The Missiles of August

By Tom W Andrews

OS3 Janet Billings was on the downhill side of her four-hour watch in Combat Information Center. She was staring at her monitor and then at the big board, just to stay awake and alert. Her eyelids weighed about as much as a tire from her F-150 back home in Utah. Still, she took her watch seriously. Too many sailors had been lost a few years ago because of collisions. That was not going to happen on her watch.

                Scanning her monitor and then looking up at the big board, her head snapped back at her monitor. There! Moving fast and at low altitude, something was headed their way.

Contact! Bearing 301 degrees, Heading 121 degrees, altitude 300 feet, speed… Crap! Speed 650knts, range 145nm and closing! 

The officer of the day in Combat, LT. Rachel Lang, concurred immediately and snatched the phone off the bulkhead.

"Bridge, Combat. Contact Bearing 301 degrees, heading 121 degrees, altitude 300 feet, Speed 650knts, range 140nm and closing! Recommend Battle Stations!"

On the bridge, LT. Stan "The Man" Irving shot a look at the Chief of the Watch: "Sound General Quarters, Battle Stations, make it no drill, repeat, NO DRILL!"

"Aye, aye sir! Bo's' in, Sound General Quarters, Battle Stations and make it no drill!" said the Quartermaster.

In about three seconds, a bleating alarm sounded throughout the ship. This was followed directly with a call over the 1MC:

"General Quarters, General Quarters! All hands, man your Battle Stations! This is not a drill, repeat, this is not a drill!"

Set in the not too distant future off the coast of Somalia, begins a small naval battle. Facing one onslaught after another of missiles. A US Navy Task Force must hold the line against an unknown attacker. Will they survive? Will they lose the first US Navy ship since WWII? Who is attacking them and why?

Find out in this nautical page turner from Tom Andrews.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tom W Andrews
• Release date: Mar 24, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215841600

Book preview

Cruising off the coast of Somalia in international waters is the USS Woodrow. The Woodrow is doing what US Navy ships have done for a century. She is conducting a freedom of navigation mission, or a FON. She is showing the flag. The Woodrow is under the command of Captain Julian Alexander Smoot. The Woodrow is steaming alone but is loosely attached to TF-22 made up of USS Wasp LHD-1 and her escorts. The Wasp is approximately seventy-five nautical miles East Northeast of the Woodrow.

Captain Smoot entered the US Navy after graduating 4th in his class, from the University of Cincinnati with double degrees in mechanical engineering and business. He then entered the OCS program for the US Navy.

Smoot continued to excel while at OCS graduating 2nd. From there the newly minted Ensign Smoot, joined the ships company of the Guided Missile Cruiser USS Savo Island. On the Savo, Ensign Smoot became the Engineering officer. He earned top fitness reports all four years he was attached to the Savo Island and left for shore duty a Lieutenant Junior Grade.

LTJG Smoot was assigned to the 32nd Street Naval Station. His duties brought him to the power plant development center. LTJG Smoot added his brain power to the already capable staff. Together they tackled all sorts of power plant issues, both in current and future designs.

LTJG Smoot caught the eye of his superiors. They assigned him to lead a team to find a solution to an ongoing problem with a propulsion system in use in the fleet. LTJG Smoot took charge of the group in a way that encouraged participation. He made it clear everyone would share in their accomplishments and he would take the blame for failure.

Long after the group retired for the evening, often Smoot would remain for several hours pursuing a solution to a problem. Then one evening, there it was, the answer which they had sought. He closed the office quietly and returned to his quarters.

The next morning, LTJG Smoot assembled the group and presented his findings. Everyone in turn looked over his conclusion. When the last staff member closed the folder and smiled, they all cheered. All except Smoot. He allowed himself a smile and then congratulated each member individually.

LTJG Smoot then presented their findings to his superiors. They were very pleased and he never let on that it was he that had found the solution to the problem.

One captain in the group asked Smoot directly, Did you find this solution on your own lieutenant?

Smoot simply replied, It was a team effort sir.

The captain regarded Smoot for a moment, then nodded his approval.

At the conclusion of his shore duty, Smoot was promoted to Lieutenant. He then returned to the fleet and was assigned to the Guided Missile Destroyer Wills. On the Wills, he was again assigned to the engineering department.

The engineering department on the Wills was in disarray. There were many sources of friction caused by the past leadership. Smoot called his staff together and laid out a new course. He paired sailors with ones with whom they had not previously worked. He called his third-class petty officers out onto the fantail of the Wills. He pointed at the froth and began to speak.

This is what we produce. This frothing foam that exits from under the ship as we move forward. We are the only group on this ship that when we are underway, produces something that is always tangible. Sure, weps can fire missiles or the deck dun, but that is only in an exercise or when we are at war.

We on the other hand, are always producing thrust and or electric power. Always. This ship does absolutely nothing without each of you contributing."

Smoot looked at one of the petty officers. EM3 Vestal, what is your job on this ship?

Well sir. Began Vestal, I man the controls for the port turbine. I guess you could say I help make froth, Vestal concluded with a smile.

Smoot allowed himself a smile and a nod, I am sure it is very complicated. But you have two other jobs equally as important.

