tc.redstormrising-第76章

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Before　they　had　finished；　the　fleet　tug　Papago　pulled　alongside　the　frigate's　square　stem。　Chief　Clarke　supervised　as　a　stout　towing　wire　was　passed　across　and　secured。　An　hour　later；　the　tug　was　pulling　the　frigate　on　an　easterly　course　at　four　knots；　backwards　to　protect　the　damaged　bow。　Morris　ordered　his　towed…array　sonar　to　be　strung　over　the　bow；　trailing　it　out　behind　to　give　them　some　small　defense　capability。　Several　extra　lookouts　were　posted　to　watch　for　periscopes。　It　would　be　a　slow；　dangerous　trip　back　home。

28　…　Breakthroughs


STENDAL；　GERMAN　DEMOCRATIC　REPUBLIC
〃Be　careful；　Pasha。〃
〃As　always；　rade　General。〃　Alekseyev　smiled。　〃e；　Captain。〃
Sergetov　fell　in　behind　his　superior。　Unlike　during　their　previous　frontline　outing；　both　men　wore　protective　body　armor。　The　General　carried　only　a　sidearm　to　go　along　with　his　map　case；　but　the　captain　was　now　officially　a　bodyguard　in　addition　to　a　staff　officer　and　had　a　small　Czech　submachine　gun　slung　over　his　shoulder。　He　was　a　different　man　today；　the　captain　saw。　On　Alekseyev's　first　trip　to　the　front；　he'd　been　tentative；　almost　hesitant　in　manner…it　hadn't　occurred　to　the　younger　man　that；　as　senior　as　Alekseyev　was；　he　had　never　seen　bat　before　and　had　approached　this　gravest　of　contests　with　the　same　sort　of　apprehension　as　a　new　private。　No　longer。　He　had　smelled　the　smoke。　Now　he　knew　how　things　worked　or　didn't　work。　The　change　was　remarkable。　His　father　was　right；　Sergetov　thought；　he　was　a　man　to　be　reckoned　with。　They　were　joined　in　their　helicopter　by　an　Air　Force　colonel。　The　Mi…24　lifted　off　in　darkness；　its　fighter　escort　overhead。

LAMMERSDORF；　FEDERAL　REPUBLIC　OF　GERMANY
Not　many　people　appreciated　the　importance　of　the　videocassette　recorder。　A　useful　convenience　for　the　home；　to　be　sure；　but　not　until　a　captain　in　the　Royal　Dutch　Air　Force　had　demonstrated　a　bright　idea　two　years　before　had　its　battlefield　utility　been　proven　in　secret　exercises　first　in　Germany；　then　in　the　Western　United　States。
NATO　radar　surveillance　aircraft　kept　their　customary　positions　high　over　the　Rhein。　The　E…3A　Sentry　aircraft；　better　known　as　AWACS；　and　the　smaller；　lesser…known　TR…1；　flew　their　missions　in　boring　circles　or　straight　lines　far　behind　the　fighting　front。　They　had　similar　but　different　functions。　The　AWACS　was　mainly　concerned　with　air　traffic。　The　TR…1；　an　upgraded　version　of　the　venerable　U…2；　looked　for　vehicles　on　the　ground。　Initially　the　TR…1　had　been　something　of　a　failure。　Because　it　tracked　too　many　targets；　many　of　them　immobile　radar　reflectors　set　everywhere　by　the　Soviets；　the　NATO　manders　had　been　deluged　with　information　that　was　too　disordered　to　use。　Then　came　the　VCR。　All　the　data　relayed　from　the　aircraft　was　recorded　on　videotape　anyway　since　it　was　a　convenient　medium　for　data　storage；　but　the　VCRs　built　into　the　NATO　system　possessed　only　a　few　operating　features。　The　Dutch　captain　thought　to　bring　his　personal　machine　into　his　office；　and　demonstrated　how　by　using　fast　forward　and　fast　reverse；　the　radar　data　could　be　used　to　show　not　only　where　things　were　going；　but　also　where　they　had　e　from　puter　support　made　the　task　easier　by　eliminating　items　that　moved　no　more　than　once　every　two　hours…thus　erasing　the　Russian　radar　lures…and　there　it　was；　a　brand…new　intelligence　tool。
With　several　copies　made　of　each　tape；　a　staff　of　over　a　hundred　intelligence　and　traffic…control　experts　examined　the　data　round　the　clock。　Some　engaged　in　straight　tactical　intelligence。　Others　looked　for　patterns。　A　large　number　of　trucks　moving　at　night　to　and　from　front…fine　units　could　only　mean　shuttle　runs　to　fuel　and　ammunition　dumps。　A　number　of　vehicles　breaking　away　from　a　divisional　convoy　and　deploying　in　line　parallel　to　the　front　meant　artillery　preparing　for　an　attack。　The　real　trick；　they　had　learned；　was　to　get　the　data　to　the　forward　manders　quickly　enough　so　they　could　make　use　of　it。
At　Lammersdorf；　a　Belgian　lieutenant　was　just　finishing　up　a　tape　that　was　six　hours　old；　and　his　report　was　sent　by　land　line　to　the　forward　NATO　manders。　At　least　three　divisions　had　been　moved　north　and　south　on　Autobahn…7；　he　reported。　The　Soviets　would　attack　at　Bad　Salzdetfurth　in　strength；　sooner　than　expected。　Immediately；　reserve　units　from　the　Belgian；　German；　and　American　armies　were　rushed　forward；　and　allied　air　units　alerted　for　a　major　land　action。　Fighting　in　this　sector　had　been　vicious　enough　already。　The　German　forces　covering　the　area　south　of　Hannover　were　at　less　than　50…percent　strength；　and　the　battle　that　had　not　yet　begun　was　already　a　race；　as　both　sides　tried　to　get　reserves　to　the　point　of　attack　before　the　other。

