tc.redstormrising-第131部分

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r　fired　two　Sidewinders　at　the　helicopter。
The　MiGs　were　caught　looking　the　wrong　way　when　their　threat　receivers　went　off。　One　dashed　to　the　ground　and　evaded。　The　other　exploded　in　midair　as　the　surviving　wingman　radioed　a　warning。　Alekseyev　blinked　in　surprise　at　the　sudden　gout　of　light　overhead；　then　grabbed　for　his　seatbelt　as　the　helicopter　turned　hard　left　and　dropped　like　a　stone。　It　was　almost　in　the　trees　when　the　Sidewinder　chopped　off　the　tail　rotor。　Sergetov　awoke　and　shouted　in　surprise　and　alarm。　The　Mi…24　spun　in　the　air　as　it　crashed　into　the　trees　and　bounced　the　last　fifty　feet　to　the　ground。　The　main　rotor　came　apart；　sending　pieces　in　all　directions；　and　the　sliding　door　on　the　left　side　of　the　aircraft　popped　off　as　though　made　of　plastic。　Alekseyev　went　out　right　behind　it；　dragging　Sergetov　with　him。　Once　again　his　instincts　had　saved　him。　The　two　officers　were　twenty　meters　away　when　the　fuel　tanks　exploded。　They　never　heard　or　saw　the　Phantoms　that　continued　west　to　safety。
〃Are　you　hurt；　Vanya？〃　the　General　asked。
'I　didn't　even　piss　my　pants。　That　must　mean　I'm　a　seasoned　veteran。〃　The　joke　didn't　work。　The　young　man's　voice　shook　along　with　his　hands。　〃Where　the　hell　are　we？〃
〃An　excellent　question。〃　Alekseyev　looked　around。　He　hoped　to　see　lights；　but　the　entire　country　had　a　blackout　in　force；　and　Soviet　units　had　learned　the　hard　way　about　using　lights　on　the　highways。　〃We　have　to　find　a　road。　We'll　head　south　until　we　hit　one。〃
〃Where　is　south？〃
〃Opposite　from　north。　That　is　north。〃　The　General　pointed　to　a　star；　then　turned　to　select　another。　〃That　one　will　lead　us　south。〃

