tc.redstormrising-第69章

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nsaws。
〃Captain；　message　from　CINCLANTFLT。〃
Morris　looked　up　at　the　yeoman　and　signed　for　the　message　form。　An　eastbound　convoy　one　hundred　fifty　miles　north　of　them　was　under　attack。　He　walked　back　to　the　chart　table　to　check　distances。　The　submarines　there　were　not　a　threat　to　him。　That　was　that。　He　had　his　own　concerns；　and　his　world　had　shrunk　to　include　them　only。　Another　forty　hours　to　Norfolk；　where　they　would　refuel；　replace　expended　ordnance；　and　sail　again　within　twenty…four　hours。
〃What　the　hell's　that？〃　a　sailor　said　loudly。　He　pointed　to　a　low…lying　trail　of　white　smoke。
〃That's　a　missile；〃　answered　the　officer　of　the　deck。　〃General　quarters！　Captain；　that　was　a　cruise　missile　southbound　a　mile　ahead　of　us。〃
Morris　snapped　upright　in　his　seat　and　blinked　his　eyes　clear。　〃Signal　the　convoy。　Energize　the　radar。　Fire　the　chaff。〃　Morris　ran　to　the　ladder　to　CIC。　The　ship's　alarm　was　sounding　its　strident　note　before　he　got　there。　Aft；　two　Super…RBOC　chaff　rockets　leaped　into　the　sky　and　exploded；　surrounding　the　frigate　with　a　cloud　of　aluminum　foil。
〃I　count　five　inbounds；〃　a　radar　operator　was　saying。　One's　heading　towards　us。　Bearing　zero…zero…eight；　range　seven　miles；　speed　five　hundred　knots。〃
〃Bridge；　e　right　full　rudder　to　zero…zero…eight；〃　the　tactical　action　officer　ordered。　〃Stand　by　to　fire　off　more　chaff。　Air　action　forward；　weapons　free。〃
The　five…inch　gun　swiveled　slightly　and　loosed　several　rounds；　none　of　which　came　near　the　ining　missile。
〃Range　two　miles　and　closing；〃　reported　the　radar　man。
〃Fire　four　more　Super…Rocs。〃
Morris　heard　the　rockets　launch。　The　radar　showed　their　chaff　as　an　opaque　cloud　that　enveloped　the　ship。
〃CIC；〃　called　a　lookout。　〃I　see　it。　Star　bound　bow；　inbound…it's　gonna　miss；　I　got　a　bearing　change。　There…there　it　goes；　passing　aft。　Missed　us　by　a　couple　hundred　yards。〃
The　missile　was　confused　by　the　chaff。　Had　its　brain　had　the　capacity　to　think；　it　would　have　been　surprised　that　it　struck　nothing。　Instead；　on　ing　back　to　a　clear　sky；　the　radar　seeker　merely　looked　for　another　target。　It　found　one；　fifteen　miles　ahead；　and　altered　course　toward　it。
〃Sonar；〃　Morris　ordered；　〃check　bearing　zero…zero…eight。　There's　a　missile…armed　sub　out　there。〃
〃Looking　now；　sir。　Nothing　shows　on　that　bearing。〃
〃A　five…hundred…knot　sea…skimmer。　That's　a　Charlie…class　sub；　maybe　thirty　miles　out；〃　Morris　said。　〃Get　the　helo　out　there。　I'm　going　topside。〃
The　captain　reached　the　bridge　just　in　time　to　see　the　explosion　on　the　horizon。　That　was　no　freighter。　The　fireball　could　only　mean　a　warship　had　had　her　magazines　exploded　by　a　missile；　perhaps　the　one　that　had　just　missed　them。　Why　hadn't　they　been　able　to　stop　it？　Three　more　explosions　followed。　Slowly　the　noise　traveled　across　the　sea　toward　them；　reaching　Pharris　as　the　deep　sound　of　an　enormous　bass　drum。　The　frigate's　Sea　Sprite　helicopter　was　just　lifting　off；　racing　north　in　the　hope　of　catching　the　Soviet　sub　near　the　surface。　Morris　ordered　his　ship　to　slow　to　five　knots　in　the　hope　that　the　lower　speed　would　allow　his　sonar　to　perform　just　a　little　better。　Still　nothing。　He　returned　to　CIC。
The　helicopter's　crew　dropped　a　dozen　sonobuoys。　Two　showed　something；　but　the　contact　faded；　and　was　not　reestablished。　Soon　an　Orion　showed　up　and　carried　on　the　search；　but　the　submarine　had　escaped　cleanly；　her　missiles　having　killed　a　destroyer　and　two　merchantmen。　Just　like　that；　Morris　thought。　No　warning　at　all。

STORNOWAY；　SCOTLAND
〃Raid　warning　again；〃　the　Group　Captain　said。
〃Realtime？〃　Toland　asked。
〃No；　an　asset　we　have　in　Norway。　Contrails　overhead　southwest。　He　counts　twenty　or　so；　aircraft　type　unknown。　We　have　a　Nimrod　patrolling　north　of　Iceland　now。　If　they're　Backfires；　and　if　they　rendezvous　with　a　tanker　group；　we　might　just　get　something。　See　if　your　idea　works；　Bob。〃
