tc.thebearandthedragon-第188部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


mission　was　received；　a　bell　went　off　in　the　submarine's　munications　room；　located　aft　of　the　attack　center；　on　the　starboard　side。
　The　bell　dinged。　The　sailor　on　watch　called　his　officer；　a　lieutenant；　j。g。；　who　in　turn　called　the　captain；　who　took　the　submarine　back　up　to　antenna　depth。　Once　there；　he　elevated　the　munications　laser　to　track　in　on　the　Navy's　own　munications　satellite；　known　as　SSIX；　the　Submarine　Satellite　Information　Exchange；　telling　it　that　he　was　ready　for　a　transmission。　The　reply　action　message　came　over　a　directional　S…band　radio　for　the　higher　bandwidth。　The　signal　was　cross…loaded　into　the　submarine's　crypto　machines；　decoded；　and　printed　up。
　
　TO：　　USS　TUCSON　　（SSN…770）　FROM：　　CINCPAC
　
1。　UPON　RECEIVING　〃XQT　SPEC　OP〃　SIGNAL　FROM　VLS　YOU　WILL　ENGAGE　AND　DESTROY　PRC　SSBN　AND　ANY　PRC　SHIPS　IN　CONTACT。
2。　REPORT　RESULTS　　OF　ATTACK　VIA　SSIX。
3。　SUBSEQUENT　TO　THIS　OPERATION；　　CONDUCT　UNRESTRICTED　OPERATIONS　　AGAINST　PRC　NAVAL　UNITS。
4。　YOU　WILL　NOT　RPT　NOT　ENGAGE　MERCIAL　TRAFFIC　OF　ANY　KIND。　CINCPAC　SENDS
　
　END　　MESSAGE
　
　〃Well；　it's　about　goddamned　time；〃　the　CO　observed　to　his　executive　officer。
　〃Doesn't　say　when　to　expect　it；〃　the　XO　observed。
　〃Call　it　two　hours；〃　the　captain　said。　〃Let's　close　to　ten　thousand　yards。　Get　the　troops　perked　up。　Spin　up　the　weapons。〃
　〃Aye。〃
　〃Anything　else　close？〃
　〃There's　a　Chinese　frigate　off　to　the　north；　about　thirty　miles。〃
　〃Okay；　after　we　do　the　subs；　we'll　Harpoon　that　one；　then　we'll　close　to　finish　it　off；　if　necessary。〃
　〃Right。〃　The　XO　went　forward　to　the　attack　center。　He　checked　his　watch。　It　was　dark　topside。　It　didn't　really　matter　to　anyone　aboard　the　submarine；　but　darkness　made　everybody　feel　a　little　more　secure　for　some　reason　or　other；　even　the　XO。
　
　It　was　tenser　now。　Giusti's　reconnaissance　troopers　were　now　within　twenty　miles　of　the　expected　Chinese　positions。　That　put　them　inside　artillery　range；　and　that　made　the　job　serious。
　The　mission　was　to　advance　to　contact；　and　to　find　a　hole　in　the　Chinese　positions　for　the　division　to　exploit。　The　secondary　objective　was　to　shoot　through　the　gap　and　break　into　the　Chinese　logistical　area；　just　over　the　river　from　where　they'd　made　their　breakthrough。　There　they　would　rape　and　pillage；　as　LTC　Giusti　thought　of　it；　probably　turning　north　to　roll　up　the　Chinese　rear　with　one　or　two　brigades；　and　probably　leaving　the　third　to　remain　in　place　astride　the　Chinese　line　of　munications　as　a　blocking　force。
　His　troopers　had　all　put　on　their　〃makeup；〃　as　some　called　it；　their　camouflage　paint；　darkening　the　natural　light　spots　of　the　face　and　lightening　the　dark　ones。　It　had　the　overall　effect　of　making　them　look　like　green　and　black　space　aliens。　The　advance　would　be　mounted；　for　the　most　part；　with　the　cavalry　scouts　mostly　staying　in　their　Bradleys　and　depending　on　the　thermal…imaging　viewers　used　by　the　driver　and　gunner　to　spot　enemies。　They'd　be　jumping　out　occasionally；　though；　and　so　everyone　checked　his　PVS…11　personal　night…vision　system。　Every　trooper　had　three　sets　of　fresh　AA　batteries　that　were　as　important　as　the　magazines　for　their　M16A2　rifles。　Most　of　the　men　gobbled　down　an　MRE　ration　and　chased　it　with　water；　and　often　some　aspirin　or　Tylenol　to　ward　off　minor　aches　and　pains　that　might　e　from　bumps　or　sprains。　They　all　traded　looks　and　jokes　to　lighten　the　stress　of　the　night；　plus　the　usual　brave　words　meant　as　much　for　themselves　as　for　others。　Sergeants　and　junior　officers　reminded　the　men　of　their　training；　and　told　them　to　be　confident　in　their　abilities。
