tc.redstormrising-第57章

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〃Time　to　leave；　sir。〃　Smith　tossed　the　lieutenant　his　pack　and　motioned　for　the　privates　to　move。　〃Looks　like　we　can　score　one　for　the　good　guys。〃

KEFLAVIK；　ICELAND
The　MiGs　landed　on　the　still　undamaged　runway　one…eight；　the　base's　longest。　They　had　barely　stopped　rolling　when　ground　crews　began　the　process　of　turning　them　around　for　further　bat　operations。　The　colonel　was　surprised　to　see　the　base　mander　still　alive。
〃How　many　did　you　get；　rade　Colonel？〃
〃Only　one；　and　they　got　one　of　mine。　Didn't　you　get　anything　on　radar？〃　the　colonel　demanded。
〃Not　a　thing。　They　hit　Reykjavik　first。　Two　groups　of　aircraft；　they　came　in　from　the　north。　The　bastards　must　have　flown　between　the　rocks；〃　the　major　snarled。　He　pointed　to　the　big　mobile　radar　that　sat　in　the　open　between　two　runways。　〃They　missed　it　pletely。　Amazing。〃
〃We　must　move　it。　Someplace　high；　very　high。　We'll　never　get　an　airborne　radar；　and　unless　we　improve　radar　warning；　this　low…level　business　will　eat　us　up。　Find　a　good　hilltop。　How　badly　are　our　facilities　damaged？〃
〃Many　small　holes　in　the　runways　from　these　bomblets。　We'll　have　them　all　patched　in　two　hours。　The　loss　of　the　tower　will　hinder　our　ability　to　operate　large　numbers　of　aircraft。　When　we　lost　electrical　power；　we　lost　the　ability　to　move　fuel　through　our　pipeline；　probably　lost　the　local　telephone　service。〃　He　shrugged。　〃We　can　make　adjustments；　but　it's　a　major　inconvenience。　Too　much　work；　too　few　men。　We　must　disperse　the　fighters；　and　we　must　make　alternate　arrangements　for　fueling。　The　next　target　will　be　the　fuel　dumps。〃
〃Did　you　expect　this　to　be　easy；　rade？〃　The　colonel　looked　over　at　the　blazing　pyres　that　only　thirty　minutes　before　had　been　a　pair　of　Tu22M　Backfires。　The　damaged　Bear　was　just　touching　down。　〃Their　timing　was　too　good。　They　caught　us　when　half　my　fighters　were　escorting　a　bomber　force　off　the　north　coast。　Luck；　perhaps；　but　I　do　not　believe　in　luck。　I　want　ground　troops　to　check　for　enemy　infiltrators　around　all　the　airports。　And　I　want　better　security　arrangements。　I…what　the　hell　is　that？〃
A　Rockeye　bomblet　lay　on　the　concrete　not　twenty　feet　from　them。　The　major　took　a　plastic　flag　from　his　jeep　and　set　it　near　the　bomb。
〃The　Americans　set　some　for　delayed　detonation。　My　men　are　already　searching　for　them。　Be　at　ease；　rade；　all　your　fighters　have　landed　safely。　Your　dispersal　areas　are　clear。〃
The　colonel　drew　back　a　few　feet。　〃What　do　you　do　with　them？〃
〃We've　already　practiced　this。　We'll　use　a　specially　fitted　bulldozer　to　push　them　off　the　concrete。　Some　will　explode；　some　won't。　Those　that　do　not　go　off　of　their　own　accord　will　be　detonated　by　a　marksman　with　a　rifle。〃
〃The　tower？〃
〃Three　men　were　on　duty。　Good　men。〃　The　major　shrugged　again。　〃You　must　excuse　me。　I　have　work　to　do。〃
The　colonel　took　a　last　look　at　the　bomblet　before　walking　toward　his　fighters。　He'd　underestimated　the　major。

ICELAND
〃There's　a　light　on　our　hill；〃　Garcia　said。　Everyone　dropped　to　the　ground。　Edwards　got　next　to　the　sergeant。
〃Some　bastard　just　lit　a　cigarette；〃　Smith　observed　sourly。　He'd　finished　his　last　one　several　hours　before　and　was　going　through　withdrawal　symptoms。　〃Now　you　see　why　we're　carrying　our　trash　with　us？〃
〃They're　looking　for　us？〃　Edwards　asked。
〃Figures。　That　attack　was　pretty　cute。　They'll　wonder　if　the　airedales　had　any　help。　I'm　surprised　they　didn't　do　it　sooner。　Guess　they　were　pretty　busy　with　other　stuff。〃
〃Think　they　can　see　us？〃　Edwards　didn't　like　that　idea。
〃From　two　miles？　Pretty　dark　for　that；　and　if　they're　smoking；　they're　being　pretty　casual。　Relax；　Lieutenant。　It　isn't　all　that　easy　to　find　four　guys。　Lots　of　hills　to　check　out　on　this　rock。　We　want　to　be　careful　where　we　walk。　Keep　off　the　ridges；　like。　Even　if　they　got　low…light　gear；　we　won't　be　easy　to　see　if　we　keep　to　the　valleys。　Let's　move　it　out；　troops；　and　keep　low。〃

