The Ghost War (36 page)
But the Aegis wasn’t on full automatic. This wasn’t open war. And Williams didn’t want to overreact to provocations and bluffs aimed at tricking him into firing the first shot. Under the rules of engagement governing this mission, Willams didn’t have to wait until he’d been acted upon before firing. He could launch first if he believed the Chinese were about to attack. “The commanding officer is responsible for defending his ship from attack or the
imminent threat
of attack,” the rules read.
imminent threat
of attack,” the rules read.
Williams almost wished the orders were stricter. Under these rules, if the Chinese hit the
Decatur
with a first strike, he’d face terrible second-guessing about his decision not to launch first. And the Chinese had turned increasingly aggressive as the
Decatur
closed on their coast.
Decatur
with a first strike, he’d face terrible second-guessing about his decision not to launch first. And the Chinese had turned increasingly aggressive as the
Decatur
closed on their coast.
For a day, two Chinese frigates had shadowed the ship. Now, with the
Decatur
barely thirty miles from Shanghai, two more frigates had moved in. They were Jianwei-class, among the more modern ships in the Chinese fleet. Still, they were only one-quarter the size of the
Decatur.
Williams could destroy them easily, especially with the help of the F/A-18s from the
Reagan
circling overhead, as the Chinese surely knew.
Decatur
barely thirty miles from Shanghai, two more frigates had moved in. They were Jianwei-class, among the more modern ships in the Chinese fleet. Still, they were only one-quarter the size of the
Decatur.
Williams could destroy them easily, especially with the help of the F/A-18s from the
Reagan
circling overhead, as the Chinese surely knew.
In other words, the frigates weren’t there to fight. Still, Williams didn’t want to give them an excuse. Over the last few hours, he had turned south and slowed to fifteen knots. The
Decatur
was now heading roughly parallel to the coast, not closing on it. Still, the Chinese boats had ignored repeated warnings from the
Decatur
to back off.
Decatur
was now heading roughly parallel to the coast, not closing on it. Still, the Chinese boats had ignored repeated warnings from the
Decatur
to back off.
Making matters worse, the
Decatur
was close to the Shanghai shipping lanes, forcing it to navigate around freighters and oil tankers. And in the last few hours, civilian Chinese boats had shown up. Motor-boats, fishing vessels, even a couple of sailboats, all flying the Chinese flag and carrying signs in Chinese and English: “Hegemonists out of East China Sea!” “Taiwan and China! One people, one nation!” “US Navy go home!”
Decatur
was close to the Shanghai shipping lanes, forcing it to navigate around freighters and oil tankers. And in the last few hours, civilian Chinese boats had shown up. Motor-boats, fishing vessels, even a couple of sailboats, all flying the Chinese flag and carrying signs in Chinese and English: “Hegemonists out of East China Sea!” “Taiwan and China! One people, one nation!” “US Navy go home!”
Williams thought that being ordered this close to the coast was unnecessarily provocative. But provocation seemed to be the point. Two days before, Rear Admiral Jason Lee, the commander of the
Reagan,
had told Williams and the other captains in the carrier’s battle group that the White House wanted to send the Chinese government a stern message about the risks a deal with Iran would bring.
Reagan,
had told Williams and the other captains in the carrier’s battle group that the White House wanted to send the Chinese government a stern message about the risks a deal with Iran would bring.
“We’re not backing down this time. Up close and personal, that’s what the big man wants. Make them blink. Our intel says that’s the right move. And if that’s what the big man wants, that’s what he gets. Now, I don’t want you to do anything rash, but if you need to protect your ships, no one’s going to second-guess you. We’ve got three flattops out here, we can turn their navy into scrap in about twenty minutes, and we’re not backing down. Understood?”
No one said anything when Lee was finished.
BUT THERE WERE GOOD TACTICAL
reasons to stay farther offshore, Williams thought. Carrier battle groups were lethal on the open ocean, so-called blue-water combat. The
Reagan’s
jets could destroy enemy aircraft and ships long before the hostile boats got close, and the nuclear attack subs that served as its escorts were faster and had sonar superior to that of the diesel subs most other fleets used.
reasons to stay farther offshore, Williams thought. Carrier battle groups were lethal on the open ocean, so-called blue-water combat. The
Reagan’s
jets could destroy enemy aircraft and ships long before the hostile boats got close, and the nuclear attack subs that served as its escorts were faster and had sonar superior to that of the diesel subs most other fleets used.
But this close to shore, the carrier group’s advantages shrank. First off, the
Reagan’s
jets no longer completely controlled the air. Land-based aircraft could take off from Chinese bases and be on top of the
Decatur
in minutes. Making matters worse, with hundreds of civilian planes taking off from Shanghai’s airports every day, even the Aegis system had a hard time tracking all the traffic in the air.
Reagan’s
jets no longer completely controlled the air. Land-based aircraft could take off from Chinese bases and be on top of the
Decatur
in minutes. Making matters worse, with hundreds of civilian planes taking off from Shanghai’s airports every day, even the Aegis system had a hard time tracking all the traffic in the air.
