The XO was in agreement. “That pretty much sums it up, Captain.”
The captain said, “I’m going to take your charts and this message to my quarters to think about this for a while. I’ll be back within the hour.”
The XO released Hanna and he returned to his bunk.
The captain returned to Control in 45 minutes and said, “Here’s what I want to do, Charlie. I want to approach the Target at three different points, each at closer range than the prior point. Our last point will be at 3,800 yards. We take detailed readings at each point. I want the first intercept to be here,” pointing to a specific location on the chart that he had circled. “Depending on the Target’s reaction, I want to recalculate the next coordinate to intercept about here,” pointing to a second circle he had drawn.
“At all times, I want to approach where our bow is at midship and at the right angle to the Target. At no time do we follow the Target. She needs her prop wake to release and disburse the biological material and also so she can get the hell away from the biological material sticking to her own hull.”
The captain continued, “When we come into the Target’s sonar range, I want the Target seeing our smallest profile, which is at a right angle. I also don’t want to approach her from her bow or give her a side profile shot at us. I want to anticipate where she’s going to be, and be there waiting in silence for her to pass. If she goes deep on us, we’ll continue to track her until Key West arrives. Our Key West squadron will have the sonar and depth charges to deal with her at any depth.”
The XO replied, “Yes, sir. I’ll start to plot our first contact point right away.”
The Captain asked, “Where’s Hanna?”
The XO said “He was finished with his watch, and I sent him to his bunk to get some rest.”
“Send someone to get him. I want him on the helm when we start our approach.”
The XO said “Yes, sir and ordered one of the men in Control to get Hanna.
Hanna helped the XO plot the new course intercepts based on the captain’s new orders before he resumed his position at the helm.
The captain commented, “The uncertainty of these intercept points is because we don’t know the Target’s sonar range and don’t know how she’ll react when we get into her range. We will have to play it as we go.”
The first two intercept points seemed fairly safe, since the captain believed the Prowfish was outside of the Target’s sonar range. Hanna thought, “As we get closer, things will rapidly change and become more deadly.”
At the first Target intercept point, the Prowfish approached at 8,000 yards and arrived precisely on point and time and ran silent while the Target passed without detecting the Prowfish. The captain’s team had correctly estimated the Target’s next course and speed, and they were waiting silently as the Target passed the second coordinates. Excellent sonar images were obtained at each pass, using the new electronics profiles and extremely short signal bursts.
As the Prowfish approached the third coordinate at 6,000 yards, the Target immediately reacted. This confirmed to Hodges that he was now in the Target’s detection range. The Target immediately took evasive action by turning fast to port and diving. The Prowfish didn’t follow, which would have run the risk of being caught in the bio-plume. Rather it held back and waited until it was again outside the Target’s sonar range. Hodges wanted the Russian captain to believe he was well clear of the U.S. sub.
The Soviet captain was not fooled by Hodges’ maneuver. The Russian sub changed course again, this time on a straight course, heading away from the Prowfish at increased speed. It was giving the appearance that they were leaving the area.
The Russian Target could not be sure where the Prowfish was but hoped it would follow, trying to catch up. The Russian sub’s strategy now was to be in a race, with the U.S. sub following close behind. When the tailing boat least expected it, the Target planned to quickly slow its speed and release its deadly bio-plume before resuming full speed again.
Hodges had been fooled once before and wasn’t taking the bait again. Instead, he plotted a course that ran parallel to and above the Target at a distance beyond the Russian sub’s sonar range. The two subs resumed running this race at similar speeds. Hodges was surprised the Russian sub was not faster because of its new hull design. He concluded that while the Target had the more streamlined nuclear hull, it lacked the horsepower of the nuclear engine to go with it.
The two subs ran at near full speed for over two hours before the Russian boat slowed to look around for its follower. Not picking up a trailing profile on sonar screen, the Russian sub resumed its prior course.
Hodges took the chance that while the Russian captain was looking around for its follower he would maintain his course and speed and pass the Target. Hodges now knew his sonar equipment was superior and could help him keep clear of the Russian’s sonar range while he plotted his next move. His plan was to move ahead of the Russian sub before the next contact point, and then run silent as his foe passed the new intercept point. The only risk Hodges took in this strategy was that the Russians might resume another course.
Hodges was willing to take that chance, and his strategy seemed to be working. The Prowfish passed the Russian sub, and now Hodges had to carefully pick his intercept point. Hodges wanted to be stationary and silent, waiting for his adversary to approach at Hodges’ preferred angle of attack.
Just before the captain gave the order to turn for position at the final intercept point, his sonar operator called out, “Sir, I am showing a change in course direction by the Target.”
The captain held his order to turn. He wondered whether the Target had detected him or whether the Russian captain was playing a mental game and just changing course strategy. Hodges stopped engines and ordered silent running.
The sonar operator said, “Sir, the Target is turning to port and coming directly towards us.” The Russian captain for some unknown reason had chosen to turn toward the Prowfish without knowing their predator was there.
Captain Hodges immediately thought, “If this is correct, all I have to do now is wait.”
