Back in 1978, I was admitted to Northwestern Polytechnical University.

Chapter 305 The Conqueror's Attack

The propeller at the tail spun faster, making quite a racket, but... they believed that the Crying Nation's weak anti-submarine capabilities wouldn't be enough to detect them.

This requires advanced sonar equipment, which the Crying Country lacks!

Half an hour, an hour, two hours...

"Ten nautical miles from the target!"

"Ascend to periscope depth!"

"Yes."

The massive submarine slowly rose, eventually settling steadily at a depth of twenty meters. On the submarine's conning tower, the periscope began to slowly rise until it emerged above the sea surface.

In submarine warfare movies, there are many classic scenes. For example, a sonar operator not only heard the sound of coins falling from the pockets of crew members on the other submarine, but also identified which side it was!
In fact, that's pure nonsense.

Even the loudest propellers might not be distinguishable. Although the latest sonar equipment has a database that can compare various sounds, the Conqueror, which has been in service for ten years, does not have such equipment. They can only tell that it is the sound of a large warship.

Specifically... we would need to surface to periscope depth and visually locate the target.

The naval battle of 82 has been embellished with incredible detail by later generations. In fact, many aspects of the naval battle were similar to those of World War II.

Lieutenant Colonel Brown pressed his eye against the periscope's eyepiece and slowly turned the handle. Soon, a formation appeared in his field of vision, consisting of two auxiliary warships. He didn't even look at them, but only at the main warship, which was very large and had... a naval gun on its bow.
Two triple-mounted gun turrets stood at the bow of the ship, which disappointed him somewhat.

Not the May 25th, but... the General Belgrano cruiser!

"Damn it, it's just a cruiser, but... this target isn't bad. Let's keep an eye on it and report our findings to the fleet immediately!"

The communication buoy was released, and they continued to keep an eye on the warships. Now, as soon as they received the order to fire, they could use their advanced torpedoes to take down the targets!
"Lieutenant Colonel, do we need to prepare Tigerfish torpedoes?" the deputy captain asked immediately.

The MK24, the Tigerfish guided torpedo, is the most advanced torpedo carried on their submarines. However... the reliability of this torpedo is only 40%. If three are launched, at most one will have a 50% chance of hitting the target.

"No, the distance is so close, we can hit it with an MK-8."

The deputy captain's eyes widened.

The MK-8 was a straight-running torpedo from World War II. Firing a torpedo was similar to firing a gun: various data were calculated, the target's current course was estimated, and then the torpedo was propelled in a straight line to achieve a planned collision with the target…

Is this...appropriate?

Seemingly knowing what he was thinking, Lieutenant Colonel Brown smiled and said, "That cruiser over there is also from World War II. Using World War II torpedoes to attack World War II warships is the only way to show them respect."

"Yes."

The torpedo room bustled with activity, while Lieutenant Colonel Brown continued his visual observation. Little did they know that, five thousand meters above the ground, a Y-10 maritime patrol aircraft was sailing smoothly.

"A suspicious echo has been detected on the sea!"

"Provide the Belgrano with the exact location of the target so they can visually confirm its location, and then... launch an anti-submarine attack!"

The Crying Country's anti-submarine equipment is too poor; they can't detect submarines underwater with sonar at all. However, they have advanced maritime patrol aircraft that can detect submarines' snorkels!
For submarines, the greatest advantage is stealth. Once this advantage is lost, nuclear submarines are nothing more than... lambs to the slaughter!

Behind them, eight thousand nautical miles away, was the fleet.

"What? The Belgrano has been spotted?" Rear Admiral Woodward was incredibly excited. "We need to launch an attack immediately and sink this warship!"

"No, we cannot act rashly now. We need to report to 10 Downing Street."

"What report? The Iron Lady has given you full authority."

“If the target were in the no-navigation zone 200 nautical miles from the Falklands, then of course it would be my right, but now the target is outside the no-navigation zone.”

