Steel Reign (Kirov Series Book 23)

by John Schettler

  “We need him to come south. Maybe they’ll take the bait.”

  “Why should they?” said Fukada. “They have over the horizon strike capability. What makes you think they’ll come south? And I don’t like our position here. We’re bottled up in this bay, and can’t maneuver north. Your entire plan rests on the assumption that they’ll come to us.”

  “You have a better idea?”

  “I think we should backstop Kurita—move into his wake. If he gets too far north, then we can’t cover him with our SAM umbrella. We should get out of here and move east and north immediately.”

  Harada thought about that. “Honjo?” he said to his CIC officer.

  “He’s right, sir. We’re stuck here, and I can only throw the SM-2 about 75 klicks north of our position. If Kurita gets any farther north, he’s hung out there on his own.”

  “What about our ERAM 174s?”

  “I only have half a dozen, sir. Everything else is SM-2 unless you want me to use the SM-3.”

  “No, keep them in the basket.” The Captain took a long breath, rubbing the back of his neck. “We need a better fix on their location, but if we sent up a helo we’ll give the game away.”

  “Playing possum here won’t even get us in the game at all if he hovers up north,” said Fukada. “That’s what I’d do. His mission is to protect his troop convoys to North Sakhalin, and control the lines of communication back to Magadan. Our mission, now that our own troops have landed safely, is to interdict the enemy operations. We just can’t do that here.”

  Harada nodded. “Alright. I hear you. Let’s notify Kurita that we’re moving east into his wake. As for the carriers and land based strike planes, they can continue to hold until we give the word.”

  Sea of Okhotsk, 20 May ~ 11:10

  It was that fleeting signal to the radio set on Hiraga that woke up Nikolin again that morning. He had been sitting, a bit bleary eyed, and wishing he had found some stronger coffee instead of tea that morning. But the COMINT profile module he had set up to listen for specific types of radio signals traffic was as wide awake as ever. The red light soon indicated that he had another fish in his net.

  “Sir,” he said to Rodenko again. “I’ve another signal intercept. Looks like it was directed north, and a little stronger this time—same profile, short burst HF transmission with rapid modulation and hopping.”

  Rodenko came over, looking over the data on Nikolin’s board, and then decided enough was enough. He went directly to Fedorov, who had the watch that hour, and reported. “Another signals packet intercept sir. Same heading and modulation. Someone is down there whispering again.”

  Kirov had come south at 18 knots for the last 6 hours, radars sweeping the open sea and coastal regions of the long island. Now Fedorov thought it was time for a more active search.

  “Mister Nikolin,” he said. “Send a message to the Helo Bay. I want the KA-226 ready for launch in twenty minutes—aerial search and reconnaissance. We need to have a closer look down south. Make sure they have the long range module installed for the Oko panel.”

  “Aye sir.”

  Fedorov gave Rodenko a look, but said nothing. He merely reached for the overhead intercom and punched up the officers dining hall. “Admiral Karpov, please come to the bridge.”

  There would be no one in the dining hall to hear that call, for Karpov was up early and had finished his breakfast ten minutes earlier. He was already on the ladder up, and soon emerged from the main aft hatch, in what seemed like record time.

  “That was fast,” said Fedorov.

  “What? You needed me? Well, here I am.”

  “We have a situation,” said Fedorov.

  “Contact?”

  “No sir, but more suspicious message traffic. I’m sending the KA-226 south to have a look around.”

  “I’m still not sure what we think we might find there,” said Karpov. “But it will do no harm. Our operations here will soon be concluded. I have all three regiments of the 32nd ashore now, with supplies offloaded and the convoy withdrawing to Magadan this afternoon. This was a much easier operation than I first feared. I can relieve you now, Fedorov, if you’d care for a decent breakfast.”

  “Sir, you have the bridge, but if you don’t mind, I think I’ll stay and see what this recon operation turns up.”

