PROLOG (Draft) Continued...
Ten minutes later
May 24,05:45 hours local
East China Sea
PLAN Yinchuan, DDG-175
200 nautical miles West-southwest of the Michael Monsoor
Admiral Zhao Benyi sat in his stateroom and contemplated the situation that was developing around the Diayou Islands.
He knew that the Americans had a Task Group north of the islands. The reports he had been getting from East Sea Fleet headquarters, from the satellite, the reconnaissance flights, and the information from the AEW&C were all available to him wherever he went on the ship.
“So, a Zumwalt and two LCS,” he thought to himself.
“That’s a fairly light grouping…but that large Japanese group off to their northeast is bound to be supporting them,” he thought.
The Admiral’s orders were specific. He took them out and read them again:
--- FLASH: EYES ONLY CMDR TF 142.3 ---
“He no doubt is considering that this force may intercept him…he is seeing my progress towards him now as surely as I am seeing his own toward me.
“But how will he and his superiors react to such an ultimatum?” he wondered.
“More importantly,” he asked himself, “what will my orders be should the Americans refuse to comply with the 20 km zone?
“And what if they bring up the Izumo group and their Carrier Strike Group 5?” he asked himself.
The Admiral, who had been assigned specifically to command this Task Force and was using the Yinchuan as his Task Force command vessel, counted up his assets.
The Yinchuan was a large, very modern multi-purpose destroyer with 64 VLS cells which were multi-purpose and able to launch anti-air missiles, land attack missiles, anti-ship missiles, and anti-submarine rockets. His load-out included 12 long range anti-ship missiles, eight antisubmarine rockets, and 48 long range anti-air missiles.
The advanced Project 956-EM Sovremenny destroyer, the Ningbo, DDG-139, of which two had been built specifically for China by Russia in the early 2000s, was keeping station with the Yinchuan, two kilometers to his starboard. She carried eight supersonic, P-270 Moskit (known by the western nations as the SS-N-22 Sunburn( missiles.
“Very fast…very deadly missiles,” the admiral thought.
The two Type 054A frigates were stationed twelve kilometers to either side of his axis of advance and 5 kilometers ahead of the Yinchuan and Ningbo. Each of them carried 32 anti-air missiles in their own VLS cells, and each had eight long range anti-shipping missiles in canister launchers.
Arranged in a crescent to his forward, he had three Type 056 light frigates. They were fifteen kilometers ahead of the Type 054A frigates, or twenty kilometers in front of him. They each carried an eight round, close in anti-air missile launcher and also carried four of the same anti-shipping missiles that the larger frigates carried. All three were the “B” variant of the Type 056 and specialized in anti-submarine warfare for their sensors…carrying anti-submarine torpedoes and able to accommodate a single medium sized, Z-9 ASW helicopter. Currently they had two of those helicopters embarked and conducting ASW sweeps in advance of the task force.
Maintaining station 10 kilometers in front of the light frigates, he had a Type 095 nuclear attack submarine also conducting ASW operation for the group.
Admiral Zhao was in overall command, and using the Yinchuan as the centerpiece of his Task Force, he felt that he had sufficient force to execute and accomplish his orders when it came to the single U.S. Navy Task Group he was approaching…though it may well get dicey. In that regard, the closer he could close with them, the better.
But Admiral Zhao also knew that if the Japanese and the Americans brought up those other two large forces, and operated in a joint fashion facing his Task Force, that they would present much more than his task force could hope to handle.
He picked up the internal communications phone next to his desk and waited for the duty officer on the bridge to pick it up.
“Bridge,” came back the reply..
“Bridge, this is Admiral Zhao. Say status…course, speed, and time to intercept.”
“Sir,” came back the reply, “We are progressing on course at a speed of 28 knots. Time to intercept…a little less than 8 hours, sir.”
“Very, well, continue on course and immediately contact me with any new contacts or other issues. Inform Captain Li that I will join him on the bridge, at…” the Admiral looked at his watch, “07:00 hours.”
“Yes sir,” was the response from the bridge as the Admiral then returned his phone to its cradle.
“Eight hours,” the Admiral thought.
The Admiral knew that he was not alone. He had significant backup himself. The PLANAF, or Chinese Navy Air Force, had numerous squadrons and wings of aircraft on the mainland that could support him if necessary. In addition, one of the PLAN carrier task forces, centered on the Fujan, CV-18, was in the East China Sea to his north, 50km off of Shanghai. The Admiral knew that she and her six escorts could be in positoon to suppor him very quickly too.
“Well, about 1 PM things are going to start to get interesting,” he thought as he began composing a draft for his communication to the American commander.
Copyright, 2015, Jeff Head
Ten minutes later
May 24,05:45 hours local
East China Sea
PLAN Yinchuan, DDG-175
200 nautical miles West-southwest of the Michael Monsoor
Admiral Zhao Benyi sat in his stateroom and contemplated the situation that was developing around the Diayou Islands.
