tc.redstormrising-第157部分

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ALFELD；　FEDERAL　REPUBLIC　OF　GERMANY
The　Russians　were　not　responding　very　fast；　Mackall　was　surprised　to　see。　There　had　been　air　attacks　and　several　vicious　artillery　bombardments　during　the　night；　but　the　expected　ground　assault　hadn't　materialized。　For　the　Russians　this　was　a　crucial　mistake。　More　ammunition　had　arrived；　bringing　them　to　full　loads　for　the　first　time　in　weeks。　Better　still；　a　full　brigade　of　German　panzer　Grenadiers　had　reinforced　the　depleted　troopers　of　the　11th　Cav；　and　Mackall　had　learned　to　trust　these　men　as　he　trusted　his　tank's　posite　armor。　Their　defensive　positions　were　arrayed　in　depth　to　the　east　and　west。　The　armored　forces　pushing　down　from　the　north　could　now　support　Alfeld　with　their　long…range　guns。　Engineers　had　repaired　the　Russian　bridges　on　the　Leine；　and　Mackall　was　about　to　move　his　tanks　east　to　support　the　mechanized　troops　guarding　the　rubble　that　was　Alfeld。
It　was　strange　crossing　the　Soviet　ribbon　bridge…it　was　strange　to　be　moving　east　at　all！　Mackall　thought…and　his　driver　was　nervous；　crossing　the　narrow；　flimsy…looking　structure　at　five　miles　per　hour。　Once　across；　they　moved　north　along　the　river；　swinging　around　the　town。　It　was　raining　lightly；　with　fog　and　low…hanging　clouds；　typical　European　summer　weather　that　cut　visibility　to　under　a　thousand　yards。　He　was　met　by　troops　who　guided　the　arriving　tanks　to　selected　defensive　positions。　The　Soviets　had　helped　for　once。　In　their　constant　efforts　to　clear　the　roads　of　rubble；　they'd　given　the　Americans　neat　piles　of　brick　and　stone　about　two　meters　high；　almost　exactly　the　right　size　for　tanks　to　hide　behind。　The　lieutenant　dismounted　from　his　vehicle　to　check　the　placement　of　his　four　tanks；　then　conferred　with　the　mander　of　the　infantry　pany　he　was　detailed　to　support。　There　were　two　battalions　of　infantry　dug　in　deep　and　hard　on　the　outskirts　of　Alfeld；　supported　by　a　squadron　of　tanks。　He　heard　the　overhead　whistling　of　artillery　shells；　the　new　kind　that　dropped　mines　on　the　fog…shrouded　battlefield　ahead　of　him。　The　whistling　changed　as　he　mounted　his　tank。　Ining。

STENDAL；　GERMAN　DEMOCRATIC　REPUBLIC
〃It's　taken　too　long　to　get　them　moving；〃　Alekseyev　growled　to　his　operations　officer。
〃It's　still　three　divisions；　and　they　are　moving　now。〃
〃But　how　many　reinforcements　have　arrived？〃
The　operations　man　had　warned　Alekseyev　against　trying　to　coordinate　a　two…pronged　attack；　but　the　General　had　stuck　to　the　plan。　Beregovoy's　A　tank　division　was　now　in　place　to　strike　from　the　west；　while　the　three　C　reserve　divisions　hit　from　the　east。　The　regular　tank　force　had　no　artillery…they'd　had　to　move　too　fast　to　bring　it…but　three　hundred　tanks　and　six　hundred　personnel　carriers　were　a　formidable　force　all　by　themselves；　the　General　thought　。　。　。　but　what　were　they　up　against；
and　how　many　vehicles　had　been　destroyed　or　damaged　by　air　attack　on　the　approach　march？
Sergetov　arrived。　His　class…A　uniform　was　rumpled　from　his　traveling。
〃And　how　was　Moscow？〃　Alekseyev　asked。
