THE CATASTROPHE

The spell had been cast. The War Game was on full swing and the battle lines had been drawn. The exponents of the stealth were in vogue and the “Cat” had been pitched up against the “Mouse”. The Submarine was lurking behind the temperature layers in the great depths of the Sea and waiting to strike as the target crossed its weapon line. There were sweat beads on most foreheads as each second counted.

Finally, the orders for speed increase started flowing in on the Main Motor Telegraph. The Motor Room crew was agile and ready to meet the orders. The best Motorman sat on the big wheel which operated the 52 Ton Main Motor. This Motor in turn provided the thrust to the Submarine’s screws to move the 3000 Ton behemoth steel body to pierce through the sea layers. The swift movement of wheels and the change of contacts enabled the Motor to gain half ahead speed. The big Submarine started gaining momentum. The Control Room crew was silent and sharp with its calculations. Crisp orders were being passed as rapid calculations progressed to encounter the enemy and ensure a symbolic victory of the War Gaming.

The Engine Order Telegraph moved to Extreme Full Ahead position indicating that the Submarine needed more power to move towards firing depth and reach the torpedo launch position. The Motorman who was a thorough professional and one of the best suddenly moved the big wheel in the counter-clockwise position instead of taking it clockwise as per the telegraph order. The big motor jerked as its momentum was given an electrical impulse to spin in exactly the opposite direction. The motor started drawing a heavy current to execute the order and the main motor contacts became red hot. Things moved in seconds, as the Electrical Officer who was watching the operation swung into action and pushed the frozen Motorman out of his operating position which is on a box. He took control of the big wheel and with precision restored the wheel back to zero position to enable the currents to settle down and ease the electrical pressure on the contacts. The fire seemed inevitable as temperatures rose furiously as if their inertia had been shaken violently. The catastrophe had raised its head and would strike any moment.

The telegraph was still stuck at extreme full ahead position and the Control Room was waiting for the matching of telegraphs at the end of the wheel maneuver. The Electrical Officer zeroed the telegraph to Motor Stop Position and boom came the thundering voice of the Control Room. The maneuver had started and boat was gaining height and now the Motor showed stop position. Quick words were exchanged as the Submarine’s momentum started dropping with the Motor stopped. The Electrical Officer had a lot of work to do to get the Motor going if the Submarine had to meet its intended commitment. He had to fight hard to contain the catastrophe which had all the plans to run amok.

The Control Room opened up the adjacent Compartments for a quick in-board ventilation to share the smoke and heat of the Motor Room Compartment. The Motor Room crew quickly inspected the Motor externally and assessed the situation. The contacts were visually inspected and the Electrical Department Team decided to meet the challenge head on. Control Room was informed that the Motor would be operated and the present run of the Submarine would have to stall for 30 minutes to do a detailed inspection. Control Room now had some more work to do as the route had to be planned again to catch the dummy enemy ships which were now crossing at the top of the Submarine as she moved to safer depths to cool down the temperatures.

The building catastrophe was contained with quick and detailed checks. The Electrical Team certified the Main Motor and after 30 minutes a slow start was given by the same Motorman who had invited the catastrophe! The giant motor came to life and turned the massive screws of the Submarine. The Submarine gained momentum, turned and shaped a new course to attack the ships which had gained many a nautical miles. The search pattern was re-drawn and the chase began again. The swift Command Team of the Submarine played its tactics of the “Cat and Mouse” game and attacked the convoy to meet the training target. The torpedo firing exercise was carried out and the War Game culminated successfully.

All this while the Commanding Officer had been in a watchful mode. He did not disturb his entire Command Team as each Officer went ahead with his plan to meet the challenge. The average age of his Command Team was just about 27 years and himself was touching 40 years. His silence and calming presence enabled each movement to a perfect closure. The equipment was retrieved, made operational again and Submarine met its intended target. No Officer lost his sweat and there were no countermanding orders at any stage. Each man worked liked a ticking clock.

During the de-brief, the Electrical Officer presented his sequence along with the Executive Officer. The Motorman on duty was interviewed and no possible reason was found about his one-off action. He was put back on his regular duty watch and continued to operate the motor at best as he only could! After all, he was one of the best Motorman onboard the Submarine. His confidence levels were found to be complaint with his training and experience as no Officer or his superior sailor fumed at him for the episode.

The Commanding Officer had led his team well and with his positive attitude gained the utmost respect of his Officers and Men. He did not create a flutter when the catastrophe had started its strike. He had contained the marauding expanse of the catastrophe by meeting the challenge with his steadfast approach. He let his team carry out the assigned tasks and stood behind them firmly. His 26 years olds had been given a grand lesson on leadership merely by his calm demeanor and strong but calm presence. His orders were clear as a crystal and reflected great faith that he had in his well trained team. His presence gave utmost confidence and every man was sure of his own worth. The air was sucked out of the catastrophe and it could never reach its flash point.

The Submarine settled down quickly into its operational routine and dived deep to become yet another metal body inside the deep ocean. The Commanding Officer had two major roles- operations and training. He succeeded in both and ensured that he created a strong yet empathetic leadership under him. 

No situation is worth the panic. Situations would emerge out of nowhere and try to wreak havoc. They demand attitude which ensures containment rather than fanning the situation. Be calm, be gentle and yet be strong can easily help to scale potential catastrophes. If it cannot be avoided, then it should be embraced. Isn’t it?

How about you? Are you ready to embrace the catastrophe? Eh!