Caution: FNG at Work

[Mitteleuropa]

Containing a crew of seasoned German sailors, U21 has been tasked with the training of new submarine crew members, a favorite first destination for FNG's directly after graduating submarine warfare school. A Type 206 design, U21 is no longer on the cutting edge of Mitteleuropan submarine designs, but shares much in common with the similar Type 207 and brand new Type 209 submarines. Unlike the thunderdome that is the Baltic Sea, or the North Sea approaches of the Celtic Union, the Barents Sea is seen as a relatively stable playground for training operations.

U21 departs Ramsund in Norway and heads Northeast for the Barents Sea, complete with many seasoned German sailors, and a handful of newly graduated German, Norwegian, and Polish sailors. Their first task is to sail north of Murmansk, well within international waters, scout for any Soviet naval activity, and report their position and findings back to Ramsund. While the younger sailors have a mixture of glee and excitement, the older veterans expect to see nothing of interest, and spend multiple days in annoyance, training their FNG's with life in the actual fleet, rather than the sanitized training found at school.

[Kingdom of Ireland]

With tensions not necessarily high but at the same time never what Moscow considers low, Mitteleuropa is one of the potential adversaries the USSR and its military command keep in constant mind. While there are significant amounts of both the surface and submarine forces maintained by the Soviet navy stationed at the naval base in Murmansk, patrols for security are conducted just as much by the air as they are on the sea. Ilyushin Il-38's regularly are used to patrol the territorial waters of the Soviet Union across its various seas from the air. It uses its Berkut Search Radar and MAD mounted in the tail to be on the constant lookout for hostile incursions. At this time, one is on patrol off the coast of Murmansk, ensuring the Soviet waters of the Barents Sea remain undisturbed. As all Il-38s usually do when on deployment in this manner, they are equipped with a mixture of sonobuoys, depth charges, and mines.

[Mitteleuropa]

The submarine eventually arrives near 70.5016881, 33.2333425. Crawling at 5 knots, and at a depth of 50 Meters, the submarine conducts a passive sonar search for any vessels, civilian or otherwise, in the area. While not intending to give away their position, the sub crew eagerly waits for it's first contact, to give their young Sonar Technician, Seemann Edward Rudzik from Danzig, an opportunity to experience his job first-hand. With an official Mitteleuropan sonar identification book at his side, as well as Matrosen Johan Weigl and his guidance, the pair listen closely for any disturbances.

[Kingdom of Ireland]

To what one would assume is Seemann Rudzik's joy, he would get a reading off of the hull & propellers of the Dostoynyy, a Burevestnik-Class frigate, as it is returning to Murmansk after a naval patrol on behalf of the Soviet Border Troops in a Coast Guard role. He is part of a patrol group of four, with his brother vessels of Doblestnyy and the Rezvyy out on patrol away from Murmansk, conducting their rounds, while the last member of the group, the Zadornyy, is currently docked in Murmansk and will set sail upon the return of the Dostoynyy to port.

[Mitteleuropa]

Seeman Rudzik's eyes light up as he begins to hear transmissions from another vessel, one that Weigl had already heard for the previous 10 seconds. Flipping through his book, the crew begins to identify the craft, before recognizing it as 'Soviet Frigate, ASW, Krivak'. Browsing the summarized details of the ship type, Rudzik's excitement ends with a sobering gulp, reading on the armaments section, "RPK-3 Metel, ASM".

The young Seemann had heard from many of his peers, and petty officers from his training, about the Metal missile system, and the dangers it posed to submarine crews. While none had ever been fired upon a Mitteleuropan submarine, the Europanfleet intended to keep it thar way, with a healthy dose of respect and caution around vessels carrying them.

"Matr- er, Johan, I've identified contact Sierra-1 as a Krivak, bearing 312. Should we pass this along?" Checking over his work, and being able to deduce the vessel as one of the older Krivaks, he nods in agreement. "Well done, Seemann Válek will rally the information towards the bridge, lets see if we can stalk this vessel for a while and gather more information." Nodding to Válek, another FNG on his first deployment, he repeats the information on comms to the bridge. Red lights illuminate the interior of U21, and the crew is called to all hands as a training measure. The boat turns to a direct north bearing, placing the incoming vessel on the port-bow side.

[Kingdom of Ireland]

On board the Dostoynyy, Kapitan-leytenant Erzhan Ablaiev stands on the bridge. He is not particularly concerned, and is in fact looking forward to getting the ground under his feet again as he sails towards Murmansk after completing his patrol. He makes small talk with Radvilis Sietnieks, a Michman and good friend of Kapitan-leytenant Ablaiev. They remain in contact with both command back at the port in Murmansk, as well as regularly pinging back and forth with the Il-38 in the air. Ablaiev takes a sip of some tea he has in his mug, and looks out on the cold sea ahead of him while silently promising himself his next station will be at Sevastopol.