Vestal looked confused, I do sir? He looked as though he had forgotten something very important.

Yes, yes you do EM3 Vestal, said Smoot.

First, you have the job, the obligation, if you will. To work hard every day to prepare to become EM2 Vestal. But it doesn’t end there. You also have the job and obligation to train every EMSN to become a third-class petty officer. You see Vestal, just like we cannot allow our ship to set idle with no power, we cannot allow ourselves to do that either. We will always move forward. This goes for all of you. Just so you know. I will be having this same talk with the second classes, the firsts and the chiefs. Smoot concluded."

He dismissed the sailors to go back to their duties.

Vestal held back. He approached Smoot and said, "Sir, until five minutes ago, I hated the Navy. I was ready to get out. I just put third back on, I lost it before you came aboard. I am due to get out in three months. But to tell you the truth sir, I never had a real purpose in the Navy until now. Thanks. Uh... Thank you sir, said Vestal.

Smoot smiled and said, I read your file. You were a fine sailor and I think you can be again. Even better. I hope you stick with us a while. But even if you get out in three months, you will still need to find your way. Maybe we can help you develop the skills to do so. Said Smoot.

Petty officer Eugene Vestal said nothing. He just stuck out his hand. Smoot took his hand and the two shook on it.

Vestal did get out of the Navy after three more months. He used his GI Bill and enrolled in college. He obtained an engineering degree and then, after a letter of introduction and endorsement from Lieutenant Commander Smoot, entered OCS. He completed OCS and was commissioned an Ensign in the US Navy.

As an up-and-coming young officer, when given the opportunity to do so, Vestal gave the same speech a young lieutenant had given him on the fan tail of the USS Wills.

In 2025, Captain Smoot had taken command of the USS Simon Woodrow. He proceeded to shape the crew into his image of a US Navy fighting crew. Peacetime brought its own challenges to keeping a crew fighting sharp. Captain Smoot was up to the challenge.

Within four months of Smoot taking command, the crew of the Woodrow had been awarded the Battle E for efficiency. 

The Woodrow was named after PO1 Simon Woodrow. Woodrow was a SWO corpsman. In 2014 while operating in Afghanistan, Woodrow was tending two of his wounded team members. His position was in danger of being overrun. He elected to remain with his wounded team members while two other team members went to high ground to call for evac.

Woodrow was responsible for eliminating twelve of his many attackers. Despite being hit by an estimated eight bullets and several shrapnel wounds, Woodrow fought on. His two other team members reached help and headed back to his relief. Just before they arrived, a grenade landed among the two wounded SEALs. Without thinking, PO1 Simon Woodrow threw himself on the grenade. His actions saved his two wounded teammates but resulted in his death.

As a result of his actions and to honor his devotion to his fellow SEALs, PO1 Woodrow was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

The USS Simon Woodrow is one of the final and most advanced of the Arleigh Burke class destroyers. The Woodrow and her sixteen sisters are twenty-five percent larger than the other Burkes. She uses the expanded space to carry two Seahawk helicopters and twenty-four Seacat Advanced Capability Drones. She also carries twelve Barracuda UWUVs ASW Search drones.

Her armament includes one five-inch rapid firing dual purpose gun, two 20mm Phalanx CIWS and 104 VLS cells housing a mix of Standard RIM-67 surface to air missiles, RGM-120 Warhammer, Multi-Purpose Long Range Attack Missile and Anti-Ship Attack Missile and ECM Missiles.

The Woodrow and her sisters, of the current flight of Arleigh Burkes were large enough; some debate ensued as to whether to make that Burke block an entirely new class. Maybe even a cruiser class. In the end, it was decided to retain the Burke designation.

0300 2 August, 2026 150nm southwest of Somalia

OS3 Janet Billings was on the downhill side of her four-hour watch in Combat Information Center. She was staring at her monitor and then at the big board, just to stay awake and alert. Her eyelids weighed about as much as a tire from her F-150 back home in Utah. Still, she took her watch seriously. Too many sailors had been lost a few years ago because of collisions. That was not going to happen on her watch.

Scanning her monitor and then looking up at the big board, her head snapped back at her monitor. There! Moving fast and at low altitude, something was headed their way.

Contact! Bearing 301 degrees, Heading 121 degrees, altitude 300 feet, speed... Crap! Speed 650knts, range 145nm and closing! 

The officer of the day in Combat, LT. Rachel Lang, concurred immediately and snatched the phone off the bulkhead.

Bridge, Combat. Contact Bearing 301 degrees, heading 121 degrees, altitude 300 feet, Speed 650knts, range 140nm and closing! Recommend Battle Stations!

On the bridge, LT. Stan The Man Irving shot a look at the Chief of the Watch: Sound General Quarters, Battle Stations, make it no drill, repeat, NO DRILL!

Aye, aye sir! Bo’s’ in, Sound General Quarters, Battle Stations and make it no drill! said the Quartermaster.

In about three seconds, a bleating alarm sounded throughout the ship. This was followed directly with a call over the 1MC:

General Quarters, General Quarters! All hands, man your Battle Stations! This is not a drill, repeat, this is not a drill!

