tc.thebearandthedragon-第190部分

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　and　as　bad　as　it　had　been　for　the　regimental　CP；　that　had　been　trick　or　treat　pared　to　this。　Whatever　division　he'd　been　facing　was　now　as　thoroughly　decapitated　as　though　by　Robespierre　himself。
　
　After　the　initial　fire；　Lieutenant　Colonel　Giusti　found　that　he　had　no　targets。　He　sent　one　troop　through　the　gap　while　holding　the　north　side　of　it　himself；　taking　no　fire　at　all。　The　falling　155s　on　the　hills　to　his　front　and　rear　explained　much　of　that；　for　surely　it　was　a　storm　of　steel　and　explosives。　Someone　somewhere　fired　off　a　parachute　flare；　but　nothing　developed　from　it。　Twenty　minutes　after　the　initial　barrage；　the　leading　elements　of　First　Brigade　came　into　view。　He　waited　until　they　were　within　a　hundred　meters　before　pulling　off　to　the　east　to　rejoin　his　squadron　in　the　shallow　valley。　He　was　now　technically　inside　enemy　lines；　but　as　with　the　first　good　hit　in　a　football　game；　the　initial　tension　was　now　gone；　and　there　was　a　job　to　be　done。
　
　Dick　Boyle；　like　most　aviators；　was　qualified　in　more　than　one　sort　of　aircraft；　and　he　could　have　chosen　to　fly…lead　the　mission　in　an　Apache；　which　was　one　of　the　really　enjoyable　experiences　for　a　rotary…wing　pilot；　but　instead　he　remained　in　his　UH…60　Blackhawk；　the　better　to　observe　the　action。　His　target　was　the　independent　tank　brigade　which　was　the　organizational　fist　of　the　65th　Type　B　Group　Army；　and　to　service　that　target　he　had　twenty…eight　of　his　forty…two　AH…64D　Apache　attack　helicopters；　supported　by　twelve　Kiowa　Warriors　and　one　other　Blackhawk。
　The　Chinese　tank　force　was　twenty　miles　northwest　of　their　initial　crossing　point；　agreeably　sitting　in　open　ground　in　circular　formation　so　as　to　have　guns　pointing　in　all　directions；　none　of　which　were　a　matter　of　concern　to　Dick　Boyle　and　his　men。　It　had　probably　made　sense　to　laager　them　that　way　forty　years　ago；　but　not　today；　not　in　the　night　with　Apaches　nearby。　With　his　OH…58Ds　playing　the　scout　role；　the　attack　formation　swept　in　from　the　north；　down　the　valley。　Whatever　colonel　was　in　mand　of　this　force　had　selected　a　place　from　which　he　could　move　to　support　any　of　the　divisions　in　the　65th　Army；　but　that　merely　concentrated　his　vehicles　in　a　single　spot；　about　five　hundred　meters　across。　Boyle's　only　worry　was　SAMs　and　maybe　flak；　but　he　had　Dark　Star　photos　to　tell　him　where　that　all　was；　and　he　had　a　team　of　four　Apaches　delegated　to　handle　the　threat　first　of　all。
　It　was　in　the　form　of　two　missile　batteries。　One　was　posed　of　four　DK…9　launchers　very　similar　to　the　American　Chaparral；　with　four　Sidewinder…class　heat…seekers　mounted　on　a　tracked　chassis。　Their　range　would　be　about　seven　miles；　just　a　touch　longer　than　the　effective　range　of　his　Hellfire　missiles。　The　other　was　their　HQ…61A；　which　Boyle　thought　of　as　the　Chinese　version　of　the　Russian　SA…6。　There　were　fewer　of　these；　but　they　had　ten　miles　of　range　and　supposedly　a　very　capable　radar　system；　and　also　had　a　hard　floor　of　about　a　hundred　meters；　below　which　they　couldn't　track　a　target；　which　was　a　good　thing　to　know；　if　true。　His　tactic　would　be　to　detect　them　and　take　them　out　as　quickly　as　possible；　depending　on　his　EH…60　electronic…intelligence　helicopter　to　sniff　them　out。　The　code　for　one　of　these　was　HOLIDAY。　The　heat…seekers　were　called　DUCKS。