USS　PHARRIS
One　last　merchant　was　burning。　Her　crew　had　abandoned　ship　two　hours　before；　but　still　she　burned　on　the　western　horizon。　More　deaths；　Morris　thought。　Only　about　half　of　the　crews　had　been　saved；　and　there　wasn't　time　for　a　more　careful　search。　The　convoy　had　sailed　without　a　designated　rescue　ship。　The　helicopters　had　pulled　many　out　of　the　water；　but　most　of　them　were　still　needed　to　hunt　submarines。　He　held　a　dispatch　saying　that　Orions　out　of　Lajes　had　prosecuted　and　probably　killed　an　Echo…class　missile　submarine　in　their　path。　Some　good　news；　but　intelligence　reported　indications　of　two　more。
The　loss　of　Iceland　was　a　disaster　whose　dimensions　were　only　now　being　apparent。　The　Soviet　bombers　had　a　clear　lane　to　reach　into　the　trade　route。　Their　submarines　were　racing　through　the　Denmark　Strait　even　as　the　NATO　navies　were　trying　to　position　their　submarines　to　reform　the　barrier　they　had　lost…the　barrier　upon　which　the　convoys　depended。　The　Air　Force　and　Navy　would　soon　try　to　rearrange　fighter　coverage　to　harass　the　Backfires；　but　those　measures　were　an　stopgaps。　Until　Iceland　was　fully　neutralized；　or　better　yet　retaken；　the　Third　Battle　of　the　North　Atlantic　hung　in　an　uneven　balance。
At　the　Pacific　fleet　bases　of　San　Diego　and　Pearl　Harbor；　darkened　ships　stood　out　to　sea。　Once　in　open　ocean　they　all　headed　south　toward　Panama。

