yourself over circumstances beyond your control.”
“Yes, sir,” Magruder said dully.
“If we’re going to head any further north I’ll want the ASW patrols
increased. We’ll be moving out of the SOSUS net soon and I want the sub
threat covered. That means more work for your Vikings, but-”
“Vikings?” There was a gleam in Magruder’s eyes. “Hold on a minute,
Admiral. There’s one idea we didn’t explore …”
CHAPTER 21
Saturday, 14 June, 1997
0759 hours Zulu (0759 hours Zone)
CVIC, U.S.S. Thomas Jefferson
In the Norwegian See
The folding chairs in CVIC had been taken down this morning, replaced
instead by television cameras and a team of technicians from the OE Division.
Admiral Tarrant watched them checking over their equipment one last time as he
waited to one side of the lectern for the closed-circuit broadcast to begin.
The director, a first class petty officer, stepped forward and started
the countdown. “Ten seconds, people,” he said, pausing and glancing at his
stopwatch. “And five … and four … and three …” Then he stepped back
and pointed at Master Chief Petty Officer Mike Weston, Jefferson’s grizzled
Command Master Chief. As Chief of the Boat Weston was a crucial link between
officers and enlisted men. He hosted a daily program of announcements and
general information … but today he was giving it up so that Tarrant could
make his own announcement.
“It’s 0800 hours,” Weston began. “And time for this morning’s edition of
Attention on Deck. Today, instead of the usual announcements, we’ll be
hearing from The Man himself, Admiral Tarrant.” He paused, stepping back from
the podium. “The admiral.”
Tarrant stepped forward and looked toward the camera. His prepared
speech began to scroll across the teleprompter.
“Most of you know by now that the situation here in the Norwegian Sea has
turned serious in the last few days,” he said without preamble. “Two days ago
the Soviet Union launched a major attack on the U.S. airbase at Keflavik,
Iceland, and when Jefferson fighters attempted to intercept the attackers they
were ambushed by Russian planes. The fighting on Thursday was a major
escalation in hostilities, and proves beyond a doubt that the Soviets are
willing to go to any lengths, even outright war with the United States, to
pursue their Scandinavian invasion.”
He paused. Words were hardly adequate in this situation. American lives
had been lost, and it was a dead certainty that more would die in the days
ahead. A discussion of global strategy and politics couldn’t convey the
realities of war, the danger that each new incident would lead inevitably to
the ultimate horror of a nuclear exchange. He felt he had to give these men
some idea of what they faced, but listening to the bald words he wondered if
anything he could say would prepare them for what was to come.
“Our orders, confirmed overnight by the President himself, are to support
the Free Norwegian forces around Bergen until other U.S. forces can be
deployed there. I can’t pretend this task will be an easy one. This battle
group is up against the full strength of the Soviet Union’s Red Banner
Northern Fleet, a powerful force of ships and planes backed by ground-based
air and lurking attack subs. The odds against us are steep, and before my
discussion with the President I was forced to consider the possibility of
withdrawing from these waters on my own discretion in order to protect the
lives entrusted to my command.
“But retreating in the face of Soviet aggression now would expose our
allies in Norway to certain defeat, and the successful consolidation of
Russian control over Scandinavia would destabilize all of Europe. As long as
there is any chance that we can make a difference in this conflict I intend
for Carrier Battle Group 14 to remain in the Norwegian Sea and make every
effort to hamper the enemy advance. It is absolutely essential that we do
everything we can in support of the President’s policy of defending Norway
from aggression.”
If the President had only reacted faster, Tarrant thought bitterly,
things might not be so bad now. The President’s so-called policy had been
forced on him by events, and even now, judging by what Tarrant had heard in