Chapter 648: A Time for Decisive Action 2: The Flame of the East

The tactical control director approached the gun operation section and gave instructions to Senior Chief Petty Officer Ha Il-soo in person.

“Be ready to shoot the Scithe cannons!”

At the order of the tactical control director, Senior Chief Petty Officer Ha Il-soo then passed down the order to the operator.

“Preparing to fire the Scithe K-2 cannon!”

“Preparing to fire the Scithe K-2 cannon!” The cannon operator who was in charge of the actual operation, operated the console lever while repeating the order. The fairing of the deck was opened to the left and right, and 100mm Scithe K-2 cannons with a double-barrel were raised and revealed.

Whirl, whirl.

“Operator! Set the target! The first target is the Zumwalt destroyer! The second target is Kaga, the third… Input the data.”

“Target setting! The first target is the Zumwalt destroyer! The second target is Kaga, the third… Target setting and data input complete.”

“Fire eight cannons at the first target. Fire four cannons each at targets two onwards. Report as soon as it is done.”

“The target and number of shots are set!”

“Fire at target No. 1!”

“Fire!”

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!

The Scithe cannons were capable of firing 50 cannons per minute. They fired plasma cluster munitions by recoiling. In less than 50 seconds, 40 cluster munitions flew to the ship of the 1st Carrier Strike Group at a tremendous speed close to Mach 11.

On the tactical screen, twelve blue lines showed that the cluster munitions were heading toward ten targets.

“28 seconds left to each target!”

Currently, the 16MJ-class railgun of the Zumwalt (DDG-0001) was the only weapon that could acquire and counter-intercept the plasma cluster munitions among the ships of the 1st Carrier Strike Group. The rest of the destroyers had no countermeasures on the weapon of speed Mach 11 and sized only 1.2m. So, the Chungmugong Lee Sun-shin (CG-1101) assigned the Zumwalt (DDG-0001) as the first target and fired eight cluster munitions. It fired four cluster munitions at the rest of the surface combatants.

“17 seconds to the first target!”

Amidst the operator’s continued reports, the blue lines indicating the cluster munitions disappeared one by one from the tactical screen. It seemed to be intercepted by a 16MJ-class railgun from the Zumwalt (DDG-0001).

“Four out of eight cluster munitions assigned to the first target were intercepted! Nine seconds left for the remaining four munitions. The remaining 36 are flying without any problems to their respective targets, with 15 seconds to impact.”

***

February 20, 2021, 12:10

On the sea 43km from the northern end of Maizuru, Kyoto Prefecture, Honshu, Japan (location of the 1st Carrier Strike Group of Maritime Self-Defense Forces)

Heavy sweat wet the back of Fleet Commander Yamamotu Genzur who was watching the interception. He was on the island bridge of the aircraft carrier Kaga (CV-2001), not the Hyuuga (DDH-181), the flagship of the 1st Carrier Strike Group. Admiral Yamamotu Genzur had already failed twice before this engagement. He gritted his teeth for revenge, but he was actually scared to fight against the Chungmugong Lee Sun-shin (CG-1101) again.

“Chungmugong Lee Sun-shin…,” he muttered.

He had maneuvered all the way to Maizuru Sea to launch a missile attack and was waiting for the next order. At that time, the Chungmugong Lee Sun-shin (CG-1101) showed up and began attacking. Admiral Yamamotu Genzur could not help but have a bad feeling.

“Currently, seven of the 44 were successfully intercepted! Four enemy munitions headed for this ship! A total of 37 are flying toward this group,” the operator screamed out.

In response, Admiral Yamamotu Genzur also opened the fleet’s communication network and exclaimed. The tendons on his neck stood out. “All fleets operate the Phalanx and intercept! No matter what it costs, intercept all of them!”

Two 16MJ-class railguns of the Zumwalt (DDG-0001) activated a metal veil in the blue sky to intercept the cluster munitions coming at a terrifying speed. Also, the surface combatant fired rounds from the 20mm Phalanx.

Because the speed of the cluster munitions was too fast, there were limits for the Phalanx to intercept in terms of distance and time. The Phalanx’s firing range was 5km, so they only had 1.5 seconds. Even if the interception was successful, it would be hard to avoid all the fragments. But they could not just sit back and wait. So, they fired from the ten Phalanxes using that short window of time.

Bam! Boom! Boom!

Luckily, some of the cluster munitions were hit and exploded in the air by ammunitions from the Phalanxes. However, the remaining 30 rounds of cluster munition sequentially hit the ships of the 1st Carrier Strike Group.

“Argh! Three enemy bombs aimed at this ship failed to be intercepted! Two seconds remaining…”

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Bam! Boom! Boom!

The radar technician of the Zumwalt (DDG-0001) could not finish his reporting. He knocked his head onto the console and passed out from the strong impact. Accordingly, no reports from the Zumwalt (DDG-0001) were heard any more on the bridge of Kaga (CV-2001).

First, two bombs hit the upper part of the bridge of the Zumwalt (DDG-0001), and one hit the starboard of the ship. A strong shock shook the entire ship in succession. The cluster munitions penetrated the ship, leaving face-sized holes. The bombs with tremendous explosive power swept the inside, causing a huge flame storm. The double steel bulkhead of the ship was easily cracked and pierced as if it were a thin foil. The flame struck the inner VSL launchers. Various installed missiles exploded, causing a series of internal explosions.

Booooooom! Bam! Boom!

The Zumwalt (DDG-0001) was greatly shaken by the internal explosions. Like lava erupting, dark red flames erupted from all directions. And because of the flame rising from the floor, the entire bridge was engulfed in flames as well. All the tempered glass of the bridge broke, and flames spewed out as if the tongue of a dragon fluttered.