"And what about outside..." Woodward was a born warmonger; he never considered things from a political perspective!

Federhaus sighed: "Report it. The cabinet will decide when to request permission to go to war."

This decision will take several hours, but the Crying Nation's navy has no intention of giving them that time!

Onboard the cruiser General Belgrano, Captain Bonso received the news and felt his legs shaking even more violently.

When the plan was being formulated, he was vehemently opposed to it when he learned that he had been used as bait. However, he could not disobey military orders and had no choice but to come out and die. Now, a submarine had actually followed them.

Don't be nervous, don't be nervous, you absolutely mustn't be nervous!

He tried to reassure himself as he raised his binoculars and looked out at the sea.

The sea seems very calm!

Eight nautical miles away, something quite unusual happened: a seagull... was actually perched on the surface of the sea?
He carefully adjusted the magnification of the telescope, and the target gradually became larger. Then, he shook his arm again, and damn it, the seagull was obviously perched on the periscope!

Wait, the seagulls are taking off, and the periscope is descending... Is this... an attack?

"Quickly, switch to anti-submarine warfare immediately! Send a message to the two warships escorting us, instructing them to spread out into an anti-submarine formation and release anti-submarine depth charges!" Bonso shouted in a trembling voice. To the others, it sounded like excitement at the arrival of the fighter jets!
The periscope is only for observing the target. After the target is observed, the Conqueror continues to approach the target and lowers the periscope. As long as the sonar operator does not neglect his duties, it is impossible to lose track of the target. They can only take action when the order is given from the rear.

Meanwhile, the MK-8 torpedo had completed testing and was ready to be loaded with target data and inserted into its launch tube.

A battle could break out at any moment.

"Report: The three target warships have separated."

"Separated? Are they going to carry out other missions?"

"do not know."

The sonar operator suddenly frowned: "Judging from the sound, they're changing course and heading this way!"

"Reduce speed to five knots and silence the entire ship."

Although he knew the other party's skill level was poor, he still had to be careful.

The noise level of a submarine is closely related to its speed. Once the submarine's engine is shut down, even the most advanced passive sonar cannot detect its presence unless active sonar, like radar, is used to search the entire seabed.

Lieutenant Commander Brown remained calm. As an experienced commander, he was never in a hurry. This was a quality that the Royal Navy had inherited for hundreds of years. A century-old navy is not just a boast.

The target was getting closer and closer. When it was almost overhead, the sonar operators held their breath.

Thump! Thump, thump!
The sound was very soft, but... it was like a thunderclap, and the sonar operator felt his voice begin to tremble.

"Depth charges! They've dropped anti-submarine depth charges!"

How to deal with submarines?

In later times, torpedoes were the best option. Sonar would detect the target, load data onto the torpedo, guide it toward the target, and then it would explode. However, in the 1980s, the level of anti-submarine torpedoes was still very poor, and for third-rate countries, it was even more impossible to obtain first-rate torpedoes.

Depth charges are the oldest weapon used to deal with submarines.

It's just a regular bomb, very cheap to make. It has a depth-sensing fuse that detonates at the corresponding depth, a classic example of casting a wide net to catch a big fish. During World War II, this was used extensively. Whenever a special sound was heard from the seabed, a batch of bombs would be dropped, even if it only brought up a group of fish, it gave people peace of mind.

However, since it has to sail to the target sea area to launch an attack, it causes a lot of inconvenience. Therefore, military experts have equipped anti-submarine depth charges with rockets, turning them into rocket-assisted depth charges. After detecting the target's movement, they can be launched quickly. Flying there is much faster and safer than sailing there!
The bows of warships in the Eastern Navy are equipped with such powerful weapons, and even the Type 052C destroyer still retains a multi-functional rocket launcher.

Acoustic homing torpedoes sound advanced, but in reality, they have many problems. They might even become hostile to their master and come after you, which wouldn't be surprising.

