Chapter 198
February 5th, 2021, 01:15
Seoul Yongsan-ku B2 bunker (ROK military joint command center)
Ten minutes ago, the command center had received an unbelievable report.
The joint fleet’s status caught by the Apollo reconnaissance satellite resembled hell itself. Out of the 12 destroyers and escorting ships, only 9 remained floating, and three had already sunk. From the surviving 9 ships, four were smoking and covered in black and red flames. A gruesome scene showed the ships near the state of sinking as well. Luckily, the immediate deployment of the Zeus 1 interception satellite had managed to strike down the unidentified hypersonic metal object, so no further damage was sustained.
However, the Corean navy had never suffered such heavy losses during the two naval battles it had fought at the Corean–Chinese war, so the commanders from the joint chief of staff and everyone else in the bunker fell silent from rage and despair.
Among the commanders, Vice Chairman Choi Ho-il slammed his thigh with his fists and swore while shouting.
“How could they be taken out so easily? Those bastards!”
“I can’t believe the joint fleet was taken out when they were easily destroying the 4th escorting fleet 20 minutes ago...”
Lieutenant General Kim Yong-hyun, the operations director, was also in shock. A communications operator reported loudly so his voice would carry across the room. All eyes in the room moved toward him.
“The Apollo 3 satellite has detected an unidentified object. We are analyzing the data link right now.”
The operator’s hands moved quickly on the keyboard.
“Putting the info on screen 2, sir. As you can see, the location is southeast from Oki Island, N 36° 1’27.16″ E 133°37’35.21″,” the communications operator said loudly once again.
Then, footage on screen 2 showed up. It was footage from the Apollo 3 satellite filming at 36,000km from the surface with its optical lens in numerous visual modes.
With the electromagnetic mode, four objects emerging from the dark sea to the surface were caught flying through the ocean surface with a 1km gap between them.
“Can we enhance?” Chairman Kang Ui-sik asked.
“One moment, sir.”
The communications operator requested Apollo 3 satellite’s mission control for enhanced footage immediately. When the request went through, one of the screens enlarged, and a mysterious object showed clearly on the screen.
When the outline of the object showed up on the screen, someone shouted out. It was Major General Han Hyung-gook, the navy’s tactician.
“That, that’s a Zumwalt-class destroyer.”
A next-generation Zumwalt-class Aegis destroyer (DDG-1000) was officially deployed to the US Navy in 2016 from Maryland’s Baltimore port.
The Zumwalt-class destroyers (DDG-1000) were the most powerful and high-tech destroyers compared to the other destroyers the US Navy has operated so far. It was the next-generation destroyer that applied the perfect stealth technology and Wave-Piercing Tumblehome Hull and only required 147 crewmen for each vessel. It was also equipped with the IPS electronic thrusters, a 250km-range 128MJ railgun, and the latest long-range missiles. This vessel could be named the pinnacle of the US Navy’s technology and power.
There were 12 Zumwalt-class destroyers officially deployed in the United States. Among them, eight were placed in the Pacific Ocean, while the other four were assigned to the US 7th fleet.
“Zumwalt?”
“The US Navy’s next-generation destroyer, Zumwalt?”
“Why is that vessel here?”
Major General Han Hyung-gook’s words made the room begin to murmur.
Chairman Kang Ui-sik asked once again, “Are you certain, Major General Han?”
“Yes, I am sure of it, sir. The electromagnetic vision clearly shows the Wave-Piercing Tumblehome Hull. There is no other vessel beside the Zumwalt-class destroyers with that form.”
“If that’s the case, those yanks entered the Corean–Japanese war, Chairman Kang?”
“Vice Chairman! I don’t think we can rush into such a conclusion.”
“If not, then what could it mean?”
“Looking at the B-1B lancer that bombed Jeju Island two days ago, the American military equipment currently in Japan were being lent and operated by the Japanese military. I think it is likely that the Zumwalt-class destroyer is being operated by the Japanese navy as well.”
When Chairman Kang Ui-sik answered in a quiet tone, Vice Chairman Choi Ho-il answered back.
“Doesn’t this mean that the Americans are claiming to stay neutral in the war, but in reality, they have entered into the war, sir? We must take action. I think we should strike down the American satellite immediately.”
For the past three days, the joint chief of staff had attacked Japan’s military satellites under President Suh Hyun-woo’s orders, and the decision to attack the US military satellite would be made after seeing the progress of the war against Japan. The joint chief of staff commanders would face severe consequences if they attacked the US satellite.
“We can decide after the meeting. Right now, the safety and the response of the joint fleet are more urgent.”
When Vice Chairman Choi Ho-il’s statements led the conversation elsewhere, Chairman Kang directed his attention to the urgent matter at hand and asked the intelligence director, “Do we have precise intel on the Zumwalt-class destroyer?”
“Yes, we are able to confirm the basics, sir.”
“Very well! Put it up on the screen.”
The intelligence director’s aide-de-camp manipulated the console, and the specs of the Zumwalt-class destroyer showed up on screen 3.
One of the arms of the Zumwalt-class destroyers caught Chairman Kang Ui-sik’s eye. It was the 128MJ railgun.
“Could we get detailed information about that railgun?”
“Yes, according to our intel, the 128MJ railgun has been equipped to all Zumwalt-class destroyers and replaced the AGS 155mm 62-caliber naval cannons. It is the next-generation electromagnetic gun. The range and speed of the rounds are held in secret.”
“If we were to estimate, what would its capabilities be?”
“Hmm! The range would approximately be 200km, and the speed of the projectile would be over Mach 6, sir.”
“The joint fleet reported the projectile to be a small metal object moving at over Mach 8, right?”
“Yes. It seems that railgun was what caught our joint fleet off guard!”