HOLLE；　FEDERAL　REPUBLIC　OF　GERMANY
〃Thirty　minutes；〃　Alekseyev　told　Sergetov。　Four　motor…rifle　divisions　were　on　line；　covering　a　front　of　less　than　twenty　kilometers。　Behind　them　a　tank　division　waited　to　exploit　the　first　breach　in　German　lines。　The　objective　was　the　town　of　Alfeld　on　the　Leine　River。　The　town　manded　two　roads　being　used　by　NATO　to　shuttle　units　and　supplies　north　and　south；　and　its　capture　would　open　a　breach　in　the　NATO　lines；　allowing　the　Soviet　operational/maneuver　groups　to　burst　into　NATO's　rear。
〃rade　General；　how　are　things　progressing　in　your　opinion？〃　the　captain　asked　quietly。
〃Ask　me　in　a　few　hours；〃　the　General　answered。　The　river　valley　to　his　rear　was　yet　another　wasteland　of　men　and　arms。　They　were　only　thirty　kilometers　from　the　border…and　the　Red　Army's　tanks　had　been　expected　to　reach　Holle　in　only　two　days。　Alekseyev　frowned；　wondering　what　staff　genius　had　e　up　with　that　timetable。　Again　the　human　factor　had　been　overlooked。　The　morale　and　fighting　spirit　of　the　Germans　was　like　nothing　he　had　ever　seen。　He　remembered　his　father's　stories　of　the　battles　across　the　Ukraine　and　Poland；　but　he　had　never　quite　believed　them。　He　believed　them　now。　The　Germans　contested　every　lump　of　dirt　in　their　country　like　wolves　defending　their　cubs；　retreating　only　when　they　were　forced　to；　counterattacking　at　every　opportunity；　draining　the　blood　from　the　advancing　Russian　units　as　they　brought　every　weapon　they　had　to　bear。
Soviet　doctrine　had　predicted　heavy　losses。　The　battle　of　movement　could　be　achieved　only　by　costly　frontal　assault　which　first　had　to　blast　a　hole　in　the　front　lines…but　the　NATO　armies　were　denying　that　hole　to　the　Soviets。　Their　sophisticated　weapons；　firing　from　safe；　prepared　positions；　were　ripping　through　each　attack　wave。　Their　aircraft　attacks　in　the　Soviet　rear　sapped　the　strength　of　units　before　they　could　be　mitted　to　decisive　battle　and　played　hob　with　artillery　support　despite　the　most　careful　deceptive　measures。
The　Red　Army　was　moving　forward；　Alekseyev　reminded　himself；　and　NATO　was　paying　its　own　price。　Their　reserves　were　also　being　thinned　out。　The　German　forces　were　not　using　their　mobility　as　Alekseyev　would　have；　too　often　tying　themselves　to　geographic　locations　instead　of　fighting　the　Soviet　forces　on　the　move。　Of　course；　the　General　thought；　they　didn't　have　very　much　terrain　to　trade　for　time。　He　checked　his　watch。
A　sheet　of　flame　rose　from　the　forests　below　him　as　Russian　artillery　began　its　preparatory　bombardment。　Next　came　the　multiple…rocket　launchers；　and　the　morning　sky　was　alight　with　streaks　of　fire。　Alekseyev　turned　his　binoculars　downrange。　In　a　few　seconds　he　saw　the　orange…white　explosions　of　the　rounds　as　they　impacted　on　NATO　lines。　He　was　too　far　from　the　fighting　front　to　see　any　detail；　but　an　area　that　had　to　be　many　kilometers　across；　lit　up　like　the　neon　signs　so　popular　in　the　West。　There　was　a　roar　overhead；　and　the　General　saw　the　leading　elements　of　the　ground…attack　fighters　racing　to　the　front。
〃Thank　you；　rade　General；〃　Alekseyev　breathed。　He　counted　at　least　thirty　Sukhoi　and　MiG　fighter…bombers；　all　hugging　the　ground　as　they　headed　toward　the　battle　line。　His　face　crinkled　into　a　determined　smile　as　he　walked　into　the　mand　bunker。
