nuclear subs, which relied on absolute silence to remain undetected by
their hunters within the ocean depths.
It would take at least twenty-four hours–and more likely
forty-eight–to clear the propeller shaft and check the blade alignment.
If the blade was bent, it would be another several days before it could
be repaired or replaced. It was God’s own luck–and Chelyag said that
to himself as a devout atheist–that the shaft had not been bent or the
turbine’s bearings burned out. Something like that could have put the
Typhoon out of commission for a month, longer if the spare parts were
slow in arriving.
Meanwhile, the Revolutsita was already on his way out of the Kola Inlet.
Chelyag was not looking forward to informing Admiral Karelin that he was
still in port.
1230 hours
Flag Plot
U.S.S. Shiloh
Gradually, it became clear that the attack was over. At least three
separate waves of Russian planes had hurled themselves against the
American battle force off North Cape, a total of at least three hundred
aircraft. One hundred fifty cruise missiles of various types had been
launched, both from aircraft and from bases on the Kola Peninsula.
But the battle force had survived. The clear victor in the engagement
had been the Americans with their AIM-54C Phoenix, coupled with the
remarkable Phalanx CIWS covering the last-ditch ship defense at
knife-fighting range.
Tombstone was still adjusting to the idea that they’d actually come
through the attack relatively unscathed.
Of course, there had been losses …
This time, the battle ops meeting was being held aboard the Shiloh,
which had taken over coordination for the entire carrier battle force.
Coyote was back aboard the Jefferson and running things for the wing as
Deputy CAG, freeing Tombstone to join Admiral Tarrant’s planning staff.
He’d flown across less than an hour before, aboard one of Shiloh’s two
SH60B LAMPS III ASW helos, dispatched by Tarrant especially for him. All
of Jefferson’s helos were still engaged in SAR work–marine search and
rescue for the aviators still lost somewhere at sea.
Tombstone was just wrapping up his after-action report. Tarrant, as
always crisply attired in a spotless uniform, rested with one leg
hitched up over a corner of the chart table, listening attentively.
Nearby, another rear admiral, John H. Morrisey, the commanding officer
of CBG7 just arrived off the Eisenhower, leaned against a bulkhead. Bald
and bulldog-ugly, he too was neatly attired, the rack of colored ribbons
on his left chest gleaming in the compartment’s overhead fluorescents
like peacock’s plumage. After a long, active morning and a crowded
helicopter flight, Tombstone felt conspicuously rumpled.
“We’ve also begun coordinating all air Ops with the Eisenhower,”
Tombstone was saying. He glanced at Admiral Morrisey, who smiled
slightly and nodded. “That way, both air wings can share the grunt
work. Both carrier wings are still at flight quarters. Both carriers
are maintaining four aircraft on Alert Five, and four more on Alert
Fifteen.” An aircraft on Alert Fifteen could be put into the air in
fifteen minutes. An Alert Five aircraft had the pilot suited up and
strapped in, ready to launch on five minutes’ notice.
“We’re maintaining extra-strength CAPS, of course,” Tombstone continued.
“And at any given moment, we have two EA-6B Prowlers up and running
recon flights along the Russian coast, just outside their twelve-mile
limit, plus at least two Hawkeyes, positioned to give us AEW deep inside
the Kola Peninsula.
In the last three hours, there have been no further air strikes. In
fact, there’s been no hostile activity from the other side at all.”
Tombstone glanced down at the briefing notes he’d scrawled for himself
on a clipboard legal pad during his flight across to the Shiloh. “Combat
losses. Carrier Air Wing Twenty lost seven aircraft this morning. The
breakdown was four Tomcats, two Hornets, and one Prowler. Of those
crews, fourteen people, eight were recovered. Four other aircraft were
pretty badly shot up, but they managed to get back to the Jeff and trap.
They’ve already been shoved over the side in order to clear the deck. I
don’t have a final report from Eisenhower’s CAG, but a first estimate
gives them combat losses of three Tomcats, one Hornet.” He consulted his