My First Really long Chapter and Another one I'm really proud of and any constructive criticism is welcome
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France VS Nato, Chap 3 (Long Shots)
(100km's off Holland's coast: on board the flagship of Task Force Wasp)
(CIC of USS WASP)
Admiral Williams sat in his chair in the CIC. The Darkness and strange colored lights were starting to hurt his eyes now. But he was an commanding officer and it was his duty and that of all officers to set the example, so here he was in his flagships CIC waiting for the French's move.
His task force was made up of WASP his flagship ambitious carrier, 2 Spruance type destroyers, and 4 Oliver Hazard Perry type frigates. His orders from Central Command were to protect the 7 cargo ships in his fleet till they docked in Holland and unloaded.
Together these seven ships contained more than 300 ACVs and some 9,000 marines, a Force that would tip the ground war in Nato's favour. So the question wasn't if the French would attack but how and when….
Admiral: "hmm… sonar any possible contacts?"
Sonar Operator: "nothing on sonar sir"
'That's strange' thought the Admiral 'the French hadn't tried any attempts to breech his defence line with subs for the past 15 hours. something must be up.' "Radar anything on your scope?"
Radar Operator: "Nothing here either sir"
'Just what are the French doing? If they'd let him reach his destination, there ground forces would be out-gunned and out-numbered. They just simply couldn't afford not to go after him…' "Radar I want you to go into active mode in 30 seconds….."
(Vector 240, 100 km's away from Task Force Wasp)
Requins squads 6 super etendards were flying low and approaching Task Force Wasp at over 800 k/ph when suddenly the alarms on all plains went on simultaneously.
Requin 1: "All Requins keep formation and accelerate speed ingnore enemy radar lock and keep going…Requin lead to Sea Owl we've been 'painted' by enemy surface radar! I repeat we've been painted by enemy surface radar! Please advise!"
Sea Owl: "This is Sea Owl we received your message. We have no choice but to execute phase 2 sooner than predicted…..Sea Owl too all planes execute phase 2 now! I repeat execute phase 2 now!
Mouette 2 was staring at the sea and thinking of his home city of Paris when the transmission from Sea owl came through…..
Mouette 1: "Wilco sky Owl were executing phase 2….Mouette 1 to all planes follow my lead and turn on your ECM were gonna burn a hole for Requin squad too pass through!" As soon as Mouette one said these words he engaged after burners and pulled up with the remaining mouettes trailling behind him.
(80km's off Holland's coast: on board the flagship of Task Force Wasp)
(CIC of USS WASP)
Radar Operator: "Sir! I got bogies coming in at low altitude from Vector 240!"
The admiral blinked hard and looked away from his coffee before regaining his composure... "Radar calm down I want more info on those bogey's right now…Communications Send a message to all of the fleet to go into General quarters...Air operations launch the Harriers now!"
Communications Officer: "Aye Sir!"
Air Operations Officer: "Harrier's are lifting off as we speak sir!" 5 seconds later the sounds of multiple jet-engines turning on confirmed Air Ops Statement….
Radar Operator: "The computer classifies bogeys as Super Etendards!" Everyone in the CIC cringed. "It's them! Reclassifying Bogies as Bandits!"
Admiral: "Radar give me a bandit count!"
Radar Operator: "I can't sir! They must be flying in tight formation, there only showing up as one giant blip on my radar!"
Admiral: "Keep watching them….Air defence officer all weapons free on all ships! Send a salvo of air-to-air missiles and take em down!"
Air Operations Officer: "But sir what about the harriers?"
Admiral: "Tell them to orbit the ship and prepare for intercept!" 5 seconds latter the first SAM lifted off from one of the frigates.
(Vector 240, 89 km's away from Task Force Wasp)
Sea Owl: Sea Owl to Mouettes. The enemy has launched SAM's at the requins! Execute phase 2 now!"
Mouette 1: "1 To all Mouettes, on my signal…Now!" The 6 Rafale pilots all pushed the same button and the result was spectacular………
(88km's off Holland's coast: on board the flagship of Task Force Wasp)
(CIC of USS WASP)
The screen of the radar controller suddenly turned bright white "Damn…… were being jammed! I lost em!
Air Defence Officer: "Sir the missiles have lost there targets….damn theve all gone dumb! I repeat all the missiles have gone dumb!"
Admiral: "Radar go into active search max power! We gotta give a target for our missiles!" 'Damn what a nightmare' thought the Admiral: 'those jammers are buying enough time for there attackers to launch there missiles….' "Send the Harrier's towards the enemy jamming! Tell them to shoot down any incoming Bandits at all cost's!"
(Vector 240, 80 km's away from Task Force Wasp)
Requin 1: "Thanks mouettes! Just stick around with us for a few more minutes and we'll all be heading back home……Requin 1 to all planes ETA 60 seconds till launch! Everyone start arming your Exocets!"
