tc.redstormrising-第8章

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pted　with　noise。　Zhukov…4　was　the　winter　variant　of　a　plan　which　hypothesized　discovery　of　NATO's　intention　to　launch　a　surprise　attack　of　its　own　on　the　Warsaw　Pact。　In　such　a　case；　standard　Soviet　military　doctrine　was　the　same　as　anyone　else's：　the　best　defense　is　a　good　offense…preempt　the　NATO　armies　by　attacking　at　once　with　the　Category…A　mechanized　divisions　in　East　Germany。
〃But　we　are　not　ready！〃　objected　CINC…West。　His　was　the　〃point〃　mand　with　headquarters　in　Berlin；　the　single　most　powerful　military　mand　in　the　world。　An　attack　into　West　Germany　was　primarily　his　responsibility。
Alekseyev　held　up　his　hands。　〃Neither　are　they。　In　fact；　they　are　less　ready　than　we；〃　he　said　reasonably。　〃Look；　consider　our　intelligence　data。　Fourteen　percent　of　their　officers　are　on　holidays。　They　are　ing　off　a　training　cycle；　true；　but　because　of　it　much　of　their　equipment　will　be　down　for　maintenance；　and　many　of　their　senior　officers　will　be　away　in　their　respective　capitals　for　consultations；　just　as　we　are　now。　Their　troops　are　in　winter　quarters；　on　a　winter　routine。　This　is　the　time　of　year　for　maintenance　and　paperwork。　Physical　training　is　curtailed…who　wants　to　run　in　the　snow；　eh？　Their　men　are　cold；　and　drinking　more　than　usual。　This　is　our　time　to　act！　We　all　know　that　historically　the　Soviet　fighting　man　performs　at　his　best　in　winter；　and　NATO　is　at　its　lowest　state　of　readiness。〃
〃But　so　are　we；　you　young　fool！〃　CINC…Western　Theater　growled　back。
〃We　can　change　that　in　forty…eight　hours；〃　Alekseyev　countered。

〃Impossible；〃　observed　West's　deputy；　careful　to　back　up　his　boss。
〃To　reach　our　maximum　readiness　will　take　some　months；〃　Alekseyev　agreed。　His　only　chance　to　carry　his　point　with　his　seniors　was　to　reason　with　them。　He　knew　that　he　was　almost　certainly　doomed　to　failure；　but　he　had　to　try。　〃It　will　be　difficult；　if　not　impossible；　for　us　to　conceal　it。〃
〃As　Marshal　Rozhkov　told　us；　Pavel　Leonidovich；　we　are　promised　political　and　diplomatic　maskirovka；　〃　a　general　pointed　out。
〃I　have　no　doubt　that　our　rades　in　the　KGB；　and　our　skillful　political　leadership；　will　perform　miracles。〃　The　room　just　might　have　functioning　bugs；　after　all。　〃But　is　it　not　asking　too　much　to　expect　that　the　Imperialists…as　much　as　they　fear　and　hate　us；　as　active　as　their　agents　and　spy　satellites　are…will　fail　to　note　a　doubling　of　our　training　activity？　We　know　that　NATO　increases　its　readiness　when　we　go　into　major　unit　training；　and　their　preparedness　will　automatically　be　increased　by　their；　own　spring　training　cycles。　If　we　continue　our　training　beyond　the　normal　pattern；　they　will　be　even　more　alert。　Achieving　full　bat　readiness　requires　that　we　do　too　many　things　out　of　the　ordinary。　If　nothing　else；　East　Germany　is　rife　with　Western　spies。　NATO　will　notice。　NATO　will　react。　They　will　meet　us　on　the　border　with　everything　in　their　collective　arsenals。
〃If；　on　the　other　hand；　we　attack　with　what　we　have…now！…we　have　the　advantage。　Our　men　are　not　off　skiing　in　the　fucking　Alps！　Zhukov…4　is　designed　to　cycle　from　peace　to　war　in　forty…eight　hours。　There　is　no　way　possible　for　NATO　to　react　in　so　little　time。　They'll　take　forty…eight　hours　to　get　their　intelligence　information　organized　and　presented　to　their　ministers。　By　that　time　our　shells　will　be　falling　on　the　Fulda　Gap；　and　our　tanks　will　be　advancing　behind　them！〃
〃Too　many　things　can　go　wrong！〃　CINC…West　rose　so　swiftly　that　the　towel　nearly　came　off　his　waist。　His　left　hand　grabbed　downward　while　his　right　fist　shook　at　the　younger　man。　〃What　about　traffic　control？　What　about　training　our　men　in　their　new　battle　equipment？　What　about　getting　my　Frontal　Aviation　pilots　ready　for　bat　operations　against　the　Imperialists？　There…right　there　is　an　insurmountable　problem！　Our　pilots　need　at　least　a　month　of　intensive　training。　And　so　do　my　tankers；　and　so　do　my　gunners；　and　so　do　my　riflemen。〃
