The North Atlantic D+12 (21 July, 1987) Part III

Scott’s dispatch of the Tu-95 frayed nerves immeasurably and brought on questions that had no answers at present. Did its crew have enough time to transmit a radio message before its death? How many more reconnaissance aircraft and submarines were out there searching for the carrier force? News of the Eisenhower air wing’s attack against the Kirov/Baku group had probably reached Severomorsk by this time. Northern Fleet was going to be keen on finding the carrier responsible. The cat truly was out of the bag now.

Strike Fleet Atlantic had been heading north for only a few hours. When the launch and recovery cycles were complete, course changes were ordered. Task Force 20.5 turned southwest while Task Force 21.3 wheeled south. The air defense game plan remained unchanged for now. A Hawkeye from Kitty Hawk that launched earlier remained aloft. It would be relieved when needed. For the time being, Kitty Hawk and Foch’s fighters covered the flight deck, either attached to the catapults, or manned and ready nearby. To the north, aircraft from Forrestal were moving to and arriving at their stations. An 8-Tomcat BARCAP was established 180 miles northeast of TF 20.5. Two of the group’s Hawkeyes were also up, as were a pair of Prowlers. Between the task force and BARCAP was a roving CAP of four fighters, and a flight of KA-6 tankers for refueling. As was the case with TF 21.3, Forrestal and Eisenhower’s decks were filled with Tomcats, Hawkeyes, and attack planes carrying buddy stores.

 

In Severomorsk, confusion dominated the mid-afternoon. Northern Fleet’s commander Admiral Ivan Kapitanets was informed of the air attack on his most powerful surface group, though no information on damage was forwarded yet. Understandably, this made the fleet commander uneasy. Next came a fragmented report from a patrolling Tu-95 that it had discovered an American carrier group. No information had followed up the initial message and the aircraft was assumed to be lost.

At Northern Fleet’s headquarters the last known position of the enemy carrier group was plotted, and the next move debated. Naval Aviation wanted to strike the group immediately. The better part of a bomber regiment was on alert at Olenya, armed with anti-ship missiles, and could be launched within 30 minutes. Kapitanets was tempted to order the regiment airborne to find and destroy the carrier group. His first instinct was to do just that. Yet he held back out of caution. The lessons from previous air-naval battles in the war were etched in his mind. It would be madness to throw his bombers, and crews into an attack without a clearer picture of what lay before them. There would be defending fighters and radar aircraft present, almost certainly F-14 Tomcats and E-2 Hawkeyes, as well as SAM-equipped ships.

However, at the same time there were three American aircraft carriers, and a smaller French one on the Soviet Union’s doorstep right now. Waiting too long to attack this force was madness as well. Carrier aircraft were already attacking his surface ships. It would not be long before they started going after his ballistic missile submarines, and installations ashore. The destruction of strategic assets of the Soviet Union, and unacceptable damage to military bases on Soviet soil would be the end of Kapitanets professionally, and perhaps even physically.

At the same time, he was not about to throw a regiment of bombers and aircrews blindly at a capable, well prepared enemy. The choices were as basic as they were stark: Commit a regiment of bombers now and almost assuredly bring minimal damage to the American carriers. Or hold off until a decisive, multi-regiment blow could be launched. One that would almost assuredly smash the so-called Strike Fleet Atlantic to dust.

Or in the short term, Kapitanets could go with a third option while a massive attack was prepared.

 

Author’s Note: This post was a shorter than I anticipated. Real world issues came up this afternoon. I apologize and will make it up over the weekend. –Mike