tc.redstormrising-第110部分

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The　raid　mander　didn't　answer　。　。　。　he　would　have　answered；　the　pilot　told　himself。　He　would　have　answered。　The　Backfires　should　now　be　less　than　two　hundred　kilometers　away。　〃What　are　we　leading　them　into？
〃Activate　the　radar！〃　he　ordered。
Every　screen　ship　detected　the　distinctive　emissions　from　the　Big　Bulge　radar。　The　nearest　SAM…equipped　ship；　the　frigate　Groves；　immediately　energized　her　missile　radars　and　fired　a　surface…to…air　missile　at　the　oning　Bear…but　the　Tomcat　fighter　that　was　also　racing　toward　the　Bear　was　too　close。　The　frigate　shut　down　her　tracking　radar；　and　the　SMI　missile　lost　radar　lock　and　self…destructed　automatically。
Aboard　the　Bear　the　warnings　came　back　to　back；　first　surface…to…air　missile　alarm；　then　an　air…intercept　radar…and　then　the　radar　operator　acquired　the　convoy。
〃Many　ships　to　the　northwest。〃　The　radar　operator　passed　the　information　to　the　navigator；　who　worked　out　a　position　report　for　the　Backfires。　The　Bear　shut　down　her　radar　and　dove　while　the　munications　officer　broadcast　his　sighting　report。　And　then　everyone's　radars　lit　up。

USS　REUBEN　JAMES
〃There　are　the　Backfires；〃　the　tactical　action　officer　said　as　the　symbols　appeared　on　the　scope。　〃Bearing　zero…four…one；　range　one　hundred　eighty　miles。〃
On　the　bridge　the　executive　officer　was　as　nervous　as　he　would　ever　get。　In　addition　to　the　inbound　bomber　raid；　he　was　now　conning　his　ship　exactly　fifty　feet　from　the　side　of　HMS　Battleaxe　The　ships　were　so　close　together　that　on　a　radarscope　they'd　appear　as　a　single　target。　Five　miles　away；　O'Malley　and　the　helicopter　from　Battleaxe　were　also　flying　close　formation　over　the　ocean　at　twenty　knots。　Each　had　its　blip…enhance　transponder　turned　on。　Ordinarily　too　small　to　register　on　this　sort　of　radar；　the　helicopters　would　now　appear　to　be　a　ship；　something　worthy　of　a　missile　attack。

NORTH　ATLANTIC
The　air　action　now　had　all　the　elegance　of　a　saloon　fight。　The　Tomcats　on　bat　air　patrol　near　the　convoy　flew　toward　the　three　Bears；　the　first　of　which　already　had　a　missile　streaking　toward　it。　The　other　two　had　not　yet　detected　the　convoy；　and　never　would；　as　they　ran　due　east　to　get　away。　It　was　a　vain　attempt。　Propeller…driven　patrol　bombers　cannot　run　from　supersonic　fighters。
Gull　Two　died　first。　The　pilot　managed　to　get　his　contact　report　out　and　acknowledged　before　a　pair　of　Sparrow　missiles　exploded　close　aboard；　setting　his　wing　afire。　He　ordered　his　men　to　bail　out；　kept　the　aircraft　level　so　they　could；　and　a　minute　later　struggled　out　of　his　seat　and　jumped　through　the　escape　hatch　in　the　floor。　The　Bear　exploded　five　seconds　after　he　opened　his　parachute。　As　the　pilot　watched　his　aircraft　fireball　into　the　sea；　he　wondered　if　he'd　drown。
Above　him　a　squadron　of　Tomcats　headed　toward　the　Backfires；　and　the　race　was　to　see　who　got　into　missile…firing　position　first。　The　Soviet　bombers　climbed　steeply　on　afterburner；　activating　their　own　look…down　radars　to　find　targets　for　their　missiles。　Their　orders　were　to　locate　and　kill　escorts；　and　they　found　what　they　were　looking　for　thirty　miles　from　the　body　of　the　convoy：　two　blips。　The　large　blip　in　the　rear　drew　six　shots。　The　smaller　one　five　miles　away　drew　four。

STORNOWAY；　SCOTLAND
〃We　have　a　multi…regiment　Backfire　raid　in　progress　now　at　forty…five　degrees　north；　forty…nine　west。〃　Toland　held　the　Red　Rocket　telex　in　his　hand。
〃What　does　EASTLANT　have　to　say　about　it？〃
〃He's　probably　going　over　this　one　now。　You　ready？〃　he　asked　the　fighter　pilot。
〃Damned　right　I'm　ready！〃
The　teleprinter　in　the　corner　of　the　room　started　chattering：　INDICATE　OPERATION　DOOLITTLE。

