[ambrafoxtrot]

Interlude

“Gamma Ray; this is Sierra 17…we have a contact bearing 190, distance 6 miles from your main body. Confirm positive submarine on active sonar array. Bearing and ID negative, depth about 170 feet, over”.

The Italian Light Frigate “Artigliere” did not have any ASW sensor on board, but still the data link from the AB 212 helicopter Sierra 17 relayed the position of the submerged contact on the Frigate Combat Center; the area of approximation was remarkably small. Commander Paolo Grandi was running to the CIC from his private quarters even before Sierra 17 message was completed. The specter of an American attack sub wreaking havoc in what remained of his naval group flickered in his mind while he was covering the short distance.

When Grandi reached the darkened combat center of the frigate, Lieutenant Commander Julius Voekler, the frigate XO, had already taken some measures on initiative.

“Sir I invited the group commander to take his ship north at flank sped and I am interposing the frigate between the “Foudre” and the contact. Sierra 17 is standing by for the attack order”.

“Well done Lieutenant thank you”.

Grandi glanced at the tactical display, which showed the French Amphibious Assault ship Foudre running north at his modest maximum speed of 20 knots, escorted by the lowly Minesweeper “Alghero” which was rapidly falling behind at her mighty speed of 14 nautical miles per hour.

With the Italian logistic ships S.Marco and S.Giorgio sunk, the Foudre was the last standing resupply platform for the confederation land forces in Western Florida and Louisiana. If they lost that ship, Confy land forces in the south of the United States would be basically turned into stragglers overnight.

“Sierra 17 this is Cobra 17; did you make out a bearing on the contact yet, over”? Commander Grandi asked the helicopter.

“Negative; the contact is shallow and creeping. We have the dome on the 150 feet band range. It is quite a big motherfu@^er judging from the echo Sir” Sierra 17 said, forgetting that he was talking with the officer in command… “It could be a Russian nuclear or an American boat looking for prey; Permission to engage Sir, over”.

“Denied Sierra 17; repeat; hold your fire. I need identification Sierra 17; switch on the passive relay and give me an ID before I can authorize you to fire. If it is a Russian boat, we can’t risk blue on blue, confirm over”. Grandi voice raised by a couple of octaves.

The answer from Sierra 17 was the most unexpected:
“Cobra, we have pumps and hull expansion crackling noises on the passive track. The contact is…the contact is emerging Sir”!!


“TACCO” Grandi calmly addressed the tactical officer on duty…”Prepare for surface action starboard, brandish the OTOBREDA 127mm at 190 degrees…at my order…sustained fire…not before I give the order”, Grandi looked steadily at his TACCO.

“Aye Sir”

Grandi and the staff officers rushed outside to the starboard bridge of the frigate, a multitude of binoculars pointing at the bearing where the contact was supposed to be.

Then, in the dark night of the Gulf of Mexico immense arena, a set of ESM antennas appeared first, followed by half a forest of observation and attack periscopes. When the massive island of the night black behemoth appeared, it took commander Grandi several seconds to recognize the shape of a “Triomphant” Class Ballistic Missile Submarine. At the same time, from one of the numerous turret masts of the submarine, a Morse transmission broke the darkness between it and the Italian Frigate:

“Marine Nationale Strategic Submarine Temeraire-Marine Nationale Strategic Submarine Temeraire-to Confederation Naval Group 222-send group commander on board-repeat send group commander on board-EMCON status Red-Please confirm………..“Marine Nationale Strategic Submarine Temeraire………”

“It’s a French Boomer. What the hell is she doing here”? Commander Grandi thought while looking at his open mouthed XO”…

“Commander to bridge” Grandi grabbed the mike on one of the communication stations along the starboard bridge. “Revoke alert status, and send up here a Morse certified sailor with a lamp. Pass word to the Foudre that a friend of her is here and wants the group commander on board ASAP”…

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The Admiral quarters of the Nuclear Ballistic Submarine Temeraire could certainly not be considered ample by any standard definition; still the four officers around the table of Admiral Stephan Goulet’s conference cabin, sat pretty comfortably, assisted by the ship staff bringing them tea, milk, assorted sandwiches and butter croissants. As vice commander of the French Navy, Goulet had been assigned the best available quarters on the brand new SSBN.

Rear Admiral Jean Barduin, commander of Confederation naval group 222 and embarked on the Support ship Foudre was the first officer to go past the introductory small talk, and to get to business.

“Can you give us any update on the strategic situation Sir?” He said addressing Goulet; “We have been without orders for more than three weeks now”.

The French Admiral gave a sad look to his subordinate.

“I am afraid my dear Barduin that there are no orders. We lost contact with the Confederation supreme Headquarter when the nukes started to fly. My best guess it that Confederation authority has been decapitated. We have to try and improvise a strategic conduct of the war for the future, my friend”.

Rear Admiral Barduin was speechless…

“We… who; if I may ask Admiral”?

“Well, like I said we lost contact with the supreme headquarters in Brussels about one month ago. I believe that Europe has been hit hard by American strategic weapons. Actually I think that the retaliatory strikes by the United States, after our limited counter value strike, have been much more intense than expected”.

“Are you saying that we attacked first Sir”? Asked Barduin more and more horrified.

