tc.thebearandthedragon-第185部分

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　〃Okay；　fine；　but　tell　him　we　damned　near　lost　an　AWACS　yesterday…with　a　crew　of　thirty　or　so…and　I'm　not　in　a　mood　to　write　that　many　letters。　We've　been　lucky　so　far；　and　an　AWACS　is　a　hard　kill。　Hell；　it　cost　them　a　full　regiment　of　fighters　to　fail　in　that　mission。　But　enough's　enough。　I　want　to　go　after　their　radar　sites；　and　I　want　to　do　some　offensive　counter…air。〃
　〃Gus；　the　thinking　here　is　that　we　want　to　mence　offensive　operations　in　a　systematic　way　for　maximum　psychological　effect。　That　means　more　than　just　knocking　some　antennas　down。〃
　〃General；　I　don't　know　what　it　looks　like　over　there；　but　right　here　it's　getting　a　little　exciting。　Their　army　is　advancing　rapidly。　Pretty　soon　our　Russian　friends　are　going　to　have　to　make　their　stand。　It'll　be　a　whole　lot　easier　if　the　enemy　is　short　on　gas　and　bullets。〃
　〃We　know　that。　We're　trying　to　figure　a　way　to　shake　up　their　political　leadership。〃
　〃It　isn't　politicians　ing　north　trying　to　kill　us；　General。　It's　soldiers　and　airmen。　We　have　to　start　crippling　them　before　they　ruin　our　whole　damned　day。〃
　〃I　understand　that；　Gus。　I　will　present　your　position　to　the　President；〃　the　Chairman　promised。
　〃Do　that；　will　ya？〃　Wallace　killed　the　transmission；　wondering　what　the　hell　the　lotus…eaters　in　Washington　were　thinking　about；　assuming　they　were　thinking　at　all。　He　had　a　plan；　and　he　thought　it　was　a　pretty　good　systematic　one。　His　Dark　Star　drones　had　given　him　all　the　tactical　intelligence　he　needed。　He　knew　what　targets　to　hit；　and　he　had　enough　ordnance　to　do　the　hitting；　or　at　least　to　start　doing　it。　If　they　let　me；　Wallace　thought。
　
　Well；　it　wasn't　a　plete　waste；〃　Marshal　Luo　said。　〃We　got　some　pictures　of　what　the　Russians　are　doing。〃
　〃And　what's　that？〃　Zhang　asked。
　〃They're　moving　one　or　two…probably　two…divisions　northeast　from　their　rail　assembly　point　at　Chita。　We　have　good　aerial　pictures　of　them。〃
　〃And　still　nothing　in　front　of　our　forces？〃
　Luo　shook　his　head。　〃Our　reconnaissance　people　haven't　seen　anything　more　than　tracks　in　the　ground。　I　have　to　assume　there　are　Russians　in　those　woods　somewhere；　doing　reconnaissance　of　their　own；　but　if　so；　they're　light　forces　who're　working　very　hard　to　keep　out　of　the　way。　We　know　they've　called　up　some　reserves；　but　they　haven't　shown　up　either。　Maybe　their　reservists　didn't　report。　Morale　in　Russia　is　supposed　to　be　very　low；　Tan　tells　us；　and　that's　all　we've　really　seen。　The　men　we　captured　are　very　disheartened　because　of　their　lack　of　support；　and　they　didn't　fight　all　that　well。　Except　for　the　American　airplanes；　this　war　is　going　extremely　well。〃
　〃And　they　haven't　attacked　our　territory　yet？〃　Zhang　wanted　to　be　clear　on　that。
　Another　shake　of　the　head。　〃No；　and　I　can't　claim　that　they're　afraid　to　do　it。　Their　fighter　aircraft　are　excellent；　but　to　the　best　of　our　knowledge　they　haven't　even　attempted　a　photo…reconnaissance　mission。　Maybe　they　just　depend　on　satellites　now。　Certainly　those　are　supposed　to　be　excellent　sources　of　information　for　them。〃
　〃And　the　gold　mine？〃
　〃We'll　be　there　in　thirty…six　hours。　And　at　that　point　we　can　make　use　of　the　roads　their　own　engineers　have　been　building　to　exploit　the　mineral　finds。　From　the　gold　mine　to　the　oil　fields…five　to　seven　days；　depending　on　how　well　we　can　run　supplies　up。〃
　〃This　is　amazing；　Luo；〃　Zhang　observed。　〃Better　than　my　fondest　hopes。〃
