tc.thebearandthedragon-第165部分

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　〃Position　Five…Zero　has　taken　a　little　fire；　but　not　much。　Mainly　they're　hitting　the　reverse　slope　of　the　southern　ridge。〃　That　was　where　the　fake　bunkers　were；　and　the　concrete　lures　were　fulfilling　their　passive　mission。　This　line　of　defenses　had　been　set　up　contrary　to　published　Russian　doctrine；　because　whoever　had　set　them　up　had　known　that　all　manner　of　people　can　read　books。　Komanov's　own　position　covered　a　small　saddle…pass　through　two　hills；　fit　for　advancing　tanks。　If　the　Chinese　came　north　in　force；　if　this　was　not　just　some　sort　of　probe　aimed　at　expanding　their　borders…they'd　done　that　back　in　the　late　1960s…　this　was　a　prime　invasion　route。　The　maps　and　the　terrain　decided　that。
　〃That　is　good；　Lieutenant。　Now　listen：　Do　not　expose　your　positions　unnecessarily。　Let　them　in　close　before　you　open　up。　Very　close。〃　That；　Komanov　knew；　meant　a　hundred　meters　or　so。　He　had　two　heavy　machine　guns　for　that　eventuality。　But　he　wanted　to　kill　tanks。　That　was　what　his　main　gun　had　been　designed　to　do。
　〃Can　we　expect　more　artillery　support？〃　he　asked　his　mander。
　〃I'll　let　you　know。　Keep　giving　us　target　information。〃
　〃Yes；　rade　Colonel。〃
　
　For　the　fighter　planes；　the　war　began　when　the　first　PLAAF　crossed　over　the　Amur。　There　were　four　Russian　fighter…interceptors　up；　and　these；　just　like　the　invaders；　were　Sukhoi…27。　Those　on　both　sides　had　been　made　in　the　same　factories；　but　the　Chinese　pilots　had　triple　the　recent　flight　time　of　the　defending　Russians；　who　were　outnumbered　eight　to　one。
　Countering　that；　however　was　the　fact　that　the　Russian　aircraft　had　support　from　the　USAF　E…3B　Sentry　AWACS　aircraft；　which　was　guiding　them　to　the　intercept。　Both　sets　of　fighters　were　flying　with　their　target…acquisition　radars　in　standby　mode。　The　Chinese　didn't　know　what　was　out　there。　The　Russians　did。　That　was　a　difference。
　〃Black　Falcon　Ten；　this　is　EAGLE　Seven。　Remend　you　e　right　to　new　course　two…seven…zero。　I'm　going　to　try　an'　bring　you　up　on　the　Chinese　from　their　seven　o'clock。〃　It　would　also　keep　them　out　of　Chinese　radar　coverage。
　〃Understood；　EAGLE。　ing　right　to　two…seven…zero。〃　The　Russian　flight　leader　spread　his　formation　out　and　settled　down　as　much　as　he　could；　with　his　eyes　tending　to　look　off　to　his　left。
　〃Okay；　Black　Falcon　Ten；　that's　good。　Your　targets　are　now　at　your　nine　o'clock；　distance　thirty　kilometers。　e　left　now　to　one…eight…zero。
　〃ing　left；〃　the　Russian　major　acknowledged。　〃We　will　try　to　start　the　attack　Fox…Two；〃　he　advised。　He　knew　American　terminology。　That　meant　launching　infrared　seekers；　which　did　not　require　the　use　of　radar；　and　so　did　not　warn　anyone　that　he　was　in　harm's　way。　The　Marquis　of　Queensberry　had　never　been　a　fighter　pilot。
　〃Roger　that；　Falcon。　This　boy's　smart；〃　the　controller　mented　to　his　supervisor。
　〃That's　how　you　stay　alive　in　this　business；〃　the　lieutenant　colonel　told　the　young　lieutenant　at　the　Nintendo　screen。
　〃Okay；　Falcon　Ten；　remend　you　e　left　again。　Targets　are　now　fifteen　kilometers　。。。　make　that　seventeen　kilometers　to　your　north。　You　should　have　tone　shortly。〃