He knew that the Americans had a Task Group north of the islands. The reports he had been getting from East Sea Fleet headquarters, from the satellite, the reconnaissance flights, and the information from the AEW&C were all available to him wherever he went on the ship.
“So, a Zumwalt and two LCS,” he thought to himself.
“That’s a fairly light grouping…but that large Japanese group off to their northeast is bound to be supporting them,” he thought.
The Admiral’s orders were specific. He took them out and read them again:
--- FLASH: EYES ONLY CMDR TF 142.3 ---
- Intercept US Navy task force currently north of Diayou Islands.
- Maintain separation of no less than 2 kilometers and no more than 10 kilometers.
- Contact on-scene U.S. Navy commander. Warn him away from PRC Economic Zone.
- Direct the US TF to maintain a 25 kilometer separation east of Diayou Islands.
- Do not…repeat…do not engage in harassment, or hostile maneuvers.
- Inform ESF Command of progress…time of intercept and time of contact.
- Await further instructions.
“He no doubt is considering that this force may intercept him…he is seeing my progress towards him now as surely as I am seeing his own toward me.
“But how will he and his superiors react to such an ultimatum?” he wondered.
“More importantly,” he asked himself, “what will my orders be should the Americans refuse to comply with the 20 km zone?
“And what if they bring up the Izumo group and their Carrier Strike Group 5?” he asked himself.
The Admiral, who had been assigned specifically to command this Task Force and was using the Yinchuan as his Task Force command vessel, counted up his assets.
The Yinchuan was a large, very modern multi-purpose destroyer with 64 VLS cells which were multi-purpose and able to launch anti-air missiles, land attack missiles, anti-ship missiles, and anti-submarine rockets. His load-out included 12 long range anti-ship missiles, eight antisubmarine rockets, and 48 long range anti-air missiles.
The advanced Project 956-EM Sovremenny destroyer, the Ningbo, DDG-139, of which two had been built specifically for China by Russia in the early 2000s, was keeping station with the Yinchuan, two kilometers to his starboard. She carried eight supersonic, P-270 Moskit (known by the western nations as the SS-N-22 Sunburn( missiles.
“Very fast…very deadly missiles,” the admiral thought.
The two Type 054A frigates were stationed twelve kilometers to either side of his axis of advance and 5 kilometers ahead of the Yinchuan and Ningbo. Each of them carried 32 anti-air missiles in their own VLS cells, and each had eight long range anti-shipping missiles in canister launchers.
Arranged in a crescent to his forward, he had three Type 056 light frigates. They were fifteen kilometers ahead of the Type 054A frigates, or twenty kilometers in front of him. They each carried an eight round, close in anti-air missile launcher and also carried four of the same anti-shipping missiles that the larger frigates carried. All three were the “B” variant of the Type 056 and specialized in anti-submarine warfare for their sensors…carrying anti-submarine torpedoes and able to accommodate a single medium sized, Z-9 ASW helicopter. Currently they had two of those helicopters embarked and conducting ASW sweeps in advance of the task force.
Maintaining station 10 kilometers in front of the light frigates, he had a Type 095 nuclear attack submarine also conducting ASW operation for the group.
Admiral Zhao was in overall command, and using the Yinchuan as the centerpiece of his Task Force, he felt that he had sufficient force to execute and accomplish his orders when it came to the single U.S. Navy Task Group he was approaching…though it may well get dicey. In that regard, the closer he could close with them, the better.
But Admiral Zhao also knew that if the Japanese and the Americans brought up those other two large forces, and operated in a joint fashion facing his Task Force, that they would present much more than his task force could hope to handle.
He picked up the internal communications phone next to his desk and waited for the duty officer on the bridge to pick it up.
“Bridge,” came back the reply..
“Bridge, this is Admiral Zhao. Say status…course, speed, and time to intercept.”
“Sir,” came back the reply, “We are progressing on course at a speed of 28 knots. Time to intercept…a little less than 8 hours, sir.”
“Very, well, continue on course and immediately contact me with any new contacts or other issues. Inform Captain Li that I will join him on the bridge, at…” the Admiral looked at his watch, “07:00 hours.”
“Yes sir,” was the response from the bridge as the Admiral then returned his phone to its cradle.
“Eight hours,” the Admiral thought.
The Admiral knew that he was not alone. He had significant backup himself. The PLANAF, or Chinese Navy Air Force, had numerous squadrons and wings of aircraft on the mainland that could support him if necessary. In addition, one of the PLAN carrier task forces, centered on the Fujan, CV-18, was in the East China Sea to his north, 50km off of Shanghai. The Admiral knew that she and her six escorts could be in positoon to suppor him very quickly too.
“Well, about 1 PM things are going to start to get interesting,” he thought as he began composing a draft for his communication to the American commander.
Copyright, 2015, Jeff Head
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