  That tickled some inner sense in Karpov, for he knew his first officer very well by now. Fedorov was worried about something, and so was Rodenko. The delicate sensory network of the ship extended at the very end to the nerves and synapses of the men who stood their watches. They were good men all, and very capable in the positions they held. He needed to pay attention here.

  It was not long before the KA-226 began to find pieces of the puzzle. It had moved south with impunity, at an elevation of about 15,000 feet. At that height its Oko panel had a marvelous view of the sea in all directions, spinning slowly beneath the undercarriage of the helicopter. About a hundred kilometers south of Kirov, it obtained its first contact, another 200 klicks south, and began feeding the data directly to the mother ship.

  “Five contacts,” said Rodenko, “in a fairly tight surface action group. No telling what they are at this point, but signal strength is good, and I’m guessing that isn’t commercial traffic.”

  That was a very good guess, for the KA-226 was looking at the battleships Hiraga and Satsuma, with three heavy cruisers, Mogami, Mikuma, and Takao. Kurita had been found.

  Sea of Okhotsk, 20 May ~ 12:15

  “Con, Radar has an airborne contact, bearing 375 north, range 280 kilometers approximate, and closing at 200kph.”

  Fukada looked at Harada, a knowing look in his eye. “Someone is getting curious,” he said. “That has to be a helicopter.”

  “Are we certain it isn’t a friendly off Sakhalin Island?”

  “Could be, but they had orders to sit tight until we gave the signal for takeoff. And that contact is moving south.”

  Harada rubbed his chin. This was not anything surprising. Kirov had helicopters available for recon and ASW missions, and this was undoubtedly one or the other. “They’ll be seeing Kurita by now,” he said.

  “In another ten minutes they make us too,” said Fukada.

  “But as far as they are concerned, we would just be another ship out here. If our EMCON is tight, we shouldn’t arouse any undue suspicion.”

  “What if they get orders to eyeball the contacts. Some of those Russian helos have good long range optics and camera systems.”

  “If he persists south towards Kurita we can make that call. Sure, we could take it down, but that would pretty much seal the deal insofar as who and what we are. The air strikes aren’t in position yet. We’ve got to coordinate this thing perfectly if we’re to have any chance of pulling it off.”

  “Then I suggest we get those planes in the air,” said Fukada. “Every second counts.”

  Harada nodded. Someone was out there strolling at the edge of the lawn, and likely to come right up the garden path and knock on his front door any minute now. He had to act.

  “Lieutenant Shiota,” he said firmly. “Signal Hiraga—one phrase. Climb Mount Takami.”

  “Aye sir.”

  That was the prearranged signal to execute the plan. Land based planes would approach Kirov’s suspected position from the southwest, the wiggle of that jab in Harada’s mind. The carrier based planes would come due east to his position, then turn north. Once they got there, he would get his own helos in the air, use them to find Kirov, and vector the strike waves in. His only problem now was the need to close the range as quickly as possible, so he could bring that big right hand into the fight. The Type 12 SSM could only range out 120 kilometers.

  “Sir,” said Fukada. “We should get a helo up as well. If we stay passive, it should still get a good fix on their location.”

  “And if they tag our Sea King?”

  “Sure, they’ll see it, but it will just be an airborne contact. They would probably assume it’s just a seaplane
. We’ve got to know where they are to have any idea how much sea room we’ve got to eat up here. We need to nail down the range to target, and fast.”

  Harada had written the score, but now it seemed that Fukada was conducting the orchestra. He was much more on edge than the Captain, and his reflexes prompted him to take some action. They weren’t going to win this thing by simply playing possum.

  “Agreed,” said Harada. “Let’s get Whisky-T in the air and have them move as far north as Kurita. But I don’t want them bumping noses with that bogie out there. You’re right about those cameras on the Russian helos. Helm—ahead full and steady as she goes.”

  “Aye sir, engines ahead full and steady on.”

  It was about to begin.

  Sea of Okhotsk, 20 May ~ 12:32

  “Con, airborne contact, low and slow, bearing 180 south of our helicopter.”