　〃Da。　I　have　tone；〃　the　Russian　pilot　reported；　when　he　heard　the　warble　in　his　headset。　〃Flight；　prepare　to　fire　。　。　。　Fox…Two！〃　Three　of　the　four　aircraft　loosed　a　single　missile　each。　The　fourth　pilot　was　having　trouble　with　his　IR　scanner。　In　all　cases；　the　blazing　rocket　motors　wrecked　their　night　vision；　but　none　of　the　pilots　looked　away；　as　they'd　been　trained　to　do；　and　instead　watched　their　missiles　streak　after　fellow　airmen　who　did　not　yet　know　they　were　under　attack。　It　took　twenty　seconds；　and　as　it　turned　out；　two　missiles　were　targeted　on　the　same　Chinese　aircraft。　That　one　took　two　hits　and　exploded。　The　second　died　from　its　single　impact；　and　then　things　really　got　confusing。　The　Chinese　fighters　scattered　on　mand　from　their　mander；　doing　so　in　a　preplanned　and　well…rehearsed　maneuver；　first　into　two　groups；　then　into　four；　each　of　which　had　a　piece　of　sky　to　defend。　Everyone's　radar　came　on；　and　in　another　twenty　seconds；　a　total　of　forty　missiles　were　flying；　and　with　this　began　a　deadly　game　of　chicken。　The　radar…homing　missiles　needed　a　radar　signal　to　guide　them；　and　that　meant　that　the　firing　fighter　could　not　switch　off　or　turn　away；　only　hope　that　his　bird　would　kill　its　target　and　switch　off　his　radar　before　his　missile　got　close。
　〃Damn；〃　the　lieutenant　observed；　in　his　fortable　controller's　seat　in　the　E…3B。　Two　more　Chinese　fighters　blinked　into　larger　bogies　on　his　screen　and　then　started　to　fade；　then　another；　but　there　were　just　too　many　of　the　Chinese　air…to…air　missiles；　and　not　all　of　the　Chinese　illumination　radars　went　down。　One　Russian　fighter　took　three　impacts　and　disintegrated。　Another　one　limped　away　with　severe　damage；　and　as　quickly　as　it　had　begun；　this　air　encounter　ended。　Statistically；　it　was　a　Russian　win；　four　kills　for　one　loss；　but　the　Chinese　would　claim　more。
　〃Any　chutes？〃　the　senior　controller　asked　over　the　inter。　The　E…3　radar　could　track　those；　too。
　〃Three；　maybe　four　ejected。　Not　sure　who；　though；　not　till　we　play　the　tape　back。　Damn；　that　was　a　quick　one。〃
　The　Russians　didn't　have　enough　planes　up　to　do　a　proper　battle。　Maybe　next　time；　the　colonel　thought。　The　full　capabilities　of　a　fighter/AWACS　team　had　never　been　properly　demonstrated　in　bat；　but　this　war　held　the　promise　to　change　that；　and　when　it　happened；　some　eyes　would　be　opened。
　
　
　
　
　CHAPTER　51
　Falling　Back
　
　Senior　Lieutenant　Valeriy　Mikhailovich　Komanov　learned　something　he'd　never　suspected。　The　worst　part　of　battle…at　least　to　a　man　in　a　fixed　emplacement…was　knowing　that　the　enemy　was　out　there；　but　being　unable　to　shoot　at　him。　The　reverse　slopes　of　the　ridge　to　his　immediate　south　had　to　be　swarming　with　Chinese　infantry；　and　his　supporting　artillery　had　been　taken　out　in　the　first　minutes　of　the　battle。　Whoever　had　set　up　the　artillery　positions　had　made　the　mistake　of　assuming　that　the　guns　were　too　far　back　and　too　shielded　by　terrain　for　the　enemy　to　strike　at　them。　Fire…finder　radar/puter　systems　had　changed　that；　and　the　absence　of　overhead　cover　had　doomed　the　guncrews　to　rapid　death；　unless　some　of　them　had　found　shelter　in　the　concrete…lined　trenches　built　into　their　positions。　He　had　a　powerful　gun　at　his　fingertips；　but　it　was　one　that　could　not　reach　over　the　hills　to　his　south　because　of　its　flat　trajectory。　As　envisioned；　this　defense　line　would　have　included　leg　infantry　who'd　depend　on　and　also　support　the　bunker　strongpoints…and　be　armed　with　mortars　which　could　reach　over　the　close…in　hills　and　punish　those　who　were　there　but　unseen　behind　the　terrain　feature。　Komanov　could　only　engage　those　he　could　see；　and　they…