USS　REUBEN　JAMES
〃Vampire；　vampire！　We　have　ining　missiles。〃
Here　we　go　again；　Morris　thought。　The　tactical　display　was　more　modern　than　what　he'd　had　on　Pharriseach　of　the　ining　missiles　was　marked　with　a　velocity　vector　that　indicated　speed　and　direction。　They　were　ing　in　low。
Morris　lifted　his　phone。　〃Bridge；　bat。　Execute　separation　maneuver。〃
〃Bridge；　aye。　Separating　now；〃　Ernst　said。　〃Crash　stop！　All　back　emergency！〃
The　helmsman　pulled　the　throttle　control　back；　then　abruptly　reversed　the　pitch　of　the　propeller　blades；　throwing　the　ship　from　ahead　to　full　astern。　Reuben　James　slowed　so　rapidly　that　men　had　to　brace　themselves；　and　Battleaxe　forged　ahead；　accelerating　to　twenty…five　knots。　As　soon　as　it　was　safe；　the　British　frigate　turned　hard　to　port；　and　Reuben　James　went　to　ahead　full　and　turned　sharply　to　starboard。
Any　Soviet　radar　operator　who　had　lingered　behind　would　have　been　impressed　by　the　deception。　The　oning　AS…4　missiles　had　been　targeted　on　a　single　blip。　Now　there　were　two；　and　they　were　separating。　The　missiles　divided　their　attention　evenly；　with　three　opting　for　either　target。
Morris　watched　his　display　intently。　The　distance　between　his　ship　and　his　panion　was　widening　rapidly。
〃Missiles　are　tracking　us！〃　the　ESM　operator　said　loudly。　〃We　have　multiple　missile　seeker　heads　tracking　us。〃
〃Right　full　rudder；　reverse　course。　Fire　off　chaff　rockets！〃
Everyone　in　the　bat　Information　Center　jumped　as　four　canisters　exploded　directly　overhead；　filling　the　air　with　aluminum　foil　and　creating　a　radar　target　for　the　missiles　to　track　while　the　frigate　heeled　violently　to　port　as　she　turned。　Her　forward　missile　launcher　turned　around　with　her；　a　SAM　already　assigned　to　the　first　ining　Russian　missile。　The　frigate　righted　herself　on　a　northerly　course；　three　miles　behind　Battleaxe。
〃Here　we　go；〃　the　weapons　officer　said。　The　solution　light　blinked　on　the　firecontrol　console。
The　first　of　the　white…painted　SMI　missiles　shot　into　the　sky。　It　had　scarcely　cleared　the　launch　rail　when　the　launcher　twisted　in　two　dimensions　and　accepted　another　missile　from　the　circular　magazine；　then　turned　and　elevated　again；　firing　seven　seconds　after　the　first　missile　was　launched；　then　repeated　the　cycle　twice　more。
〃That's　it！〃　O'Malley　said　when　he　saw　the　first　smoke　trail。　He　punched　his　finger　on　the　blip…enhance　button。　〃Hatchet；　shut　down　your　emitter　and　break　left！〃　Both　helicopters　went　to　full　power　and　ran　away。　Four　missiles　suddenly　had　no　targets。　They　kept　heading　west　to　look　for　more；　but　there　were　none　to　be　found。
〃More　chaff；〃　Morris　ordered；　watching　the　electronic　traces　of　friendly　and　unfriendly　missiles　converge。　The　CIC　shook　again　as　another　cloud　of　aluminum　blasted　into　the　air；　and　the　wind　carried　it　toward　the　ining　missiles。
〃We　still　have　missiles　tracking　us！〃
〃Hit！〃　the　weapons　officer　exclaimed。　The　first　missile　disappeared　from　the　scope；　intercepted　sixteen　miles　out；　but　the　second　Soviet　missile　kept　ing。　The　first　SAM　sent　after　it　missed；　exploding　harmlessly　behind　it；　and　then　the　second　one　missed；　too。　Another　SAM　was　fired。　Range　was　down　to　six　miles。　Five。　Four。　Three。
〃Hit！　One　missile　left…veering　off。　Going　after　the　chaff！　Passing　aft！〃
The　missile　struck　the　water　two　thousand　yards　from　Reuben　James　Even　at　that　distance　the　noise　was　impressive。　It　was　followed　by　total　silence　in　the　CIC。　Men　kept　staring　at　their　instruments；　looking　for　additional　missiles；　and　it　took　several　seconds　before　they　were　satisfied　that　there　were　no　more。　One　by　one　the　sailors　looked　at　their　rades　and　began　to　breathe　again。
〃What　modern　bat　lacks　in　humanity；〃　Calloway　observed；　〃it　more　than　makes　up　for　in　intensity。〃
Morris　leaned　back　in　his　chair。　〃Or　something　like　that。　What's　the　story　on　Battleaxe？〃
〃Still　on　radar；　sir；〃　the　tactical　action　officer　replied。　Morris　lifted　the　radiotelephone。
〃Bravo；　this　is　Romeo。　Do　you　read；　over。〃
〃I　do　believe　we're　still　alive。〃　Perrin　was　examining　his　tactical　display　and　shaking　his　head　in　amazement。
〃Any　damage？〃
〃None。　Hatchet　is　checking　in。　He's　all　right；　too。　Remarkable；〃　Captain　Perrin　said。　〃Any　further　inbound　traffic？　We　show　none。〃
〃Negative。　The　Tomcats　chased　the　Backfires　off　the　scope。　Let's　get　reformed。〃
〃Roger；　Romeo。〃
Morris　hung　up　and　looked　around　the　CIC。　〃Well　done；　people。〃
The　sailors　in　the　room　looked　at　each　other；　and　presently　some　grins　started　showing。　But　they　didn't　last　long。
The　TAO　looked　up。　〃For　your　information；　Captain；　Ivan　fired　a　quarter　of　his　missiles　at　us。　So　far　as　I　can　tell；　the　Tomcats　got　about　six；　and　Bunker　Hill　got　most　of　the　rest　。　。　but　we　show　one　frigate　hit；　and　three　merchies。　The　fighters　are　returning。〃　He　kept　his　voice　neutral。　〃They　report　zero　kills　on　the　Backfire　force。〃
〃Damn！〃　Morris　said。　The　trap　had　failed…and　he　didn't　know　why。
He　had　no　idea　that　Stornoway　considered　it　a　success。