〃The　lead　elements　are　moving　now；〃　a　colonel　announced。　On　a　table　made　of　rough　planks　laid　across　sawhorses；　grease　pencil　marks　were　made　on　the　tactical　maps。　Red　arrows　began　their　march　toward　a　series　of　blue　lines。　The　plotters　were　all　lieutenants；　and　each　wore　a　telephone　headset　linked　to　a　specific　regimental　headquarters。　The　officers　connected　to　reserve　units　stood　away　from　the　table；　puffing　on　their　cigarettes　as　they　watched　the　march　of　the　arrows。　Behind　them　the　mander　of　8th　Guards　Army　stood　quietly；　watching　his　plan　of　attack　unfold。
〃Meeting　moderate　resistance。　Enemy　artillery　and　tank　fire　is　being　encountered；〃　a　lieutenant　said。
Explosions　rocked　the　mand　bunker。　Two　kilometers　away；　a　flight　of　German　Phantoms　had　just　torn　into　a　battalion　of　mobile　guns。
〃Enemy　fighters　overhead；〃　the　air　defense　officer　said　belatedly。　A　few　eyes　looked　apprehensively　up　at　the　log　ceiling　of　the　bunker。　Alekseyev's　didn't　join　them。　A　NATO　smart…bomb　would　kill　them　all　in　a　blink。　Much　as　he　enjoyed　his　post　as　deputy　mander　of　the　theater；　he　wished　himself　back　to　the　days　when　he　had　manded　a　fighting　division。　Here　he　was　only　an　observer；　and　he　felt　the　need　to　have　the　reins　in　his　own　two　hands。
〃Artillery　reports　heavy　counterbattery　fire　and　air　attacks。　Our　missiles　are　engaging　enemy　aircraft　in　the　57th　Motor…Rifle　Division's　rear　area；〃　the　air　defense　officer　went　on。　〃Heavy　air　activity　over　the　front。〃
〃Our　fighters　are　engaging　NATO　aircraft；〃　the　Frontal　Aviation　officer　reported。　He　looked　up　angrily。　〃Friendly　SAMs　are　shooting　down　our　fighters！〃
〃Air　Defense　Officer！〃　Alekseyev　shouted。　〃Tell　your　units　to　identify　their　targets！〃
〃We　have　fifty　aircraft　over　the　front。　We　can　handle　the　NATO　fighters　alone！〃　the　aviator　insisted。
〃Tell　all　SAM　batteries　to　hold　fire　on　all　targets　above　one　thousand　meters；〃　Alekseyev　ordered。　He　had　discussed　this　with　his　Frontal　Aviation　mander　the　night　before。　The　MiG　pilots　were　to　stay　high　after　making　their　own　attack　runs；　leaving　the　missile　and　gun　batteries　free　to　engage　only　those　NATO　aircraft　that　were　an　immediate　threat　to　ground　units。　Why　were　his　own　planes　getting　hit？
Thirty　thousand　feet　over　the　Rhein；　two　NATO　E…3A　radar　aircraft　fought　for　their　fives。　A　determined　Soviet　attack　was　under　way；　two　regiments　of　MiG…23　interceptors　rocketing　through　the　sky　toward　them。　The　on…board　controllers　were　calling　for　help。　This　both　distracted　them　from　countering　the　attack；　and　stripped　fighters　from　other　missions。　Heedless　of　their　own　safety；　the　Russians　came　west　at　over　a　thousand　miles　per　hour　with　heavy　jamming　support。　American　F…15　Eagles　and　French　Mirage　jets　converged　on　the　threat；　filling　the　sky　with　missiles。　It　was　not　enough。　When　the　MiGs　got　to　within　sixty　miles；　the　AWACS　aircraft　shut　down　their　radars　and　dove　for　the　ground　to　evade　the　attack。　The　NATO　fighters　over　Bad　Salzdetfurth　were　on　their　own。　For　the　first　time　the　Soviets　had　achieved　air　superiority　over　a　major　battlefield。
〃Hundred…forty…third　Guards　Rifle　Regiment　reports　they　have　broken　through　German　lines；〃　a　lieutenant　said。　He　didn't　look　up；　but　extended　the　arrow　for　which　he　was　responsible。　〃Enemy　units　retreating　in　disarray。〃
〃Hundred…forty…fifth　Guards　checking　in；〃　rep