tc.redstormrising-第158部分

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llow　for　that　possibility！　And　how　did　the　crew　react？　They　were　making　jokes。

USS　REUBEN　JAMES
O'Malley　lifted　off　again。　He　was　averaging　ten　flight　hours　per　day。　Three　ships　had　been　torpedoed；　two　more　hit　by　submarine…launched　missiles　in　the　past　four　days；　but　the　Russians　had　paid　dearly　for　that。　They'd　sent　perhaps　as　many　as　twenty　submarines　into　Icelandic　waters。　Eight　had　died　trying　to　get　through　the　picket　line　of　submarines　that　was　the　fleet's　outer　defense。　More　had　fallen　to　the　line　of　towed…array　ships　whose　helicopters　were　now　backed　up　by　those　of　HMS　Illustrious；　A　bold　Tango　skipper　had　actually　penetrated　one　of　the　carrier　groups　and　put　a　fish　into　America's　tough　hide；　only　to　be　pounced　on　and　sunk　by　the　destroyer　Caron。　The　carrier　could　now　make　only　twenty…five　knots；　barely　enough　to　conduct　flight　operations；　but　she　was　still　there。
Mike　Force…Reuben　James；　Battleaxe；　and　Illustrious…was　escorting　a　group　of　amphibs　south　for　another　landing。　There　were　still　bears　in　the　woods；　and　Ivan　would　go　for　the　amphibious…warfare　ships　as　soon　as　he　had　the　chance。　From　a　thousand　feet；　O'Malley　could　see　Nassau　and　three　others　to　the　north。　Smoke　rose　from　Keflavik。　The　Russian　troops　were　getting　no　rest　at　all。
〃Won't　be　easy　for　them　to　track　in　on　us；〃　Ralston　thought　aloud。
〃You　suppose　those　Russian　troops　have　radios？〃　O'Malley　asked。
〃Sure。〃
〃You　suppose　maybe　they　can　see　us　from　those　hills…and　maybe　radio　a　submarine　what　they　see？〃
〃I　didn't　think　of　that；〃　the　ensign　admitted。
〃Mat's　all　right。　I'm　sure　Ivan　did。〃　O'Malley　looked　north　again。　There　were　three　thousand　Marines　on　those　ships。　The　Marines　had　saved　his　ass　in　Vietnam　more　than　once。
Reuben　James　and　O'Malley　had　the　inshore　side　of　the　small　convoy　while　the　British　ships　and　helos　guarded　to　seaward。　It　was　relatively　shallow　water。　Their　towed…array　sonars　were　reeled　in。
〃Willy；　drop…now；　now；　now！〃　The　first　active　sonobuoy　was　ejected　into　the　water。　Five　more　were　deployed　in　the　next　few　minutes。　The　passive　buoys　used　for　open…ocean　search　were　the　wrong　choice　here。　Stealth　was　not　in　the　cards　if　the　Russian　subs　were　being　informed　where　to　go。　Better　to　scare　them　off　than　to　try　finesse。
Three　hours；　O'Malley　thought。
〃Hammer；　this　is　Romeo；〃　Morris　called。　〃Bravo　and　India　are　working　a　possible　contact　to　seaward；　two…nine　miles　bearing　two…four…seven。〃
〃Roger　that；　Romeo。〃　O'Malley　acknowledged。　To　Ralston：　〃Bastard's　within　missile　range。　That　oughta　make　the　Marines　happy。〃
〃Contact！　Possible　contact　on　buoy　four；〃　Willy　said；　watching　the　sonar　display。　〃Signal　is　weak。〃
O'Malley　turned　his　helo　and　moved　back　up　the　line。

KEFLAVIK；　ICELAND
〃Where　do　you　suppose　they　are？〃　Andreyev　asked　his　naval　liaison　officer。　The　position　of　the　formation　had　been　plotted　on　the　map　from　the　reports　of　several　mountaintop　lookout　stations。
The　man　shook　his　head。　〃Trying　to　get　to　the　targets。〃