STORNOWAY；　SCOTLAND
The　key　to　the　operation；　as　with　all　military　operations；　was　munications；　and　not　enough　time　had　been　spent　setting　the　lines　up　on　this　one　to　suit　Toland。　The　America's　radar　aircraft　tracked　the　Backfires　all　the　way　off　the　scope。　The　data　from　the　aircraft　was　linked　to　the　carrier；　thence　by　satellite　to　Norfolk；　and　by　satellite　again　to　Northwood。　His　data　came　by　land　line　from　Royal　Navy　headquarters。　The　most　important　NATO　mission　of　the　war　depended　on　transistors　and　telephone　wire　more　than　the　weapons　that　were　to　be　employed。
〃Okay；　their　last　course　was　zero…two…nine；　speed　six　hundred　ten　knots。〃
〃That　puts　them　over　Iceland's　north　coast　in　two　hours；　seventeen　minutes。　How　much　time　did　they　have　on　burner？〃　mander　Winters　asked。
〃About　five；　according　to　America。　〃　Toland　frowned。　This　was　pretty　thin　intelligence　information。
〃Any　way　you　cut　it；　their　fuel　reserves　are　thinned　down　some　。　。　。　Okay。　Three　aircraft；　eighty　miles　apart。〃　He　looked　over　at　the　newest　satellite　weather　photo。　〃Good　visibility。　We'll　spot　'em。　Whoever　does；　follows…the　other　planes　e　right　back　home。〃
〃Good　luck；　mander。〃

NORTH　ATLANTIC
The　three　Tomcats　climbed　slowly　to　altitude　on　a　course　northwest　from　Stornoway；　and　at　thirty…five　thousand　feet　linked　up　with　their　tankers。　Several　hundred　miles　away　the　Backfire　crews　did　much　the　same　thing。　The　presence　of　American　fighters　over　the　convoy　in　large　numbers　had　e　as　a　rude　shock；　but　time　and　distance　had　been　in　their　favor；　and　they'd　managed　to　escape　without　loss　this　time。　The　crew　of　each　aircraft　talked　among　themselves；　their　emotions　released　by　the　climax　of　yet　another　dang