Sea Owl: "Warning to Mouettes and Requins Squads! Five incoming Bandits from enemy fleet at vector 60!" The controller held his breath as he waited for the computer to identify the enemy plane types... 'If those were enemy interceptors such as tomcats that mean't the fleet contained an enemy air-craft carrier and one of those could spoil both the Navies and the Armies day….He let out a sigh of relief when the computer recoignized the bandit's as AV-8B Harriers…that meant that there wasn't a carrier around and that those planes had probably launched from an landing ship, he could deal with those.' "Sea Owl to all planes. Bandit's confirmed as AV-8B Harriers! After Requins squad launch's there ASM Mouettes squad will be cleared to engage the Bandit's."
Mouette 1: "Order acknoleged Sea Owl. Mouettes squad stand by for air to air action!"
(88km's off Holland's coast: on board the flagship of Task Force Wasp)
(CIC of USS WASP)
Radar: "Raytheon SPS on full power…...Were burning through there jamming!"
Admiral: "Well done! now give me a bogey count!"
Radar: "Yes Sir" He started counting the planes on his screen when one of them divided itself into 3 blips with 2 smaller faster ones accelerating. "What the?" It was only 2 seconds later when he saw half of the Bogeys do the same thing and then the realization hit him: "Vampires! Vampires! 12 ASM launched! I repeat 12 ASM launched! There coming right at us!"
The Admiral's face suddenly turned pale: "Activate the CIWSs and Fire missile's at the incoming vampires now!"
Air defence officer: "CIWS systems are activated sir…but we can't fire missile's the enemy jamming is still to strong!"
The admiral was tense now and a vein became visible on his fore-head: "Where's an Aegis Cruiser when you need one...! Tell the harriers to disregard the enemy planes and to go after the ASMs they have to splash them at all costs!
(Vector 240, 68 km's away from Task Force Wasp)
Mouette 2 was staring at the requins as there Etendars lazily turned west to go back home…'okay' thought 2 'It's now our turn to party….'
Mouette 1: Mouette 1 to all planes everyone switch on their IR Mica's! Target the 5 Harriers attempting to get to the ASMs! One Mica per target…on my order…fire!
Mouette 2 pushed the button on his joy-stick and his IR Mica was off with the other 4 launched by his comrades.
The IR Mica had a 'launch before lock' capability that enables it to engage targets with very little warning of its impending approach, coupled with all the jamming in the air meant that the Harriers never knew what hit them. After the first missile came in and blotted the lead Harrier the rest of the squad started evasive maneuvers but it was too late. The rest of the Mica's were only 2 seconds away and the rest of the squad went out in four spectacular explosions…
Mouette 1: "Mouette 1 to Sea Owl I see 5 splashes on radar can you confirm that Sea Owl?
Sea Owl: "This is Sea Owl we confirm splashes Mouette 1! Good job Mouettes the enemy squad has been downed and the ASM's are running on schedule!"
Mouette 1: "Thanks Sea Owl! Tell the maintenance crew back home to get the paint and brush's ready when we come back home over!"
Sea Owl: Sure thing Mouettes! But in the meanwhile stay in the area and provide jamming support for Pirannha and Espadon Squads they should be completing there flanking maneuver shortly…
(86km's off Holland's coast: on board the flagship of Task Force Wasp)
(CIC of USS WASP)
The Radar controller cringed and then shouted: "Damn! The Harriers, they've all gotten splashed before they could reach the ASMs!"
'Dammit' thought the Admiral 'he had 12 incoming vampires at his ship and all he had was the CIWS and some chaff to stop them'. "Tell everyone to hunker down and get ready for impact!"
Meanwhile the Exocets flew low over the calm sea at some 700 n/k oblivious to everything around them. They were heading straight for the large blip their seeker heads were locked on to…
Radar Operator: "The Vampires are only 15 km's away contact in less than thirty seconds!"
'This is
it' thought the Admiral 'the moment of truth': "Launch the
chaff and activate the CIWS!"
Air defence officer: "Aye Sir!
CIWS ready, launching chaff right now!"
(85km's off Holland's coast: on board the flagship of Task Force Wasp)
(The Bridge of USS WASP)
Meanwhile in the bridge of WASP the Captain was standing behind one of the portside windows. He and the rest of the bridge crew had been listening to the situation in the CIC via intercom and things weren't looking good… Suddenly with a giant "whoosh" sound the chaff started launching and the sky was instantly filled with millions of little metallic strips. Then someone spotted the missiles and shouted "hit the deck" and everyone jumped down except the captain who'd stayed up and continued staring outside, his eyes un-focused. At that moment a million things were going through the Capitan's head: hope, anxiety, fear, and resignation. In that split of a second the captain came to his conclusion 'I've been on this ship for 15 years now' thought the captain 'and if I'm gonna die today! I'm gonna die on my ship upright like a man!'
