21st Century Goguryeo

This was a torpedo mount system different from previous submarine models. It could be seen from this that the Columbia-class nuclear submarine's attack strategy was widely different from previously existing submarines.

With its safe diving depth of 2,000 meters and a cutting-edge system that absorbed sound waves, it made most sonar detection equipment useless against it. This was why the Columbia-class nuclear submarine was called a stealth submarine. Built to weather any climate as well as be able to complete operations that were both strategic and tactical at the same time, the cost of building each submarine amounted to 10 billion dollars.

In other words, they were able to fire strategic weapons near the enemy by crossing the seas deep underwater or by standing by while submerged deep under the sea to capture enemy submarines or warships and attack them when they passed by above them.

In these attacking methods, firing torpedoes with the upper VLS (vertical launching system) was more effective against enemy submarines or warships than submarine torpedo tubes. When the torpedoes were super-cavitation Heavy Weight Torpedoes, which were able to be fired at a speed of 50 knots and could fly at a maximum speed of 200 knots, the VLS was even more effective.

For the opponent, it would be as hard as plucking a star out of the sky to dodge or intercept the super-cavitation Heavy Weight Torpedoes flying at them from a short distance at a speed of 200 knots, even if they were aware of the torpedoes being fired at them ahead of time. With this terrifying attack method, the Columbia-class nuclear submarines had a 100 percent chance of hitting the enemy as long as they were successful in firing the torpedoes.

The ability to develop these remarkable attacking methods was one of the U.S.'s greatest strengths. It was the know-how they had accumulated by researching and developing various weapons for dozens of years based on extra-terrestrial science, combined with their ability to think of new ideas regarding weapons or engagement techniques.

Currently, the Republic of Korea possesses the best technology and scientific skills, but without the know-how the U.S. has, it would be impossible for them to catch up to the U.S. regarding various weapon developments.

The U.S. continued to, using their ability to their advantage, develop original and remarkable weapons, and the Columbia-class nuclear submarine that they developed was also a nuclear submarine with engagement and attack capabilities that grew outside of the previous frame of capabilities that other nuclear submarines had.

20 minutes later, the three Columbia-class nuclear submarines that were in the middle of rising, still in a silent submerge state, were in a perpendicular position in the water. They had tricked the anti-submarine border of the combined fleet and only had 200 meters left until the designated depth.

As the combat information center's strategic screen pointed to a depth of 1,000 meters, Captain Emerson Hyndman gestured for the submarines to stop rising.

The Columbia (SSBN-901) stopped rising and went into standby at a depth of 1,000 meters. The Enrique (SSBN-902) and the William Penn (SSBN-903) also stopped rising at the same depth as if they'd planned to do so beforehand.

The three Columbia-class nuclear submarines, on standby at a depth of 1,000 meters right below the combined fleet, soon began opening the roof door of their internal VLS (vertical launching system) in order.

The only procedure left was to use sonar to detect the combined fleet accurately and each designated target so that they could fire the super-cavitation Heavy Weight Torpedoes. However, even though the distance from the combined fleet was only 900 meters, it was impossible to detect the combined fleet accurately without activating the passive sonar because of the strong sonar jamming system of the combined fleet. At this, Captain Emerson Hyndman decided to use passive sonar, even if there was the danger of the submarine's identity being revealed.

Captain Emerson Hyndman judged that a little bit of risk was something that they had to undertake to have the chance to destroy the entire combined fleet in just one attack. He immediately ordered the sonar operator to use the passive sonar.

<Ping! Ping! Ping!>

The sonar operator immediately turned on the BQQ-11 passive sonar as if he was waiting for the order. The sound waves moved throughout the sea underwater.

"Confirmed enemy warship! Designating target."

The BQQ-11 sonar that they were using with their lives on the line detected the combined fleet's ships one by one. There was no need for a silent submerge, either, so the tactical officer reported the current situation out loud.

"Torpedo arming officer! Fire as soon as targets are set! Report back after all torpedoes are fired!"