　The　Chinese　soldiers　on　the　ground　would　also　have　simple　man…portable　heat…seekers　that　were　about　as　capable　as　the　old　American　Redeye　missile；　but　his　Apaches　had　suppressed　exhausts　that　were　expected　to　defeat　the　heat…seekers…and　those　who　had　voiced　the　expectations　weren't　flying　tonight。　They　never　did。
　
　There　were　more　air　missions　tonight；　and　not　all　of　them　were　over　Russian　territory。　Twenty　F…117A　Stealth　fighters　had　deployed　to　Zhigansk；　and　they'd　mainly　sat　on　the　ground　since　their　first　arrival；　waiting　for　bombs　to　be　flown　over；　along　with　the　guidance　package　attachments　that　changed　them　from　simple　ballistic　weapons　to　smart　bombs　that　went　deliberately　for　a　special　piece　of　real　estate。　The　special　weapons　for　the　Black　Jets　were　the　GBU…27　laser…guided　hard…target　penetrators。　These　were　designed　not　merely　to　hit　objects　and　explode；　but　to　lance　inside　them　before　detonating；　and　they　had　special　targets。　There　were　twenty…two　such　targets　tonight；　all　located　in　or　near　the　cities　of　Harbin　and　Bei'an；　and　every　one　was　a　railroad　bridge　abutment。
　The　People's　Republic　depended　more　on　its　rail　transportation　than　most　countries；　because　it　lacked　the　number　of　motor　vehicles　to　necessitate　the　construction　of　highways；　and　also　because　the　inherent　efficiency　of　railroads　appealed　to　the　economic　model　in　the　heads　of　its　political　leaders。　They　did　not　ignore　the　fact　that　such　a　dependence　on　a　single　transportation　modality　could　make　them　vulnerable　to　attack；　and　so　at　every　potential　chokepoint；　like　river　crossings；　they'd　used　the　ample　labor　force　of　their　country　to　build　multiple　bridges；　all　of　heavily…built　rebarred　concrete　abutments。　Surely；　they'd　thought；　six　separate　crossing　points　at　a　single　river　couldn't　all　be　damaged　beyond　timely　repair。
　The　Black　Jets　refueled　from　the　usual　KC…135　tanker　aircraft　and　continued　south；　unseen　by　the　radar　fence　erected　by　the　PRC　government　along　its　northeastern　border；　and　kept　going。　The　heavily　automated　aircraft　continued　to　their　destinations　on　autopilot。　They　even　made　their　bombing　runs　on　autopilot；　because　it　was　too　much　to　expect　a　pilot；　however　skilled；　both　to　fly　the　aircraft　and　guide　the　infrared　laser　whose　invisible　grounded　dot　the　bomb's　seeker…head　sought　out。　The　attacks　were　made　almost　simultaneously；　just　a　minute　apart　from　east　to　west　at　the　six　parallel　bridges　over　the　Songhua　Jiang　River　at　Harbin。　Each　bridge　had　major　pier　abutments　on　the　north　and　south　bank。　Both　were　attacked　in　each　case。　The　bomb　drops　were　easier　than　contractor　tests；　given　the　clear　air　and　the　total　lack　of　defensive　interference。　In　every　case；　the　first　set　of　six　bombs　fell　true；　striking　the　targets　at　Mach…1　speed　and　penetrating　in　for　a　distance　of　twenty…five　to　thirty　feet　before　exploding。　The　weapons　each　had　535　pounds　of　Tritonal　explosive。　Not　a　particularly　large　quantity；　in　tight　confinement　it　nevertheless　generated　hellish　power；　rupturing　the　hundred　of　tons　of　concrete　around　it　like　so　much　porcelain；　albeit　without　the　noise　one　would　expect　from　such　an　event。
　Not　content　with　this　destruction；　the　second　team　of　F…117s　struck　at　the　northern　abutments；　and　smashed　them　as　well。　The　only　lives　directly　lost　were　those　of　the　engineer　and　fireman　of　a　northbound　diesel　lootive　pulling　a　trainload　of　ammunition　for　the　army　group　across　the　Amur　River；　who　were　unable　to　stop　their　train　before　running　over　the　edge。