The first Exocet came in portside and low. The front portside CIWS opened fire with its distinctive "zipper" sound and blew it up some 2,500 meters from the ship, the resulting explosion shook the entire ship…Someone cried out in the bridge but the captain stood their motionless as the rest of his bridge crew were lying on the floor trembling….the next three came in also on port an were blotted out of the sky with the combined efforts of the two Portside CIWS's and the single one on top of the ship's island….
(CIC of USS WASP)
Air Defense Officer: "One third of the vampires have been destroyed! I repeat One third of vampires have been destroyed!"
Radar controller: "Second wave of missiles inbound I count four of them one 500 meters in front of the other's!"
The admiral was quietly whispering to himself: "Come-on! Smoke the bastards!..."
The first missile of the second wave came in and got distracted by the chaff. It hit the water and blew up some 1000 meters from the ship and created a gigantic column of water…The other 3 were aiming for WASP And once again were destroyed by the combined efforts of the portside CIWS's and the one on top of the island…
Air Defence Officer: "Second wave destroyed! Yeah!"
Admiral: "Keep your guard up! All it takes is one hit and were finished!"
Radar controller: "Third wave inbound! Same configuration as before!"
The next one came in from Port again, the rear Portside CIWS engaged it and blew off one of its control fin's. The missile went into a spinning dive and hit the water some 400 meters from the ship. The resulting explosion shock the ship more than before and the resulting column of water sent water falling down on WASP like rain…
(The Bridge of USS WASP)
The Captain was watchin silently as droplets of water dripped down the window he was staring through: 'three more missile's' he thought 'we might just survive after all'.
The next missile came in from a slightly different vector so the CIWS was forced to change there angle of fire. this let the missile come in too 200 meters. So by the time the forward portside CIWS blew it up. The resulting explosion sent fragments and shrapnel onto the bow of the ship and its island. Some twenty crew men were killed but the Bridge was untouched due to the extra level of Kevlar armour it had around it…
The Captain didn't move as fragments and shrapnel bounced off the bullet-proof glass of the bridge, but behind him most of his bridge crew were shouting and/or making various noises of anxiousness…
(CIC of USS WASP)
Damage Control Officer: "Sir! The Island it's been hit by shrapnel!"
Air defence Officer: "The Island CIWS! It's been hit!"
Radar Controller: "Two more Vampires left! ETA 8 seconds!"
Air Defence Officer: "Front Portside CIWS has been hit too! We can't stop all the Vampires in time!"
The Admiral cringed; the tenseness on his face was visible to all: "All hands prepare for Missile Impact! Get ready boys the Frenchies are gonna blow a hole right through this Ship!"
(The Bridge of USS WASP)
The Captain heard the Admiral's last message on the intercom and was watching the unfolding events outside. The Last remaning Portside CIWS opened Fire…
It was no use. the two missiles came in at two different vectors the CIWS only had time to engage and destroy one…The one that came in from the rear Portside was targeted and destroyed by the CIWS but the last got through from the front Portside and headed right for the Bridge…
For the first time since the attack began the Captain's pupil's had gone bigger started showing fear as they watched the last Exocet head right at him… 'So this is it?' thought the Captain 'I'm gonna die here 6000 km's from home…goodbye Cathy take care of our Son Jack for me I'm gonna miss you sweetheart.' At that moment a single tear came down the captain's cheek………………
Suddenly a blinding white light engulfed the bridge and the area above and around the Ship… 'This is it I've died' thought the Captain.
Suddenly something started showing up in the Captain's vision 'What the?' thought the captain his hat started showing up in front of him and sure enough a few moments latter the floor of the Bridge showed up. The Captain then looked around himself and there he was on his back in his Bridge. "I'm alive?" he cried out. Surly enough all the bridge crew were on the ground with their eyes closed and looking very scared and tense… 'But what about that missile?' thought the captain. He got up and stared outside through the window…
And there it was a giant
fireball some 50 meters away from the ship that was rising up slowly
into the air. "What the hell happ…" The Captain was suddenly
cut-off when a
SU-37 with a grey and yellow camo flew by at
max-speed 20 meter's off the bridge. The entire place started
shaking again as the shock-waves from the Terminator's engines
shook the bridge…Then he saw it… a yellow number 1 painted right
under the SU-37 cockpit…
(5km's off USS WASP Vector 60)
Yellow 1: "This is Yellow 1 to all planes. I've neutralized the ASM missile threat from vector 240! I'm going after the jammers! All Yellows Proceed as planed.
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Cliffhanger…… Hope you guys enjoyed it. I'll wait for reviews before I post the next chap ;) .