B00DSDUWIQ EBOK by John Schettler Read Free Book Online

missiles were fast and, in spite of a violent defense from her 30mm Mark
34 Bushmaster IIs, Iron Duke took a hit on her aft quarter, igniting the
helo deck area in a torrid fire.
    Captain
Williams was on the bridge in command of the action, pipe in one hand, the other
steadying himself against the roll of the ship. He shunned the Captain’s chair,
preferring to stand out his watch whenever he was on the bridge. There was a
lot going on in the heat of combat, but Williams was a steady rock, with typical
British reserve and a well of calm in his gut that would not be rattled. He
felt the ship quaver with the missile hit, but a raised eyebrow was the only
outward sign of reaction.
    “Took
one on our backside,” he said calmly to his XO Lt. Commander Colin Firth.”
    “That
we did, sir.”
    There
were two other near misses, one spoofed by ECM and chaff, the other bearing in,
right amidships.
    “Mister
Simms, look to your Bushmasters,” said Williams firmly.
    The
rattle of the frigate’s two automated cannons scored a lucky hit, igniting the last
missile not thirty feet shy of the frigate. The clatter of shrapnel striking
the hull was evident to them all, and a junior midshipman exhaled loudly with
obviously relief. The demonstration drew a stern eye from Captain Williams, who
quietly reached into his pocket and found his tobacco tamp.
    Then
the Gealbhans broke through the Russian defense to get the second Krivak and put another missile into Grigorovich that would make a fiery end to that
ship’s brief career. A third found the Essen, striking amidships, and
the Black Sea Fleet had had enough.
    * * *
     
    Back aboard Argos Fire radar man Haley turned
to report .
    “The
remaining ships are executing a high speed turn, sir. They’re coming around on a
new heading of 340.”
    “They’re
turning tail and running for home,” said MacRae. “But they’ve already done their
worst. Miss Fairchild won’t like the news tonight. We just lost twenty percent
of our oil, and a good ship and crew with it.”
    “Aye,
sir. Lucky Iron Duke had its Westland Merlin helo up on ASW watch. They’re
vectoring it to Princess Irene for rescue operations. Chances are we’ll
bring a good many home.”
    The
entire action had taken little more than an hour. It would end with three
Russian ships on the bottom of the sea, and both Iron Duke and Princess
Irene hit and burning. Captain Williams was on the radio from Iron Duke with his report.
    “Well,
we took one on the fantail,” he
said “But it looks a whole lot worse than it is…. Sorry about Princess Irene.
We’ll get to the crew, but may have to send our Merlin your way until we sort
things out here. Those damn Sizzlers…We took down ten, but two got through.”
    “Aye,
Captain,” said MacRae. “You’ve given your best, and we sent them home three ships
light with a fourth on fire. I don’t think we’ll see much more of the Black Sea
Fleet from here on out.”
    “Seen
more of it than we needed already,” said Williams. “Damn bloody business.”
    “If
you can still make way would you join us off the Turkish coast? We’re coming up
to give you just a wee bit more missile umbrella.”
    “Much
obliged, Argos Fire. We can only make 20 knots at the moment, but that should get
us south well enough. Iron Duke over and out.”
    That
night the survivors aboard Admiral Grigorovich lowered the body of Captain
Pomilov into the last launch and made way to join Makarov , the only ship
in the fleet that had come through the battle unscathed. The flotilla leader
would burn for another three hours before it keeled over and sank, joining the
two Krivaks that had already gone down.
    Command
fell to Captain Tsukov on the Essen , senior officer in the fleet after Pomilov’s
death. His ship had taken significant damage, but was still seaworthy and could
make 25 knots. The flotilla had expended its entire SSM missile inventory in
the brief, violent action. So now he turned and led what was left