　The　same　performance　was　repeated　in　Bei'an；　where　five　more　bridges　were　dropped　into　the　Wuyur　He　River；　and　in　this　dual　stroke；　which　had　lasted　a　mere　twenty…one　minutes；　the　supply　line　to　the　Chinese　invasion　force　was　sundered　for　all　time　to　e。　The　eight　aircraft　left　over…they'd　been　a　reserve　force　in　case　some　of　the　bombs　should　fail　to　destroy　their　targets…headed　for　the　loop　siding　near　the　Amur　used　by　tank　cars。　This　was；　oddly　enough；　not　nearly　as　badly　hit　as　the　bridges；　since　the　deep…penetrating　bombs　went　too　far　into　the　ground　to　create　much　of　surface　craters；　though　some　train　cars　were　upset；　and　one　of　them　caught　fire。　All　in　all；　it　had　been　a　routine　mission　for　the　F…117s。　Attempts　to　engage　them　with　the　SAM　batteries　in　the　two　cities　failed　because　the　aircraft　never　appeared　on　the　search…radar　screens；　and　a　missile　launch　was　not　even　attempted。
　
　The　bell　went　off　again；　and　the　ELF　message　printed　up　as　EQT　SPEC　OP；　or　〃execute　special　operation〃　in　proper　English。　Tucson　was　now　nine　thousand　yards　behind　Sierra…Eleven；　and　fifteen　from　Sierra…Twelve。
　〃We're　going　to　do　one　fish　each。　Firing　order　Two；　One。　Do　we　have　a　solution　light？〃　the　captain　asked。
　〃Valid　solutions　for　both　fish；〃　the　weapons　officer　replied。
　〃Ready　Tube　Two。〃
　〃Tube　Two　is　ready　in　all　respects；　tube　flooded；　outer　door　is　open；　sir。〃
　〃Very　well；　Match　generated　bearings　and　。　。　。　shoot！〃
　The　handle　was　turned　on　the　proper　console。　〃Tube　Two　fired　electrically；　sir。〃　Tucson　shuddered　through　her　length　with　the　sudden　explosion　of　pressed　air　that　ejected　the　weapon　into　the　seawater。
　〃Unit　is　running　hot；　straight；　and　normal；　sir；〃　Sonar　reported。
　〃Very　well；　ready　Tube　One；〃　the　captain　said　next。
　〃Tube　One　is　ready　in　all　respects；　tube　is　flooded；　outer　door　is　open；〃　Weps　announced　again。
　〃Very　well。　Match　generated　bearings　and　shoot！〃　This　mand　came　as　something　of　an　exclamation。　The　captain　figured　he　owed　it　to　the　crew；　which　was　at　battle　stations；　of　course。
　〃Tube　One　fired　electrically；　sir；〃　the　petty　officer　announced　after　turning　the　handle　again；　with　exactly　the　same　physical　effect　on　the　ship。
　〃Unit　Two　running　hot；　straight；　and　normal；　sir；〃　Sonar　said　again。　And　with　that；　the　captain　took　the　five　steps　to　the　Sonar　Room。
　〃Here　we　go；　Cap'n；〃　the　leading　sonarman　said；　pointing　to　the　glass　screen　with　a　yellow　grease　pencil。
　The　nine　thousand　yards'　distance　to　406　translated　to　four　and　a　half　nautical　miles。　The　target　was　traveling　at　a　depth　of　less　than　a　hundred　feet；　maybe　transmitting　to　its　base　on　the　radio　or　something；　and　steaming　along　at　a　bare　five　knots；　judging　by　the　blade　count。　That　worked　out　to　a　running　time　of　just　under　five　minutes　for　the　first　target；　and　then　another　hundred　sixty　seconds　or　so　to　the　second　one。　The　second　shot　would　probably　get　a　little　more　plicated　than　the　first。　Even　if　they　failed　to　hear　the　Mark　48　ADCAP　torpedo　ing；　a　deaf　man　could　not　miss　the　sound　of　800　pounds　of　Torpex　going　off　underwater　three　miles　away；　and　he'd　try　to　maneuver；　or　do　something　more　than　break　out　the　worry　beads　and　say　a　few　Hail　Maos；　or　whatever　prayer　these　people　said。　The　captain　leaned　back　into　the　attack　center。
　〃Reload　ADCAP　into　Tube　Two；　and　a　Harpoon　into　Tube　One。〃
　〃Aye；　Cap'n；〃　the　Weapons　Officer　acknowledged。
　〃Where's　that　frigate？〃　he　asked　the　lead　sonarman。
　〃Here；　sir；　Luda…class