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

News of the Kirov’s demise reached SACLANT Headquarters in Norfolk first. An hour later it was followed by COMSUBLANT informing Admiral Baggett that USS New York City was now presumed lost. Her mission of trailing the Soviet surface group would now be taken up by either USS Augusta, or USS Jack. COMSUBLANT would make the decision and issue orders within the hour. In the meantime, other NATO attack subs staked out in the Barents continued to monitor and report the departures, and courses of Soviet SSBNs while other attack subs approached the Barents Sea. The anti-SSBN campaign was set to begin at 0600 Zulu on D+13.

Looking at the larger picture, SACLANT was cautiously optimistic. Strike Fleet Atlantic’s airwings were preparing to hit targets on the Kola Peninsula, and attack the Soviet surface groups in the Barents once they were found again. The next friendly satellite passes over the area would come after midnight Zulu time. The air missions against the Kola would commence in the early hours of D+13 and be coordinated with land-based airstrikes out of Norway and perhaps even Scotland.

The earlier Backfire attack on Task Force 20.5 concerned Baggett even though it failed. The Backfires would return, he was certain, and most likely soon. A RORSAT pass was expected over the northern Norwegian Sea and Barents late in the evening. The US Air Force was not going to be able to launch an ASAT mission this time. Publicly, the Air Force had seven ASAT missiles at the start of the war. The real number was closer to twenty in reality, but the inventory was dwindling. Now the remainder were being squirreled away for use against high value space-borne targets if the war started to show signs of escalation.

In the North Atlantic the number of Soviet sub attacks on convoys continued to diminish. SACLANT was frankly impressed by how well the war was going in and around the shipping lanes. His forces continued to hold firm control over the Atlantic SLOCs, largely due to Iceland remaining in friendly hands. Keflavik had endured heavy enemy air attacks earlier in the war, but the Soviets made no direct effort to introduce airborne, or naval infantry forces on the island. As a result, Keflavik, and the SOSUS listening posts arrayed along the Icelandic coast continued to operate and contribute greatly to the defense of the North Atlantic.

 

As anticipated, the Soviet RORSAT came over the northern Norwegian Sea at 2245. The satellite’s radar transmitter detected both carrier task forces. Twenty minutes later the data was at Northern Fleet headquarters in Severomorsk. Ten minutes after that the bomber, and reconnaissance aircraft crews were going through their final pre-flight briefings. The first bomber, a Kingfish-armed Badger, lifted off from its airbase on the Kola Peninsula at 2351 hours.