tc.redstormrising-第121部分

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k　only　a　minute　to　identify　it　as　an　SPS…49　air…search　model　of　the　type　used　by　Perry…class　missile　frigates。　The　technicians　on　board　measured　the　signal's　intensity　and；　plotting　its　position；　judged　that　they　were　far　outside　the　radar's　detection　range。

The　raid　mander　riding　in　the　third　Bear　received　the　information　and　pared　it　with　his　intelligence　data　for　the　convoy。　The　position　was　exactly　in　the　middle　of　the　circle　he　had　drawn　on　his　map。　He　was　suspicious　of　things　that　were　so　exact。　The　convoy　was　taking　a　direct　route　to　Europe？　Why？　Most　convoys　to　date　had　taken　a　more　evasive　course；　detouring　far　south　to　the　Azores　in　order　to　force　his　aircraft　to　reach　farther　than　they　wanted…and　thereby　forcing　the　Backfires　trailing　the　scouts　to　carry　only　one　missile　instead　of　two。　Something　was　strange　here。　On　his　order；　the　patrol　line　reoriented　itself　to　a　north…south　disposition　and　began　reducing　altitude　to　keep　below　the　horizon　of　the　American　radar。

USS　REUBEN　JAMES
〃How　far　can　you　see？〃　Calloway　asked。
〃Depends　on　the　altitude　and　size　of　the　target；　and　atmospheric　conditions；〃　Morris　answered；　staring　down　from　his　chair　to　the　electronic　displays。　Two　Navy　Tomcats　were　ready　for　bat。　〃For　the　Bear；　at　thirty　thousand　feet　or　so；　we　can　probably　spot　it　about　two　hundred　fifty　miles　away。　But　the　lower　he　flies；　the　closer　he　can　get。　Radar　can't　see　through　the　horizon。〃
〃But　flying　low　will　cost　him　fuel。〃
Morris　looked　down　at　the　reporter。　〃Those　damned　things　carry　enough　fuel　to　stay　up　all　week；〃　he　exaggerated。
〃Message　from　LANTFLT；　Captain。〃　The　munications　officer　handed　the　form　over：　REPORT　POSSIBLE　BACKFIRE　RAID　SOUTHBOUND　OVER　ICELAND　1017z。　Morris　handed　the　message　to　his　tactical　action　officer；　who　immediately　looked　at　the　chart。
〃Good　news？〃　Calloway　asked。　He　had　better　sense　than　to　ask　to　see　the　dispatch。
〃We　may　be　seeing　Backfire　bombers　in　a　little　over　two　hours。〃
〃Shooting　for　the　convoy？〃
〃No；　probably　they'll　want　to　shoot　at　us　first。　They　have　a　good　four　days　to　blast　the　convoy；　and　getting　the　escorts　out　of　the　way　makes　that　job　a　lot　easier。〃
〃Are　you　concerned？〃
Morris　smiled　thinly。　〃Mr。　Calloway；　I'm　always　concerned。〃
The　captain　reflexively　checked　the　various　status　boards。　All　his　weapons　and　sensor　systems　were　fully　operational…so　nice　to　have　a　brand…new　ship！　The　threat　board　showed　no　known　submarine　activity　in　the　immediate　area；　a　datum　to　be　taken　with　a　considerable　bit　of　skepticism。　He　could　call　General　Quarters　now；　but　much　of　his　crew　was　at　lunch。　Better　to　have　everyone　fed　and　alert。
The　damned　waiting；　Morris　thought。　He　watched　the　displays　in　silence。　The　blips　indicating　friendly　aircraft　orbited　slowly　as　their　pilots　waited　too。
〃More　CAP　ing　up。〃　an　officer　reported。　Another　pair　of　Tomcats；　part　of　the　bat　air　patrol；　appeared　on　the　scope。　America　had　gotten　the　same　raid　warning。　The　carrier　was　two　hundred　miles　away；　westbound　for　Norfolk。　The　same　was　true　of　Independence；　returning　from　the　Azores。　The　carriers　had　been　at　sea　since　the　war　began；　cruising　back　and　forth　to　avoid　the　orbiting　Soviet　ocean…reconnaissance　satellites。　They　had　been　able　to　provide　antisubmarine　protection　for　a　number　of　convoys；　though　only　at　great　hazard　to　the　carriers　themselves。　Up　to　now；　the　American　flattops　had　not　been　able　to　act　as　they　were　supposed　to　act。　They　were　not　yet　offensive　weapons。　The　fate　of　the　Nimitz　group　had　e　as　a　bitter　lesson。　Morris　lit　another　cigarette。　Now　he　remembered　why　he'd　quit　in　the　first　place。　Too　many　of　them　burned　his　throat；　destroyed　his　sense　of　taste；　and　made　his　eyes　water。　On　the　other　hand；　they　did　give　him　something　to　do　while　he　waited。