  Karpov came over, eyeing the contact on Rodenko’s screen, all telemetry being fed by the Oko panel on the KA-226. The helo had been loitering, watching the approach of Kurita’s task force, but now Karpov was concerned.

  “A single plane?”

  “Looks that way sir,” said Rodenko. “Could be a seaplane off a cruiser.”

  “Or a carrier.”

  “I wouldn’t think that,” said Fedorov joining them. “If it was a carrier there to cover that forward group, they should have combat air patrols up by now.”

  “This could be exactly that, the first plane to take off.”

  “Well, the KA-226 is in no danger at this point,” said Fedorov. “They would have to get within visual range.”

  At that moment, Nikolin spoke up again. “Admiral, sir. There it is again. COMINT profile has just picked up another transmission—very short burst this time, and aimed directly north.”

  “North?” Karpov’s eyes narrowed. “Then it wouldn’t have originated from that forward group of five contacts. Who would they be signaling? It had to come from this ship here.” He tapped the screen to indicate the lagging contact. “They’re sending orders of some kind. That is a command ship, perhaps a flagship calling the shots. Very interesting.”

  Rodenko was looking at his data very closely now. “You may be correct in that sir. The forward group has just increased speed by at least ten knots.”

  Karpov looked at Fedorov. “A little cavalry charge,” he said with a grin. “Very well, I’m going to assume that is a surface action group up front, and that they are now attempting to close on our position.”

  “How could they even know we’re here?” said Fedorov.

  “Oh, they know we’re up here alright. They certainly won’t have a good fix on our position, but they know what we’ve been doing off Okha, and they’re sending this little group in to try and interdict our supply runs. It looks like the lesson we gave them off Kamchatka needs to be repeated.”

  It was then that the situation took another twist. They all saw it, the red light on Rodenko’s board, and then the new contact winking on from the southwest.

  “Airborne contact,” said Rodenko. “Three… five …. No, it’s looking like a good deal more, I have 15 contacts now, but they’re dispersing into multiple groups of three.”

  “Shotai,” said Fedorov quietly.

  “Mister Fedorov?” Karpov gave him a glance. “A strike aircraft?”

  “A three plane formation, sir. That’s what the Japanese name a sub flight within a squadron—Shotai.”

  “Look now, sir,” said Rodenko. “There’s another group—nine planes. The bearing is slightly off. I don’t think they really know where we are.”

  “But they’ll be fanning out to search,” said Karpov. “That’s what this dispersal is all about.” He shook his head, having seen this so many times before, from the British long ago, and now the Japanese. “The ship will come to air alert one—S-300 system.”

  Rodenko punched the alarm, the jangled nerves of the ship tightening up the sinews of war. Everyone on the bridge straightened in their seats, sitting taller, more alert. The tension was obvious, except around Karpov, who seemed completely calm and deliberating.

  “The Japanese Navy,” he said, somewhat disdainfully. “So here they come at last, only they have no idea what they are getting themselves into. This time we teach them with the hard stick of war. Here they come, sewing the wind with their silly little planes. Now they reap the whirlwind.”

  The Saga Continues…

  Kirov Saga: Second Front

  Karpov is set to punish his unwary enemy, but the confrontation in the Sea of Okhotsk soon escalates into the shock and violence of modern warfare as Kirov faces a most unexpected adversary. The battle that will soon be joined could decide the fate of all concerned, a desperate throw of the dice by the Captain and crew of DDG-180, against the most powerful opponent they will ever face.

  Meanwhile, the German Army has now recovered from the long, cold winter, and Eric von Manstein is ready to lead a strong new offensive push to the south. His objective is to finally link up with the forces of Ivan Volkov in the Caucasus, which would put the Axis in a position to pose a grave threat to Iran, Iraq and the entire British position in the Middle East.