China’s submarines were also a serious threat in these shallow waters. The diesel-electric subs that made up the Chinese fleet could operate almost silently, and they didn’t have to worry about being outrun by the faster U.S. subs so close to shore. They hardly needed to move at all—the American fleet was coming to them.
Add the tactical problems to the strategic uncertainty, and Williams knew he’d been given a difficult job. Now the Chinese seemed to want to bring matters to a head, much sooner than Williams had expected.
Williams took his seat at the center console, beside Lieutenant (j.g.) Stan Umsle, his tactical action officer, a bespectacled man with a Ph.D. in engineering from Purdue. “Lieutenant, talk to me.”
“Didn’t want to bother you, sir, but we have two issues. First off, there’s one fishing boat aft and three starboard running steadily closer to us. Looks like they’re coordinating their movements with the frigates. In the last half-hour they’ve gone from two thousand yards to eleven hundred”—just over a half mile away.
“Any weapons?”
“None we can see. We’ve signaled and radioed them to leave, sir. Told them they’re subject to imminent defensive action if they come any closer.”
“In English.”
“Yes, sir.” Umsle didn’t have to tell Williams that no one on the
Decatur
spoke Chinese. Another reason the destroyer ought to back off a little, Williams thought.
Decatur
spoke Chinese. Another reason the destroyer ought to back off a little, Williams thought.
“All right. If they get to five hundred yards, splash them with the Phalanx for five seconds. Warning shots only. No contact. And let’s don’t hit the frigates by mistake.” Williams hoped the
Decatur
could scare off the fishing boats with its cannons, which fired depleted-uranium shells that could cut the trawlers apart.
Decatur
could scare off the fishing boats with its cannons, which fired depleted-uranium shells that could cut the trawlers apart.
“Yes, sir.”
“Also let’s throttle up to thirty knots, get some distance from those frigates.”
“That’s the second problem, sir. There’s a red”—enemy—“destroyer in our path.” Umsle pointed to the Aegis display, where a red blip was moving toward the
Decatur.
“Twenty NMs”—nautical miles—“to our south, closing at twenty-five knots. It’s painted us twice already.” Meaning that the enemy destroyer had hit the
Decatur
with radar, possibly in preparation for a missile launch.
Decatur.
“Twenty NMs”—nautical miles—“to our south, closing at twenty-five knots. It’s painted us twice already.” Meaning that the enemy destroyer had hit the
Decatur
with radar, possibly in preparation for a missile launch.
“Do we have positive identification?”
“Believe it’s one of their Luhas, sir. And the Hawkeye just picked up emissions from another hostile. Seventy NMs south.” The radar plane overhead could track a far larger area than the
Decatur’s
radar. “The Hawkeye believes it may be a Sovremenny-class boat.”
Decatur’s
radar. “The Hawkeye believes it may be a Sovremenny-class boat.”
“We need visual confirmation on that ASAP. Tell the
Reagan.”
Reagan.”
“Yes, sir.”
Since the late 1990s, China had bought four Sovremenny-class destroyers from Russia. The Sovremennys were the only surface ship in China’s fleet that posed a serious threat to the
Decatur.
They carried supersonic antiship missiles with a range of a hundred miles and a nasty radar guidance system. Though the missiles could be detected by infrared sensors because of the massive heat they generated, they were nearly impossible to intercept, because of their speed and the fact that they flew less than fifty feet above the water’s surface. Worse, they carried a 660-pound warhead, big enough to cripple the
Decatur.
Decatur.
They carried supersonic antiship missiles with a range of a hundred miles and a nasty radar guidance system. Though the missiles could be detected by infrared sensors because of the massive heat they generated, they were nearly impossible to intercept, because of their speed and the fact that they flew less than fifty feet above the water’s surface. Worse, they carried a 660-pound warhead, big enough to cripple the
Decatur.
Williams turned to his communications officer. “Get me Admiral Lee.” If he was going to war, he wanted his boss to know. Meanwhile, backing off seemed prudent. He looked at Umsle. “Take us to twenty knots and a heading of one-five-zero”—a southeast heading, away from the Chinese coast.
“What about the trawlers? We’ll be on top of them.”
“Then they better get out of our way.” Williams preferred to pick a fight with an unarmed trawler rather than a Chinese destroyer. “Get ready to splash them with the Phalanxes. I want them to know we’re serious.”
“Captain,” his coms officer said, “I have the
Reagan.”
Williams picked up.
Reagan.”
Williams picked up.
“Captain Williams.” The admiral spoke softly but with absolute authority, as befitted the commander of a 102,000-ton aircraft carrier. “Looks like the Chinese don’t want to grant you shore leave.”
“I could use more air support, Admiral.”
“It’s already happening.”
“Sir, request permission to pull back to the Lake
Champlain.”
The
Lake Champlain,
a guided-missile cruiser, was fifty miles northeast, seventy-five miles offshore.
Champlain.”