NORTH　ATLANTIC
The　Bears　were　on　a　precise　north…south　line　now　centered　on　the　position　of　the　frigate's　radar　signals。　The　raid　mander　ordered　them　to　turn　west　and　reduce　altitude。　Two　aircraft　failed　to　acknowledge　the　order；　and　he　had　to　repeat　it。
Two　hundred　miles　west　of　them；　aboard　the　circling　E…2C　Hawkeye　surveillance　aircraft；　a　technician's　head　went　up。　Held　just　heard　someone　speaking　Russian；　in　code；　but　definitely　Russian。
Within　minutes；　every　ship　in　the　escort　force　had　the　information；　and　they　all　came　up　with　the　same　answer：　the　Backfires　couldn't　be　here　yet。　These　were　Bears。　Everyone　wanted　to　kill　the　Bears。　The　carrier　America　started　launching　her　fighters　and　additional　radar　aircraft。　After　all；　the　Russians　could　be　looking　for　her。

USS　REUBEN　JAMES
〃He's　gotta　be　heading　right　for　us；〃　the　tactical　action　officer　said。
〃That's　the　general　idea；〃　Morris　agreed。
〃How　far？〃　Calloway　asked。
〃No　way　to　know　that。　The　Hawkeye　copied　a　voice　radio　transmission。　Probably　it's；　fairly　close；　but　freak　atmospheric　conditions　can　let　you　hear　that　sort　of　thing　from　half　a　world　away。　Mr。　Lenner；　let's　go　to　battle　stations　for　air　action。〃
Five　minutes　later　the　frigate　was　ready。

NORTH　ATLANTIC
〃Good　morning；　Mr。　Bear。〃　The　Tomcat　pilot　stared　at　his　TV　display　tube。　The　Russian　aircraft　was　about　forty　miles　away；　the　sun　glinting　off　its　massive　propellers。　Deciding　to　close　without　using　his　radar　for　the　moment；　the　fighter　pilot　advanced　his　throttles　to　80…percent　power　and　activated　his　missile　controls。　The　head…on　closure　rate　was　over　a　thousand　miles　per　hour；　seventeen　miles　per　minute。
Then：　〃Energize！〃　the　pilot　ordered；　and　instantly　the　radar　intercept　officer　in　the　rear　seat　powered　up　the　fighter's　AWG…9　radar。
〃We've　got　him；〃　the　RIO　reported　a　moment　later。
〃Shoot！〃　Two　missiles　dropped　free　and　accelerated　to　over　three　thousand　miles　per　hour。
The　Soviet　electronics…warfare　technician　was　trying　to　isolate　the　signature　characteristics　of　the　frigate's　search　radar　when　a　beep　sounded　on　a　separate　warning　receiver。　He　turned　to　see　what　the　noise　was　and　went　pale。
〃Air…attack　warning！〃　he　shouted　over　the　inter。
Reacting　at　once；　the　pilot　rolled　the　Bear　left　and　dove　for　the　surface　of　the　ocean；　while　aft　the　EW　technician　activated　his　protective　jamming　systems。　However；　the　turn　had　masked　the　jammer　pods　from　the　ining　missiles。
〃What's　happening？〃　the　raid　mander　demanded　over　the　inter。
〃We　have　an　interceptor　radar　on　us；〃　the　technician　replied；　scared　but　cool。　〃Jamming　pods　are　activated。〃
The　raid　mander　turned　to　his　munications　man。　〃Get　a　warning　out：　enemy　fighter　activity　this　position。〃
But　there　wasn't　time。　The　Phoenixes　covered　the　distance　in　less　than　twenty　seconds。　The　first　went　wild　and　missed；　but　the　second　locked　on　the　diving　bomber　and　blew　its　tail　off。　The　Bear　fell　to　the　sea　with　as　little　grace　as　a　dropped　sheet　of　paper。