　Then；　on　radioed　mand；　the　Bradleys　started　off；　leading　the　heavier　main…battle　tanks　off　to　the　enemy；　moving　initially　at　about　ten　miles　per　hour。
　The　squadron's　helicopters　were　up；　all　sixteen　of　them；　moving　very　cautiously　because　armor　on　a　helicopter　is　about　as　valuable　as　a　sheet　of　newspaper；　and　because　someone　on　the　ground　only　needed　a　thermal…imaging　viewer　to　see　them；　and　a　heat…seeking　missile　would　snuff　them　out　of　the　sky。　The　enemy　had　light　flak；　too；　and　that　was　just　as　deadly。
　The　OH…58D　Kiowa　Warriors　had　good　night…vision　systems；　and　in　training　the　flight　crews　had　learned　to　be　confident　of　them；　but　people　didn't　often　die　in　training。　Knowing　that　there　were　people　out　there　with　live　weapons　and　the　orders　to　make　use　of　them　made　everyone　discount　some　of　the　lessons　they'd　learned。　Getting　shot　down　in　one　of　those　exercises　meant　being　told　over　the　radio　to　land；　and　maybe　getting　a　tongue…lashing　from　the　pany　mander　for　screwing　up；　which　usually　ended　with　a　reminder　that　in　real　bat　operations；　he'd　be　dead；　his　wife　a　widow；　and　his　children　orphans。　But　they　weren't；　really；　and　so　those　words　were　never　taken　as　seriously　as　they　were　now。　Now　it　could　be　real；　and　all　of　the　flight　crews　had　wives　or　sweethearts；　and　most　of　them　had　children　as　well。
　And　so　they　moved　forward；　using　their　own　night…vision　equipment　to　sweep　the　ground　ahead；　their　hands　a　little　more　tingly　than　usual　on　the　controls。
　
　Division　Headquarters　had　its　own　Dark　Star　terminal　set　up；　with　an　Air　Force　captain　running　it。　Diggs　didn't　much　like　being　so　far　in　the　rear　with　his　men　going　out　in　harm's　way；　but　mand　wasn't　the　same　thing　as　leadership。　He'd　been　told　that　years　before　at　Fort　Leavenworth's　mand　and　General　Staff　School；　and　he'd　experienced　it　in　Saudi　Arabia　only　the　previous　year；　but　even　so；　he　felt　the　need　to　be　out　forward；　close　to　his　men；　so　that　he　could　share　the　danger　with　them。　But　the　best　way　for　him　to　mitigate　the　danger　to　them　was　to　stay　back　here　and　establish　effective　control　over　operations；　along　with　Colonel　Masterman。
　〃Cookstoves？〃　Masterman　asked。
　〃Yep；〃　the　USAF　captain…his　name　was　Frank　Williams…agreed。　〃And　these　bright　ones　are　campfires。　Cool　night。　Ground　temperature's　about　forty…three　degrees；　air　temperature　is　forty…one。　Good　contrast　for　the　thermal　viewing　systems。　They　seem　to　use　the　kind　of　stoves　we　had　in　the　Boy　Scouts。　Damn；　there's　a　bunch　of　'em。　Like　hundreds。〃
　〃Got　a　hole　in　their　lines？〃
　〃Looks　thin　right　here；　'tween　these　two　hills。　They　have　a　pany　on　this　hilltop；　and　another　pany　here…I　bet　they're　in　different　battalions；〃　Williams　said。　〃Always　seems　to　work　that　way。　The　gap　between　them　looks　like　a　little　more　'n　a　kilometer；　but　there's　a　little　stream　at　the　bottom。〃
　〃Bradleys　don't　mind　getting　a　little　wet；〃　Diggs　told　the　junior　officer。　〃Duke？〃
　〃Best　bet　for　a　blow…through　I've　seen　so　far。　Aim　Angelo　for　it？〃
　Diggs　thought　about　that。　It　meant　mitting　his　cavalry　screen；　and　that　also　meant　mitting　at　least　one　of　his　brigades；　but　such　decisions　were　what　generals　were　for。　〃What　else　is　around？〃
　〃I'd　say　their　regimental　headquarters　is　right　about　here；　judging　by　the　tents　and　trucks。　You're　going　to　want　to　hit　it　with　artillery；　I　expect。〃