SEVEROMORSK；　R。S。F。S。R。
Admiral　Yuri　Novikov　monitored　the　progress　of　the　battle　from　his　underground　headquarters　a　few　kilometers　from　his　main　fleet　base。　He　was　stung　by　the　loss　of　his　principal　long…range　weapon…the　Backfire　bombers…but　the　way　the　Politburo　had　reacted　to　the　missile　attack　was　a　greater　shock。　Somehow　the　politicians　thought　that　it　meant　a　ballistic…missile　attack　from　the　same　area　was　possible；　and　no　amount　of　argument　to　the　contrary　would　change　their　minds。　As　if　the　Americans　would　risk　their　precious　ballistic…missile　subs　in　such　restricted　waters！　the　Admiral　growled　to　himself。　He　was　up　against　fast…attack　boats…he　was　certain　of　it…and　he　was　being　forced　to　go　after　them　with　half　his　assets　to　prevent　their　escape。　He　didn't　have　that　many　assets　to　go　around。
The　mander…in…Chief　of　Soviet　Northern　Fleet　had　had　a　good　war　to　this　point。　The　operation　to　seize　Iceland　had　gone　almost　perfectly…the　boldest　Soviet　attack　ever　staged！　The　very　next　day　he　had　smashed　a　carrier　battle　group；　an　epic　victory　for　his　forces。　His　plan　to　use　his　missile…armed　bombers　and　submarines　in　bination　against　the　convoys　had　worked　well；　particularly　after　he'd　decided　to　use　the　bombers　to　eliminate　the　escort　ships　first。　Submarine　losses　to　date　had　been　heavy；　but　he'd　expected　that。　The　NATO　navies　had　practiced　antisubmarine　warfare　for　generations。　There　had　to　be　losses。　He'd　made　mistakes；　Novikov　admitted　to　himself。　He　should　have　gone　after　the　escorts　in　a　systematic　way　sooner…but　Moscow　wanted　the　merchants　killed　most　of　all；　and　he'd　acceded　to　the　〃suggestion。〃
Things　were　changing　now。　The　sudden　loss　of　his　Backfire　force…it　would　be　out　of　action　for　another　five　days…forced　him　to　take　his　dedicated　anticarrier　submarine　teams　and　send　them　against　the　convoys；　which　meant　crossing　NATO's　picket　line　of　submarines；　and　losses　there　were　heavy；　too。　His　force　of　Bear　reconnaissance　bombers　was　hard　hit。　The　damned　war　was　supposed　to　be　over　by　now；　Novikov　thought　angrily。　He　had　a　powerful　surface　force　waiting　to　escort　additional　troops　to　Iceland；　but　he　couldn't　move　that　group　until　the　campaign　in　Germany　was　within　sight　of　its　conclusion。　No　battle　plan　survives　the　first　contact　with　the　enemy；　he　reminded　himself。
〃rade　Admiral；　satellite　photographs　have　arrived。〃　His　aide　handed　over　a　leather　dispatch　case。　The　fleet　intelligence　chief　arrived　a　few　minutes　later　with　his　senior　photo…interpretation　expert。　The　photos　were　spread　out　across　a　table。
〃Ali；　we　have　a　problem　here；〃　the　photo　expert　said。
Novikov　didn't　need　the　expert　to　tell　him　that。　The　piers　at　Little　Creek；　Virginia；　were　empty。　The　American　amphibious　assault　force　had　sailed　with　a　full　Marine　division。　Novikov　had　watched　the　progress　of　Pacific　Fleet　units　to　Norfolk　with　great　interest；　but　then　his　ocean…reconnaissance　satellites　had　both　been　killed；　and　launch　authority　on　the　last　of　them　had　been　withheld。　The　next　photo　showed　the　carrier　berths；　also　empty。
〃Nimitz　is　still　at　Southampton；〃　his　intelligence　chief　pointed　out。　〃He　came　into　port　with　a　severe　list；　and　there　is　no　drydock　large　enough　to　acmodate　him。　He's　tied　to　the　Ocean　Dock；　he's　not　going　anywhere。　That　gives　the　Americans　three　carriers：　Coral　Sea；　America；　and　Independence。　Saratoga　is　being　used　for　convoy　escorting　duties。　The　rest　of　their　Atlantic　Fleet　carriers　are　in　the　Indian　Ocean。〃
Novikov　grunted。　That　was　bad　news　for　the　Indian　Ocean　squadron；　but　they　were　part　of　the　Soviet　Pacific　Fleet。　Not　his　problem。　He　had　enough　of　his　own。　For　the　first　time　he　faced　a　dilemma　that　he'd　inflicted　on　the　NATO　navies。　He　had　more　tasks　than　he　had　ships；　and　sending　half　of　his　dedicated　ASW　forces　after　submarines　that　were　already　retreating　didn't　help　matters！

NORTHWOOD；　ENGLAND
〃Hello　again；　Admiral；〃　Toland　said。
Beattie　looked　much　better。　The　blue　eyes　had　the　gleam　of　crystal　now　and　the　Admiral's　back　was　ramrod…straight　as　he　stood　in　front　of　his　wall…sized　map　with　his　arms　folded。
〃How　are　things　in　Scotland；　mander？〃
〃Good；　sir。　The　last　two　raids　got　chewed　up。　May　I　ask　how　the　Doolittle　force　made　out？　One　of　the　boats　is　manded　by　a　friend　of　mine。〃
Beattie　turned。　〃Which？〃
〃Chicago；　sir。　Dan　McCafferty。〃
〃Oh。　It　would　seem　that　one　of　the　boats　was　damaged。　Chicago　and　one　other　are　escorting　her　out。　In　fact；　they　are　raising　quite　a　rumpus　in　the　eastern　Barents。　We　have　indications　that　the　Soviets　are　sending　a　sizable　force　after　them。　In　any　case；　you're　going　back　to　your　carrier　fleet；　and　you're　to　meet　with　my　intelligence　staff　so　that　you　can　bring　your　chaps　up　to　date　when　you　get　there。　I　wanted　to　see　you　personally　to　thank　you　for　that　telex　you　sent　about　trailing　the　Backfires　to　their　doorstep。　That　idea　was　very　useful　to　us。　You're　a　reservist；　I　understand。　How　on　earth　did　they　ever　let　you　go？〃
〃I　put　my　destroyer　on　a　sandbar　once。〃
〃I　see。　You　have　atoned　for　that　error；　mander。〃　Beattie　offered　his　hand。