　〃I　almost　wish　the　Russians　would　stand　and　fight　somewhere；　so　that　we　could　have　a　battle　and　be　done　with　it。　As　it　is；　my　forces　are　stringing　out　somewhat；　but　only　because　the　lead　elements　are　racing　forward　so　well。　I've　thought　about　slowing　them　down　to　maintain　unit　integrity；　but…〃
　〃But　speed　works　for　us；　doesn't　it？〃　Zhang　observed。
　〃Yes；　it　would　seem　to；〃　the　Defense　Minister　agreed。　〃But　one　prefers　to　keep　units　tightly　grouped　in　case　there　is　some　contact。　However；　if　the　enemy　is　running；　one　doesn't　want　to　give　him　pause　to　regroup。　So；　I'm　giving　General　Peng　and　his　division's　free　rein。〃
　〃What　forces　are　you　facing？〃
　〃We're　not　sure。　Perhaps　a　regiment　or　so　could　be　ahead　of　us；　but　we　see　no　evidence　of　it；　and　two　more　regiments　are　trying　to　race　ahead　of　us；　or　attack　our　flank；　but　we　have　flank　security　out　to　the　west；　and　they've　seen　nothing。〃
　
　Bondarenko　hoped　that　someday　he'd　meet　the　team　that　had　developed　this　American　Dark　Star　drone。　Never　in　history　had　a　mander　possessed　such　knowledge　as　this；　and　without　it　he　would　have　been　forced　to　mit　his　slender　forces　to　battle　just　to　ascertain　what　stood　against　him。　Not　now。　He　probably　had　a　better　feel　for　the　location　of　the　advancing　Chinese　than　their　own　mander　did。
　Better　yet；　the　leading　regiment　of　the　201st　Motor　Rifle　Division　was　only　a　few　kilometers　away；　and　the　leading　formation　was　the　division's　steel　fist；　its　independent　tank　regiment　of　ninety…five　T…80U　main…battle　tanks。
　The　265th　was　ready　for　the　reinforcement；　and　its　mander；　Yuriy　Sinyavskiy；　proclaimed　that　he　was　tired　of　running　away。　A　career　professional　soldier　and　mechanized　infantryman；　Sinyavskiy　was　a　profane；　cigar…chomping　man　of　forty…six　years；　now　leaning　over　a　map　table　in　Bondarenko's　headquarters。
　〃This；　this　is　my　ground；　Gennady　Iosifovich；〃　he　said；　stabbing　at　the　point　with　his　finger。　It　was　just　five　kilometers　north　of　the　Gogol　Gold　Field；　a　line　of　ridges　twenty　kilometers　across；　facing　open　ground　the　Chinese　would　have　to　cross。　〃And　put　the　Two…Oh…First's　tanks　just　here　on　my　right。　When　we　stop　their　advance　guard；　they　can　blow　in　from　the　west　and　roll　them　up。〃
　〃Reconnaissance　shows　their　leading　division　is　strung　out　somewhat；〃　Bondarenko　told　him。
　It　was　a　mistake　made　by　every　army　in　the　world。　The　sharpest　teeth　of　any　field　force　are　its　artillery；　but　even　self…propelled　artillery；　mounted　on　tracks　for　cross…country　mobility；　can't　seem　to　keep　up　with　the　mechanized　forces　it　is　supposed　to　support。　It　was　a　lesson　that　had　even　surprised　the　Americans　in　the　Persian　Gulf；　when　they'd　found　their　artillery　could　keep　up　with　the　leading　tank　echelons　only　with　strenuous　effort；　and　across　flat　ground。　The　People's　Liberation　Army　had　tracked　artillery；　but　a　lot　of　it　was　still　the　towed　variety；　and　was　being　pulled　behind　trucks　that　could　not　travel　cross…country　as　well　as　the　tracked　kind。
　General　Diggs　observed　the　discussion；　which　his　rudimentary　Russian　could　not　quite　keep　up　with；　and　Sinyavskiy　spoke　no　English；　which　really　slowed　things　down。
　〃You　still　have　a　lot　of　bat　power　to　stop；　Yuriy　Andreyevich；〃　Diggs　pointed　out；　waiting　for　the　translation　to　get　across。
　〃If　we　cannot　stop　them　pletely；　at　least　we　can　give　them　a　bloody　nose〃　was　the　belated　reply。