　〃Right　about　the　time　QUARTER　HORSE　gets　there。　No　sense　alerting　them　too　soon；〃　Masterman　suggested。　General　Diggs　thought　it　over　one　more　time　and　made　his　first　important　decision　of　the　night：
　〃Agreed。　Duke；　tell　Giusti　to　head　for　that　gap。〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃　Colonel　Masterman　moved　off　toward　the　radios。　They　were　doing　this　on　the　fly；　which　wasn't　exactly　the　way　they　preferred；　but　that　was　often　the　world　of　real…time　bat　operations。
　〃Roger；〃　Diggs　called。
　Colonel　Roger　Ardan　was　his　divisional　artillery　mander…　GUNFIGHTER　SIX　on　the　divisional　radio　net…a　tall　thin　man；　rather　like　a　not…tall…enough　basketball　player。
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　〃Here's　your　first　fire　mission。　We're　going　to　shoot　Angelo　Giusti　through　this　gap。　pany　of　infantry　here　and　here；　and　what　appears　to　be　a　regimental　mand　post　here。〃
　〃Enemy　artillery？〃
　〃Some　one…twenty…twos　here；　and　what　looks　like　two…oh…threes；　eight　inch；　right　here。〃
　〃No　rocket…launchers？〃
　〃None　I've　seen　yet。　That's　a　little　odd；　but　they're　not　around　that　I　can　see；〃　Captain　Williams　told　the　gunner。
　〃What　about　radars？〃　Colonel　Ardan　asked。
　〃Maybe　one　here；　but　hard　to　tell。　It's　under　some　camo…nets。〃　Williams　selected　the　image　with　his　mouse　and　expanded　it。
　〃We'll　take　that　one　on　general　principles。　Put　a　pin　in　it；〃　Ardan　said。
　〃Yes；　sir。　Print　up　a　target　list？〃
　〃You　bet；　son。〃
　〃Here　you　go；〃　Williams　said。　A　mand　generated　two　sheets　of　paper　out　of　the　adjacent　printer；　with　latitude…longitude　positions　down　to　the　second　of　angle。　The　captain　handed　it　across。
　〃How　the　hell　did　we　ever　survive　without　GPS　and　overheads？〃　Ardan　wondered　aloud。　〃Okay；　General；　this　we　can　do。　When？〃
　〃Call　it　thirty　minutes。〃
　〃We'll　be　ready；〃　GUNFIGHTER　promised。　〃I'll　TOT　the　regimental　mand　post。〃
　〃Sounds　good　to　me；〃　Diggs　observed。
　
　First　Armored　had　a　beefed…up　artillery　brigade。　The　second　and　the　third　battalions　of　the　First　Field　Artillery　Regiment　had　the　new　Paladin　self…propelled　155…mm　howitzer；　and　the　2nd　Battalion；　6th
　Field　Artillery；　had　self…propelled　eight…inch；　plus　the　division's　Multiple　Launch　Rocket　System　tracks；　which　ordinarily　were　under　the　direct　order　of　the　divisional　mander；　as　his　personal　shotgun。　These　units　were　six　miles　behind　the　leading　cavalry　troops；　and　on　order　left　the　roads　they　were　on　and　pulled　off　to　firing　positions　north　and　south　of　the　gravel　track。　Each　of　them　had　a　Global　Positioning　Satellite；　or　GPS；　receiver；　and　these　told　them　where　they　were　located　down　to　an　accuracy　of　less　than　three　meters。　A　transmission　over　the　Joint　Tactical　Information　Distribution　System；　or　J…TIDS；　told　them　the　locations　of　their　targets；　and　onboard　puters　puted　azimuth　and　range　to　them。　Then　they　learned　the　shell　selection；　either　〃mon〃　high…explosive　or　VT　（for　variable…time）。　These　were　loaded　and　the　guns　trained　onto　the　distant　targets；　and　the　gunners　just　waited　for　the　word　to　pull　the　strings。　Their　readiness　was　radioed　back　to　the　divisional　HQ。
　
　〃All　set；　sir；〃　Colonel　Ardan　reported。　〃Okay；　we'll　wait　to　see　how　Angelo's　doing。〃
　〃Your　screen　is　right　here；〃　Captain　Williams　told　the　senior　officers。　For　him　it　was　like　being　in　a　skybox　at　a　football　game；　except　that　one　team　didn't　know　he　was　there；　and　didn't　know　the　other