John Wingate, Carrier, 1981
United Kingdom
HMS Furious
Centaur Class Carrier
Armament noted to retain 40mm Bofors Guns and Sea Cat missiles.
Airgroup consists of Harriers and Sea King helicopters.
Note: Class determination based on backstory which is based on that of HMS Hermes.
HMS Saracen
Swiftsure Class Submarine
Details as per the real ships
HMS Sealion
Swiftsure Class Submarine
Details as per the real ships
RFA Resolve
'Replenishment ship', class not specified
Speed: 16 knots
No other details provided.
RFA Resurgent
'Replenishment ship', class not specified
Speed: 16 knots
No other details provided.
HMS Phoebe (F42)
Leander Class Frigate
Real ship, details as in service 1964 - 1992
HMS Brazen (F91)
Type 22 Class Frigate
Real ship, details as in service (UK) 1982 - 1996, (Brazil) 1996 - 2015
HMS Gloucester (D96)
Type 42 Class Destroyer (Batch III)
Real ship, details as in service 1985 - 2011
HMS United
Upholder Class Submarine
Details as per the real ships
Note: Class assignment based on name only.
HMS Upholder (S40)
Upholder Class Submarine
Real ship details as in service (UK) 1990 - 1994 (Canada) 1998 - Ongoing.
Note: In real life the submarine entered service in 1990, in the novel it's stated to have just entered service.
United States
USS Jesse L. Brown (FF-1089)
Knox Class Frigate
Real ship, details as in service (US) 1973 - 1994 (Egypt) 1994 - Ongoing.
Canada
HMCS Athabaskan (DDG 282)
Iroquois Class Destroyer
Real ship, details as in service 1972 - 2017
Germany (Federal Republic)
Köln (F211)
Bremen Class Frigate
Real ship, details as in service 1984 - 2012
Note: Assumed to be this ship on the basis that the author includes HMS Gloucester, a ship still under construction at the time the novel came out in the story.
Goeben
'Warship' class not specified
Equipped with a Lynx Helicopter.
No other details provided.
Netherlands
HNLMS Oileus
'Fast Combat Support Ship', class not specified
Speed: 21 knots
Aircraft: 2 x Sea King, 3 x Lynx
Equipped with naval grade sonar
Note: Stated to be an improved version of the HNLMS Poolster (A835), a replenishment ship in service 1964 - Ongoing.
Russia
All ships are unnamed, reference is made to the fourth Kiev Class Carrier (Baku) being operational at the time the story is set. Also reference is made to the first two Kirov Class Battlecruisers (Kirov & Frunze) being in service, thought they are not named in the story.
Plot summary: The year is 1986, relations between the Eastern and Western Blocs has broken down. As the vital troop convoys leave the United States and Canada bound for Europe the Russians throw everything they have into the battle to stop them from arriving.
Note: The author does not give the year, but on one page does give a date with the day of the week. The first year that April 11th falls on a Friday after the date of publication is 1986, this also suggests that the other two novels in the series 'Frigate' & 'Submarine' (Covered in this thread.) are set in the same year.
