Lions at Dawn (Kirov Series Book 28)

by John Schettler

  He chose Luftflotte IV, commanded by Generalfeldmarschall Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen, and cherrypicked the most effective squadrons available, rushing them to the West in a desperate effort to counter the rising power of the Allied Air forces. While this was only supposed to be a short term “loan,” those units would never see the skies above Russia again…

  Part XI

  Lions at Dawn

  “The Lions in their dens tremble at his approach”

  —Special Tribute:

  Order of Ouissam Alaouite

  Bestowed by the King of Morocco on

  General George S. Patton

  Chapter 31

  “If and when we find this Russian ship, we must now discuss how to proceed. You tangled with it earlier, Captain Harada. Any advice?”

  “Caution,” said Harada. “We had the advantage of surprise in that they did not even know we were in theater—in this time. We counted a lot on that to try and get within missile range, but they must have some very good ears on that ship. They picked up something, possibly the narrow band radio transmissions we were using to contact Admiral Kurita. He was in the van, about fifty klicks ahead of us. That said, we got off all eight SSMs, but they swatted every last one down with their SAMs. Then they started throwing back. We took out a dozen SSMs, but the last was blazing fast, probably a Zircon running at Mach 5. We had to use the laser to get it, and we were damn lucky that succeeded. Otherwise we wouldn’t be having this conversation, and you’d all be scratching your heads here as to what happened to you, and at a real disadvantage.”

  “Yet now we have the F-35’s,” said Fukada, an eager tone in his voice. “What ordnance did you get? Hopefully you’ve got some ship killers in the magazines.”

  “We’re carrying the AGM-154-C1,” said Kita.

  “The JSOW?” said Fukada, which stood for ‘Joint Standoff Weapon.’ “That’s block three, so it has moving maritime target capability, but it’s damn slow compared to what the Russians will be throwing at us.”

  “That’s the nature of the beast,” said the Admiral. “It would be nice if we had the AGM 158, but our American friends only delivered the 154. I guess they need everything else they’ve got for their own CV battlegroups.”

  “That limits our strike range to 45 nautical miles on the JSOW.”

  “Plus the range of the F-35’s,” Kita corrected. “Beggars can’t be choosers.”

  “You realize we’ve got no GPS here,” said Fukada.

  “The missile has infra-red terminal guidance,” said the Admiral, and our pilots will have to put them on the right track when they launch. That’s the best we can do. We’re also carrying smart bombs, and we’ve got the GBU/53B. We can lob those 60 nautical miles out, and that one is optimized for use in GPS denied environments.”

  “Tri-seeker capability,” said Captain Yoshida off the Akagi. “It has Millimeter wave radar detection, infra-red, and semi-active laser. Beyond that, we’ve got Paveway II and III, but we’d have to get in real tight to use those—eight nautical miles. I say we put our money on the GBU-53. Each plane can carry eight in the internal weapons bay, and the F-35 will have a strike radius of 450 nautical miles with that loadout. So that means we can reach out and touch the enemy at a 500 mile range. That’s well beyond anything Kirov can throw at us.”

  “Not quite,” said Fukada. “I read up on that new Zircon. It can range out 700 nautical miles—lightning fast. If they see us first, they can hit us before our planes even get close. Face it, the Russians only had one carrier worth the name, so they put all their money into missile tech, and it’s damn good. Hence our advice to be cautious here.”

  “That’s the key issue,” said Admiral Kita. “We’ve got to find them before they know we’re in the game, just as you tried to do. I want to have planes in the air approaching their weapons release positions before Kirov lifts a finger. We’ve got to put them on the defense. As for our own SSMs, we’d have to be within 75 to 100 nautical miles to let those fly, so I see them as our final option.”

  We have a good number of helicopters,” said Captain Yoshida. “They can serve for long range search. That will allow us to use the F-35’s for strike roles. I would assume we would be heading south toward Truk, which was their last known zone of operation.”

  Harada thought about that, and shook his head. “If we throw up too many helos, they may spot one or more with their Fregat system. Wouldn’t that show them our hand? They know we have a single Seahawk, but if they were to spot two or three helos, then what? They’d have to conclude something more is out there. May I suggest a different approach?”