The　General　remembered　his　own　time　aboard　ship；　how　vulnerable　he'd　felt；　how　dangerous　it　had　been。　A　distant　part　of　his　consciousness　felt　sympathy　for　the　American　Marines。　But　gallantry　was　a　luxury　the　General　could　not　afford。　His　paratroopers　were　heavily　engaged；　and　he　didn't　need　more　enemy　troops　and　heavy　equipment…of　course！
His　division　was　deployed　to　keep　the　Americans　away　from　the　Reykjavik/Keflavik　area　as　long　as　possible。　His　original　orders　remained　operative：　deny　the　Keflavik　Air　Base　to　NATO。　That　he　could　do；　though　it　would　mean　the　probable　annihilation　of　his　elite　troopers。　His　problem　was　that　Reykjavik　airport　would　be　equally　useful　to　the　enemy；　and　one　light　division　wasn't　enough　to　cover　both　places。
So　now　the　Americans　trailed　their　coats　in　plain　view　of　his　observers　…a　full　regiment　of　troops　plus　heavy　weapons　and　helicopters　that　they　could　land　anywhere　they　wished。　If　he　redeployed　to　meet　this　threat；　he　risked　disaster　when　he　disengaged　his　forward　units。　If　he　moved　his　reserves；　they　would　be　in　the　open　where　naval　guns　and　aircraft　could　massacre　them。　This　unit　was　being　moved；　not　to　join　the　others　deployed　against　his　airborne　infantrymen；　but　to　exploit　a　weakness　within　minutes　instead　of　hours。　Once　in　place；　the　landing　ships　could　wait　for　relative　darkness　or　a　storm　and　race　unseen　across　the　water　to　landbound　troops。　How　could　he　deploy　his　own　forces　to　deal　with　that？　His　radars　were　finished；　he　had　a　single　remaining　SAM　launcher；　and　the　battleships　had　systematically　exterminated　most　of　his　artillery。
〃How　many　submarines　out　there？〃
〃I　don't　know；　rade　General。〃

USS　REUBEN　JAMES
Morris　watched　the　sonar　plot。　The　sonobuoy　contact　had　faded　off　after　a　few　minutes。　A　school　of　herring；　perhaps。　The　ocean　waters　abounded　with　fish；　and　enough　of　them　on　active　sonar　looked　like　a　sub。　His　own　sonar　was　virtually　useless　as　his　ship　struggled　just　to　keep　up　with　the　'phibs。　A　possible　submarine　to　seaward…every　sub　contact　was　a　possible　cruise…missile　sub…was　all　the　modore　needed　to　go　to　full　speed。
O'Malley　was　dipping　his　sonar　now；　trying　to　reacquire　the　lost　contact。　He　was　the　only　one　who　could　keep　up　with　things。
〃Romeo；　this　is　Bravo。　Be　advised　we　are　prosecuting　a　possible　missile　carrying　submarine。〃　Doug　Perrin　had　to　assume　the　worst　case。
〃Roger　that；　Bravo。〃　According　to　the　data…link　picture；　three　helicopters　were　backing　Battleaxe　up；　and　the　British　frigate　had　interposed　herself　on　the　line　from　the　contact　to　the　amphibious　ships。　Be　careful；　Doug。
〃Contact！〃　Willy　said。　〃I　have　an　active　sonar　contact　bearing　three…zero…three；　range　two　three　hundred。〃
O'Malley　didn't　have　to　look　at　his　tactical　display。　The　submarine　was　between　him　and　the　'phibs。
〃Up　dome！〃　The　pilot　hovered　while　the　sonar　transducer　was　winched　in。　The　contact　was　alerted　now。　That　made　it　harder。　〃Romeo；　Hammer；　we　have　a　possible　contact　here。〃
〃Roger；　understood。〃　Morris　was　looking　at　the　display。　He　ordered　the　frigate　to　close　at　flank　speed。　Not　a　smart　tactic；　he　had　no　choice　but　to　pounce　on　the　contact　before　it　got　within　range　of　the　'phibs。　〃Signal　Nassau　we're　working　a　possible　contact。〃