23　…　Returns

USS　PHARRIS
Things　had　settled　down　again。　A　very　relative　term：　the　Backfires　were　still　ing　down　the　gap　over　Iceland；　but　they'd　hit　another　convoy　this　afternoon；　killing　eleven　merchantmen　in　the　process。　All　the　eastbound　convoys　were　angling　south；　trading　a　longer　voyage　to　Europe　for　reduction　of　the　air　threat。　As　bad　as　losses　were　to　this　point…nearly　sixty　ships　had　already　been　sunk…a　routing　south　at　least　meant　the　Soviet　bombers　could　carry　only　one　missile　instead　of　two。
The　strain　was　beginning　to　tell　on　everyone。　Morris's　crew　had　been　〃port　and　starboard〃　for　almost　a　week　now；　four　hours　on　duty；　four　hours　off。　Sleep　patterns　had　been　broken　up。　People　didn't　eat　proper　meals。　Crucial　maintenance　requirements　cut　into　what　sleep　allocations　his　men　had。　On　top　of　that　was　the　knowledge　that　a　submarine　or　aircraft　attack　could　e　at　any　time。　The　work　was　still　getting　done；　but　Morris　noted　that　his　men　were　being　terse　and　ill…tempered。　People　were　beginning　to　trip　over　doorsills；　a　sure　sign　of　fatigue。　More　serious　mistakes　would　soon　follow。　The　relationship　between　fatigue　and　errors　was　as　certain　as　gravity。　In　another　day　or　so　he　hoped　a　solid　routine　would　establish　itself；　something　for　his　men　to　adjust　to。　There　were　signs　of　this；　and　his　chiefs　were　telling　him　not　to　worry。　Morris　worried。
〃Bridge；　bat。　Sonar　contact；　possible　submarine；　bearing　zero…zero…nine。〃
〃Here　we　go　again；〃　the　conning　officer　said。　For　the　twenty…fourth　time　on　this　voyage；　Pharris's　crew　raced　to　battle　stations。
It　took　three　hours　this　time。　No　Orions　were　available　for　them；　and　the　escorts　pooled　their　helicopters　to　track　down　the　submarine；　an　directed　by　Morris　and　his　CIC　crew。　This　submarine　driver　really　knew　his　business。　At　the　first　suspicion　that　he　had　been　detected…perhaps　his　sonar　had　detected　a　helicopter　overhead　or　heard　the　splash　of　a　falling　sonobuoy…he　went　deep　and　began　a　confusing　series　of　sprints　and　drifts；　porpoising　over　and　under　the　layer；　working　hard　to　break　contact…toward　the　convoy。　This　one　wasn't　interested　in　running　away。　The　submarine　disappeared　and　reappeared　on　their　tactical　plot；　always　closing　but　never　revealing　his　position　clearly　enough　for　a　shot。
〃Gone　again；〃　the　antisubmarine…warfare　officer　said　pensively。　A　sonobuoy　dropped　ten　minutes　earlier　had　detected　a　weak　signal；　held　it　for　two　minutes；　then　lost　it。　〃This　guy's　beautiful。〃
〃And　too　close；〃　Morris　said。　If　the　submarine　was　continuing　south；　he　was　now　at　the　edge　of　the　frigate's　active　sonar　range。　Up　to　now；　Pharris　had　not　revealed　herself。　The　sub's　captain　would　know　surface　ships　were　about　from　the　presence　of　the　helicopters；　but　it　wasn't　likely　that　he　suspected　a　frigate　only　ten　miles　south　of　his　position。
Morris　looked　up　at　the　ASW　officer。　〃Let's　update　our　temperature　profile。〃
Thirty　seconds　later　they　dropped　a　bathythermograph　probe。　The　instrument　measured　water　temperature　and　reported　it　to　a　display　in　the　sonar　partment。　Water　temperature　was　the　most　important　environmental　condition　affecting　sonar　performance。　Surface　ships　checked　it　periodically；　but　a　submarine　could　do　it　continuously…yet　another　edge　that　went　with　a　submarine。
〃There！〃　Morris　pointed。　〃The　gradient's　a　lot　stronger　now　and　this　guy's　exploiting　it。　He's　staying　out　of　the　deep　channel；　probably　doing　his　sprints　on　top　of　the　layer　instead　of　under　it　where　we　expect。　Okay　。　。　。〃
The　helicopters　continued　to　drop　buoys；　and　the　brief　glimpses　they　got　were　of　a　target　heading　south；　toward　Pharris。　Morris　waited　ten　minutes。
〃Bridge；　bat；　left　standard　rudder；　e　to　new　course　zero…one…one；〃　Morris　ordered；　pointing　his　ship　at　the　submarine's　estimated　position。　The　frigate　was　doing　five　knots；　moving　quietly　on　the　calm　seas。　The　CIC　crew　watched　the　heading　readout　on　the　aft　bulkhead　change　slowly　from　the　easterly　heading。
The　tactical　display　was　useless。　Confused　by　many　brief　reports　from　sonobuoys；　most　of　which　were　probably　false　signals　to　begin　with；　the　puter…generated　estimate　for　the　submarine's　position　covered　over　a　hundred　square　miles。　Morris　walked　over　to　the　paper　display　in　the　after　er　of　the　room。
〃I　think　he's　right　about　here。〃　Morris　tapped　the　chart。　〃ments？〃
〃Running　shallow？　That's　contrary　to　doctrine；〃　ASW　pointed　out。　Soviet　submariners　were　supposed　to　stick　with　established　doctrine；　the　fleet　intelligence　reports　said。
〃Let's　find　out。　Yankee…search。〃
The　ASW　officer　gave　the　order　at　once。　Yankee…search　meant　turning　on　the　frigate's　active　sonar　and　hammering　the　water　to　find　the　sub。　Morris　was　taking　a　chance。　If　the　submarine　was　as　close　as　he　thought；　then　he　was　advertising　his　own　ship's　location　and　inviting　a　missile　attack　that　his　point…defense　systems　were　ill…equipped　to　stop。　The　sonar　operator　watched　his　screen　intently。　The　first　five　pings　came　up　blank　as　the　sonar　beam　swept　west…to…east。　The　next　one　painted　a　bright　dot　on　the　screen。
〃Contact…positive　sonar　contact；　direct　path；　bearing　zero…one…four；　range　eleven　thousand　six　hundred　yards。　Evaluate　as　probable　submarine。〃
〃Nail　him；〃　Morris　ordered。
The　solid…fuel　ASROC　booster　ignited；　blasting　clear　of　the　ship　and　curving　across　the　sky　with　a　trail　of　pale　gray　smoke。　The　rocket　burned　out　in　three　seconds；　coasting　through　the　sky　like　a　bullet。　A　thousand　feet　over　the　water；　the　torpedo　separated　from　the　booster；　retarded　by　a　parachute　in　its　fall　toward　the　water。
〃He's　changed　course；　sir；〃　the　sonar　operator　warned。　〃Target　is　turning　and　increasing　speed。　I…there's　the　fish；　we　have　the　torp　in　the　water　and　pinging。　Dropped　in　pretty　close。〃

The　tactical　action　officer　was　ignoring　this。　Three　helicopters　were　converging　on　the　target　datum　point　now。　There　was　a　good　chance　the　torpedo　would　miss；　and　the　task　now　was　to　pin　the　contact　down。　He　ordered　a　right　turn；　allowing　the　frigate's　passive　sonar　array　to　track　in　on　the　submarine；　which　was　moving　swi