  “Go ahead,” said The Admiral, listening intently.

  “We’ve fought them before, and even had a verbal joust at the end with this Karpov. He wanted to rub in the fact that we were toothless, and no longer a threat. But he knows we’re out here, and he’d much rather send us to the deep six. The only reason he broke off that engagement was to conserve his SSMs. Fukada thinks he’s running low, but I’m not so sure. That ship has enormous VLS capacity.”

  “Then what do you suggest?”

  “Let us take the van. We can operate as a forward picket as we head south, and I think I may even get on the radio and see if I can ruffle this guy’s feathers—call him out. After all, when Achilles wanted to take vengeance on Hector, he just rode up to the gates of Troy and called him to battle. I can do that with Karpov.”

  “Achilles and Hector have already fought,” said Fukada, but with an edge of warning. “Except we were Hector.”

  “Point taken, but I think I could rile this guy up.”

  “You mean you’d give away your position?” asked Kita.

  “Correct. He’ll think we’re being rushed in to help defend Truk, but I’m betting he won’t target us. He could have done that long ago, but held his fire once he knew we had lost our offensive punch. If I can get this Karpov on the radio, we might be able to get a fix on his position. In fact, I don’t even think he’d care if we had a hard contact on him. Remember, he thinks we can’t hurt him any longer. Oh, we could try sending the Seahawk at him, but he’d just shoot it down easily enough. That’s why he ignored us, and I think he’d ignore us again, unless we got right between him and his intended target.”

  “Clever,” said Admiral Kita. “You get out there and thumb your nose at him, see if we can make out his position, then we come over the horizon with bad intent. That’s damn sinister.”

  “All’s fair in love and war,” said Harada. “We’ve got to look at this through his eyes. OK, he just hit Truk, but he was damn economical about it. He put a missile on the Zuiho, hit the airfield, a tanker, and Musashi. Now what does he do to top that? I think he realized that Truk wasn’t the real nerve center of Yamamoto’s operation at the moment—it’s Rabaul. That’s our forward base supporting everything in the Solomons and the campaign in the Fijis. That’s where he’ll find our carriers, and those are the high priority targets he’s after. So I say we set course for Rabaul, and right now. Let me lead you by at least 50 nautical miles. You run silent in EMCON. Keep our F-35’s locked and loaded, and let us flush the quarry out. We’ll make it look like we’re trying to get into a good defensive position to screen Rabaul. We can even solicit Yamamoto’s cooperation. Remember, the whole IJN is down there, and all those ships can work for us.”

  Admiral Kita thought for a moment, then smiled. “Captain, let’s get south and find our namesakes. I’ve burned many an incense stick to honor my ancestors, but never thought I’d get to meet them in the flesh. Getting a look at the real Kaga and Akagi would be interesting, to say the least.”

  “Very good, sir. With your permission, I would like to return to my ship and run this by Admiral Yamamoto. We gave them a radio set so we could exchange secure encrypted transmission calls. The question is this—should I reveal your presence here to him?”

  “Considering that we’ll be joining the fight here, one way or another, I suppose that would be inevitable. Cou
ld you arrange a meeting, even if it is via this secure radio protocol? I haven’t resolved the issue of chain of command insofar as it concerns this task force, and I’d like to discuss this with him.”

  The thought of speaking directly with the legendary Admiral Yamamoto was lure enough for Kita. Seeing the man alive was even more, and it would put a face to this impossible scenario in a way the sailors aboard the IJN tanker could not quite do. The decision they had made to intervene in this war would begin by attempting to remove the contagion of Kirov from the scene, but it may not end there, and Kita wanted to set the ground rules for future operations.

  In all this deliberation, the Japanese had no way of knowing that Karpov himself was now operating with a new agenda, one also aimed at eliminating the contamination of modern influences on this historical milieu. At least that is what Karpov agreed to on the surface in his meeting with Fedorov, Volsky and Gromyko.

  * * *

  “So we’re agreed on a common aim here,” said Fedorov. ‘The question now is how to proceed?”

