Whilst trying to find additional sound contacts in the Broadband Sonar station I am interrupted with the distinctive ping of active sonar. Heading straight to the Active Intercept station I see that at a bearing of 230 I am being pinged at a frequency of 7500 Hz.
Upon checking the USNI Reference I am able to confirm my suspicion that this is a military surface vessel.
The Navigation station is automatically updated with the active intercept contact, S03.
Having found what I presume is the Perry FFG I am now certain that the first two sound contacts S01 & S02 cannot be my target.
Knowing that the Perry FFG is at an approximate bearing of 230 and assuming that the target cargo ship must be close I attempt to find it via the Broadband Sonar station. Try as I might, I am still unable to find a sound contact around that bearing.
Having not found the Perry FFG or the cargo ship via the Broadband Sonar station I decide to risk using the periscope.
In the Periscope station, I turn the periscope around to the bearing 230, take a deep breath and reconsider my decision. Again, I decide that the risk of detection is very low and proceed to raise the periscope. On the bearing of 230, I see the top halve of a ship over the horizon…
but no Perry FFG. Swinging the periscope to my right I see the distinctive bridge of a freighter over the horizon on a bearing of 237…
I quickly scan to the left as far as bearing 200 but cannot see any other platform. Quickly heading back to the bearing of 230 I take a picture of the platforms bridge before lowering the scope.
With only the bridge visible above the horizon, I will not be able to get a range on this vessel, but I do hope to be able to identify it.
Before the scope has fully lowered, I open the USNI Reference looking at the civilian cargo ship.
Yes! That has to be it.
