Kirov II: Cauldron Of Fire (Kirov Series) (10 page)

“And if it
was an Italian or German plane that attacked us?” Volsky asked.

“Then they
will have to assume we are part of the Allied operation, perhaps a fast cruiser
intending to mount a raid on coastal facilities. That would be rather risky,
but it is possible. The danger for us now is therefore acute. On 11 August,
there were upwards of 780 Axis aircraft in the region, 328 Italian and 456
German if the history echoes true. The Allies had 140 aircraft on Malta spread
over nine fighter squadrons, three torpedo squadrons, four bomber squadrons,
and two more for dedicated reconnaissance. They were just reinforced by 37 more
Spitfires flown off HMS
Furious
at about the same time the
Eagle
was torpedoed.”

“Furious?”
Karpov finally said something, somewhat surprised to hear the name of an
aircraft carrier he had made a point of attacking just days ago—a year ago now,
as astounding as the prospect seemed.

“Apparently
the ship survived,” said Fedorov. “Probably towed to Iceland and then back to
Scapa or the Clyde. In any case, they’ve repaired her and put her back in
service if she’s here—though we have no real confirmation of that yet. She is
mainly used for these ferry operations, just as CV
Wasp
was first used
to send those fighters to Iceland…”

The men shifted
uncomfortably. It was as close as Fedorov wanted to come to any recrimination
for Karpov here, but it needed to be said. Karpov stewed, but said nothing,
though his posture was more closed now, arms folded, and just a touch of anger
in his eyes.

“The British
managed to keep fighter strength on Malta high, and will bring even more to the
fight on their carriers. Needless to say, we do not have that many air defense
missiles aboard.” His point was obvious, and Rodenko spoke up on that note
about the damage to the Klinok system tracking radars.

“We can
replace one system within twenty-four hours,” he advised, “and probably rebuild
the second from spare components, but that will take much more time. The long
range S-300 system is viable, and there was no damage to our close in defense
systems, but the First Officer makes a good point—780 or more Axis aircraft,
140 or more on Malta and then their carriers. How many there, Fedorov?”

“Forty-six
on
Indomitable
, including four recovered from
Eagle
, another thirty-eight
on
Victorious
—yes, we fought that ship as well in our first encounter,
Captain Karpov. The old carrier
Argus
was present, but no real threat
with a flight of just six Sea Harriers, and there would be four more Albacores
on
Furious
after her Spitfire deliveries, though she is heading west for
Gibraltar and out of the immediate combat zone. So let us call it about ninety
carrier borne aircraft escorting the convoy at this point.”

Rodenko
nodded his head, raising an eyebrow. “That makes over a thousand aircraft in
the region. Well, we have ninety-six Klinok medium range SAMs still available
in inventory, and forty-seven of the longer range S-300s.” If my arithmetic is
correct, then we have about one missile for every seven planes out there in
theater.”

“Not a very
good equation,” said Admiral Volsky. “The attack just hours ago showed us how
vulnerable we are should even one enemy plane get through our defense
umbrella.”

“At the
moment we are perhaps in more danger from Axis aircraft than from the British,”
said Fedorov. “Kesselring has ordered numerous squadrons of II Air Corps in
Italy, and also units that were based at Sicily, to airfields on Sardinia for
the first phase of the gauntlet they are setting up for the British. So the
center of gravity is moving west at the moment. There may be flights up this
minute and we could be called to battle stations again at any moment. The only
good thing about our position here is that we would probably be presumed to be
Italian—by both sides. We must decide what course to set, and that quickly,
before we are spotted again and that presumption changes.”

“What about
submarines,” said Karpov, and with an audible tinge of foreboding in his voice.

