How about a good old fashioned surface gun battle in the middle of the night?
...and cue Sinatra
"Strangers In The Night"
A Short Story by: Michael Goughan
HMS Grey Goose (P220)
12nm NNE of Ascension Island
March 31, 1984 0130 Hours
"Damn its eerie out here! No moon, no engines, just the sound o' the wind and the sea."
"You can say that again mate. Plenty of stars though."
"Aye, that there are Reggie, that there are..."
As the two lookouts conversed on the open bridge, HMS Grey Goose (P220) lay motionless beneath their feet. An engineering casualty left their 40 meter patrol craft to the mercy of the tides almost twenty minutes prior and her small band of engineers were still wrestling with the problem.
"We stuck Chief?"
"Aye Cap'n... Those daft fools on the tender 'ave some explaining to do. That brand new number two diesel they installed the other day is a complete write off. How it ever passed the pre-install run up I haven't the foggiest. I won't bore you with the technical details but the bloody thing has more things wrong with it than Parliament. Major issues; head gasket is blown, block is cracked, and it threw two pistons one of which cocked up the cross connection gearing. I could get the cross connection sorted but we could get a tow and be pier side in probably half the time s'ah."
"No hope for number one yet?"
"Negative s'ah. Whatever hit us earlier bent the shaft. She won't be turning anytime soon unless you want to go for a swim. I can run her for power though and she's already rigged."
"Alright Chief, run her up and I'll go call it in. Oh, and wait for me when we get back. I fancy joining you for the chat with the tender."
"Aye s'ah!" Both men shared sly grins as the Captain headed forward to the CIC or combat information center. Before he made it fifteen feet, the emergency lights gave way to the main lights and the familiar hum of his ship returned.
ARA Mendoza (S-42)
0140 Hours
"So we are unable to dive then, that's what you are telling me el Teniente?
"Si, el Capitán. The fire shorted the diving circuits and the manual controls aren't responding. There's nothing we can do sir, not without a dry docking. Sir, with all due respect we both knew it was only a matter of time and-" The Captain held up his hand and let out a sigh of disgust.
"I discussed this with Command before we left el Teniente, they would hear none of it and deemed the mission more important. Damn fools..."
"What are your orders el Capitán?"
"We proceed with the mission Felix. We're too close now to abort. Thankfully our illustrious leaders planned this operation for a moonless night so you have until sunrise to come up with a solution to our problem.
"El Capitán there's nothing we can-"
"Think Felix! We don't need to go to our maximum depth, we just need to get the sail underwater far enough to avoid visual detection until we are within range of our own aircraft again. Get whomever and whatever you need el Teniente."
"Si el Capitán. It will be done" The Captain turned to a sound powered phone and called the bridge.
"We'll be riding on the surface for the time being. Order flank speed and for all gun crews to man and load their weapons. I'm going topside, have Teniente Soto meet me there." He returned the phone to its receptacle, gave a parting nod to his Engineering Officer and headed for the conning tower to discuss their mission with the commander of their Marine guests.
HMS Grey Goose (P220)
0145 Hours
"So we're stuck here for awhile, bloody wonderful."
"Hey, I'll take this wonderful tropical setting any day over freezing our arses off in Falkland Sound."
"Too right mate. Guess this little engine issue means we'll be hanging around a bit-"
"You hear that?"
"Hear what Reggie?"
"Quiet... Over there."
"Engines? Diesels?"
"Aye. We're not supposed to have any company nearby right?"
"We're all by our lonesome until morning."
"Right, call CIC."
"Evening lads, as you were." Announced the Captain as he entered the Goose's CIC. "Johnny call home and get us a tow please."
"Chief Brown can't fix it sir?
"Not unless he can pull a new engine and a new screw shaft out his arse."
"Why not? He's pulled every other part on this ship out before. He forget to stock up before we left?" That drew a round of laughter from the entire CIC watch.
"Just make the call you cheeky bastard." Ordered the Captain, still laughing.
"Aye, aye sir."
"Captain? Sir, you're needed on the flying bridge immediately. We might have some company." Announced a crewmen.
"Never boring is it lad?" Answered the Captain as he headed topside.
"Alright lads, what's this about....company." The Captain paused mid sentence as he began to hear the engine sounds.
"We're alone out her right sir?"
"That's right." The Captain leaned over and picked up the sound powered phone. "CIC, This is the Captain, report all contacts."
"Wait one Cap'n. Radar is just coming back online. Getting a real weak and intermittent contact bearing 250, about 3000 yards and closing."
"That's what I was afraid of. Call the crew to Action Stations. We have company." As his order was being carried out he broke open a locker and joined his lookouts in donning their combat gear; anti-flash hoods, helmets, and life jackets. Afterwards he went below to the pilot house to take command of the intercept, opting to let his second in command run the CIC. Several minutes later a young seamen reported all stations manned and ready. "Very well, let's see who are guest is shall we? Green, if you-. Wait one."
"Captain!!! Sir!" Shouted a breathless seamen as he broke onto the bridge with a flash message in his hand. The Captain lowered the phone and upon looking at the message could feel the blood leaving his face.
"Are you absolutely, one-hundred percent positive lad?"