  “Then we can safely say this mission Kamenski dreamed up is dead?” Karpov did not want to leave any stone unturned. He eyed Gromyko, sizing up the one potential adversary here that he would prefer not to have a disagreement with.

  “If we are agreed on this common purpose,” said Gromyko, “then I can assume my mission is being collectively undertaken by all of us.”

  “Then let’s be clear,” said Karpov. “There will be no hostilities between us, correct?”

  “You have my word on that, if you’ll give me the same.”

  “Done,” said Karpov. “Frankly, neither one of us could operate here worrying about the other putting a missile into our backsides when we weren’t looking. With your agreement, I will data link with you to make the handshake official. That means we will each see the other’s location at all times. So we can dispense with this theater of sneaking the Admiral ashore here and you lurking in the depths.”

  “A submarine Captain is, by his very nature, a cautious man,” said Gromyko. “But I will agree to this.” Gromyko knew he would not be operating close to Kirov in any case, and if this truce were to break down, he could terminate the data link at any time.

  “Alright then,” said Karpov. “We’re allies, united in a common purpose, and let no one stand to oppose us. First order of business—this rogue destroyer… It’s clearly thrown in with the Japanese, and if I am to cease my intervention here, which is asking a great deal of me, then we must assure ourselves that ship will not be interfering here either. It must be destroyed.”

  “We had a good chance at doing that earlier,” said Fedorov, “but we determined it wasn’t worth the missile inventory required. That was because you intended to use those missiles another way, but if we hold to this agreement, then the sole purpose of everything we have under that forward deck is to enforce the understanding we have reached here—that all modern day influences must be purged from this timeline, including ourselves… Kirov, Kazan, Captains and crew, including Admirals and heads of state.” He glanced at Karpov with that.

  “Yes, yes,” said Karpov. “Let’s begin with this Japanese destroyer. When we last locked horns, it was in the Sea of Okhotsk, and operating with an IJN task force. We warned off the battleships with a missile, then ignored them to go after this Takami. I suspected they may have had carriers, which I should have killed, but we never located them. In any case, we must determine how to locate this rogue ship and coordinate our efforts to kill it. Their SAMs are quite effective, but they can’t stop torpedoes with them, can they.” He looked at Gromyko.

  “Frankly,” said the Captain. “The weapon I best use to kill a ship is my stealth. It doesn’t matter whether I use a missile or torpedo to do the job. Stealth gives me my firing angle, and I take it. But a good sub Captain never takes a shot unless he thinks it will kill his adversary…. unless ordered to do so, like that engagement we fought with the Americans off Japan in 2021.”

  “It was necessary to saturate that carrier with as many missiles as we could put on it,” said Karpov. “But let’s not refight that old battle. It was already won. Here is my theory on how we can locate this Japanese destroyer. All we have to do is threaten a key asset of the IJN. That was partly my reason for striking Truk as I did, and now I propose that we up the ante and move to strike their forward base at Rabaul, just as you advised earlier, Mister Fedorov.”

  “But we decided we will no longer intervene here.”

  “True, but a threat to intervene might flush out our quarry.”

  “That’s a fine line. Even the threat compels the Japanese of this era to take countermeasures they would not have undertaken if we were not here. Don’t you see? They would deploy ships to try and defend against such an attack. I’ll bet Yamamoto is pulling what little hair he has left out over our presence here.”

  “Perhaps he ordered that rogue ship to try and ambush us,” said Karpov. “All I’m proposing is pushing on them a little to get them to calling their sheep dog. I understand what you are saying, Fedorov, but do you have a better idea as to how we can locate Takami? You want me to burn aviation fuel and run the KA-40s all over creation trying to find that ship?”

  Karpov hesitated a moment, reaching to his service jacket collar and pressing a hidden button there. Fedorov heard a tinny voice, and he realized Karpov’s jacket was wirelessly receiving a signal voice transmission, undoubtedly from Nikolin aboard Kirov.

  “One moment…” Karpov held up his hand, listening, then spoke aloud, but to Nikolin at the other end of that transmission. “You say it was a direct call—in the clear?... Very well. Stand by, Mister Nikolin. Have the KA-40 vector back into my position here on this island. We’ll be returning to the ship directly.”