〃Down　dome！〃　O'Malley　ordered。　〃Drop　it　to　four　hundred　and　hammer！〃
Willy　activated　the　sonar　as　soon　as　the　proper　depth　was　reached。　He　got　a　screenful　of　echoes。　The　transducer　was　so　close　to　the　rocky　bottom　that　nearly　twenty　rocky　spires　showed　up。　A　swiftly　running　tide　didn't　help　matters。　Flow　noise　around　the　rocks　gave　numerous　false　readings　on　the　passive　plot　also。
〃Sir；　I　got　a　whole　lot　of　nothing　here。〃
〃I　can　feel　him；　Willy。　The　last　time　we　pinged；　I　bet　we　had　him　at　periscope　depth　and　he　ducked　down　deep　while　we　came　over。〃
〃That　fast？〃　Ralston　asked。
〃'That　fast。〃
〃Skipper；　one　of　these　things　might　be　moving　a　little。〃
O'Malley　keyed　his　radio　and　got　permission　to　launch　from　Morris。　Ralston　set　the　torpedo　for　circular　search；　and　the　pilot　dropped　it　into　he　sea。　The　pilot　keyed　the　sonar　into　his　headphones。　He　heard　the　whine　of　the　torpedo's　propellers；　then　the　high…frequency　ping　of　its　homing　sonar。　It　continued　to　circle　for　five　minutes；　then　switched　over　to　continuous　pinging…and　exploded。
〃Explosion　sounded　funny；　sir；〃　Willy　said。
〃Hammer；　Romeo…report。〃
〃Romeo；　Hammer；　I　think　we　just　killed　a　rock。〃　O'Malley　paused。
〃Romeo；　there's　a　sub　here；　but　I　can't　prove　it　just　yet。〃
〃What　makes　you　think　that；　Hammer？〃
〃Because　it's　one　damned　fine　place　to　hide；　Romeo。〃
〃Concur。〃　Morris　had　learned　to　trust　O'Malley's　hunches。　He　called　up　the　amphibious　mander　on　Nassau。　〃November；　this　is　Romeo；　we　have　a　possible　contact。　Remend　you　maneuver　north　while　we　prosecute。〃
〃Negative；　Romeo；〃　the　modore　replied　at　once。　〃India　is　working　a　probable；　repeat　probable　contact　that's　acting　like　a　missile　boat。
We're　heading　for　our　objective　at　max　speed。　Get　him　for　us；　Romeo。〃
〃Roger。　Out。〃　Morris　set　the　phone　back　in　place。　He　looked　at　his　tactical　action　officer。　〃Continue　to　close　the　datum　point。〃
〃Isn't　this　dangerous；　rushing　after　a　submarine　contact？〃　Calloway　asked。　〃Don't　you　have　your　helicopter　to　keep　them　at　arm's　length？〃
〃You're　learning；　Mr。　Calloway。　It's　dangerous；　all　right。　I　think　they　mentioned　that　the　job　could　get　that　way　when　I　was　at　Annapolis　。　。　。　〃
Both　her　jet　turbines　were　running　flat…out；　and　the　frigate's　knife…edge　bow　sliced　through　the　water　at　over　thirty　knots。　The　torque　from　her　single　screw　gave　the　ship　a　four…degree　list　to　port　as　she　raced　to　close　the　submarine。
〃This　is　getting　nasty。〃　O'Malley　could　see　the　frigate's　mast　clearly　now；　the　distinctive　crosstrees　well　above　the　horizon　as　he　covered　fifty　feet　over　the　water。　〃Talk　to　me；　Willy！〃
〃Lots　of　bottom　echoes；　sir。　The　bottom　must　look　like　a　city；　all　these　damned　things　sticking　up。　We　got　eddies…we　got　too　many　things　here；　sir。　Sonar　conditions　suck！〃
〃Go　passive。〃　The　pilot　reached　up　and　flipped　the　switch　to　listen　in。
Willy　was　right。　Too　much　flow　noise。　Think！　he　told　himself　The　pilot　looked　at　his　tactical　display。　The　amphibs　were　a　scant　ten　miles　away。　He　couldn't　hear　them　on　his　sonar；　but　there　was　about　a　30…percent　chance　that　a　su