Overwhelming Force by Andrew Watts

Author:Andrew Watts [Watts, Andrew]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Point Whiskey Publishing
Published: 2019-02-21T16:00:00+00:00

USS Columbia (SSN-771)

Los Angeles–class submarine

Philippine Sea

Commander Wallace, captain of the USS Columbia, walked into the bridge as the initial contact reports were called out.

“Conn, Sonar, new contact, designate Sierra-Two-Four bearing three-three-five, classification warship.”

“Sonar, Conn, aye.”

The conning officer quickly briefed the captain.

“How many?”

“At least fifty contacts now, sir.”

“Warships?”

“Forty of them are warships, sir, various types.”

“What are the others?”

“Classified as Group Three merchants or transports. But they’re all part of the same convoy, sir. Never seen anything this big. This has got to be the Southern Fleet.” He pointed at the display. “I think these contacts here are troop transports or supply ships for the convoy.”

Commander Wallace looked at the display screen. Tiny electronic symbols were popping up at the far range of their sonar coverage, autopopulated by their submarine’s sonar and computers. The surface tracks formed a column over twenty miles long, moving east.

“What’s the speed?”

“Averaging fifteen knots, Captain.”

“Anything more on Sierra-Two-Four?”

Sierra-Two-Four was a suspected Chinese submarine. Favorable acoustic conditions had allowed them to detect it from very far away the previous day.

“Nothing since last night, sir.”

“Very well.” The submarine captain let out a long breath, eyes moving back and forth over the different screens, taking in all of the information.

With the closing speed of the approaching Chinese convoy, they would have to be careful not to draw any attention to themselves, lest they become the hunted. If the approaching convoy’s warships were farther away, Commander Wallace might take a risk and increase their speed while conducting a search for the Chinese submarine. In a perfect world, he would eliminate the Chinese submarine threat before making an attack on the enemy convoy. But it was not a perfect world, and his orders would not allow such an attack.

Wallace walked into the bridge and examined the space. His men looked tired, but intensely focused. But he knew that behind each dedicated face was a range of emotions. Husbands wondering if their wives were okay. Fathers wondering if they would see their children again. Young sailors wondering if they would live through the next twenty-four hours. There were those who wanted to perform bravely and those who just wanted to get home.

They had been operating at a crushing pace since the war had begun. Their submarine had been sortied out of Pearl Harbor within the first few days and told to seek out and destroy Chinese targets. Spirits had been high at first. The American submarine force was the best in the world. They were going to win the war and be home in a few months. They were going to be heroes.

Then word came of the American “strategic withdrawal” from Japan, and the new ROE that came with the cease-fire agreement. The crew had been pissed and frustrated at the restrictions, but they were still hopeful that the USS Columbia would be given the chance to make an impact. For some, it was more personal. Commander Wallace knew that many of his men wanted revenge for the thousands of Americans who had been killed in the war’s opening round.

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