SSN

    Mack smiled. That helo pilot had just done them a favor. The two Chinese submarines may have already acquired Cheyenne-which meant that the latest "ping" didn't help them at all. But the sound energy reflecting off their hulls into Cheyenne's waiting sonars and the BSY-l computers gave her accurate firing solutions for both Romeo class submarines.

    "Make tubes one and two ready in all respects," Mack ordered. "Open the outer doors. Firing point procedures, tube one, Master 21, and tube two, Master 22," Mack wanted the first torpedo going after the closer submarine and the second torpedo aimed at the other.

    His orders were confirmed quickly and efficiently.

    Match sonar bearings and shoot, tune one, Master zi and tube two, Master 22," he ordered.

    "Match bearings and shoot, tube one, Master 21, and tube two, Master 22, aye, Captain."

    Both torpedoes quickly acquired.

    Mack acknowledged the reports. "Now, let's get the heii out of here before we get attacked by that helo. Cut the wires, shut the outer doors, and reload tubes one and two. Ahead flank, right full rudder, make your depth 800 feet, steady on course 180." Mack was calm as the directed commands were repeated by the persons intended for them. Cheyenne had become a fine-tuned fighting machine. Each man knew what was expected of him.

    Above them, high in the sky, a lone F-14 flying from the aircraft carrier Independence saw the target blip on its radar long before the Chinese helicopter had any idea what was about to happen. With permission of the flag watch officer aboard Independence, the 000-045 sector F-14 pilot was allowed to advance his sector since he had radar contact on the Chinese helo that was harassing Cheyenne. After he cut in his afterburners and approached the target at supersonic speed, permission to fire was passed from the TAG (tactical action officer). With a thumb push on Ihe pickle, the pilot reported "Phoenix 1 away."

    Behind him, in the backseat, his RIO (radar intercept officer), who had done all the targeting work, said, "Phoenix is locked on. That submarine captain sure owes us one."

    Aboard Cheyenne, the sonar supervisor couldn't explain his latest detections to Mack. "Conn, sonar," he said, "the helicopter, the one above our position… I think she just crashed! Something fell in the water and the TB-23 is not picking up any helo turbine noise anymore."

    "I guess we just broke Murphy's law," Mack replied, his voice as calm and efficient as ever.

    Mack had decided not to designate the helo with a Master number. He would leave that to the aviators. However, the helo would find itself in the history of submarine warfare, in Mack's patrol report, by virtue of Cheyenne's "Sierra" designation assigned to the helo as one of Cheyenne's many sonar contacts.

    The remainder of their transit into the southern end of the South China Sea proved, to the delight of both the captain and the crew, to be entirely uneventful. Mack had not realized how enjoyable an uneventful stretch of time could be when the alternative was someone shooting at his submarine.

    When they met up with Independence northwest of Natuna Island, Mack and his crew learned that both Mk 48s had found their marks and the Chinese were now down another two submarines. Mack had also discovered the true story behind the "crash" of their Chinese helo.

    Mack sent a message to the SEC (submarine element coordinator) on board Independence, requesting a special "thank-you" for the F-14 pilot-a thank-you that, whenever they got a chance to get ashore to buy one, would include a very nice bottle of wine.

3. Four if by Sea, Six if by Land

    Come to periscope depth," Mack said. "I want to have a quick look around before proceeding." Cheyenne moved slowly from her current depth of three hundred feet beneath the surface of the South China Sea, pausing at one hundred thirty feet to clear baffles. When the sonar supervisor reported no contacts to the OOD, Cheyenne completed her excursion to fifty-nine feet. Before arriving, the OOD, Mack, and the crew members who were trying to eat could feel the effects of the sea state.

    Mack had raised the Type 18 periscope while the OOD rode the leaner, less detectable, Type 2 attack periscope. Two sets of eyes were better than one, especially since the sea state could easily mask quiet surface contacts. Once they were near ordered depth, the tops of both periscopes were intermittently awash an the four-foot swells, which were frequently topped with significantly higher waves.