Hodges and the XO immediately went to the sonar room to confirm the reading. The big question Hodges and the XO had to answer now was whether this was a clever tactical move on the part of a Russian captain or whether it was a merely coincidental, believing he had lost his adversary.
Hodges didn’t believe in coincidence, but he also wasn’t going to turn down a gift horse staring him in the face. His gut instincts told him to remain absolutely silent and let the Target continue to come toward him. The Target was now approaching the Prowfish at 5,500 yards and closing. Hodges wondered why the Prowfish’s presence had still not been detected by the Russian sub. If he had been detected the Russian sub would not have made this last move.
Captain Hodges knew his disappearance wouldn’t last much longer. In a few seconds the entire outline of the Prowfish would be displayed on the Russian sonar screen. The Russian sub was now approaching close torpedo range, with less than 5,000 yards between them.
It was tense in the control room. Suddenly the sonar operator called out to the captain, “Sir, the Target has stopped in her tracks.”
Hodges told the XO, “I want to maneuver slowly, to always be at right angle to her midship and below her, Charlie.” Because of the Target’s sudden reaction, Hodges believed the Target had been caught completely off guard. The Prowfish moved into the position Hodges wanted. The Target also started slowly moving slightly in a circular motion to the Prowfish, and the Hodges followed to maintain his more favorable position. The slow motion dance was like to predators walking around each other before one decided the next move.
The two boats were in a slow circular dance at close torpedo range only 3,500 yards away from each other. The Prowfish came to the ordered position and at right angle to the Target.
The captain said, “Charlie, let’s stop engines and remain silent and see what she does.”
; Hodges knew the Russian captain knew the Prowfish’s angle was more favorable. The Target’s more vulnerable position gave fewer tactical options. The sonar room operator said, “Sir, the Target has now come to a complete stop.” Hodges knew he had the Russian’s sub underbelly exposed but remembered his orders.
Hodges said to the XO, “Charlie, let’s find out if she has those orders not to engage” The captain ordered, “Open forward torpedo doors 1 and 3.”
The XO relayed the order. In the silence of the boat, the expulsion of air could be heard as the forward torpedo doors opened.
Chief Wilks in the forward torpedo room confirmed. “Torpedoes set ready to fire on your command, sir.”
Hodges, turned to Charlie and said, “They now know we mean business. Let’s see what she does. If she so much as flinches, we’ll blow her ass out of the water.”
From the sonar room came, “Sir, two forward doors on Target have just opened.”
The two subs were now in a deadly stare down, each waiting for the other to make a move. Captain Hodges’ mind was racing. He was thinking that, because of his more favorable position, if the Prowfish fired first, there would be certain destruction of the Target. If both fired at the same time, the Target’s torpedo would have to turn before it reached the Prowfish, losing a couple of valuable seconds before her torpedoes made contact. He also considered that if both fired seconds apart, it would mean assured mutual destruction at this distance.
Minutes seemed like hours.
Wade Hanna stood his watch at the helm, drenched in sweat, believing his life would soon end and he would rest in an undersea grave. He didn’t know how he would stay alive in the next moments, much less what he might do if he survived. Wade’s mind would not allow him to consider the possibility of another day. His tormented childhood, near-deadly undercover encounters, a dying mother and now this unbelievable undersea confrontation had taken their emotional toll.
Wade’s face always showed a strong constitution, but at this time his nerves were at their edge. He looked around the welded steel frame and saw the pipes and gages that would line his coffin. He imagined the rounded outer hull becoming his last cathedral, bellowing hymns made by the sound of twisting metal as it sunk to crushing depths. As he searched his soul for a spiritual voice, he began humming quietly to himself. He was humming the haunting melody of “Saint James Infirmary.”
The captain ordered, “Close forward torpedo doors.”
A few seconds later sonar reported,
“Sir, Target has closed forward torpedo doors.”
Sonar reports, “The Target is making a slow turn to port and headed into a deep angle dive.”
Captain Hodges explained to his XO, “She wants us to follow her now.”
Looking at the sonar screen the XO commented, “From her angle, it looks like she’s going deep.”
Hodges ordered, “Charlie, stay above her and to either side; don’t track behind her. She’s got that wicked ass.”
Hanna was at the helm all this time, covered in sweat from the stress and from the air system being off during silent running. His hands felt numb and weak from the sudden drop in adrenalin. Captain Hodges and the XO were also covered in sweat.
After three hours, the Prowfish still had the Target on sonar deep below them. The Target was now at a depth well below where the Prowfish’s hull could survive the pressure.
It was evening in the natural world above, and the Prowfish had to surface to recharge batteries after the long day of underwater races. The captain ordered the XO to send a coded message to CNO covering the events of the day and to ask for orders.
A reply message was quickly returned from CNO,
“MAINTAIN TRACKING OF TARGET UNTIL KEY WEST SQUADRON ARRIVES AT YOUR LOCATION. EXPECTED AWS ARRIVAL TIME WITHIN THREE HOURS. KEY WEST TO ASSUME COMMAND OF ALL AREA AWS ACTIVITY. AFTER COORDINATING KEY WEST TRANSITION RETURN TO PORT, BILOXI, MISS. CONTACT KEY WEST COMMAND ON FREQUENCY 1276.46, JOB WELL DONE.”