---

The eight person crew of the Il-38 up in the air above the Barents Sea watch their instruments attentively. At least, that's what the report would read. It would be unfair to say they weren't paying attention, but the amount of side conversation occurring between the officers and enlisted on board would make some of the more regimented members of the Soviet Air Forces unamused. The crew however were amused, and talked about the fun they were looking forward to having in Murmansk once they were released upon return to the airfield.

[Mitteleuropa]

U21 gets closer and closer, beginning to identify the Krivak's bearing, speed and distance. Plotting the course, it appears to the U21 crew that the Krivak is headed for Murmansk. As such, the vessel isn't a great contender for further information gathering, and the decision is taken to let it pass and wait for a vessel departing Murmansk instead.

That was the plan of Commanding Officer Frentzen, at least, until some imbecile in the sonar section fumbled his hands on the controls, and let out an ear screeching active sonar ping. The entire crew freezes in shock and force of habit. Now only 10 Km away from the Dostoynyy, it was almost guaranteed that the Soviet Frigate will have heard the ping.

Yelling at a whisper through clenched teeth, Johan forcefully turns the active sonar back off, and picks up the young Seemann from his chair, with a single fistful of regulation Mitteleuropan uniform cloth. "You little shit, why don't we just invite them to come fuck our wives?! Verdammt noch mal!" The young Polack, unsure if he is more afraid of the Krivak, or this much more experienced, and increasingly threatening German Sailor, manages nothing in response but apologetic hand gestures. With similar whisper-yelling heard through Seemann Válek's headphones, the young Czech attempts to explain what just occurred to the CO of U21. The entire vessel and it's crew has grown so quiet, chefs in the mess hall would be able to hear a mouse pissing on cotton at table 6.

[Kingdom of Ireland]

As Kapitan-leytenant Ablaiev takes a sip of his tea, he almost spills it as the ops floor calls up to the bridge to alert him of the event that has just occurred.

Comrade Kapitan-leytenant, we have received a sonar ping from an unknown submarine, position of 10 kilometers ahead to our starboard bow.

Ablaiev presses the intercom to communicate with the Ops Floor. Confirm last known position. Relay coordinates to the Il-38 and have them drop sonobuoys between us and the unknown boat to track him. Have comms then relay our current situation and plan to Murmansk. Request the Zadornyy set sail to meet us.

Understood, comrade Kapitain-leytenant.

Ablaiev takes his finger off the intercom. He knows the Zadornyy will take time to reach here, but if he can force the unknown submarine to surface, the impending reinforcements will give him more of an intimidation factor to find out exactly what is keeping him from his shore leave.

---

The Il-38 receives the notice from the Dostoynyy, and make them repeat to confirm, the unusualness of the situation almost unable to be grasped as genuine. What idiot pings active sonar between a frigate and her home port, so close to reinforcements? Still, they were in international waters and therefore not a valid target. In agreement with the orders, all this aircraft can do was drop some sonobuoys to try and scare this unknown adversary into surfacing. The Il-38 enters lower altitude perpendicular to the courses of both the Dostoynyy and unbeknownst to the pilot, U21. They drop 3 sonobuoys center, east and west of the active ping's coordinates, halfway between it and the Dostoynyy. The Dostoynyy's ops floor is connected to any resulting triangulated coordinates of the submarine. After this pass, the Il-38 wraps around, preparing to fly incredibly low, hoping to engage the MAD on her tail to provide additional positional accuracy.

[Mitteleuropa]

The sound of turboprop engines are heard above the surfacd, and the Il-38 begins to pass in front of U-21, which has begun to change course slowly for 090, preparing for a dash away. With the first splash, the young Polack, already practically pissing his pants, taps his superior nervously. "Johan, I think thats a fish in the water, we need to-" a 2nd and 3rd splash cuts off the sailor, followed by sonar pings from the recently dropped sonobuoys. "Sonobuoys, 3 of them. They are trying to triangulate our position, report to CO." Matrosel Johan Weigl had abandoned any nonchalance he previously had, and only spoke in direct, matter of fact terms. Though not visibly afraid, it was clear that Weigl had taken the situation quite seriously, and was looking to unfuck what the polack seems to have fucked in the first place.

U-21 begins to accelerate beyond 10 knots towards the east, away from the oncoming frigate, but still deeper into the sea and away from the Soviet coastline.