Sea of Shadows eBook - Navy Thriller.com

USS TOWERS (DDG-103)
NORTHERN ARABIAN GULF
MONDAY; 21 MAY
2318 hours (11:18 PM)
TIME ZONE +3 ‘CHARLIE’
CHAPTER 48
The Chief Engineer dropped heavily into one of the chairs at the
wardroom table. His coveralls were streaked with grease and his face and
hands were filthy. “My boys have managed to restore pitch control to the
port screw, but it’s got a lot of vibration in it. Obviously, we can’t tell for
sure without divers, but I think the screw itself is pretty chewed up. It
must have taken some direct damage from the torpedo hit. We’re not
going to be able to run it at full speed, and frankly, Captain, that screw is
going to howl like a dog whenever we run it.”
“How much difference will it make in our speed if we run the damaged
screw?” Captain Bowie asked.
The Chief Engineer shrugged. “We won’t have exact figures until we
put some power to it, but I’m guessing about five or six knots. We can do
eighteen and a half on the starboard screw. With both screws going, I’d
expect to see between twenty-three and twenty-five knots.”
“But we’ll be noisy as hell …”
“I’m afraid so, sir.”
“Stealth or speed,” the XO said. “That’s a hell of a choice to have to
make when you’re chasing a submarine.”
“It’s not really much of a choice, sir,” Chief McPherson said. “If we
don’t beat that sub to the Siraji coast, we’re out of the ball game. Stealth
or no stealth, I think we’re going to have to sprint like hell to get ahead of
the sub.”
“What’s that kind of noise going to do to our sonar ranges?” the captain
asked.
“We’ll be blind as a bat, sir,” Chief McPherson said. “At least while
we’re sprinting. Sonar will be back to normal as soon as we slow down
and drop the port screw off line again.”
300