Sea of Shadows eBook - Navy Thriller.com

328 JEFF EDWARDS
closing the range to the target. They would be within the torpedo
engagement envelope soon, close enough to shoot at the submarine again.
But what good would it do them? The sub commander had obviously
figured out how to outfox their torpedoes. If they shot another torp at him,
he’d just evade it with his tricky little decoy tactic. Not only that, but he
was certain to return fire with his own torpedo, and Towers couldn’t
exactly evade in the middle of a minefield.
There had to be a way to trick him, the way he was tricking their
torpedoes. Some way to disguise or hide a torpedo until it was too close
for the sub to evade. The Germans had been using decoys of nearly every
sort imaginable since this whole crazy chase had started. If only she had
some decoys of her own …
In the background, she heard the rumble of another set of missiles
launching. They must still be trading punches with the shore-based missile
launchers.
Too bad she couldn’t launch her own missiles. If only the water was
deep enough for ASROCs. She could keep the sub distracted with an
over-the-side shot, and—while he was busy evading the torpedo—she
could drop an ASROC right off his bow. She could …
She stopped. Wait a minute … Maybe she could do it backward …
Keep the sub distracted with ASROCs long enough to sneak up on him
with an over-the-side torpedo.
She felt herself grin as she reached for the mike button. “UB—USWE.
How long until the target is within our torpedo engagement envelope?”
U-307:
“Kapitan!” the Sonar Operator shouted. “I have splash transients and
hydrophone effects, bearing two-six-five. Initial classification: hostile
torpedo! Estimated range—less than two thousand meters.”
“Very well,” Gröeler said. “All engines ahead one-third, slow to five
knots!” He glanced at the double dotted lines on the tactical display that
indicated the zigzagging pattern of the clear lane through the minefield.
“Right standard rudder, steady new course one-four-zero!”
The boat began to come about. “Sir, my rudder is right fifteen degrees!
Coming to new course one-four-zero. All engines ahead one-third!
Slowing to five knots!”
Gröeler was about to order the launching of the first pair of decoys,
when the Sonar Operator shouted again.