Altered States

Chapter 17

The speculation by Fedorov and Rodenko soon proved a stark reality. The carrier was not alone, and the long loiter time of the three planes that again found the ship that day told them it was within 200 kilometers. The aircraft observed them at some distance. At one point a single plane made a closer approach, but otherwise the encounter was without incident. Eventually the planes turned for home, and Fedorov immediately took advantage of the situation to get the KA-40 up just as Rodenko had advised. The long-range radar returns soon painted the picture of what they were facing, and so they thought it best to summon Admiral Volsky to the bridge.

“The main body is here, sir,” said Fedorov. “Rodenko notes three strong returns and these four smaller contacts, probably destroyers. Then there are two more strong contacts coming up from the south. They undoubtedly intend to intercept, sir, as they just made a five point turn to 315 and that will put them off our starboard bow right about here in seven hours.”

“And what are these contacts you have noted to the north?”

“Unknown at this time, sir, but if I had to guess I would say these are most likely British cruisers assigned to patrol the Denmark Strait.”

“Is there any ongoing operation that we should be concerned about this time, Mister Fedorov?”

“In the history I know, sir, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau would be at Trondheim now. Scharnhorst was supposed to have taken a torpedo during the attack that sank the British aircraft carrier Glorious a few days ago. The two ships returned to Trondheim for repairs and were attacked there by British Hudson bombers and planes like those we have just witnessed off an aircraft carrier. If that's the case, sir, I wonder what ship this carrier is. Aside from Glorious there was only Ark Royal and Furious available to the Home Fleet at this time, and Furious was laid up in a refit operation.”

“Then this would have to be Ark Royal.”

“It would seem so, sir, but that would mean the attack that took place yesterday at Trondheim never took place.”

“So there is a crack in your mirror, Mister Fedorov. This history is not playing out as you expect. I don't see why we should think that it would if our entire nation is broken in pieces.”

“That is probably true, sir, but what this means is that I can no longer accurately predict what we may be facing in the days and months ahead. All I know is that this carrier should not be here.”

“And if this aircraft carrier is not alone, why are all these ships here?”

“The British must have intelligence on some enemy movement that prompted them to muster this fleet.”

“At the moment it looks like they have intelligence on us! Could we be the reason?”

“We were spotted by that convoy on June 12th, Admiral. I calculated the distance from this fleet's position to their probable home base at Scapa Flow. It is about 1500 kilometers. Assuming a cruising speed of twenty knots, the ships had to leave Scapa Flow no later than the 14th in order to be here now.”

“That is some fairly fancy footwork. Do you think Home Fleet would've reacted in this manner?”

“They would've known we were not one of their ships, sir, and soon after that they could've learned we were not a Canadian or American ship either. That quickly narrows down the possibilities.”

“Didn't they already know where these German battlecruisers were?”

“That's the odd thing. Yes, they also knew where the cruiser Admiral Hipper was operating. I don't see why they would conclude we would be a German raider, or what would prompt such a sortie of capital ships to investigate.”

“Then something else must be going on that we do not know about, Fedorov. Keep a wary eye on that situation map. We're about to enter the Denmark Strait and I think we will soon have company.”

That gave Fedorov an idea, and the Admiral knew him well enough to know what that light kindling in his eyes meant. Fedorov walked quickly to the navigation station and pulled the pad device from his bookshelf there. He was busy with that for some time before he returned, a smile on his face as if he had just struck gold.

“Admiral! I just realized I had a complete enigma code simulator and decoding application. I can even determine rotor settings and plugboard positions from research data I have on the subject and interpret the entire German naval enigma code! If Nikolin can pick up the signal I'll be able to read German Navy high command orders to all their fleet units. This means we will be able to learn about any operation long before it begins.”

Admiral Volsky gave him an astonished look. “You have broken this code, Mister Fedorov?”

“Not me, sir. It was broken by Alan Turing and other analysts at Hut Four in Bletchley Park. In fact they're working on it now but there a lot of missing pieces to the puzzle and it will be some time, at least a year before they can interpret it with any reliability. But I've had this application for several years now. The entire code is well known in our day and all I have to do is key the correct date and time and it is very likely that I can read the code almost verbatim.”

“You never cease to amaze me, Fedorov. This is a very interesting development. Information was as powerful a weapon in this war as anything else, and here you are telling me you have the key to unlock the entire German naval code. This will be very useful. See what Mister Nikolin can do. Is there any chance he can intercept the signals?”

“Of course, sir. U-boats, for example, received and transmitted messages in encrypted Morse code. I can research the exact wavelength and equipment they used and I'm sure we'll be able to pick up the signals.”

“Excellent, Fedorov. This is sounding better and better every minute. Devote yourself to this task in the next few hours, please. We need more information about what is happening. I feel like a poker player who is been dealt a bad hand, but I think you have just passed me and Ace and King!”

It was not even three hours before Fedorov had something in hand. He was able to research the common German shore to ship transmission frequencies, and Nikolin spent a good long while listening in. They fished for some time before he picked up a signal that had an odd structure. There were sets of ciphers, five characters each, and Fedorov immediately knew these had to correspond to typical formats used with enigma code messaging. He went to the Admiral immediately, showing him the signal they had harvested, a look of real satisfaction on his face now.

“Have a look at this, sir. We isolated it from a stream of encrypted Morse code just an hour ago.”

To Volsky it was no more than a series of random letters, and he could see no meaning in them all: LKGIF FTIFK IBGQA UEUCX OWWCM HYPHX PGZQQ, and on it went. But Fedorov tapped the screen of his pad device and soon a complete translation of the five character phrases appeared in their place. He looked up at the Admiral, a fire in his eyes, and read the message aloud.