　〃There；　rade　Lieutenant；〃　the　gunner　said。　〃A　little　right　of　twelve　o'clock；　some　infantry　just　crested　the　ridge。　Range　one　thousand　five　hundred　meters。〃
　〃I　see　them。〃　There　was　just　a　hint　of　light　on　the　eastern　horizon　now。　Soon　there　would　be　enough　light　to　see　by。　That　would　make　shooting　easier；　but　for　both　sides。　In　an　hour；　his　bunker　would　be　targeted；　and　they'd　get　to　see　just　how　thick　their　armor　protection　really　was。
　〃Five　six　Alfa；　this　is　Five　Zero。　We　have　infantry　eleven　hundred　meters　to　our　south。　pany　strength　and　moving　north　toward　us。〃
　〃Very　well。　Do　not　engage　until　they　are　within　two　hundred　meters。〃　Komanov　automatically　doubled　the　shooting　range　at　which　he'd　been　trained　to　open　fire。　What　the　hell；　he　thought；　his　crews　would　do　that　in　their　own　minds　anyway。　A　man　thinks　differently　when　real　bullets　are　flying。
　As　if　to　emphasize　that；　shells　started　landing　on　the　crest　immediately　behind　his　position；　close　enough　to　make　him　duck　down。
　〃So　they　see　us？〃　his　loader　asked。
　〃No；　they're　just　barraging　the　next　set　of　hills　to　support　their　infantrymen。〃
　〃Look；　look　there；　they're　on　top　of　false　bunker　One　Six；〃　the　gunner　said。　Komanov　shifted　his　glasses…
　Yes；　they　were　there；　examining　the　old　KV…2　gun　turret　with　its　vertical　sides　and　old　155…mm　gun。　As　he　watched；　a　soldier　hung　a　satchel　charge　on　the　side　and　backed　away。　Then　the　charge　went　off；　destroying　something　that　had　never　worked　anyway。　That　would　make　some　Chinese　lieutenant　feel　good；　Komanov　thought。　Well；　Five　six　Alfa　would　change　his　outlook　somewhat；　in　another　twenty　or　thirty　minutes。
　The　bad　part　was　that　now　he　had　perfect　targets　for　his　supporting　artillery；　and　those　old　six…inch　guns　would　have　cut　through　them　like　a　harvester's　scythe。　Except　the　Chinese　were　still　hitting　those　positions；　even　though　the　Russian　fire　had　stopped。　He　called　Regiment　again　to　relay　his　information。
　〃Lieutenant；〃　his　colonel　answered；　〃the　supporting　battery　has　been　badly　hit。　You　are　on　your　own。　Keep　me　posted。〃
　〃Yes；　rade　Colonel。　Out。〃　He　looked　down　at　his　crew。　〃Don't　expect　supporting　fire。〃　The　weapons　of　World　War　III　had　just　destroyed　those　of　World　War　I。
　〃Shit；〃　the　loader　observed。
　〃We'll　be　in　the　war　soon；　men。　Be　at　ease。　The　enemy　is　now　closer　。。。〃
　〃Five　hundred　meters；〃　the　gunner　agreed。
　
　〃Well？〃　General　Peng　asked　at　his　post　atop　Rice　Ridge。　〃We've　found　some　bunkers；　but　they　are　all　unoccupied；〃　Colonel　Wa　reported。　〃So　far；　the　only　fire　we've　taken　has　been　indirect　artillery；　and　we've　counterbatteried　that　to　death。　The　attack　is　going　pletely　to　plan；　rade　General。〃　They　could　see　the　truth　of　that。　The　bridging　engineers　were　rolling　up　to　the　south　bank　of　the　Amur　now；　with　folded　sections　of　ribbon　bridge　atop　their　trucks。　Over　a　hundred　Type　90　main…battle　tanks　were　close　to　the　river；　their　turrets　searching　vainly　for　targets　so　that　they　could　support　the　attacking　infantry；　but　there　was　nothing　for　them　to　shoot　at；　and　so　the　tankers；　like　the　generals；　had　nothing　to　do　but　watch　the　engineers　at　work。　The　first　bridge　section　went　into　the　water；　flipping　open　to　form　the　first　eight　meters　of　highway　across　the　river。　Peng　checked　his　watch。　Yes；　things　were　going　about　five　minutes　ahead　of　schedule；　and　that　was　good。
　
　Post　Five　Zero　opened　up　first　with　its　12。7…mm　machine　gun。　The　sound　of　it　rattled　across　the　hillside。　Five　Zero　was　thirty…five　hundred　meters　to　his　east；　manded