Four　Tomcat　interceptors　were　sitting　ready　on　the　flight　line。　Two　were　armed　with　missiles。　The　other　pair　carried　buddy…stores；　fuel　tanks　designed　to　transfer　fuel　to　other　aircraft。　The　distance　they　expected　for　a　successful　intercept　meant　a　round　trip　of　two　thousand　miles；　which　meant　that　only　two　aircraft　could　reach　far　enough；　and　they　were　stretching　to　the　limit。
The　Nimrod　circled　two　hundred　miles　east　of　Jan　Mayen　Land。　The　Norwegian　island　had　been　subjected　to　several　air　attacks；　destroying　the　radar　there；　though　so　far　the　Russians　had　not　launched　a　ground　attack　as　expected。　The　British　patrol　aircraft　bristled　with　antennae　but　carried　no　armament　of　her　own。　If　the　Russians　sent　escorting　fighters　out　with　the　bomber/tanker　force；　she　could　only　evade。　One　team　listened　in　on　the　bands　used　by　the　Russians　to　municate　between　aircraft；　another　on　radar　frequencies。
It　was　a　long；　tense　wait。　Two　hours　after　the　raid　warning；　a　garbled　transmission　was　heard；　interpreted　as　a　warning　to　a　Backfire　pilot　approaching　a　tanker。　The　bearing　was　plotted；　and　the　Nimrod　turned　east　hoping　for　a　cross　bearing　on　the　next　such　signal。　None　was　detected。　Without　a　firm　fix；　the　fighters　had　only　the　slimmest　hope　of　an　intercept。　They　were　kept　on　the　ground。　Next　time；　they　decided；　there'd　be　a　pair　of　snoopers　up。

USS　CHICAGO
The　QZB　bell…ringer　call　arrived　just　after　lunch。　McCafferty　brought　his　submarine　to　antenna　depth　and　received　orders　to　proceed　to　Faslane；　the　Royal　Navy　submarine　base　in　Scotland。　Since　losing　contact　with　the　Russian　surface　force；　they　had　not　tracked　a　single　positive　contact。　It　was　crazy。　All　the　pre…war　assessments　told　McCafferty　to　expect　a　〃target…rich　environment。〃　So　far　he　was　rich　only　in　frustration。　The　executive　officer　took　them　back　down　to　a　deep　cruising　depth　while　McCafferty　began　to　write　up　his　patrol　report。

BIEBEN；　FEDERAL　REPUBLIC　OF　GERMANY
〃You're　pretty　exposed　here；〃　the　captain　observed；　crouching　just　behind　the　turret。
〃True　enough；〃　Sergeant　Mackall　agreed。　His　M…1　Abrams　tank　was　dug　into　the　reverse　slope　of　a　hill；　its　gun　barely　clear　of　the　ground　behind　a　row　of　shrubs。　Mackall　looked　down　a　shallow　valley　to　a　treeline　fifteen　hundred　meters　away。　The　Russians　were　in　there；　surveying　the　ridges　with　powerful　field　glasses；　and　he　hoped　that　they　could　not　make　out　the　squat；　ominous　profile　of　the　main　battle　tank。　He　was　in　one　of　three　prepared　firing　positions；　a　sloped　hole　in　the　ground　dug　by　the　engineers'　bulldozers；　helped　over　the　last　few　days　by　local　German　farmers　who　had　taken　to　the　task　with　a　will。　The　bad　news　was　that　the　next　line　of　such　positions　required　traversing　five　hundred　meters　of　open　fields。　They'd　been　planted　with　something　a　bare　six　weeks　before。　Those　crops　would　never　amount　to　much；　the　sergeant　knew。
〃Ivan　must　love　this　weather；〃　Mackall　observed。　There　was　an　overcast　at　about　thirteen　hundred　feet。　Whatever　air　support　he　could　expect　would　have　a　bare　five　seconds　to　acquire　and　engage　their　targets　before　having　to　break　clear　of　the　battlefield。　〃What　can　you　give　us；　sir？〃
〃I　can　call　four　A…10s；　maybe　some　German　birds；〃　the　Air　Force　captain　replied。　He　surveyed　the　terrain　himself　from　a　slightly　different　perspective。　What　was　the　best　way　to　get　the　ground…attack　fighters　in　and　out？　The　first　Russian　attack　on　this　position　had　been　repulsed；　but　he　could　see　the　remains　of　two　NATO　aircraft　that　had　died　in　the　effort。　〃There　should　be　three　choppers；　too。〃
That　surprised　Mackall…and　worried　him。　Just　what　sort　of　attack　were　they　expecting　here？