If　you　knew　your　job；　they　would　be　ready　now；　you　worthless；　whore　chasing　son　of　a　bitch！　Alekseyev　thought　but　did　not　dare　to　say　aloud。　CINC…West　was　a　man　of　sixty…one　who　liked　to　demonstrate　his　manly　prowess…boasted　of　it…to　the　detriment　of　his　professional　duties。　Alekseyev　had　heard　that　story　often　enough；　whispered　jovially　in　this　very　room。　But　CINC…West　was　politically　reliable。　Such　is　the　Soviet　system；　the　younger　general　reflected。　We　need　fighting　soldiers　and　what　do　we　get　with　which　to　defend　the　Rodina？　Political　reliability！　He　remembered　bitterly　what　had　happened　to　his　father　in　1958。　But　Alekseyev　did　not　allow　himself　to　begrudge　the　Party　its　control　of　the　armed　forces。　The　Party　was　the　State；　after　all；　and　he　was　a　sworn　servant　of　the　State。　He　had　learned　these　truisms　at　his　father's　knee。　One　more　card　to　play：
〃rade　General；　you　have　good　officers　manding　your　divisions；　regiments；　and　battalions。　Trust　them　to　know　their　duties。〃　It　couldn't　hurt　to　wave　the　standards　of　the　Red　Army；　Alekseyev　reasoned。
Rozhkov　stood；　and　everyone　in　the　room　strained　to　hear　his　pronouncement。　〃What　you　say　has　merit；　Pavel　Leonidovich；　but　do　we　gamble　with　the　safety　of　the　Motherland？〃　He　shook　his　head；　quoting　doctrine　exactly；　as　he　had　been　doing　for　too　many　years。　〃No。　We　rely　on　surprise；　yes；　on　the　first　weighted　blow　to　blast　open　a　path　for　the　daring　thrust　of　our　mechanized　forces。　And　we　will　have　our　surprise。　The　Westerners　will　not　wish　to　believe　what　is　happening；　and　with　the　Politburo　soothing　them　even　as　we　prepare　the　first　blow；　we　will　have　our　strategic　surprise。　The　West　will　have　perhaps　three　days…four　at　most…to　know　what　is　ing；　and　even　then　they　will　not　be　mentally　prepared　for　us。〃
The　officers　followed　Rozhkov　from　the　room　to　rinse　the　sweat　from　their　bodies　with　cold…water　showers。　Ten　minutes　later；　refreshed　and　dressed　in　full　uniform；　the　officers　reassembled　in　a　second…floor　banquet　room。　The　waiters；　many　of　them　KGB　informers；　noted　the　subdued　mood　and　quiet　conversations　that　frustrated　their　efforts　to　listen　in。　The　generals　knew　that　KGB's　Lefortovo　prison　was　a　bare　kilometer　away。
〃Our　plans？〃　CINC…Southwest　asked　his　deputy。
〃How　many　times　have　we　played　this　war　game？〃　Alekseyev　responded。　〃All　the　maps　and　formulae　we　have　examined　for　years。　We　know　the　troop　and　tank　concentrations。　We　know　the　routes；　the　highways；　the　crossroads　that　we　must　use；　and　those　that　NATO　will　use。　We　know　our　mobilization　schedules；　and　theirs。　The　only　thing　we　don't　know　is　whether　our　carefully　laid　plans　will　in　fact　work。　We　should　attack　at　once。　Then　the　unknowns　will　work　against　both　sides　equally。〃
〃And　if　our　attack　goes　too　well；　and　NATO　relies　on　a　nuclear　defense？〃　the　senior　officer　asked。　Alekseyev　acknowledged　the　importance　and　grave　unpredictability　of　the　point。
〃They　might　do　that　anyway。　rade；　all　of　our　plans　depend　heavily　on　surprise；　no？　A　mixture　of　surprise　and　success　will　force　the　West　to　consider　nuclear　weapons…〃
〃Here　you　are　wrong；　my　young　friend；〃　CINC…Southwest　chided。　〃The　decision　to　use　nuclear　weapons　is　political。　To　prevent　their　use　is　also　a　political　exercise　for　which　time　is　required。〃
〃But　if　we　wait　over　four　months…how　can　we　be　assured　of　strategic　surprise？〃　Alekseyev　demanded。
〃Our　political　leadership　has　promised　it。〃
〃The　year　I　entered　Frunze　Academy；　the　Party　told　us　the　date　on　which　we　would　surely　have　'True　munism　in　our　lifetime。'　A　solemn　promise。　That　date　was　six　years　ago。〃