Fedorov was
quick with an answer. “The initial Axis picket line is much farther west, but
they had seventeen Italian subs and two German U-Boats available for the
operation. Here, I have the reference from my paper… Seven Italian and two
German U-boats deployed north of Algeria. Ten more Italian submarines between
Fratelli Rocks just west of Bizerte and the northern entrance to the Skerki
Bank closer to Sardinia. This is their second picket line, and some of these
submarines will move northwest off Cape Bon to operate in cooperation with
aircraft. In addition, an Italian submarine should be deployed just west of
Malta, another off Navarino, and three boats about a hundred miles west-southwest
of Crete.” He put the document aside but pointed out these areas on the wall
map. “As for the British, they’ll have a couple subs watching the Strait of
Messina, and then four more well west of Malta. Again, there shouldn’t be
anything near us now.”

Tasarov
confirmed that they had located no signals that might be hostile submarines thus
far, and this seemed to ease the tension in Karpov’s shoulders a bit. He
shifted, leaning on his right arm where the elbow rested on the side of the
desk.

“We would
have to cross both those Axis submarine picket lines if we move west now by the
most direct route,” said Fedorov.

 “Out of the
question,” Volsky replied quickly. “And I think we can thank our stars that we
emerged where we did. A few more hours and we would have been right in the
thick of things. Yet the question still remains: what course
should
we take
in the long run, and where should we be in twenty-four to forty-eight hours at
the height of the battle? Opinions gentlemen?”

Rodenko
ventured to speak first “What about the Strait of Messina?”

“That will
not be easy sailing for us, I can assure you,” said Fedorov. “There’s an
Italian cruiser base there and two more British subs are lurking nearby as
well.”

“I can take
out those British subs easily enough,” said Tasarov.

“And we have
sufficient missile inventory to deal with air strikes at the moment, and plenty
of Moskit-IIs left for those cruisers if they bother us.” Rodenko reinforced
his idea, waiting.

“There will
also be shore batteries, and the channel is very narrow. But suppose we do bull
our way through as we surely can,” said Fedorov. “Then where do we go? As you
have said, the British will not welcome us at Suez. I suppose we could run
through the Aegean and try to run the Dardanelles. After another transit of
narrow and dangerous waters, we would then be master’s of the Black Sea.”

“We could
smash Axis forces there and assist our comrades!” Tasarov smiled.

“Comments on
this course?” asked Volsky, his bushy brows rising as he looked to the others,
particularly Karpov, who spoke next.

“Heading for
the Black Sea is a definite possibility,” said Karpov. If we made it through
the Bosporus then we might join in the fighting around Novorossiysk. For that
matter, we might even be able to smash the German Sixth Army with our remaining
nuclear weapons and prevent the misery and death of Stalingrad. That option
could reverse the course of the war in the east much sooner. If we have to
fight again, why not fight directly for Russia this time?”

Volsky
frowned at the mention of nuclear weapons, the image of the massive explosion
at sea all too fresh in his mind.

“Stalin
would certainly appreciate that,” said Volsky. “I had some time to consider
such a course when we first began this misadventure. We also have information
about the course of events that will be more valuable than the weapons we could
use. We know the timing of every German offensive and its objective, correct
Mr. Fedorov?”

“True, sir,
but that is 1800 sea miles to the Black Sea, and through the Strait of Messina,
past Crete and all the Axis bases in Greece, then into the Dardanelles for a
200 mile cruise in those restricted waters, through minefields, past shore
batteries and also within range of German air power. And once we do fight
through we’ll still be bottled up in the Black Sea for the duration of the war,
assuming we do not suddenly vanish again. Then what? How long before our own
countrymen begin to insist on a little more than information from us? I have
not forgotten what we all said about Stalin the first time we visited this
question.”

Volsky
nodded, a grim expression on his face.