〃Okay。〃　The　captain　stood　and　turned　back　to　his　armored　mand　vehicle。　〃When　you　hear　'Zulu；　Zulu；　Zulu；'　that　means　the　air　is　less　than　five　minutes　out。　If　you　see　any　SAM　vehicles　or　antiair　guns；　for　Christ's　sake　take　them　out。　The　Warthogs　have　been　hit　real　hard；　Sarge。〃
〃You　got　it；　Cap'n。　You　better　get　your　ass　outa　here；　it's　gonna　be　showtime　soon。〃　One　thing　Mackall　had　learned　was　just　how　important　a　good　forward　air…control　officer　was；　and　this　one　had　dug　the　sergeant's　troop　out　of　a　really　bad　scrape　three　days　before。　He　watched　the　officer　sprint　fifty　yards　to　the　waiting　vehicle；　its　engine　already　turning。　The　rear　door　hadn't　yet　closed　when　the　driver　pulled　out　fast；　zigzagging　down　the　slope　and　across　the　plowed　field　toward　the　mand　post。
B　Troop；　1st　Squadron；　1lth　Armored　Cavalry　Regiment　had　once　been　fourteen　tanks。　Five　of　the　originals　were　gone；　and　there　had　been　only　two　replacements。　Of　the　rest；　all　had　been　damaged　to　one　degree　or　another。　His　platoon　leader　had　been　killed　on　the　second　day　of　the　war；　leaving　Mackall　in　mand　of　the　three…tank　platoon；　covering　nearly　a　kilometer　of　front。　Dug　in　between　his　tanks　was　a　pany　of　German　infantry…men　of　the　Landwehr；　the　local　equivalent　of　the　National　Guard；　farmers　and　shop　owners　for　the　most　part；　men　fighting　to　defend　not　just　their　country；　but　their　own　homes。　They；　too；　had　taken　serious　losses。　The　〃pany〃　was　no　more　than　two　platoons　of　effectives。　Surely　the　Russians　know　just　how　thin　we're　spread；　Mackall　thought。　Everyone　was　dug　in…deep。　The　power　of　Russian　artillery　had　e　as　a　shock　despite　all　the　pre…war　warnings　they'd　had。
〃The　Americans　must　love　this。〃　The　colonel　gestured　at　the　low　clouds。　〃Their　damned　airplanes　e　swooping　in　too　low　for　our　radar；　and　this　way　we　have　practically　no　chance　to　see　them　before　they　fire。〃
〃How　badly　have　they　hurt　you？〃
〃See　for　yourself。〃　The　colonel　gestured　at　the　battlefield。　Fifteen　tanks　lay　in　view…the　burned…out　remains。　〃That　American　low…level　fighter　did　this…the　Thunderbolt。　Our　men　call　it　the　Devil's　Cross。〃
〃But　you　killed　two　aircraft　yesterday；〃　Sergetov　objected。
〃Yes；　and　only　one　of　four　gun　vehicles　survived　the　effort。　The　same　vehicle　got　bothSenior　Sergeant　Lupenko。　I　remended　him　for　the　Red　Banner。　It　will　be　posthumousthe　second　aircraft　crashed　right　on　his　vehicle。　My　best　gunner；〃　the　colonel　said　bitterly。　Two　kilometers　away；　the　wreckage　of　a　German　Alphajet　was　a　charred　garnish　atop　the　remains　of　a　ZSU…30　gun　vehicle。　No　doubt　it　had　been　deliberate；　the　colonel　thought；　that　German　had　wanted　to　kill　just　a　few　more　Soviets　before　he　died。　A　sergeant　handed　his　colonel　a　radio　headset。　The　officer　listened　for　half　a　minute　before　speaking　a　few　words　that　he　punctuated　with　a　quick　nod。
〃Five　minutes；　rades。　My　men　are　fully　in　place。　Would　you　follow　me；　please？〃
The　mand　bunker　had　been　hastily　built　of　logs　and　earth；　with　a　full　meter　of　overhead　cover。　Twenty　men　were　crammed　into　it；　munications　men　for　the　two　regiments　in　the　assault。　The　division's　third　regiment　waited　to　exploit　the　breakthrough　and　pave　the　way　for　the　reserve　armored　division　to　break　into　the　enemy's　rear。　If；　Alekseyev　reminded　himself；　everything　went　as　planned。
No　enemy　troops　or　vehicles　could　be　seen；　of　course。　They　would　be　in　the　woods　atop　the　ridge　less　than　two　kilometers　away；　dug　in　deep。　He　watched　the　divisional　mander　nod　to　his　artillery　chief；　who　lifted　a　field　phone　and　spoke　two　words：
〃mence　firing。〃
It　took　several　seconds　for　the　sound　to　reach　them。　Every　gun　the　division　owned；　with　an　additional　battery　from　the　tank　division；　spoke　as　one　dreadful　voice；　and　the　thunder　echoed　across　the　countryside　The　shells　arched　overhead；　at　first　strikin