　〃Stay　mobile；〃　Diggs　advised。　〃If　I　were　this　General　Peng；　I'd　maneuver　east…the　ground　is　better　suited　for　it…and　try　to　wrap　you　up　from　your　left。〃
　〃We　will　see　how　maneuver…minded　they　are；〃　Bondarenko　said　for　his　subordinate。　〃So　far　all　they　have　done　is　drive　straight　forward；　and　I　think　they　are　being　placent。　See　how　they　are　stretched　out；　Marion。　Their　units　are　too　far　separated　to　provide　mutual　support。　They　are　in　a　pursuit　phase　of　warfare；　and　that　makes　them　disorganized；　and　they　have　little　air　support　to　warn　them　of　what　lies　ahead。　I　think　Yuriy　is　right：　This　is　a　good　place　for　a　stand。〃
　〃I　agree　it's　good　ground；　Gennady；　just　don't　marry　the　place；　okay？〃　Diggs　warned。
　Bondarenko　translated　that　for　his　subordinate；　who　answered　back　in　machine…gun　Russian　around　his　cigar。
　〃Yuriy　says　it　is　a　place　for　a　fucking；　not　a　wedding。　When　will　you　join　your　mand；　Marion？〃
　〃My　chopper's　on　the　way　in　now；　buddy。　My　cavalry　screen　is　at　the　first　fuel　depot；　with　First　Brigade　right　behind。　We　should　be　in　contact　in　a　day　and　a　half　or　so。〃
　They'd　already　discussed　Diggs's　plan　of　attack。　First　Armored　would　assemble　northwest　of　Belogorsk；　fueling　at　the　last　big　Russian　depot；　then　leap　out　in　the　darkness　for　the　Chinese　bridgehead。　Intelligence　said　that　the　PLA's　65th　Type…B　Group　Army　was　there　now；　digging　in　to　protect　the　left　shoulder　of　their　break…in。　Not　a　mechanized　force；　it　was　still　a　lot　for　a　single　division　to　chew　on。　If　the　Chinese　plan　of　attack　had　a　weakness；　it　was　that　they'd　bet　all　their　mechanized　forces　on　the　drive　forward。　The　forces　left　behind　to　secure　the　breakthrough　were　at　best　motorized…carried　by　wheeled　vehicles　instead　of　tracked　ones…and　at　worst　leg　infantry；　who　had　to　walk　where　they　went。　That　made　them　slow　and　vulnerable　to　men　who　sat　down　behind　steel　as　they　went　to　battle　in　their　tracked　vehicles。
　But　there　were　a　hell　of　a　lot　of　them；　Diggs　reminded　himself。
　Before　he　could　leave；　General　Sinyavskiy　reached　into　his　hip　pocket　and　pulled　out　a　flask。　〃A　drink　for　luck；〃　he　said　in　his　only　words　of　broken　English。
　〃Hell；　why　not？〃　Diggs　tossed　it　off。　It　was　good　stuff；　actually。　〃When　this　is　all　over；　we　will　drink　again；〃　he　promised。
　〃Da；　〃the　general　replied。　〃Good　luck；　Diggs。〃
　〃Marion；〃　Bondarenko　said。　〃Be　careful；　rade。〃
　〃You；　too；　Gennady。　You　got　enough　medals；　buddy。　No　sense　getting　your　ass　shot　off　trying　to　win　another。〃
　〃Generals　are　supposed　to　die　in　bed；〃　Bondarenko　agreed　on　the　way　to　the　door。
　Diggs　trotted　out　to　the　UH…60。　Colonel　Boyle　was　flying　this　one。　Diggs　donned　the　crash　helmet；　wishing　they'd　e　up　with　another　name　for　the　damned　thing；　and　settled　in　the　jump　seat　behind　the　pilots。
　〃How　we　doing；　sir？〃　Boyle　asked；　letting　the　lieutenant　take　the　chopper　back　off。
　〃Well；　we　have　a　plan；　Dick。　Question　is；　will　it　work？〃
　〃Do　I　get　let　in　on　it？〃
　〃Your　Apaches　are　going　to　be　busy。〃
　〃There's　a　surprise；〃　Boyle　observed。
　〃How　are　your　people？〃
　〃Ready〃　was　the　one…word　reply。　〃What　are　we　calling　this？〃　〃CHOPSTICKS。〃　Diggs　then　heard　a　laugh　over　the　inter　wire。　〃I　love　it。〃
　
　〃Okay；　Mickey；〃　Robby　Jackson　said。　〃I　understand　Gus's　position。　But　we　have　a　big　picture　here　to　think　about。〃
　They　were　in　the　Situation　Room　looking　at　the　Chairman　on　TV　from　the　Pentagon　room　known　as　The　Tank。　It　was　hard　to　hear　what　he　was　muttering　that　way；　but　the　way　he　looked　down　was