WACHERSLEBEN；　GERMAN　DEMOCRATIC　REPUBLIC
〃Stop　that　Goddamned　truck！〃　Alekseyev　screamed。　He　stood　in　the　middle　of　the　road；　daring　the　vehicle　to　run　over　him。　It　stopped　and　he　ran　around　to　the　cab。
〃Who　the　hell　are　you？〃　the　corporal　asked。
〃I　am　General　Colonel　Alekseyev；〃　he　answered　agreeably。　〃Who　might　you　be；　rade？〃
〃I　am　Corporal　Vladimir　Ivan'ch　Maryakhin。〃　He　managed　to　say　this　despite　a　mouth　that　hung　open　on　seeing　the　General's　shoulder　boards。
〃Since　I　appear　to　outrank　you；　Corporal；　you　will　take　me　and　my　aide　to　the　next　traffic…control　point　as　quickly　as　this　truck　will　go。　Move！〃
Alekseyev　and　Sergetov　got　in　the　back。　They　found　a　solid　mass　of　crates；　but　had　enough　room　to　sit　on　top　of　them。
The　General　swore。　〃Three　wasted　hours。〃
〃It　could　have　been　worse。〃

BRUSSELS；　BELGIUM
〃It's　a　major　attack；　sir。　They　just　started　moving　on　what　looks　like　a　eighty…kilometer　front。〃
SACEUR　looked　at　the　map　impassively。　It　wasn't　as　though　they　hadn't　expected　this。　Intelligence　had　predicted　it　twelve　hours　earlier　from　Soviet　traffic　patterns。　He　had　exactly　four　reserve　brigades　that　he　could　use　in　this　sector。　Thank　God；　he　thought；　that　I　managed　to　persuade　the　Germans　to　shorten　the　line　at　Hannover。　Half　his　reserves　had　e　from　that；　and　not　a　day　too　soon。
〃Main　axis　of　the　attack？〃　the　General　asked　his　operations　officer。
〃None　is　apparent　at　the　moment。　It　looks　like　a　general　attack…〃
〃Pushing　hard　to　find　a　weak　point；〃　SACEUR　finished　the　statement。　〃Where's　their　reserve　force？〃
〃Sir；　we've　identified　elements　of　three　divisions　here　south　of　Folziehausen。　They　appear　to　be　A　units。　The　attack　now　under　way　appears　to　be　mainly　B　formations。〃
〃Have　we　hurt　them　that　bad？〃　SACEUR　asked　rhetorically。　His　intelligence　officers　were　working　hard　to　establish　just　what　enemy　casualties　were；　and　he　got　a　report　every　evening。　B…class　reserve　units　had　started　appearing　at　the　front　five　days　before；　which　was　puzzling。　He　knew　the　Soviets　had　at　least　six　Category…A　units　in　reserve　in　the　southern　Ukraine；　but　there　were　no　indications　they　were　moving。　Why　wasn't　this　force　being　mitted　to　the　German　front？　Why　were　they　sending　reservists　instead？　He'd　been　asking　that　question　for　several　days；　only　to　get　shrugs　from　his　intelligence　chief。　Not　that　I'm　plaining；　he　thought。　Those　two　field　armies　might　have　been　enough　to　rupture　his　front　entirely。
〃Where's　a　good　place　to　hit　back？〃
〃Sir；　we　have　these　two　German　tank　brigades　at　Springe。　The　Russian　attack　appears　to　have　t