"Captain! The open fire will start from the first launch tube." A report from the torpedo arming officer came from the launch control center.

<Twang! Twang!>

The MK101 super-cavitation Heavy Weight Torpedoes shot up from the air pressure one by one from the inside of the VLS, which had its roof doors already open.

Similar to the sight of anti-aircraft missiles being fired from the VLS, the 20 MK101 super-cavitation Heavy Weight Torpedoes created a white trail of bubbles behind them.

* * *

January 23rd, 2024, 07:55

At sea (the combat command center of the Taejong [DDG-996]), 91 kilometers from the east end of Katsuura, Chiba prefecture, Japan

While the Son Byong-hi (CG-1103) and the Cha Yi-suk (CG-1103) were sailing to the east at high speeds to keep the Pacific Fleet at bay, the combined fleet had turned toward 50 kilometers from the east end of Katsuura, its destination for retreat.

The Pacific Fleet had realized the combined fleet's intentions and had gone into retreat as well, on a Carrier Strike Group level. The range of the two fleets was currently 300 kilometers apart, which meant that both fleets were out of the range of anti-warship missiles.

In addition, both fleets' fighter jets, which had been in fierce dogfights for two waves on a large scale, stopped fighting and retreated to their bases.

There was no agreement between them, but in the situation that seemed like an unspoken agreement, the combined fleet slowly raised its speed toward the seas that were designated as a retreat point, which had various auxiliary ships on standby.

"Admiral! It's a report from the Fleet Command that auxiliary ships have arrived at the seas designated as the retreat point."

"How many ships?"

"22 ships, Admiral."

"Mm, 22 ships... The reload time will be even less."

The Navy Fleet Command had already put various auxiliary ships belonging to two fleets near the Katsuura coast on standby just in case.

"Yes, Admiral! I believe we can finish reloading in an hour."

"That's right! First, once we arrive at the retreat point, tell the second fleet's warships to undergo reloading procedures."

"Yes, sir."

Just then, a scream came from the sonar room of the combat command center.

"Ack! Appearance of enemy submarines! Enemy submarines, currently emitting passive sonar! There are a total of three submarines. Their directions..."

The sonar operation officer who had paused for a second while reporting the direction of the submarines gripped his headphones hard, looked at the monitor, opened his eyes so wide that it looked like his eyes might pop out, and continued his report.

"Ri-right underneath us at a depth of 1020."

Everyone in the combat command center froze when they heard the shocking news. Only Admiral Kim Lee-won gave orders in a calm voice. "Issue all the fleets a status of anti-submarine alert 1, and go into preparations to shoot down the enemy submarines immediately!"

"Yes, sir."

Before the order was given, torpedo attacks began from the unidentified submarines.

"Aah! M-multiple torpedoes have appeared! Ah! The number of torpedoes is increasing."

These were the MK101 super-cavitation Heavy Weight Torpedoes fired by the three Columbia-class nuclear submarines.

In the urgent situation, even before Admiral Kim Lee-won's orders had not yet been relayed, the combined fleet's Hocula destroyers' Hocula AI detected the torpedoes and began their response procedure against them automatically.

But even if it was the supercomputer of AI, the Hocula, there wasn't enough time to stop the super-cavitation Heavy Weight Torpedoes flying at them at a short distance of 1,000 meters at a speed of 100 knots.

<Pwaaaaang! Pwaaaaang! Pwaaaaang!>

The Hocula destroyers' C-VLS (vertical launching system) fired Red Shark A anti-submarine missiles mercilessly, controlled by the automatic response system, and the missiles turned toward the sea, plunging into it.

<Pwaaak! Pwaaak! Pwaaak!>

The 100 Red Shark A anti-submarine missiles that were fired immediately separated from their propellants right after going underwater, and swam toward the designated targets. But since this was the only chance they would be able to intercept the enemy missiles, the Red Shark A torpedoes put distance between each other to create waves of interception so that they had a second wave to rely on in case the first wave failed to intercept all of the torpedoes and swam on.