The
Lake Champlain,
a guided-missile cruiser, was fifty miles northeast, seventy-five miles offshore.
“Understand your concerns, but that would send the wrong signal, Captain. Our intel’s clear on this.”
Easy for you to say in your floating castle, Williams thought. “Yes, sir,” he said aloud. “In that case, I’m going to lose these boats on top of me, open up some space, come back around for another look.”
“Sir, Captain, we’ve just fired warning shots at the trawlers—” This was Umsle, his voice rising. Williams waved a hand.
Not now.
Not now.
“Affirmative, Captain,” the admiral said in his ear. “We’ll have four more eighteens”—F/A-18 Super Hornet attack jets—“in the air for you by 2130.”
“Thank you, sir.” Click. At least he’d gotten approval, in a backhanded way, to pull back a few miles, buy some time.
“Lieutenant, I want us at twenty-five knots, heading of six-zero.” A sixty-degree heading was northeast, a hard left turn from the
Decatur’s
current path.
Decatur’s
current path.
“Sir, the trawlers—”
Williams didn’t want to hear about the fishing boats anymore. He had bigger worries.
“We’ve warned them, Lieutenant. Every way we know how. It’s time for them to make way. Now! Hard over.”
THE COLLISION CAME THIRTY SECONDS LATER.
In the Combat Information Center, men skidded sideways. Manuals and pens and anything else not nailed down spilled to the floor. On the bridge, Wheeler, the
Los Angeles Times
reporter, banged her knee hard enough to leave it black-and-blue, but she hardly cared. She’d have the lead story in tomorrow’s paper, she knew.
Los Angeles Times
reporter, banged her knee hard enough to leave it black-and-blue, but she hardly cared. She’d have the lead story in tomorrow’s paper, she knew.
The sailors and officers on the bridge of the
Decatur
insisted afterward that the trawler refused to move out of the
Decatur’s
way, as if daring the destroyer to run it down. The Chinese disagreed vehemently, saying that the
Decatur
had deliberately hit the little trawler, which weighed eighty tons, compared with the
Decatur’s
eight thousand. Jackie, who was as close to a neutral observer as anyone who saw the collision, wasn’t entirely sure what had happened. Both boats seemed to expect the other to turn away.
Decatur
insisted afterward that the trawler refused to move out of the
Decatur’s
way, as if daring the destroyer to run it down. The Chinese disagreed vehemently, saying that the
Decatur
had deliberately hit the little trawler, which weighed eighty tons, compared with the
Decatur’s
eight thousand. Jackie, who was as close to a neutral observer as anyone who saw the collision, wasn’t entirely sure what had happened. Both boats seemed to expect the other to turn away.
But neither did, and so the destroyer’s prow tore the little fishing boat nearly in half, slicing neatly through a banner that read “China Will Not Bow to America!” Besides its usual crew of ten, the boat contained another twenty-four passengers, mostly college students who had come out to protest—and snap some souvenir photographs of the destroyer. Only five people died in the collision, but most of the students couldn’t swim. Seventeen drowned afterward.
The
Decatur
slowed down after the collison, but before it could put any rescue boats in the water, one of the Chinese frigates fired warning shots at it. After consulting with Admiral Lee, Williams decided to sail away. The Chinese boats were moving quickly to the trawler, and staying around might inflame the situation. Later, the
Decatur’s
decision not to stop would add to the controversy.
Decatur
slowed down after the collison, but before it could put any rescue boats in the water, one of the Chinese frigates fired warning shots at it. After consulting with Admiral Lee, Williams decided to sail away. The Chinese boats were moving quickly to the trawler, and staying around might inflame the situation. Later, the
Decatur’s
decision not to stop would add to the controversy.
Aside from a few bumps and bruises, no one aboard the
Decatur
was hurt. But in the days that followed, no one would say the United States escaped the collision unscathed.
Decatur
was hurt. But in the days that followed, no one would say the United States escaped the collision unscathed.
27
EVEN WITH TYSON’S HELP AND THE WRITTEN APPROVAL
of the agency’s general counsel, Exley needed almost a full day to get the agency’s health insurance records for Keith Robinson. Those showed that Robinson’s wife, Janice, had given birth to a boy, Mark, a decade before. Cross-checking Mark’s date of birth against Social Security death records revealed the boy had died eight years earlier, about the time the mole first contacted the Chinese, according to Wen Shubai’s timetable.
of the agency’s general counsel, Exley needed almost a full day to get the agency’s health insurance records for Keith Robinson. Those showed that Robinson’s wife, Janice, had given birth to a boy, Mark, a decade before. Cross-checking Mark’s date of birth against Social Security death records revealed the boy had died eight years earlier, about the time the mole first contacted the Chinese, according to Wen Shubai’s timetable.
And so Exley and Shafer decided it was time to talk to Robinson. “We don’t have to ask about the dead kid,” Shafer said. “He might get upset.”
“Mr. Tact. Thank God you’re here to help. Of course we’re not mentioning his son. That failed poly gives us plenty of reason to interview him.”
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