“As far as I know we did, Rear Admiral. Despite the overwhelming numerical superiority of the Coalition land forces, the resistance of the United States Continental forces has been more and more effective, especially against the Chinese on the West Coast. The intelligence gurus quickly sentenced that the Americans had too much qualitative superiority on the vital western front, and suggested limited nuclear strikes on selected high tech industrial infrastructure objectives. I don’t know what followed, but judging from the silence from our chain of command, nothing good happened after that. My personal opinion is that the Americans retaliated heavily across the board, with massive counter force and counter value strikes”.

Admiral Goulet stopped for a moment trying to find the words…

“In a way, I think that the overall command suspected that the U.S. could overreact, because they tried to disperse the chain of command before ordering the strikes. I for example got embarked on this submarine. Barring any contact with Brussels, I believe I am the highest ranking officer in the Confederation armed forces still alive and…”

“So what are you trying to do Sir”? Barduin interrupted his superior?

“First of all, I have to investigate what forces are still available. I have an order of battle of the Coalition forces that is more than one month old. I’m kind of hoping that these forces are still located more or less where they are supposed to. I am trying to make contact with them separately, before I can somehow establish a new line of centralized communication”.

“I guess any attempt to communicate directly from this platform is out of question Sir”. Barduin retorted.

“You guess right Admiral” Goulet answered, “This submarine probably represents a good part of the Coalition remaining strategic attack capability. She still retains her full complement of SLBMs”.

Admiral Goulet took another sip from his tea cup.

“We were stationed 50 miles off the coast of Brazil and waiting for our orders to move, to launch or both. For eleven days we tried to make contact with the High Command, before we decided to take the initiative of leaving station. You guys are my first stop in our itinerary. Is what I saw all it is left of group 222”?

Barduin exchanged a look with Commander Grandi:

“We have sustained five distinct battles with the U.S. Air Force, after we managed to put the Italian COMFOD 1 and the Russo/Cuban Invasion Force ashore. The Americans didn’t oppose the landings in force, but after they realized what was going on, they started to attack us and our flow of supplies. They have been quite successful. The Italian LPDs are gone and so is their main AAW player, the destroyer De La Penne. We have not seen any major U.S. Navy platforms in this theatre, but God knows if their Air Force has been enough to badly maul us. After we lost the Italian DDG, I assumed the command of the group as the senior remaining officer”.

“Have you been attacked recently”?

“No Sir, we sustained the last attack nine days ago. The LPD S.Marco took four harpoons in her belly and disappeared with all hands. One of the Hornets was slow in his disengaging maneuver and Commander Grandi here sent it to hell with an Aspide. That has been our last encounter with the enemy. We are almost without AA ammunition Sir, if the enemy comes at us again and the my ship goes, God help the land forces”.

Admiral Goulet did nothing to conceal his disappointment to his officers:

“I told them before they started this sh@ty war. I told the supreme naval command that even if we managed to surprise and cripple the U.S. Navy; we would still lack the air projection capability to assure the safety of our task forces”.

“What about your carriers”? Commander Grandi asked with a worried expression.

“As far as I know” Answered Admiral Goulet the Foch is still operative and assigned to the invasion of the British Islands. But that’s not the point. The point is that we didn’t manage to capture and prepare enough airports along the coasts of the United States, and worse, to transfer enough aircrafts to support our operations here in North America.

“What about the Russians and the Germans on the East Coast”? Barduin reentered the conversation.

“They’re my next stop. At present I have no information about the eastern front at all”.

Admiral Goulet took another croissant and started to chew on it:

“OK…This is what you are going to do Admiral” he looked straight into Barduin’s eyes. “You are going to continue to be on station in this area and supply the Coalition forces in your theatre. I will collect my information on our forces and try to convey in theatre as many supply ship as I can. Prepare me a list of what you need…oil, ammunition, everything. I will put my ESM up every three days at 12:00 Zulu time. Until further notice, consider me the supreme commander Eastern Theatre of operations. I believe the Americans know your approximate position, so it will not be too detrimental for you to initiate communication with me every three days. Give me the time to figure out what is going on in the world, and then we will try to carry on with our strategic directives”.

Commander Grandi dared to interrupt Admiral Goulet one more time:

“Excuse me Sir…I have been wandering since the first day: who started it Sir…and why. Everything has been so sudden and unexpected…I…You, Sir…you said that you talked to the planners of this…do you know how it started”?

“Don’t you know how wars begin Commander”? The French senior Admiral commented, while chewing on his butter croissant…”there is an international order and some objectors to it. When the objectors get pissed enough…they act”.

“But this attack on the heart of the United States…Sir…It is huge…it is unimaginable…who in the world and for what reasons…”

“Son...” Admiral Goulet cut short…”It is complicated to explain, and we have not the time or the authority to judge all this now. History, if someone will survive this war, will be the judge of what is happening. I will tell you this though: the old Soviet Union fell without a war because its economic mistakes influenced the Soviet Union and the Soviet Union only. The economic mistakes of the United States of America, threatened to sink the entire world with it: a coalition of Statesmen around the world thought they could avoid that with a sudden action and minimal damages. Second guessing them, I would say they were wrong. But second guessing is always a tad late isn’t it”?

A long silence followed in the Master cabin of the nuclear French Submarine.

“Captain Fellier” resumed Admiral Goulet, addressing the Skipper of the Submarine, who had not spoken a single word during the entire meetin. “Let’s bring this boat on the surface and have our guest rejoin their commands”.

Fellier left the cabin at once after giving his salutes to the presents, and went supervising the surfacing procedures.

“Every three days Gentlemen” Admiral Goulet smiled at his subordinates…”Twelve Zero, Zero Zulu time. Meanwhile, keep your boats floating”.