"Aye sir, we decoded it three times to be sure." The Captain stood there for a moment. Captain was just an honorary title as the Goose was his command, his first command. He was only a Lieutenant. He regained his composure as his training took over.
"Green, order all guns to sight in on the contact and load illumination in the 76. Lookouts stand by on your glasses. We're only going to get a short look at this guy and I want a positive ID as quick as you can make it. Johnny get command on the line now. We have an unknown surface contact to port; probable enemy submarine, range 2000 yards. Intend to identify and engage. Send it now lad."
"Sir all gun crews report ready."
"Very well." The Captain reached above his head and took down the ship's internal communications handset. "Attention all hands, this is the Captain. We have just received the report we all hoped would never come. The Argentines have launched attacks on all fronts. We are now at war lads, conduct yourselves accordingly. We have an unknown surface contact to port, probably an enemy submarine looking to land commandos. I intend to identify our guest and when they're deemed sufficiently hostile, blow they're arses out of the water. Standby all gun crews." He returned the handset and looked at his men, hoping they didn't notice his shaking hands. "It's show time lads. Green, hit the lights." Forward the 76mm automatic cannon sounded with a sharp crack. Three seconds later the round exploded high over head and behind the contact thus backlighting them allowing for a crisp silhouette and identification without illuminating themselves in the process. As the flare descended in its parachute the shape it caught in its magnesium fueled light was unmistakable; a Foxtrot class submarine with, were those guns on deck? His lookouts confirmed what they all saw. "All batteries open fire, open fire!"
All of the Goose's guns spoke at once. 7.62mm, 76mm, and every projectile in between now filled the space between the two vessels. Now it would be a race to get in the needed blows. Round after round slammed into the hull of the Argentine submarine, most causing only superficial damage, her pressure hull acting as armored plating. Two 76mm rounds had landed extremely close to the sub, before the first return fire was received. Two ten-round bursts from a twin 57mm cannon raked the Goose. The first fell well short while the second scored a few hits shaking the Goose violently as each one allowed in torrents of seawater. Joined by a twin 25mm machine gun the 57mm got off one more burst before being silenced by the Goose's after 40mm Bofors. The 25mm crew was also short lived as a twin 20mm Oerlikon raked the sail at the same time as the 76mm found its mark and blew off the forward portion. A final 76mm round sealed her fate, penetrating the forward hull and detonating her torpedoes.
"Down!" Screamed the Captain, grabbing the closest nearby crewmen and slamming them to the deck. The explosion rocked the small patrol boat severely as the shock wave enveloped them sending bodies against bulkheads and fittings as if they were rag dolls. After the cacophony ceased The Captain pulled himself up onto the radar repeater, and through the now spidered bridge windows, caught sight of the burning submarine as she slid below the surface one final time.
"Bloody Hell....that's one way to start a war eh Cap'n?" Asked the helmsman as he got to feet.
"You can say that again lad." Replied the Captain as the two of them began helping the injured bridge crew to their feet. "Take them down to the mess and call for the doc." As the less severely wounded helped a few of their comrades from the bridge the Captain picked up a sound powered phone and called the CIC. "CIC, Bridge, Johnny you alright? How's the radio?"
"I don't know how sir but she's still working. I'll call for help sir."
"Good on you lad."
The Goose wasn't too far off from sinking herself. The Kevlar and steel armor performed admirably against the machine gun rounds and even some of the 25mm rounds but stood no chance at all against the 57mm rounds. She was holed five times in her hull, two below the waterline. Crewmen were busy plugging the holes and setting up portable pumps. Unbeknownst to the crew, they weren't out of the woods yet.
To be continued...
Enjoy folks!
Some background: the
Grey Goose is a 40m Patrol Craft built by Brooke Marine of England. Anyone familiar with the RAN
Fremantle Class PCs will recognize it as they were built from the basic 40m design. For the story, around 15 or so were ordered with heavy gun armament by a Middle Eastern country but said country had a regime change immediately prior to delivery. The RN needing patrol craft for the Falklands/Ascension scooped them up and christened them the Wildlife class with the first six being named after the WWII-era steam gunboats. The
Mendoza is a
Foxtrot from the Soviets that's been modified with the old fashioned gun armament of the
Whiskey and
Zulu classes. The Argentines figuring the guns would lend needed support while deploying spec ops teams along coastlines thick with patrol craft.
Onto my models.
I've revamped my idea to tighten its focus and hopefully allow for a completed project (yeah sure...
). Alright what you see is an RN repair ship/destroyer tender in the center with some LCMs. Behind is the ASW OPV now with her deck house and stacks. Alongside her is a USN yard oiler filling her tanks. On the other side of the tender is the
Grey Goose on a submersible barge being utilized as a drydock for small craft with some LCM-8s tied up alongside. In the foreground is a USN PB Mk IV acting as harbor security, heading out for a patrol.
The "barge" is a scrap piece of basswood that will be replaced. Its just there for a placeholder for now.
Any and all thoughts, comments, ideas, etc... are appreciated as always,
-Mike
PS...I really don't like the new Photobucket!!!!!!! Why they have to constantly fix things that aren't broken.....