“Bismarck and Tirpitz will proceed to breakout point as planned, to arrive by 1800 hours, 16 June. That's all the message we were able pickup, sir, but we got the essence of it.”

“Bismarck? This is one of their battleships, a very famous battleship.”

“Yes sir, both ships in the same class, but here is another anomaly. Neither ship should be ready at this time in the war. In fact, Bismarck did not make its maiden voyage for almost another year, and Tirpitz was not yet ready to join her at that time. The fact that both these ships are operational now means that things changed well before the war. The Germans must have been building up their fleet from the mid-nineteen thirties in order to have these capital ships ready for action now. If the British were in any way aware of these ships planning an imminent operation, we have our reason why home fleet is all in a tither. It was all they could do the hunt down and sink just one of these ships. If both sortie together they would represent a grave challenge to the Royal Navy at this time.”

“What if they fail to do so, Fedorov? What might have happened?”

“I think it was inevitable that they would eventually get both ships, sir, but their presence in the German Navy order of battle exerted a strong magnetism on the Admiralty, and posed a constant threat. As it was, Bismarck did not go to her grave alone. They took the biggest ship in the Royal Navy with them in that campaign, HMS Hood. These are powerful, dangerous ships, Admiral, and if they are planning a sortie now, it is very likely that they will get their pound of flesh, no matter what the Royal Navy throws at them.”

* * *

“Message from Admiralty, sir.” Wells had just come from the W/T room and found Admiral Tovey in the Flag Plot Room near the situation map. He saluted, handing off the paper and waiting in the event the Admiral had further instructions.

“Thank you, Mister Wells.” Tovey read the decrypted message and Wells could quickly see the concern in his eyes. Even the decrypted message was a code within a code: Most Immediate — FAA HMS Sparrowhawk has flown. Otto and friend have left Birmingham for Holyhead — 06:00 GMT this day. HMS Sparrowhawk was the Fleet Air Arm designation for the important Hatston airfield just north of Kirkwall on the main Orkney Island near Scapa Flow. The time was obvious, and Birmingham was the code word for Bergen, Norway, with the heading determined by the destination point of Holyhead. The travelers, Otto and friend, were what caused that thrum of anxiety. Otto was, of course, Otto von Bismarck and the ship that bore his name. His friend was the Tirpitz.

Tovey looked at the plotting board, seeing his position just southeast of Reykjavik, with Hood and Repulse still well south. Ark Royal was finally steaming with his flagship and he was all set to investigate this unusual sighting of the Russian cruiser. But now all bets were off. With two fast battleships heading east from Bergen, he would now be forced to turn about and support Rodney and Nelson in Force F. They were entirely too slow to get into a chase in the Faeroes region. That was a job for his fast battlecruisers. The Germans might be heading further east with the aim of getting up around Iceland for a run through the Denmark Strait, but something told him that was where the Twins were headed. He would order Hood to continue north to backstop his two cruisers there, and possibly investigate this Russian ship, but Invincible would have to turn about.

“Things are about to get interesting, Mister Wells. I would like nothing more than to see about this Russian ship we’ve been shadowing, but it seems Bismarck and Tirpitz have left Bergen and they are our first order of business. Please inform Captain Bennett that I would like the fleet to come about to zero-nine-two. Then get to the W/T room and have them signal Ark Royal that the air search west will have to be cancelled. I’ll want them ready to search the Iceland-Faeroes Gap in four hours.”

“Very good, sir.” Wells was elated. Bismarck and Tirpitz! They were really hunting big game now, and with any luck he was likely to see a major sea action soon with the finest ships on earth. Even as he thought that, a warning note sounded in his mind. Be careful what you wish for…

“Oh… There was one more note, sir. This one a verbal directive from Mister Villers. He says Admiralty is of the opinion that this Russian cruiser sighting may be bogus-at least insofar as its identity. They got it straight from Bletchley Park. They have confirmed that the cruiser Kirov is presently in the Baltic. They believe it may be a German oiler planning to rendezvous with anything they might be pushing through the Denmark Strait.”

“I see…” That took just a bit of the sting off his disappointment. “Bletchley Park, you say? That will be Mister Turing’s watch. Have the gentlemen at Whitehall seen the report given by Captain Partridge? Have they seen our subsequent sighting reports?”

“I’m not certain, sir, but I can see that they are forwarded.”

“Please do so. Opinions are like noses, Mister Wells. Everybody seems to have one, but this is certainly no oiler. Make sure Mister Villers clarifies this for the Admiralty, and Bletchley Park as well.”

“Of course, sir.” Wells started to salute again but Tovey simply smiled.

“Mister Wells, things will be getting quite busy in the hours ahead and you will be bouncing about like a badly hit cricket ball in due course. I think we can leave off the formalities of a salute every time you see me.”

“As you wish, sir.” Wells was on his way, more excited than ever now. A mystery on top of a battle! What good luck. If the real cruiser Kirov was still in the Baltic, then who was out there wearing its hat and overcoat? First things first. He had to get that course heading change to Captain Bennett.

When Wells had gone Tovey folded his arms, looking at the plotting board again. Still in the Baltic…That information was more likely fact than opinion. What was going on here? There was an odd feeling about this whole scenario, as if he had lived through this situation before, a kind of Déjà vu that he attributed to his memories of that brief, violent encounter aboard King Alfred. Now, more than ever, he wanted to stay the course and find out first hand with his own eyes just what this ship was. But if wishes were horses….Bismarck and Tirpitz were a known quantity, and would demand the whole of his attention for the moment.

Rodney and Nelson might give them a good fight, he thought, but they’ll never be able to finish it. The Germans can break off at their whim. So I’ll keep the two old girls close to the Shetlands, and cover the Iceland passage with Invincible and company. Let the Germans try to slip out of the theater on my watch. Not bloody likely.