USS　REUBEN　JAMES
The　radar　showed　the　Tomcat；　and　they　watched　as　it　launched　two　missiles　that　immediately　disappeared　from　sight；　and　then；　silently；　as　the　Tomcat　continued　east　for　thirty　seconds。　Then　it　turned　around　and　headed　back　west。
〃That；　gentlemen；　is　a　kill；〃　Morris　said。　〃Splash　one　Bear。〃
〃How　do　you　know？〃　Calloway　asked。
〃You　think　he　would　have　turned　back　if　he　missed？　And　if　it　was　anything　but　a　Bear；　he'd　have　broken　radio　silence。　ESM；　we　copy　any　radio　traffic　from　zero…eight…zero？〃
The　petty　officer　in　the　forward　starboard　corner　of　the　partment　didn't　look　up。　〃No；　Captain；　not　a　peep。〃
〃Damn；〃　Morris　said。　〃It　works。〃
〃And　if　the　bugger　didn't　get　a　message　out…〃　Calloway　understood。
〃We're　the　only　ones　who　know。　Maybe　we　can　bushwhack　the　whole　attack　force。〃　Morris　stepped　over　to　the　display　screen。　The　America's　fighters　were　now　all　in　the　air；　seventy　miles　south　of　the　convoy。　He　looked　at　the　bulkhead　clock：　the　Backfires　were　about　forty　minutes　away。　He　lifted　a　phone。　〃Bridge；　bat。　Signal　Battleaxe　to　close　in。〃
Within　seconds；　Battleaxe　turned　hard　a'port　and　headed　west　toward　　Reuben　James。　One　new　thing　had　already　worked　today；　Morris　thought。　Why　not　another？
〃Stand　by　to　launch　helo；〃　he　ordered。
O'Malley　was　sitting　in　his　cockpit　reading　a　magazine；　or　at　least　letting　his　eyes　scan　the　pictures　while　his　mind　struggled　to　detach　itself　from　what　was　going　on　around　him。　The　announcement　over　the　loudspeaker　tore　him　away　from　Miss　July。　Immediately；　Ensign　Ralston　began　the　engine　start　sequence　while　O'Malley　scanned　the　trouble　board　for　any　mechanical　problems；　then　looked　out　the　door　to　be　sure　that　the　deck　crewmen　were　clear。
〃What　are　we　supposed　to　be　doing；　mander？〃　the　systems　operator　inquired。
〃We're　supposed　to　be　missile　bait；　Willy；〃　O'Malley　replied　amiably；　and　lifted　off。

NORTH　ATLANTIC
The　southernmost　Bear　was　within　sixty　miles　of　the　convoy；　but　didn't　yet　know　it；　nor　did　the　Americans；　since　he　was　below　the　horizon　from　Reuben　James's　radar。　The　Bear's　pilot　did　know　that　it　was　about　time　for　the　aircraft　to　climb　and　switch　on　their　own　search　radars。　But　word　hadn't　e　yet　from　the　raid　mander。　Though　there　was　no　indication　of　trouble；　the　pilot　was　worried。　His　instinct　told　him　something　strange　was　happening。　One　of　the　Bears　that　had　disappeared　last　week；　reported　tracking　a　single　American　frigate　radar…nothing　more。　Just　like　now　。　。　。　The　raid　mander　then　had　aborted　the　Backfire　mission　fo