〃Dark；　rade　General。　The　attack；　how　did　it　go？〃
〃Just　starting　now。〃
〃Oh？〃　The　major　was　surprised　at　the　delay。　He　looked　rather　closely　at　the　Theater　Operations　Officer；　who　hovered　over　the　map　table；　frowning　at　the　dispositions　while　the　plotting　officers　prepared　to　mark　the　progress　of　the　attack。
〃I　have　a　message　from　high　mand　for　you；　rade　General。〃　Sergetov　handed　over　an　official…looking　form。　Alekseyev　scanned　it…and　stopped　reading。　His　fingers　went　taut　on　the　paper　briefly　before　he　regained　self…control。
〃e　to　my　office。〃　The　General　said　nothing　more　until　the　door　was　closed。　〃Are　you　sure　of　this？〃
〃I　was　told　by　Director　Kosov　himself。〃
Alekseyev　sat　on　the　edge　of　his　desk。　He　lit　a　match　and　burned　the　message　form；　watching　the　flame　march　across　the　paper　almost　to　his　fingertips　as　he　twisted　it　in　his　hand。
〃That　fucking　weasel。　Stukach！〃　An　informer　on　my　own　staff！　〃What　else？〃
Sergetov　related　the　other　information　he'd　learned。　The　General　was　silent　for　a　minute；　puting　his　fuel　requirements　against　fuel　reserves。
〃If　today's　attack　fails　。　。　。　we've…〃　He　turned　away；　unwilling；　unable；　to　make　himself　say　it　aloud。　I　have　not　trained　my　whole　life　to　fail！　He　remembered　the　first　notice　he'd　had　of　the　campaign　against　NATO。　I　told　them　to　attack　at　once。　I　told　them　that　we　needed　strategic　surprise；　and　that　we'd　have　difficulty　achieving　it　if　we　waited　so　long。　I　told　them　that　we'd　have　to　close　the　North　Atlantic　to　prevent　resupply　of　the　NATO　forces。　So。　Now　that　we've　acplished　none　of　these；　my　friend　is　in　a　KGB　prison　and　my　own　life　is　in　jeopardy　because　I　may　fail　to　do　what　I　told　them　we　could　not　do…because　I　was　right　all　along！
e　now；　Pasha。　Why　should　the　Politburo　listen　to　its　soldiers　when　it　can　just　as　easily　shoot　them？
The　Theater　Operations　Officer　stuck　his　head　through　the　door。　〃The　troops　are　moving。〃
〃Thank　you；　Yevgeny　Ilych；〃　Alekseyev　answered　amiably。　He　rose　from　the　desk。　〃e；　Major；　let's　see　how　quickly　we　can　smash　through　the　NATO　lines！〃

ALFELD；　FEDERAL　REPUBLIC　OF　GERMANY
〃Bar　fight；〃　Woody　said　from　his　gunner's　position。
〃Looks　like　it；〃　Mackall　agreed。
They'd　been　told　to　expect　two　or　three　Soviet　reserve　divisions。　Together　they　had　perhaps　the　artillery　strength　of　two　regular　units；　and　they　were　firing　at　both　sides　of　the　river。　The　miserable　visibility　hurt　both　sides。　The　Russians　could　not　direct　their　artillery　fire　well；　and　the　NATO　troops　would　have　minimal　air　support。　As　usual；　the　worst　part　of　the　preliminary　bombardment　was　the　rockets；　which　lasted　two　minutes；　the　unguided　missiles　falling　like　hail。　Though　men　died　and　vehicles　exploded；　the　defending　force　was　well　prepared　and　casualties　were　light。
Woody　switched　on　his　thermal…imaging　sights。　It　allowed　him　to　see　roughly　a　thousand　yards；　double　the　visual　range。　On　the　left　side　of　the　turret；　the　loader　sat　nervously；　his　foot　resting　lightly　on　the　pedal　that　controlled　the　doors　to　the　ammo　partment。　The　driver　in　his　coffinsized　box　under　the　main　gun　drummed　his　fingers　on　the　control　bar。