“It seems that way, sir!”
“Where is the Chungmugong right now?”
The main screen at the command center showed the location of the Chungmugong Lee Sun-shin ship (CG-1101) on a map with a blinking red dot.
“After destroying the enemy’s 12th escorting fleet and attacking the anti-air units across the Honshu shoreline, it received the urgent call from the joint fleet. It is headed toward their location at full speed, sir. It will arrive in the area within five minutes.”
“That’s a relief. Tell them to rescue the crew of the sunken ship and retreat.”
“Yes, sir.”
The Chungmugong Lee Sun-shin (CG-1101) had attempted to aid the joint fleet after it finished dealing with the enemy’s 12th escorting fleet. While it was attacking the seventh surface-to-ship missile artillery unit that had struck the joint fleet by launching their missiles, it heard about the joint fleet being taken out by the unidentified projectiles. They immediately changed their route and moved at 60 knots to the joint fleet’s location.
<hr />
February 5th, 2021, 01:20
The seas 121km east from Ulsan (the Chungmugong Lee Sun-shin’s (CG-1101) location)
“Captain! The command center reports we have entered the distance of the last shot interception phase.”
“Enter the interception process immediately!” Captain Ahn Youn-joon, who heard his first mate’s report, gave the order in a nervous tone.
“Yes, sir. Entering the interception phase now.”
The Chungmugong Lee Sun-shin (CG-1101) had entered within 50km of the joint fleet’s location and began to intercept the metal projectiles coming from the railgun heading toward the joint fleet with the Zeus 1 satellite.
There were six 22mm last-shot interception guns on board. They began to spray white beams of light toward the metal projectile flying at Mach 8. The six streams of light flying across the dark sky almost seemed like a show of fireworks, and the metal projectiles being shot down by them added to the scene. This show of light continued above the joint fleet’s location. While this was going on, Captain Ahn Youn-joon took the communications receiver to his ear.
“Tactical director?”
“Yes, Captain!”
“From now on, whether the vessel is from the 4th escorting fleet or the Zumwalt-class destroyer that the joint chief of staff told us about, whatever that gets detected on the radar, we strike down with our Avarice missiles.”
“Yes, sir. Understood.”
Captain Ahn Youn-joon, who had finished speaking on the line, glanced toward the flame-engulfed wreckage where the joint fleet used to be and sighed.
Captain Kim Youn-hwan of the Taejo (DDG-995) was his cousin. Admiral Gil Un-suk was also his superior from the naval academy whom he had looked up to. When he heard the news about his respected superiors, peers, and many other men aboard passing away, his heart weighed heavily.
“Captain! The strong radio waves coming from Oki Island is disrupting our radar’s detection capabilities. I believe we must close our distance if we are to detect the enemy’s location.”
The Chungmugong (CG-1101) was data-linked with the Apollo 3 reconnaissance satellite and attempted to search out the location of the four Zumwalt-class destroyers and vessels of the 4th escorting fleet, but the disruptive radio waves coming from Oki Island made them unable to search out the enemy’s location by using their radars.
“All right. What’s our distance between the enemy and us?”
“Approximately 227km away from the 4th escorting fleet and 241km from the Zumwalt-class destroyer fleet, sir.”
“If they get detected by the radar, then attack with the Avarice missiles without waiting for additional orders.”
“Yes, sir.”
Captain Ahn Youn-joon glanced at the helmsman and gave additional orders.
“Helmsman! Set the azimuth to 0-9-5 and half turn to portside! Sail at full speed!”
“Azimuth at 0-9-5 half turn portside! Full speed ahead!”
<hr />
February 5th, 2021, 01:20
km southeast from Japan’s Oki Island (the Zumwalt destroyer fleet)
The four destroyers sailed across the sea, causing white foam to stir up in the ocean. They continued to fire their railguns equipped on board in the western direction.
The destroyers that were firing their railguns after being deployed into the field were the US Navy’s 7th fleet destroyers. They were the Zumwalt-class destroyer the Zumwalt (number 1), the Michael Monsoor (number 2), the Lyndon B. Johnson (number 3), and the Anderwoody (number 4).
The Japanese navy had cited the US–Japan military treaty to rent the four Zumwalt-class destroyers from the 7th fleet under the US Navy. After they finished the handing-off process, they moved the vessels covertly along the Honshu and Hokkaido straits and attacked Corea’s joint fleet with their railguns while using Oki Island as a shield.
Aboard the bridge of the number 1 Zumwalt-class destroyer, a Japanese admiral was taking the command while being aided by US Navy officers to operate the vessel. It was Yamamoto Genzur from the first carrier strike group.
After his crushing defeat from the Dok-do Island battle and barely surviving the Chungmugong Lee Sun-shin’s (CG-1101) attacks, he transferred to become admiral of the Zumwalt-class destroyer fleet. He was waiting for this opportunity to make up for his defeat from the last battle.
The sudden attack from the railguns worked at first. Three of the Aegis destroyers in charge of Corea’s joint fleet were struck, and two of them sank. Then four other destroyers and escorting vessels were severely damaged as well. Admiral Yamamoto Genzur gave the order to continue the railgun strikes to wipe out the entire joint fleet, but for reasons unknown, all the metal projectiles from the railguns began to be intercepted.
“What is intercepting the metal rounds from the railguns?” Admiral Yamamoto Genzur angrily responded to the mystery he could not answer.
The US navy officers who were guiding him shrugged and avoided the question.
They were unaware that Corea’s tactical interception satellite, the Zeus 1, and the Chungmugong Lee Sun-shin (CG-1101) cruiser were intercepting all of the rounds being fired by the railgun.
Visit freewe𝑏no(v)el.𝘤𝑜𝓂 for the best novel reading experience