  Karpov looked up at the others. “How is it the Americans say it? Bingo! Nikolin just received a voice transmission from the Captain of Takami. He wants to have a little chat!” Karpov beamed. “I guess this solves our problem. Who knows what this Captain Harada may want to say to me, but I’ll certainly listen, and all the while, I’ll put Nikolin—along with your man on Kazan, to work triangulating his position. We’ve got the bastards. I suggest we get back to Kirov immediately. Admiral, you are welcome to join us aboard Kirov if you wish—but with the understanding that command of that ship, in every respect, resides with me.”

  Volsky thought about that, pulled by the desire to see the ship and crew again, to walk those decks, revisit his cabin and stateroom aboard, listen to the ship again at night as he so often did. Yet Karpov’s last statement gave him pause. There he would be, standing in the dark shadow of Vladimir Karpov. The memories of how he felt when Karpov arranged his ruse to seize control of the ship at Murmansk were also still bitter in his mind. While he longed to see those old faces again, particularly his dear friend Doctor Zolkin, he had second thoughts. Being there, would bring an obvious palpable tension aboard with him. The crew might become involved with that, and so he thought the better of Karpov’s offer, and declined.

  “No, Mister Karpov, I think one Admiral is enough on any ship. Two will invariably step on one another’s toes. If you don’t mind, I will return with Captain Gromyko to Kazan.

  This scenario was most unexpected. The Japanese had devised a strategy to flush out Kirov, thinking Karpov considered them nothing more than a nuisance. Harada’s ploy to call out Karpov like Achilles before the walls of Troy was about to backfire on him in a way he could not imagine. He thought Karpov wouldn’t waste another shot at his missile defense shield, but now, by directly revealing himself, he was walking towards the lion’s den.

  Yet not alone…. There were other lions on the prowl, loping their way towards the grey dawn, and Karpov, Kirov and all the rest, were going to meet them.

  Chapter 32

  The conversation between Karpov and Harada was short and cold. The two men had spoken earlier, each one baiting and taunting the other, and this was no different.

  “What brings you to
my hunting grounds?” said Karpov. “I thought I was clear about what would happen to you if you ever darkened my horizon again.”

  “It seems you paid a visit to our naval facilities at Truk recently,” said Harada. “Yet you left without paying the bill. I’m here to collect.”

  At that Karpov literally laughed. “Oh? What are you going to do here, Captain, throw chopsticks at me? Don’t be stupid. You’re no threat to me now, and you know it. And neither is that Seahawk you have up there looking for me. Thanks for the tip-off on your location.”

  “We can see your helo up as well,” said Harada. “You’re getting sloppy, Karpov. I’ve got a fix on your 226 to within a 9 second certainty, and that nice fat battlecruiser of yours makes an easy target.”

  “For what? We can count, Captain. You threw 8 SSMs at us, and the last we heard, your class has no internal magazines for reloads. Forgive me for pointing out the obvious, but it’s a long way to your home port in 2021, and I don’t think you made the trip lately.”

  Both sides had helos up, each looking for the other. They saw each other clearly enough on their radars, but neither had acquired a surface ship contact. The Seahawk off Takami had moved out about 50 nautical miles from the ship, and it located the KA-226 Karpov had launched for maritime surveillance, pegging its position 220 miles slightly southeast of Ponape.

  Behind Takami, Admiral Kita’s task force was moving in two groups, cruising at a sedate 20 knots, with every ship observing EMCON, running dark. Their helos and planes were all armed and ready for the fight, and it appeared that Captain Harada’s plan had worked just as he imagined it would. Kita had the destroyer Kirishima out in front, followed by Takami’s sister ship Atago. Behind them came Akagi and Kaga, trailed by the destroyer Kongo. About 20 nautical miles behind this formation, the new DD escort Takao led the fleet replenishment ship Omi, which was attended by the old helicopter destroyer Kurama. They were all on a heading of 195 south, but when Takami sent over the presumed location of the KA-226, Admiral Kita made a hard turn to port, coming to 240 degrees southwest, aiming right for that helo. Takami turned with them, heading right for Ponape, and expecting that their quarry was somewhere in the 260 plus miles of open ocean.