Captain Curt Renshaw A. (sitting), commander of Chancellorsville, as his team prepares to exit Sepanggar in Malaysia, sea South China
The cruiser US Navy was in disputed waters off the Spratly islands when the hazard warning sounded by the internal communication system of the ship: "Preparing Snoopy Snoopy team ... Preparing team."
While the sailors of Snoopy team entered on alert and assumed positions throughout the ship, a frigate of the Chinese navy appeared on the horizon, following the direction of Chancellorsville cruiser last week. Came from the direction of the Mischief Reef. More alarming, a Chinese helicopter had taken off from the frigate flew directly to the North American cruiser.
"This is a Navy warship US readiness," said Warrant Officer Anthony Giancana on his radio on the ship's bridge, trying to contact the chopper. "Enter the frequency 121.5 or 243."
There was no answer.
Official Anthony Giancana sends message to the Chinese frigate that accompanied the American vessel Chancellorsville on patrol in the South Sea China
Here in the warm waters and blue near the Spratly and Paracel islands, which include reefs, sandbars and coral cays, the US and China are vying for Ocean Pacific area. The Mischief Reef where China is building a military base, challenging the claims of Vietnam and the Philippines, to the shoal Scarborough, where the Chinese are building and equipping outposts in disputed territory, far from the mainland, the two naval forces are in an almost continuous state of alert.
Despite the sea of South China extend for about 500 miles (or 800 km) from the mainland of China, Beijing claims most of it. Tensions have increased a lot, and the theme will dominate the meeting of President Barack Obama in Washington this week with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Aboard the Chancellorsville last week, the minutes and the tension is prolonged as the pilot of the Chinese helicopter refused to answer. The aircraft continued circling and then returned to Chinese frigate, which went towards the American ship. At the helm, Captain Curt A. Renshaw, who had not taken bath in the morning to run to the bridge when the Chinese helicopter came, was meeting with officials.
The day before, Renshaw had warned all ship by internal communicator that the cruiser was transiting the Spratly and told the crew to stay on alert for trouble. He hoped that the Chinese appeared. In recent months, Beijing was closely monitoring ships of US war who dared to enter the sea of Southern China. On a bench near the captain's chair, a copy of "Jane Warships", opened on page 144: "Chinese Frigates."
"Have you been before then?" Renshaw asked Warrant Officer Kristine Mun, a navigation officer. He turned to the lieutenant Niles Li, one of several officers who speak Chinese, and said the Chinese helicopter refuses to answer the radio message.
Finally, when the Chinese frigate was six miles (about 10 km) away and clearly visible on the horizon, the radio hissed and was heard in an English accent with: "US Warship 62 .... Here is the Chinese warship 575 ".
An MH-60 takes off the American vessel Chancellorsville
And so began an elaborate diplomatic dance.
"Here it is the US warship 62. Good morning, sir. It's a nice day for sailing, exchange."
No reply.
"Here it is the US warship 62. Good morning, sir. It's a nice day for sailing, exchange."
Still no answer.
Renshaw turned to Li. "It's you," he said. "They can not pretend you do not speak Chinese."
"Ship Chinese war 575, here is the US warship 62," said Li in Chinese. "This is a sunny day for a sea voyage, over."
A few more minutes of silence. The Warrant Officer Anthony Giancana, the youngest officer in the deck that morning was getting nervous. "It seems the day of the premiere," he said to no one in particular. "He finished the training of spring."
Suddenly, the radio hissed again and the frigate replied in Chinese: "US warship 62, this is the Chinese warship 575. The weather is great today is a pleasure to find them surfing.".
Li replied, also in Chinese: "Here is the US warship 62. The weather is great it's a pleasure to meet them as well, over.".
Finished the preliminaries, the Chinese ship was what mattered, speaking in English: "How long have you left their base exchange?".
Renshaw shook his head immediately. "We will not answer that. I would never do that question to him." Giancana took the radio again.
"Ship Chinese war 57, here is the US warship 62. We do not talk about our times. But we are enjoying navigation, over."
And so they continued the two ships, each laden with missiles, torpedoes and artillery, clashing with an exchange of climate amenities at sea. To test whether the Chinese were following him openly, the Chancellorsville made a turn and his officers waited.
Came a cry from another junior officer Renshaw: "He just turned, sir!" The Chancellorsville was being followed. But for how long? Apparently, the Chinese ship also wanted an answer to that question.
"US warship 62, this is the Chinese warship 575," came a new message. "You continue its long journey to the sea? Exchange".
Another denial. Tell the Chinese the desired length of the trip could be an inherent recognition that they had the right to know this, he explained Renshaw. And this is not considered freedom of navigation.
"Here is the US warship 62," said Renshaw. "Plus, all of our trips are short because we like to browse for more distant we are from home. Over."
But the Chinese ship had a ready answer.
"US warship 62, this is the Chinese warship 575," came the message. "Understand that I will be watching in the coming days. Over."
That was on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the Chinese frigate was replaced by a destroyer, which followed the American ship until midnight Friday, when the Chancellorsville left the South Sea of China.
(* Eric Schmitt contributed to the report in Washington.)
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