ship into shallow water, deploy the

  pontoon bridge sections carried on the hull sides, and start rolling the

  trucks off the forward ramp. Once on the road, the trucks would rush

  forward and take Samar Airport-and victory. The LST's two big twin

  76.2-millimeter guns began pound ing away on the beach as the amphibious

  assault ship made a slight turn to bring both guns to bear. "Ready!"

  Yang shouted, and his men gave an animal-like growl in response. Dagu

  's helmsman started the engines, and the air-cushion vehicle's

  four-meter-tall armor-covered skirt quickly inflated. A horn blared on

  the aft deck, the stern ramp lowered, and Dagu 's helmsman gunned the

  twin turbojet propellers. The air-cush ion craft leaped out into the

  darkness, hit the water, and sped toward the beach. What Yang saw when

  they cleared the amphibious assault ship looked like something out of a

  child's nightmare. Ships were on fire everywhere. At least two other

  tank- and troop-landing ships were burning fiercely, with smoke

  billowing out of two more. Antiaircraft guns were sweeping the skies in

  seemingly random patterns. The water that Yang could see was littered

  with bodies, capsized landing craft, and debris. As he watched, another

  explosion ripped across the water, the shock wave strong enough to

  stagger him. He had to remind himself that he could not show fear in

  front of his men, most of whom he knew were watching him. One of the

  toughest things for a Marine to do was step off a fast, safe landing

  craft and hit the beach, and for most of them only the sight of a brave

  leader would make them do it. They had been dropped into the water over

  two kilometers offshore, but the air-cushion vehicle ate up the distance

  quickly-less than thirty seconds to go, and they would be on dry land.

  The helmsman was taking a zigzag course into shore-he was probably only

  dodging other destroyed landing craft or pools of burning fuel, but Yang

  always told his troops that they did that to confound the enemy gunners.

  Dagu 's gunners opened fire several times on the beach, but Yang heard

  no mortars, bazookas, or heavy gunfire coming from there. "No resistance

  from the beach!" he yelled to his men. The Marines around him growled

  happily in reply. "Drive and conquer! Split into threes, divide, and

  run for cover! Watch for engineers ahead of you." Minesweeping engineers

  who had gone ahead of them had fluorescent orange tapes on their arms

  and backs to distinguish them from... A huge explosion erupted behind

  them, lighting up the horizon so brightly that Yang could easily see the

  treeline. "Eyes front!" Yang shouted as his men ducked, then began to

  try to turn around in the close confines to see what had been hit. "Get

  ready!" Yang did not look either, although judging by the secondary

  explosions, their amphibious assault ship had been hit. He could

  faintly hear the roar ofheavyjet planes overhead, and Dagu 's gunners

  even swung their puny machine guns futilely in the sky after the engine

  sounds. That did nothing but highlight their positions. "Guns front!

  Reload! Cover the landing!" Yang shouted. The gunners and their

  loaders were too scared to listen-they were either watching the

  destruction of their mother ship or scanning the dark skies above for

  enemy bombers. "APCs, start engines!" The heavy diesel engines on the

  armored personnel carriers roared to life, and gunners in the top

  turrets chambered rounds. Seconds later, the air-cushion landing craft

  hit the shore, the turbojet engines surged to full power, the craft

  raced up onto the beach, and the forward part of the air-cushion skirt

  began to deflate for offioading. The gunners finally began to rake the

  treeline with gunfire. "Ready!" Yang shouted, and the

  adrenaline-pumped men growled once again. The forward lip of the

  air-cushion vehicle hit the ground and the ramp swung down. Yang leaped

  up onto the ramp, ran down it onto the beach, then waved at his men,

  pointing toward the treeline not thirty meters away. "Marines! Go! Go!

  G-" His last word was drowned out by a massive cloud of fire and a

  head-pounding explosion-Yang felt as if all the air had been sucked out

  of his lungs and replaced by sheets of pure fire. Several Marines

  scampering down the ramp were blown off their feet and onto the beach as

  a shock wave larger than any Yang could ever recall rolled over them.

  His night vision was completely wiped out by a blinding burst of light,

  and his eardrums felt as if they had burst-no, his whole head felt as if

  it had burst... Four F- III G fighter-bombers screamed into the area

  n
early at supersonic speed, right into the midst of the lines of landing

  craft trying to land their forces on the beaches south of Davao. They

  did not carry Harpoon missiles or bombs. Instead, each carried four 2,

  000-pound BLU-96 HADES FAE, or fuel-air explosives, canisters. Each

  HADES canister contained three hundred gallons of explosive fuel-oil,

  and the canisters were toss-released about a thousand feet over a group

  of eight landing craft. About eight hundred feet above the water, the

  canisters popped open, and the fuel oil began to disperse in large white

  clouds of vapor. Seconds later, when the vapor cloud was about five

  hundred feet above the landing craft and had expanded to one hundred

  feet in diameter, tiny sodium detonators in the vapor clouds fired off.

  The resulting explosion was greater than the force of a

  twenty-thousand-pound high-explosive bomb, creating a mushroom cloud of

  fire that stretched across the water for nearly half a mile and a shock

  wave that churned the water into a boiling froth for two miles in all

  directions, deafening or knocking soldiers unconscious and setting the

  landing craft underneath the explosions immediately afire. Two of the

  HADES canisters sailed over the beach, amidst several platoons of

  Chinese Marine engineers, and the incredible force of the explosion was

  just as devastating on land. The closest HADES canister went off three

  miles away, but to Yang and his Marines it felt as if they were in the

  middle of an erupting volcano. Yang found himself dazed but unhurt,

  flat on his stomach, his rifle thrown several meters away. He

  lowcrawled to his rifle, picked it up, then rose cautiously to his

  knees. "Marines! Forward! APCs! Move out!" Thankfully, the first APC

  began to lumber off the air-cushion landing craft; the second showed no

  signs of moving. "Get those APCs off the landing craft! Move it! Move

  it!" Slowly, his men got to their feet, stumbling toward the APCs to

  take cover behind them as they got their senses back. As Yang urged his

  men to get off the landing craft, he was able to scan out toward the

  straits toward his amphibious landing ship-and what he saw horrified

  him. The entire interior of the ship seemed to be on fire. Pieces of