〃Heads　up。　Friendlies　ing　in；〃　Mackall　told　his　crew。　〃Movement　reported　to　the　east。〃
〃I　see　'em；〃　Woody　acknowledged。　Just　a　few　infantrymen　were　returning　from　their　forward　listening　posts。　Not　as　many　as　there　should　have　been；　Mackall　thought。　So　many　casualties　over　the　past…
〃Target　tank；　twelve　o'clock；〃　Woody　said。　He　squeezed　the　triggers　on　his　yoke；　and　the　tank　seemed　to　leap　from　its　first　shot。
The　spent　round　ejected　from　the　breech。　The　loader　stomped　his　foot　on　the　pedal。　The　door　slid　clear　of　the　ammo　partment　and　he　pulled　out　another　sabot　round；　turning　it　in　a　narrow　circle　to　slain　it　in　the　breech。
〃Ready！〃
Woody　already　had　another　target。　He　was　largely　on　his　own　while　Mackall　watched　out　for　the　whole　platoon's　front。　The　troop　mander　was　calling　in　artillery　fire。　Immediately　behind　the　first　row　of　tanks；　they　saw　dismounted　infantrymen　running　to　keep　up　with　the　tanks。　Eight…wheeled　infantry　carriers　were　mixed　in　as　well。　The　Bradleys　engaged　them　with　their　25mm　guns　as　proximity…fused　artillery　rounds　began　to　detonate　twenty　feet　off　the　ground；　showering　the　infantrymen　with　fragments。
They　couldn't　miss。　The　Russian　tanks　advanced　at　half　the　normal　hundred…yard　interval；　concentrating　on　a　narrow　front。　They　were　old　T…55s；　Woody　saw；　with　obsolete　100mm　guns。　He　killed　three　before　they　could　even　see　the　NATO　positions。　One　shell　landed　in　the　stone　pile　ahead　of　their　tank；　sending　a　mix　of　steel　fragments　and　stone　chips　over　the　vehicle。　Woody　dispatched　that　tank　with　a　HEAT　round。　Smoke　rounds　began　failing…they　didn't　help　the　Russians　at　all。　The　electronic　sights　on　the　NATO　vehicles　saw　right　through　it。　More　artillery　fire　landed　on　the　Cav　now　that　the　Russians　could　see　well　enough　to　direct　fire　in　on　their　positions；　and　that　began　an　artillery　duel　as　NATO　guns　searched　for　the　Russian　batteries。
〃Antenna　tank！　Sabot！〃　The　gunner　locked　his　sights　on　the　T…55　and　fired。　The　round　missed　this　time　and　they　reloaded　another　round。　The　second　shot　blew　the　turret　into　the　sky。　The　thermal　sight　showed　the　bright　dots　of　antitank　missiles　running　downrange；　and　the　fountaining　explosions　of　the　vehicles　they　hit。　Suddenly　the　Russians　stopped。　Most　of　the　vehicles　died　in　place；　but　some　turned　and　ran　off。
〃Cease　fire；　cease　fire！〃　Mackall　told　his　platoon。　〃Report　in。〃
〃Three…two　has　a　track　blown　off；〃　one　replied。　The　others　were　intact；　protected　by　their　stone　revetments。
〃Nine　rounds　fired；　boss；〃　Woody　said。　Mackall　and　the　loader　opened　their　hatches　to　vent　the　acrid　propellant　smell　out　of　the　turret。　The　gunner　pulled　off　his　leather　helmet　and　shook　his　head。　His　sandy　hair　was　filthy。　〃You　know；　there's　one　thing　I　miss　from　the　M…60。〃
〃What's　that；　Woody？〃
〃We　ain't　got　no　hatch　in　the　bottom。　Nice　to　be　able　to　take　a　piss　without　climbing　outside。〃
〃Did　you　have　to　say　that！〃　the　driver　moaned。
Mackall　laughed。　It　was　a　moment　before　he　realized　why。　For　the　first　time　they'd　stopped　Ivan　cold；　without　having　to　pull　back　at　all…a　good　thing　since　their　current　position　didn't　allow　for　that　possibility！　A