Fedorov
continued. “Here is another alternative. I think we could get up north into the
Ligurian Sea easily enough, or into the Northern Med south of Toulon. We could hover
off the coast there and wait out the operation. Let the two adversaries slug it
out as they did historically and interfere as little as possible. If we sail
anywhere near the action now then we will eventually be discovered and engaged
by one group of forces or another. Yes, we can probably prevail in these
actions, but eventually word will get out and the concentration of Axis forces
will begin to mass against us—or British. We could even be attacked by both
sides at once in the confusion. We can’t go west in the short run,” he
reasoned, “and if we go south east through the Strait of Messina we are
committed to a long voyage through the Aegean, with enemy airfields on every
side and then internment in the Black Sea.”

 “Then it
looks like our only option is north away from the major fighting while we
consider this question further,” said Volsky.

“A good possibility,”
said Fedorov. “But it would mean we would have to run past these Italian
cruiser patrols, and then surge north through the Tyrrhenian Sea again and
either run north of Corsica, past the major Italian base at La Spezia and a lot
of enemy aircraft, or else we must risk the narrows of the Bonifacio Strait and
the Italian naval facility at La Maddalena there.”

“And then
what,” said Volsky. “Suppose we do this and fight our way west of Sardinia and
Corsica by one route or another. Suppose we work our way north of the
Balearics, then what? We will be ready to run the final bottle-neck to
Gibraltar, yes? And what will we find there?”

“The
British,” said Fedorov flatly. “Everything they have left after the battle will
withdraw in that direction, and the heavy units will be there well before us,
unless we move quickly. Battleships
Nelson
and
Rodney
for a
start, and a swarm of destroyers and cruisers. Their carriers get beat up
pretty badly if the action follows the history. They have already lost
Eagle
,
and later on
Indomitible
will also be hit and damaged to a point where
she can no longer operate effectively.
Argus
is of no concern, but they
will still have our old friends
Victorious
and
Furious
, and all
the air power they have left flying out of Gibraltar, another unsinkable
aircraft carrier like Malta.”

“Could we
punch our way through, Karpov?” The Admiral wanted to bring the Captain into
the discussion.

“Of course,”
Karpov said immediately. “You saw what we did when the full power of this ship
was focused as it can be in dire need. I do not wish to say that the course I
took was the wisest….” He paused, and Volsky could see that this was difficult
for him. “…or even that my choice of tactics was correct in that regard. I was
obsessed at the time with the possibility of striking a decisive political blow—one
that would truly alter the course of events and leave the world a better place
for the Russia we left back home, the country we all swore to protect and
defend.”

“True, but
we have seen the result, Captain, and it was not pleasant. We found hell out
there, or as close to it as any man can come while alive on this earth. We may
all get there again on our own when we pass on,” he smiled. “But I have little
desire to go there again now.”

“But that is
what we must do if you sail west or east,” said Karpov. “We must pass through
the gates of hell—be it Messina, Bonifacio, the Bosporus or Gibraltar. The
western course is also some 1800 miles of dangerous sailing, and a major battle
at the end.”

“Yet one you
feel we can win?”

“Certainly,
though much will depend on the status of our missile inventories when we reach
that place. I know I invite your rebuke with this next remark, but I must tell
you that where this ship sails, there are no unsinkable aircraft carriers.” He
put his fingertip flatly on the desk to emphasize his point. “We have the means
to obliterate either Malta or Gibraltar if it comes to that, and wipe their air
power off the map in one blow. And if there is still any stomach for the ideas
we discussed before this whole thing began, then I must also say that by
destroying either of these bases we would decisively effect the outcome of this
war, particularly now, at this moment, August of 1942. The loss of either base
would seriously tip the balance in favor of Rommel in North Africa. He may not
prevail in the end, but there would be a strong chance that he pushes into
Alexandria, or even to the Suez Canal itself. It could effectively knock Britain
out of the land war, at least for a time.”

Fedorov noted
how each course eventually led to the deployment of nuclear weapons to make a
decisive blow and alter the course of the war, at least in Karpov’s mind. He was
cautious about getting into a shooting match here with the Captain, but was not
surprised to hear this hard line from him. He glanced at Volsky before he
spoke, waiting to see if the Admiral had any remarks, then offered another
point.