While this was happening, the 60 MK101 super-cavitation Heavy Weight Torpedoes had already risen to a depth of 300 meters. Even if the combined fleet intercepted 100 percent of the torpedoes, they were likely to be damaged from the explosions.

<Booom! Booom!>

Only a few seconds had passed, but there was already a shock passing through the entire destroyer. The sonar operation officers scowled at the loud sounds coming through their headphones and reported the current interception status.

"Success in intercepting 17 of the enemy's torpedoes! But there are still 12 torpedoes that have dodged the first wave of intercepting torpedoes and are traveling toward us. Distributing targets for the second wave of interception! Going into the second wave of interception now."

The Red Shark A anti-submarine torpedoes that had separated from their propellants moments after the first wave shot forward in an attempt to intercept the super-cavitation Heavy Weight Torpedoes that had survived the first interception wave. In a short time, Hocula had provided a second wave of interception torpedoes through the best response possible in this situation.

Admiral Kim Lee-won scowled and hit the armrest of his chair with his fist. There was nothing he could do in the current situation.

"Ah! 12th torpedo! The second wave of interception has failed as well! Colliding with the Dae Jo-yeong of the second fleet."

With the report of the sonar operation officer, an explosion sounded far away, reaching the battle command center inside the ship.

Admiral Kim Lee-won's monitor changed and soon showed the horrifying scene.

The Dae Jo-yeong's (DDH-977) entire body shook, and it split in half. Through the split, enormous sprays of water shot up tens of meters into the air.

The explosion power was even worse than expected. The Dae Jo-yeong (DDH-977), which had been split front to back, sank into the sea.

Admiral Kim Lee-won furrowed his brows and shouted at the operations officer, "We need to leave the response procedure up to the Hocula and get that f*cking submarine. Tell the Cha Yi-suk and the Son Byong-hi to attack as soon as they get the sonar information on them."

"Yes, Admiral!"

Even though the combined fleet boasted the greatest anti-submarine capabilities, Admiral Kim Lee-won wanted to get rid of the enemy submarines at any cost, estimating that they would be under threat of another surprise attack from the unidentified enemy submarines that had appeared out of nowhere and attacked with numerous torpedoes.

<Booom!>

There was another explosion that shook the seas around the combined fleet. The explosion had come from the Jeongjo (DDG-1007) of the 7th Task Flotilla.

The Jeongjo (DDG-1007) had taken the torpedo at the front of the ship. The front part of the ship bent 70 degrees along with the helicopter storage part and shot up into the air. In a word, the front part of the ship had blasted off.

It was a relief that the Jeongjo (DDG-1007), even though the entire front part had been blasted off, didn't sink immediately as the Dae Jo-yeong (DDH-977) did. It had a three-layer wall system that enabled it to only tilt slowly and not sink. It seemed like there would be enough time for the crew to abandon ship.

But the combined fleet's tragedies didn't end with the Jeongjo (DDG-1007). The Hocula system tried its best to respond, but with 60 MK101 super-cavitation Heavy Weight Torpedoes, the Gang Gam-chan (DDH-979), the Dae Joong-sam (DDH-983), the Ji Soo-shin (FF-837), and the Gangsoo (FF-839) were damaged almost to the point of destruction and sank into the sea.

The combined fleet had lost four ships in the first half of the fight, but it had lost six additional destroyers and frigates with this wave of torpedo attacks from its available force.

Meanwhile, there were three large anti-submarine high-cavitation torpedoes, the S-SSFM-500B Tridents, fired from each of the eight extension torpedo tubes of the Son Byong-hi (CG-1103) and the Cha Yi-suk (CG-1103), which were about 30 kilometers away from the combined fleet. The S-SSFM-500B Trident, which traveled at the extraordinary speed of 660 knots underwater, sped up to 600 knots just a few seconds after it had gone underwater. It swam into the deep sea as if it were being sucked inside.