Sometimes, simple and direct weapons are more effective, just like now.

Upon hearing the anti-submarine depth charge warning, Lieutenant Colonel Brown broke out in a cold sweat. He even forgot the silence order he had just given and shouted, "Quickly, full speed down! Everyone else, to the bow!"

For a submarine, depth is always the best protection. Since the enemy is coming for it, the first round of depth charges will be launched at very shallow depths. As long as it can hide in the deep sea and then slowly sail away, it can escape danger.

At the stern, the noise from the nuclear reactor increased rapidly, the main circulating water pumps were running at full power, the nuclear reactor was also outputting full power, the steam turbines were accelerating, and the propeller at the stern was also running at full speed. Operating a submarine at sea is similar to flying an airplane in the sky; to submerge, the bow needs to point downwards and plunge in. Now, in a fully submerged state, adjustments cannot be made using the water tanks, and in an emergency, personnel assistance is required.

All the irrelevant people went to the torpedo room, which also increased the weight of the bow, allowing the submarine to submerge faster.

The submariners ran quickly inside the submarine, but unfortunately, it was too late.

boom!
An explosion rang out, and everyone stopped, their eyes filled with terror.

If it were a Russian double-hulled submarine, it might be able to survive a few torpedoes hitting the outside. However, Western submarines are all single-hulled. Once the outer pressure hull is damaged, the submarine will be quickly filled with a large amount of seawater under the terrible water pressure and then sink.

This sea area is a full four thousand meters deep!
Boom, boom boom!

Amid the explosions, Captain Brown's roar rang out: "What are we waiting for? Damn it, we need to get down here!"

No one hesitated and immediately carried out the order. Even if someone thought that it would be safer to surface, they knew that if they dared to say that at this moment, the captain would probably draw his pistol and shoot.

The crew rushed to the bow, whereupon the submarine, already at a dive angle of about thirty degrees, began its descent.

Get down quickly, it'll be safer that way!
boom!
Just then, an explosion shattered their dream. The submarine's hull, like a clock tower bell, emitted a buzzing sound, followed by... the sound of water under high pressure.

"Case number eight is leaking!"

Inside the control tower, upon hearing this voice, Lieutenant Colonel Brown's face turned ashen.

"Close compartment eight, empty all water tanks, and prepare for emergency ascent!"

Once a crack appears in the submarine's hull, their mission is no longer to fight, but to protect the submarine and the lives of the crew. No one wants to die at sea. Fighting bravely in battle and resolutely choosing to surrender when unable to fight is the creed of Western soldiers.

Compressed air was introduced into the water tank, and as the seawater was emptied, buoyancy began to increase. When the depth gauge began to decrease, Lieutenant Colonel Brown breathed a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, the buoyancy is greater than the gravity, and the submarine is rising!

The worst-case scenario is that even if the seawater is drained, the buoyancy will still be less than the weight. This means that too much water has entered the cracked compartment. At that point, there is no way to reverse the situation, and the compartment will continue to sink until it reaches the seabed.

A submarine designed to reach a depth of 300 meters has fallen to a depth of 4,000 meters. They don't know what will happen, but they know that rescue is impossible. That depth is still a forbidden zone for humans, and they can only wait to die.

Thirty meters, fifteen meters, five meters...

The bow of the submarine is finally rising above the water!

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Submarines are a threat when they are hiding underwater. Once they surface, it means they have no malicious intent. During the Cold War, submarines from both the US and the Soviet Union played this game of hide-and-seek underwater. If they couldn't win, they would come up and slink away.

They might even be able to return under the escort of the Crying Nation's navy, after all, the submarine is broken and completely incapacitated, and the naval battle hasn't even officially begun yet...

Oh, right, we need to prepare the flags. Once we're out there, we need to hoist the Union Jack. We can't let our own countrymen board our submarines and warships. It's a country's floating territory!

At this moment, Lieutenant Colonel Brown was still proud, seemingly forgetting that the Falklands were also their territory, yet they were still occupied by the Crying Nation.