  Realizing that the Soviet Union could still collapse in late 1942, the Allies struggle to forge a plan that will open a second front in the West. President Roosevelt has given his consent to launch the first daring offensive of the war—Operation Torch. It will be aimed at French North Africa, intending to cut off German supplies to the Canary Islands and unhinge their Condor offensive. German occupied Gibraltar still guards the gateway to the Mediterranean Sea, as well as a terrible secret hidden beneath the Rock. Can the Allied forces storm and reclaim that vital port before the Germans learn what lies within their nest?

  Coming Soon…

  Kirov Series: Battle Book II

  Vendetta

  The Rise of Karpov & the Struggle Against Volkov

  One of the longest running subplots of the Kirov series centers on a central character in the saga—the irrepressible Vladimir Karpov. Sometimes a hero, most times a villain, Karpov has dominated the action from the very beginning of the series, set in opposition to Volsky and Fedorov in his ceaseless quest to take control of the mighty Kirov and use it to impose his will on the world in which he now finds himself marooned.

  Beginning on the bridge of Kirov in that tense and fateful moment at the climax of Season 1, Armageddon, the author now knits together, all the material depicting Karpov’s return and rise to power in the world he shattered in 1908. The tense situation on Siberia’s western border soon brings him into contact with Ivan Volkov, and the two men meet, with the real identity of each man revealed. That begins a long vendetta, as Karpov and Volkov become arch rivals and struggle for control of what seems like a lonesome backward railway inn in the small, insignificant hamlet of Ilanskiy.

  Volkov will launch three successive raids using his formidable airship navy, each one more elaborate and powerful, coloring the action with a wash of Steampunk as Zeppelins duel in the skies for air superiority, while special forces and Marines battle on the ground for control of the vital railway inn and its dark hidden secret. Think of it as the “Director’s Cut” for this intriguing and engaging plot line featuring the long feud and war between the two great villains in the series. Includes new scenes and “outtakes” added to the story by the author as he stitches together material from twelve series novels into one continuous and uninterrupted narrative of this plot line, including a secret plan by Volkov not yet revealed in the main saga.

  Reading the Kirov Series

  The Kirov Series is a long chain of linked novels by John Schettler in the Military Alternate History / Time Travel Genre. Like the popular movie “The Final Countdown” which saw the US Carrier Nimitz sent back in time to the eve of Pearl Harbor in 1941, in the opening volume, the powerful Russian battlecruiser Kirov is sent back to the 1940s in the Norwegian Sea where it subsequently becomes embroiled in the war.

  Similar to episodes in the
never ending Star Trek series, the saga continues through one episode after another as the ship’s position in time remains unstable. It culminates in Book 8 Armageddon, then continues the saga in Altered States, which begins the second “Season” in the series, extending through Volume 16. The series is presently reaching the end of Season 3, as the Allies launch their first offensive in the West—Second Front.

  How To Read the Kirov Series

  The best entry point is obviously Book I, Kirov, where you will meet all the main characters in the series and learn their inner motivations. The series itself, however, is structured in “seasons “ with 8 books in each season. In Season 1, the first three volumes form an exciting trilogy featuring much fast paced naval action as Kirov battles the Royal Navy, Regia Marina (Italians) and finally the Japanese after sailing to the Pacific in Book III. Book 4, Men Of War stands as a sequel to that trilogy and the bridge novel that links it to the second segment of Season 1, beginning with 9 Days Falling.

  The 9 Days Falling trilogy focuses on the struggle to prevent a great war in 2021 from reaching a terrible nuclear climax that destroys the world. It spans books 5, 6, and 7, featuring the outbreak of the war in 2021 as Japan and China battle over disputed islands, and the action of the Red Banner Pacific Fleet against the modern US Fleet. It then takes a dramatic turn when the ship is again shifted in time to 1945. There they confront the powerful US Pacific Fleet under Admiral Halsey, and so this trilogy focuses much of the action as Kirov faces down the US in two eras. Several subplots are also launched that serve to relate other events in the great war of 2021, and deepen the mystery of time travel as discovered in the series. The season ends at another crucial point in history where the ship’s Captain, Vladimir Karpov, believes he is in a position to decisively change events, the season finale, Armageddon.