The Third World War: August 1985 полностью

SACLANT had been under no illusions about the losses which the Soviet submarines might inflict, with their horizon-range and stand-off missiles. Measures had been taken, therefore, to limit the effectiveness of the Soviet ocean surveillance satellites and air reconnaissance. Since the destruction of three of the Conakry-based reconnaissance Bears on the 4th — old models, but carrying a somewhat rudimentary and hitherto unsuspected air-to-air capability — three more Super-Bears had been removed. But indications of increased Soviet submarine movements had been reported by the four STASS ships on patrol. It looked as if the Soviet Submarine Commander had ordered his force to concentrate ahead of the CAVALRY convoys. Each of these consisted of twelve ships, stationed in three columns of four, with an escort group, including an escort carrier, disposed appropriately in the vicinity. Some distance away was a powerful ASW support group, consisting of a light aircraft carrier (with V/STOL fighter-strike-reconnaissance aircraft and anti-submarine helicopters embarked), two anti-missile cruisers and four ASW frigates. It had been intended that a second ASW support group should take station astern of the convoy formation, because submarines can attack with missiles from any direction — unlike in the days of torpedoes, when ‘limiting lines of approach’ for effective attack put a premium upon the submarine pelting ahead and then ‘lying in wait’ for his targets. But a submarine attack upon a support group, as it formed up in Hampton Roads, had seriously damaged the carrier and sunk a frigate. The remainder of the force had been told to ‘get that goddam’d submarine’ and were still hopefully and energetically pursuing one or two sonar surveillance system (SOSUS) reports which could have been the culprit.

For the first two days of the transit, US and Canadian MR aircraft operating from Newfoundland would support the convoys. For the last two, RAF MR aircraft based in south-west England would take over. For the perilous two days in mid-Atlantic, the best that could be hoped for from the shore would be spasmodic cover from the already over-stretched US Navy Air Force Orion MR aircraft at Lajes in the Azores.

The Commander Strike Fleet Atlantic, entering the Iceland-Faroes gap on 10 August, was extremely thankful to have had the protection, during this transit, of fighters from Newfoundland and Iceland. These were maintained by air-to-air refuelling, and operated with the AWACS aircraft in continuous attendance. There had been a strong westerly wind, and the need to operate fixed-wing aircraft from the carriers would have slowed him down. As it was, he had made a speed of more than twenty knots. What worried him was the absence of submarine contacts. Several Soviet submarines had been plotted, according to STASS and shore-based intelligence reports, in the general area of his advance. He had hoped to detect at least some of these with his helicopter searches and bring them to action. How else could he carry out his mission of reducing the submarine threat to the convoys, now en route to Europe?