Martin's Sink the Nimitz

[OneShot]

The original report can be found here (http://www.sunim.plus.com/afteraction/sinkthenimitz/sinkthenimitz.html)

Background
I am the commander of the K-157 Akula-II class submarine Vepr. A US carrier strike group built around the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) is headed toward the Kamchatka peninsula in support of a Japanese incursion.

The Nimitz' likely target is the 10 story pacific fleet intelligence headquarters.

My orders were to intercept before Nimitz gets within range to launch stike aircraft (~150nm from target).

A Russian naval Radar Ocean Reconnaissance Satellite (RORSAT) position has Nimitz located AT 49-55N/162-37E at 1100 local time. stike group is being tracked at 25kts heading NW.

US forces are declared hostile. I was authorized to engage them.

I was not to engage other forced unless for self preservation if they shoot first.

Transit

I started by plotting the positition of RORSAT contact report, 49-55N/162-37E and I extrapolated the Nimitz group's course NW (25nm per hour at 315 degrees bearing, I put markers for 1200 and 1300 positions:
http://www.sunim.plus.com/afteraction/sinkthenimitz/images/1201_1.jpg http://www.sunim.plus.com/afteraction/sinkthenimitz/images/1201_2.jpg

The choice of attack was critical. Missiles would be useless against a carrier group because the anti-missile capability of a modern carrier escort group is much too effective; That left anti-ship torpedoes.

We carried two types of torpedo, the 56-65cm wakehomer and the 65cm anti-ship torpedo. The wakehomers would be ideal against a surface group doing 25kts since the wakes would be very strong, but the range of a wakehomer is only 10nm according to the UNSI. I'd have to close to about half that range so that the torpedoes would have enough range for wake following, and at 25kts, the range would open up fast. At that kind of range the escorts would easily detect me with active sonar, so my only option was the 65cm torpedo.

I plotted a position 12nm at 90 degrees from the Nimitz' course at the 1 o'clock position as my initial attack point:
http://www.sunim.plus.com/afteraction/sinkthenimitz/images/1202_1.jpg http://www.sunim.plus.com/afteraction/sinkthenimitz/images/1202_2.jpg

I then headed below the thermal layer to give me the advantages of being able to travel fast without cavitating and increasing attenuation on the escort's active sonar.
http://www.sunim.plus.com/afteraction/sinkthenimitz/images/1202_3.jpg

I then headed toward the initial point at 25kts…

The Attack

I detected the first of the escorts using active sonar intercept at 1240…
http://www.sunim.plus.com/afteraction/sinkthenimitz/images/1240.jpg

As I approached the carrier group I opened the muzzle doors on my 65cm torpedos and equalized pressures, since I was going to stay under the layer, I got this preparation done while I was at extreme range, in case there was an escort submarine ahead of the carrier group listening for transients.
http://www.sunim.plus.com/afteraction/sinkthenimitz/images/1253.jpg

I waited for the active intercept bearings to come around to 240 degrees so that I was 90 degrees from the group's course, to give my torpedoes the maximum possible target aspect.

I then slowed to 5kts and went to narrowband sonar on the towed array. I found that the Nimitz was following behind the escorts:
http://www.sunim.plus.com/afteraction/sinkthenimitz/images/1307.jpg

I then plugged in the 25nm speed from the RORSAT sighting into T.M.A. and wanted for three bearing reports. The T.M.A. solution confirmed that the carrier group was still on the original course, so I was confident that my solution was very accurate:
http://www.sunim.plus.com/afteraction/sinkthenimitz/images/1312_1.jpg http://www.sunim.plus.com/afteraction/sinkthenimitz/images/1312_2.jpg

I then setup my weapon presets as follows:

Active torpedo, 45kts, 30m.
Active torpedo, 40kts, 30m.
Passive torpedo, 35kts, 30m.
Passive torpedo, 30kts, 30m.

The idea was that the two active torpedoes would render the target immobile and the passive torpedoes would home on the noise created by the active torpedoes…

Two of the torpedoes initially went after the escorts, and two went after the Nimitz:
http://www.sunim.plus.com/afteraction/sinkthenimitz/images/1322.jpg

The two active torpedoes were successful in attacking the Nimitz:
http://www.sunim.plus.com/afteraction/sinkthenimitz/images/1333.jpg

Mission accomplished.

Conclusion

56-65cm Wakehomers have a 10nm limit, which really only makes them effective against lightly armoured ships, or ships which are not using active sonar. For other ships, a stand-off attack with 65cm torps is more effective.

Carrier groups eat missiles for breakfast. Use torpedoes if there is an anti- missile escort!

[jason taylor]

Interesting that is pretty close to what I did and I hadn't remembered your report.
I am a newbie and this is the first major sub mission I won so I found it interesting.
Sink the Nimitz has a comfortable thermocline. The first thing to do is go down below it then zap forward at a fast speed. Come to a dead stop and come up to sniff about at around 150 where you "eixtend the towed hydrowl-locatur". I prefer to face bow toward the oncoming fleet-a habit picked up years ago with Commodore 64 Silent Service in which of course torpedos were not guided. Come to think of it it is probably not a bad habit for this game-makes tracking easier if the target is head on.
With luck you should be dead in front of the Nimitz and you can simply wait until it is to close to escape you. Give it about six torpedos, and the rest give to the others according to your perception of the appropriate number.
After I did all this successfully I ducked down and headed away deciding for realism's sake not to end the mission until I was sure I had escaped. At this point the rest of the convoy were scattering to the four winds and I hope the US navy doesn't really have captains that cowardly for if it does the Republic is in grave danger.
On the way home to enjoy my virtual vodka and get my virtual Hero of the Soviet Union award, I was shocked to hear pinging right in front of me. I slowed down to listen. It was an Arleigh Burke and it's chopper was buzzing around me. I didn't have any torpedos left, or I would have given them to him hoping to be home free.
I spent a while changing depth, speed and course until I realized that they weren't anywhere near me. Then I decided zap toward that long canyon in a roundabout course(it looks like a ridge but the depth says canyon) figureing that would louse up their sonar even more. That turned out to be unnecessary as my pursuers were long gone to join the rest of their fellow captains at their respective courts-martial. At that point I ended the mission.
I found a liking for the Akula. It doesn't cavitate easily and I can go at tremendous speeds. This allows me not merely to run fast but to have a great deal of flexibility in speed changes. But my favorite parts were the sensors which are well arranged and easily understood. In the LA I was always using active out of frustration-here I didn't need to.
The wake homers too were splendid, blowing up everything around.
One thing I am curious about. I several times got a sniff of an LA...somewhere. It doesn't seem to have interfered. That last moment when I felt a ping while making my getaway I first thought it was her but was wrong. Has anyone ever met the LA on this mission?

[jason taylor]

By the way I tried to repeat this tactic just now and ended up with them sailing right past me. It is not fail-safe.
One thing I noticed was that in this mission the Americans use their active to a remarkable degree.