The entire Zumwalt (DDG-0001) was engulfed in a huge flame, gradually splitting into two, and slowly sunk into the sea. This happened in an instant after being hit by only three cluster munitions.

“The first ship is hit! It’s sinking…,” someone shouted with a trembling voice from the bridge of the Kaga (CV-2001).

At that time, a small dot quickly flew toward the bridge. Yamamotu Genzur watched that as well with a forlorn face.

Boom! Boom!

The bridge of the Kaga (CV-2001) was torn in half and a huge flame broke out. Also, huge columns of flame soared with continuous explosions from all over. The flight deck was smashed by the lit debris, and flames soared out from the large holes on the deck.

On the flaming bridge, Admiral Yamamotu Genzur, who had survived the last two maritime battles, fell onto the floor. Fire made his whole body black like a lump of charcoal.

Atago-class destroyer Takao (DDG-191) succeeded to intercept only one cluster munition. It was hit by the last three cluster munitions. The ship was on a blazing fire, slowly leaned to port, and sank.

And around it, the Kongo-class destroyer Myoko was directly hit by two cluster munitions. The ship was slightly inclined to the port and blew smoke from the stern. It was flowing as if it had lost its own momentum and was pushed into the running water.

Besides, the helicopter carriers Hyuga (DDH-181) and Takanami-class Makinami (DD-112), and Suzunami (DD-114) were each hit with four cluster munitions and gradually sank into the sea.

Lastly, the Mineyuki (DD-124), the Hamayuki (DD-126), and the Matsuyuki (DD-130), which were the convoys of the 14th Escort, sank into the deep sea, only leaving numerous debris floating on the sea.

The surface combatants of the 1st Carrier Strike Group which had come back to the battle after two months of repair did not perform any exploit and were buried at sea only by one attack of the Chungmugong Lee Sun-shin (CG-1101).

Now, what remained of the Marine Self-Defense Forces were two regional troops: JMSDF Ominato District (15th Guard) and JMSDF Yokosuka District (11th Guard). It was a dark and serious situation with only 10% of military strength left. It was no exaggeration to say that the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces were annihilated.

***

February 20, 2021, 15:20

The sea 72km off the southeastern part of Jeju Island

Taejong the Great (DDG-996), Yulgok Yi I (DDG-992), Dae Jo-yeong (DDG-977), Wang Geon (DDG-978), and Eulji Mundeok (DDG-972) and the Dae Jung-sang (DDG-983) that had defended the southwest part of Jeju Island moved to the southeastern part of Jeju Island to join the Maritime Task Squadrons 71. The reorganized combined fleet with more fleet-class ships gradually increased its speed to the diamond formation and entered the south. In the 20km deep sea ahead, three Hocula submarines, Lee Un-hyung (SSP-86), Chang Chun-ha (SSP-087), and Moon Ik-hwan (SSP-088) submerged into the dark deep sea in the anti-submarine mode.

The main task of the combined fleet was to strike the U.S. Navy’s 3rd Fleet of the 11th Carrier Strike Group, slowly heading north in the South Korean Sea*, 426 km south of Jeju Island. The previous plan was to use the 25th Fighter Wing in Jeju Island as an aircraft carrier. They would have carried out a defense operation. However, this morning, the Joint Chiefs of Staff had urgently changed the plan to an aggressive attack. So, the Naval Operations Command combined the available maritime forces and issued a preemptive strike order against the U.S. Navy’s 3rd Fleet.

*The name of the East China Sea changed to the South Korean Sea after the victory over China.

The three Hocula destroyers, two Aegis destroyers, and four air defense destroyers quickly and secretly advanced southward, breaking through the blue waves with a speed of up to 25 knots.

***

February 20, 2021, 18:20

On the sea of 12km off the southern tip of Oki Island, Shimane Prefecture, Honshu, Japan.

The only thing that had blocked the second landing expeditionary force was the Marine Self-Defense Force’s 1st Carrier Strike Group. However, they had been defeated by the Chungmugong Lee Sun-shin (CG-1101). So, a safe sea route was secured. Accordingly, the second expedition landing force’s surface ships accelerated. They would reach the sea between Honshu and Oki Islands, a point where they could land on Sada Beach in Mikata District, in six hours.

Meanwhile, two Super Hocula submarines, which were in charge of the anti-submarine warfare mission of the 2nd landing expeditionary surface ships three days after commissioning received the emergency order from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. So, they handed over the anti-submarine escort mission to Hocula submarines such as the Lee Bong-chang (SSP-81), Ham Seok-heon (SSP-82), and Cho Bong-am (SSP-83), and then submerged along the west coast of Honshu in the direction of Hokkaido at full speed.

Various surface combatants, a total of 150 ships, presented a grand sight. The distance between Honshu Shimane Prefecture inland and Oki Island was 42 km, but due to the large ships, the gap seemed narrow. However, a new danger was approaching those surface combatants of the Second Landing Expeditionary Force.

At that time, at the southern end of Honshu were the 7th Submarine Squadron’s Virginia-class (Block IV) Vermont and Oregon (SSN-793), and the 11th Submarine Squadron’s Virginia-class (Block IV) Montana (SSN) -794) and Hyman Rickover (SSN-793).

Four Virginia-class submarines, which floated to a depth of 10m below sea level, opened the roof door of the 1.5m diameter launchers and were waiting for a launch order. In the vertical launcher, the LGM-30F Minuteman IV, an SLBM ballistic missiles with six MK-110 proton torpedoes, was equipped.

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