〃Such　talk　is　safe　with　me；　Pasha；　I　understand　you。　But　if　you　do　not　learn　to　control　your　tongue…〃
〃Forgive　me；　rade　General。　We　must　allow　for　the　chance　that　surprise　will　not　be　achieved。　'In　bat；　despite　the　most　careful　preparation；　risks　cannot　be　avoided；〃'　Alekseyev　quoted　from　the　syllabus　of　the　Frunze　Academy。　〃　'Attention　must　therefore　be　given；　and　the　most　detailed　plans　prepared；　for　every　reasonable　exigency　of　the　overall　operation。　For　this　reason；　the　unsung　life　of　a　staff　officer　is　among　the　most　demanding　of　those　honored　to　serve　the　State。〃'
〃You　have　the　memory　of　a　kulak；　Pasha。〃　CINC…Southwest　laughed；　filling　his　deputy's　glass　with　Georgian　wine。　〃But　you　are　correct。〃
〃Failure　to　achieve　surprise　means　that　we　are　forcing　a　campaign　of　attrition　on　a　vast　scale；　a　high…technology　version　of　the　'14…'18　war。〃
〃Which　we　will　win。〃　CINC…Ground　sat　down　next　to　Alekseyev。
〃Which　we　will　win；〃　Alekseyev　agreed。　All　Soviet　generals　accepted　the　premise　that　the　inability　to　force　a　rapid　decision　would　force　a　bloody　war　of　attrition　that　would　grind　each　side　down　equally。　The　Soviets　had　far　more　reserves　of　men　and　material　with　which　to　fight　such　a　war。　And　the　political　will　to　use　them。　〃If　and　only　if　we　are　able　to　force　the　pace　of　battle；　and　if　our　friends　in　the　Navy　can　prevent　the　resupply　of　NATO　from　America。　NATO　has　war　stocks　of　material　to　sustain　them　for　roughly　five　weeks。　Our　pretty；　expensive　fleet　must　close　the　Atlantic。〃
〃Maslov。〃　Rozhkov　beckoned　to　the　mander…in…Chief　of　the　Soviet　Navy。　〃We　wish　to　hear　your　opinion　of　the　correlation　of　forces　in　the　North　Atlantic。〃
〃Our　mission？〃　Maslov　asked　warily。
〃If　we　fail　to　achieve　surprise　in　the　West；　Andrey　Petravich；　it　will　be　necessary　for　our　beloved　rades　in　the　Navy　to　isolate　Europe　from　America；〃　Rozhkov　pronounced。　He　blinked　hard　at　the　response。
〃Give　me　a　division　of　airborne　troops；　and　I　can　fulfill　that　task；〃　Maslov　responded　soberly。　He　held　a　glass　of　mineral　water；　and　had　been　careful　to　avoid　drink　on　this　cold　February　night。　〃The　question　is　whether　our　strategic　stance　at　sea　should　be　offensive　or　defensive。　The　NATO　navies…above　all　the　United　States　Navy…is　a　direct　threat　to　the　Rodina。　It　alone　has　the　aircraft　and　aircraft　carriers　with　which　to　attack　the　homeland；　at　the　Kola　Peninsula。　In　fact；　we　know　that　they　have　plans　to　do　exactly　that。〃
〃So　what？〃　CINC…Southwest　observed。　〃No　attack　on　Soviet　soil　is　to　be　taken　lightly；　of　course；　but　we　will　take　severe　losses　in　this　campaign　no　matter　how　brilliantly　we　fight　it。　What　matters　is　the　final　oute。〃
〃If　the　Americans　succeed　in　attacking　Kola；　they　effectively　prevent　our　closure　of　the　North　Atlantic。　And　you　are　wrong　to　shrug　off　these　attacks。　American　entry　into　the　Barents　Sea　will　constitute　a　direct　threat　to　our　nuclear　deterrent　forces；　and　could　have　more　dire　consequences　than　you　imagine。〃　Admiral　Maslov　leaned　forward。　〃On　the　other　hand；　if　you　persuade　STAVKA　to　give　us　the　resources　to　execute　Operation　Polar　Glory；　we　can　seize　the　bat　initiative　and　dictate　the　nature　of　operations　in　the　North　Atlantic　on　our　chosen　terms。　He　held　up　a　closed　fist。　〃By　doing　this　we　can；　first〃…he　raised　a　finger…〃prevent　an　American　navel　attack　against　the　Rodina；　second〃…another　finger…〃use　the　majority　of　our　submarine　forces　in　the　North　Atlantic　basin　where　the　trade　routes　are；　instead　of　keeping　them　on　passive　defense；　and；　third〃…a　final　finger…〃make　maximum　use　of　our　naval　aviation　assets。　At　one　stroke　this　operation　makes　our　fleet　an　offensive　rather　than　a　defensive　weapon。〃
〃And　to　acplish　this　you　need　only　one　of　our　Guards　Air　Rifle　divisions？　Outline　your　plan　for　us；　please；　rade　Admiral；〃　Alekseyev　said。
Maslov　did　so　over　a　period　of　fiv