From all spaces in the ship, dark, already lit, or subdued in red, the ship came fully awake. Sailors piled out of their racks and into their clothes wide awake. They had practiced this many times and were good at it. Yet the ditty at the end: This is not a drill... added fuel to their jets!

Fire Control sailors, Damage Control, Operations Specialist, corpsmen, officers and doctors all headed to their appointed stations. Down the ship on one side, up the ship on the other. There was an air department onboard; they raced to the hangar deck to remove plugs and covers from the helicopter. Already, drones UVA-12 Seacats, were launching with sophisticated surveillance equipment peering off toward the incoming visitor... or vampire as missiles were called.

Combat was also waking up the ship’s defensive and offensive weapons systems. Missiles were moved to Ready and the Phalanx System was brought online. In addition, sailors were racing to lookout points on the ship and employing their trusty eyeballs to have a look see. 

Captain Julian Smoot was now on the bridge.

Battle Stations manned and ready, reported the OOD.

Very well, I am going to Combat, you have the Conn, said Captain Smoot.      Aye sir, was the OOD’s response.

Normally, when the captain enters a compartment that is occupied, the first person that sees him says: Captain on the... and then says Bridge, Combat, Mess Deck or so on and the compartment would come to attention. Captain Smoot had given orders that during General Quarters, no one was to come to attention.

Captain’s in Combat. came the call. OK, report, what do we have?

The Combat officer said, Sir, we have one bogie, bearing 301, heading 121, altitude 300 feet, range 110 miles and closing.

Very well, standby to engage bogie. Comm, have we tried to contact the bogie?

The Comms Chief said: Yes sir, continuously from first sighting. No response sir."

Stand by to fire on bogie with two ER birds. The Combat officer relayed the command. Captain Smoot calmly stated, First, Fire One,... Fire Two.

Hull Tech Master Chief Taylor Pulaski had been in the Navy twenty-three years. He was married to whatever ship on which he was assigned. He had children: the sailors he taught, coached, encouraged and occasionally kicked in the butt to get his point across. Not every sailor on the on the Woodrow loved him, but every sailor respected him. Every sailor in Damage Control loved him and would follow him into a burning magazine if he said follow me.

MCHT Pulaski was on watch when GQ was sounded. He immediately geared up. Turnout gear, Scott Pack and axe. He grabbed his helmet and stood by.

The Damage Control officer Ensign Oscar Hursh was the first sailor into DC.

Hey Master Chief, I forgot you had dog watch. Sharing the crap duty, eh? kidded Hursh.

Yes sir, you know me, I love the pain, replied Pulaski.

Master Chief Pulaski routinely scheduled himself on the watch from 00:00 to 04:00. He believed in leading from the front. Ensign Hursh was in awe of him. He hoped to be as good an officer as Master Chief was a great sailor. Of course, he would never let on to Master Chief how he felt. Ensign Hursh would never guess that his was among a long line of officers that felt the same way. Most of whom owe their success as sailors and officers to Master Chief’s leadership.

Master Chief Pulaski greeted each member of his team as they hurried into the DC compartment and readied for what might come next.

One younger DC Fireman Apprentice Henry Hank Aaron Friedman asked, What’s the GQ for Master Chief?

To stand by and fight the ship, Hammer. Master Chief called Friedman Hammer for his name’s sake, Hammerin’ Hank Aaron, the first man to break Babe Ruth’s record.

Yeah, but against what... a... who? asked Aaron.

Could be mermaids for all I know, doesn’t matter, we need to be ready, said the Master Chief.

Aye Master Chief, sorry, replied Aaron.

Don’t be sorry Hammer. You were just asking the same question all of us were thinking. Someday, you learn, it doesn’t matter who or why. All that matters are shipmates and the ship, stated Pulaski.

Nearby stood Ensign Hursh. Master Chief Pulaski, always teaching, thought Ensign Hursh. What a sailor! He will probably save all our butts... and then give me and the crew the credit.

Suddenly, from the bow VLS, came the unmistakable BOOM WHOOSH of a Standard missile rocketing up and out of its launcher, followed by another. Master Chief looked at Ensign Hursh and mouthed: We are about to earn our keep.

When the Fire Controlman pressed the firing button, a signal raced through a computer at the speed of light. This signal released a chain of events that opened the vertical launch silo for a Standard ER Surface to Air Missile or SM-6. As soon as the sensors indicated the cover had cleared the missile’s path, the Standard Missile’s first stage ignited and the missile leaped from its protective scabbard. Just as the Standard Missile began its roll and arch toward its prey, the second SM-6 blasted out of its confines and toward the closing target.

Before the second SM-6 had reached its arch over point, the first Standard missile was accelerating to its max speed of three and a half times the speed of sound. The missile was riding a radar beam originating from the ship. Missile two was now at its top speed, both missiles running fast and true.

The pilot of the Su-35 pulled up hard. The Su-35 shot skyward like a rocket. He then released three Kh-35 Anti-Ship Missiles. The pilot completed an Immelmann and dove for the deck while spewing chaff and flares.

The first SM-6 had just acquired the target on its