While still on the surface recharging, Captain Hodges received a radio call from AWS squadron leader, Captain Lamar Henley. Captain Henley was from Texas and had the accent to prove it, “Henley here. I have your surface position; we’re less than an hour away.” The two spoke quite a while. Captain Hodges transmitted the coordinates of the Target’s location and depth as they were speaking. They spoke about the day’s maneuvers.
Henley said, “Yea, she’s deep right now, but she’s not nuclear and has to come up for air. We’ll be waiting to give her a Caribbean surprise party.” Henley continued, “Depending on her movements, we may try some of our new low pressure depth charge explosives to get her attention. These will give a jolt to her navigation and sonar electronics. CNO wants me to see if we can get the Target to the surface. They want a close look at this heifer.”
Captain Hodges now had a visual of the approaching Key West vessel. As he looked closer through his binoculars, he was surprised to find that it was not a single vessel but an armada of ships. He made out two destroyers, one baby helicopter carrier, and a light cruiser which was Henley’s command ship. Hodges knew from prior briefings that every inch of the underbelly of Henley’s cruiser was covered with electronic sonar detection devices. This AWS squadron protected the entire fleet when they were on maneuvers. Hodges thought the Navy’s response was overkill for one submarine but, said to himself, That’s the way the Navy sometimes does things. He also thought to himself, and the armada may have other business in the area
After Hodges confirmed transition with Henley, he ordered a change in course for Biloxi, Mississippi. The only Caribbean party on this cruise was going to be one involving the Russian submarine – and Henley would be leading the band dancing the Texas two-step.
29
Captain Hodges was a smart man but didn’t consider himself to be proficient in national politics. He didn’t claim to know how politics worked but knew they often determined his next assignment and in all likelihood would ultimately define his career. It was early November, 1962, just after the president gave his ultimatum and the Soviet Union backed down from installing land-based missiles in Cuba.
The Cuban missiles sites were already being disassembled and the so called “humanitarian” Russian vessels headed for Cuba had turned around for other ports. Some tensions between the two super powers had cooled, but U.S. military was still on high alert believing the Russian’s might change their mind or try another tactic.
Life onboard the Prowfish had returned to normal as they headed back to Biloxi. Wade had been in the control room when most of the CNO orders came in and heard them read aloud as was Captain Hodges’ practice. He certainly didn’t know everything going on. The rest of the Prowfish crew knew even less. Wade was off-duty in his bunk reading when the intercom came on.
“This is the Captain. As most of you know, we have been ordered back to Biloxi. Key West is assuming operations for the area we just left. We will arrive in Biloxi in a couple of days. The New Orleans crew will be met at the dock with transportation back home. We will be in Biloxi for four days replenishing stores and refueling. All those in the crew who would like a couple of days in New Orleans will be given leave. From Biloxi we are headed back to Norfolk.”
“I also have some sad news to report. Unfortunately we have thus far lost five of our fellow crewmembers to the illness we had onboard. Their names are Harris, Mendleman, Ruiz, Newman and Laichek. Many more of our crew remain critical and still under hospital care.”
“The bodies of our lost shipmates have all been flown back to their homes for burial. The Navy is conducting a special memorial service for our lost crew while in Biloxi. Those wishing to attend the service, check with Mr. Wilks for times and transportation details. I and all of our officers will be attending the service. All of you are welcome to attend.”
“After Biloxi we have been ordered to Norfolk for an unspecified time, probably two months. The Prowfish will be receiving updated electronic equipment, and there will be a Medica
l Research team to scrub our hull and take samples of any biological material which may have adhered to the hull’s surface. Navy medical and biological teams are still investigating this illness, and we now believe it may have been released underwater by our Target.”
“Gentleman, you have all served with distinction on what was an extremely important and historical mission. I want to thank our New Orleans crew who served with special distinction. All of your efforts went above and beyond. I want to also remind you that our mission was and remains Classified and Top Secret. You are not to discuss the mission or any details with anyone. To do so is punishable as treason.”
“This mission’s details will not appear in any of your service records. Your time onboard will be logged in the usual manner, but your records will not indicate the nature of the mission or area of service other than ‘The Gulf of Mexico.”
“When we arrive in Norfolk, I will be flying to Washington to give briefings to the CNO and explain the data we collected during this last encounter. I will tell you that as part of my briefings, I will describe our crew’s exceptional performance and contribution to the mission, including the outstanding work of our New Orleans crew. Thank you all again for a job well done.”
Hanna said his goodbyes to all of the crew and proceeded to the dock and a waiting gray Navy bus for his trip back to New Orleans. The return ride home was quiet, with all the New Orleans crew reflecting on their unbelievable and dangerous experience – one that they could never tell anyone about.
After a good night’s sleep in New Orleans, Wade woke the next morning and read a phone message that Detective Pisano had called. He returned the call and Pisano told him he wanted to meet at the Old Grill at two o’clock that day.
They arrived at the same time and were ushered to the table in the corner that Pisano liked. Pisano asked, “I understand you just returned from active duty? Was it a cruise?”
Silent Sanction: A Novel Page 19