Boom!
Just then, a terrible crash rang out, causing Lieutenant Colonel Brown's heart to plummet to the bottom.

What happened? What did it hit? Please don't let it sink any further!

"Damn it, we've run into a surface ship that's dropping depth charges!" the sonar operator shouted.

When a submarine surfaces in an emergency, it must ensure that the sea surface is safe. There are many bloody examples of this. A British submarine once collided with a fishing net while surfacing, which then capsized the fishing boat, causing the fishermen to fall into the sea and drown. There have also been atrocities involving island nations that have capsized surface vessels, including students on a research trip, all of whom drowned.

just now……

"Torpedo room, torpedo room, report the damage!"

"The torpedo compartment is taking on water; we are doing everything we can to salvage it..."

On the water, a frigate that had been capsized was also struggling...

10 Downing Street, England.

"I believe that since we have declared the 200-nautical-mile zone around the Falklands as a blockade zone, we cannot expand it without authorization. We cannot bring the war to the mainland of the United States, as this could lead to even worse consequences and cause heavy casualties to our landing operation."

"No, we must sink the enemy's large warships; that will boost morale..."

The two sides were engaged in a heated debate.

The Iron Lady checked the time; two hours had passed, and continuing like this was pointless.

"North, what's your opinion?"

"I believe it is not advisable to initiate action without authorization."

"Alright, then give the order to attack immediately..."

North was stunned. You asked for my opinion and then made the opposite choice, so you used me to eliminate the wrong option?

The Weeping Kingdom's rash actions were closely related to North's plan. If he hadn't firmly ordered the Perseverance to be withdrawn, he wouldn't have given the Weeping Kingdom the wrong signal. Now, this guy is still a coward, so... the Iron Lady decided to listen to his advice in reverse.

Thump thump thump... Just then, someone rushed in.

"Report, report!"

"what happened?"

"The Conqueror has been forced to surface and is currently being escorted by the Crying Kingdom to its port."

"what?"

Everyone was stunned.

They wanted to boost morale with a decisive battle, but... the Conqueror surrendered? This was their attack nuclear submarine, a symbol of their great power!

"What exactly happened?"

"The Conqueror was suddenly exposed during the tracking process. The enemy quickly dropped anti-submarine depth charges, which damaged the Conqueror. During its ascent, it capsized the Weeping Nation's frigate, the Bucha... The casualties are currently unknown."

"The Conqueror fought bravely, and even after launching all its torpedoes, it chose to continue fighting by ramming rather than give up. Its indomitable spirit is something our entire fleet should learn from!" the Iron Lady said.

John North's expression was complicated. Compared to the Iron Lady, his mind was indeed too simple.

The land of weeping erupted in jubilation once more.

“Our army is fully capable of defeating the enemy! We have already crushed two enemy attacks in succession!” Castelli was very pleased.

The enemy's bombers came over and were shot down; the enemy's submarines came over and were captured. As for the loss of one of our warships... in the face of such a great victory, this small loss is nothing!
“Yes, once the British naval task force arrives, we will also have the capability to send them to the bottom of the sea! The Falklands will always be ours!” Anaya exclaimed excitedly.

Beside him, De Cuéllar frowned: "Won't this make the British even more united against the enemy... or even invite American intervention..."

"Don't think too much about it. Now, let's enjoy our victory!" Castelli said, then seemed to remember something: "We'll need the Easterners' advice on the next battle plan..."

Both victories were orchestrated by the Easterners. Although we didn't have much contact before, we'll be good friends from now on!
As war began, the nation of tears was quickly abandoned by the West, and even the United States betrayed them; only the East supported them! True friendship is revealed in times of adversity!
East.

"The navy of this crying nation is really weak! They managed to capsize their own warships during a perfectly good anti-submarine operation!" Qin Liang felt that he was truly speechless!

　PS: Conqueror.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)