tc.redstormrising-第124部分

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〃All　ahead　one…third；　rudder　amidships；〃　McCafferty　ordered。
〃Another　one…torpedo　in　the　water　bearing　zero…four…six。〃
〃Right　full　rudder；　all　ahead　flank；〃　McCafferty　ordered　yet　again。　He　turned　to　the　exec。　〃You　know　what　they　just　did？　They　dropped　a　fish　to　spook　us　into　moving！　Damn！〃　Beautiful　tactic；　whoever　you　are。　You　know　we　can't　afford　to　ignore　a　torpedo。
〃But　how'd　they　know　we　were　here？〃
〃Maybe　they　just　guessed　well；　maybe　they　got　a　twitch。　Then　we　gave　'em　the　contact。〃
〃Torpedo　bearing　zero…four…one。　The　torpedo　is　pinging　at　us；　don't　know　if　it　has　us；　sir。　Captain；　I　got　a　new　contact　bearing　zero…nine…five。　Sounds　like　machinery　noises…possible　submarine。〃
〃Now　what？〃　McCafferty　whispered。　He　put　the　Russian　torpedo　on　his　stem　and　hugged　the　bottom。　Sonar　performance　dropped　to　zero　as　Chicago　accelerated　past　twenty　knots。　Their　instruments　could　still　hear　the　ultrasonic　pings　of　the　torpedo；　however；　and　McCafferty　maneuvered　to　keep　the　weapon　behind　him　as　it　dove　down　after　the　American　sub。
〃Bring　her　up！　Make　your　depth　one　hundred　feet。　Shoot　off　a　noisemaker。〃
〃Full　rise　on　the　planes！〃　The　diving　officer　ordered　a　short　blow　on　the　forward　trim　tanks　to　effect　the　maneuver。　Along　with　the　noisemaker；　it　created　an　enormous　disturbance　in　the　water。　The　torpedo　raced　in　after　it；　missing　below　Chicago。　A　good　maneuver；　it　was　also　a　desperate　one。　The　submarine　rose　quickly；　her　elastic　hull　popping　as　the　pressure　on　the　steel　diminished。　There　was　an　enemy　sub　out　there；　and　he　now　had　all　sorts　of　noise　from　Chicago。　All　McCafferty　could　do　was　run。　He　was　confident　that　the　other　sub　would　chase　after　him　with　a　homing　torpedo　circling　below；　but　didn't　understand　why　the　other　sub　was　there　at　all。　He　slowed　Chicago　to　five　knots　and　turned　as　the　torpedo　ran　out　of　fuel　below　him。　Next　problem：　there　was　a　Soviet　submarine　close　by。
〃He's　gotta　know　about　where　we　are；　skipper。〃
〃You　got　that　one　right；　XO。　Sonar；　Conn；　Yankee…search！〃　Both　sides　could　use　unusual　tactics。　〃Fire…control　party；　stand　by；　this　one's　going　to　be　a　snapshot。〃
The　powerful　but　seldom…used　active　sonar　installed　in　Chicago's　bow　blasted　the　water　with　low…frequency　energy。
〃Contact；　bearing　zero…eight…six；　range　four　six　hundred！〃
〃Set　it　up！〃
Chicago's　steel　hull　reverberated　three　seconds　later　with　Soviet　sonar　waves。
〃Set！　Ready　for　tubes　three　and　two。〃
〃Match　bearings　and　shoot！〃　The　torpedoes　were　fired　within　seconds　of　one　another。　〃Cut　the　wires。　Take　her　down！　Make　your　depth　one　thousand　feet；　all　ahead　flank；　left　full　rudder；　e　to　new　course　two…six…five！〃　The　submarine　wheeled　and　sped　west　as　her　torpedoes　raced　toward　their　target。
〃Transients…torpedoes　in　the　water　aft；　bearing　zero…eight…five。〃
〃Patience；〃　McCafferty　said。　You　didn't　expect　us　to　do　that；　did　you？　〃Nice　job；　fire…control！　We　got　our　shots　off　a　minute　faster　than　the　other　guy。　Speed？〃
〃Twenty…four　knots　and　increasing；　sir；〃　the　helmsman　answered。　〃Passing　four　hundred　feet；　sir。〃
〃Sonar；　how　many　fish　we　got　chasing　us？〃
〃At　least　three；　sir。　Sir；　our　units　are　pinging。　I　believe　they　have　the　target。〃
〃XO；　in　a　few　seconds　we're　going　to　turn　and　change　depth。　When　we　do；　I　want　you　to　fire　off　four　noisemakers　at　fifteen…second　intervals。〃
〃Aye；　Cap'n。〃
McCafferty　went　over　to　stand　behind　the　helmsman。　He'd　just　turned　twenty　the　day　before。　The　rudder　indicator　was　amidships；　with　ten　degrees　of　down　angle　on　the　planes；　and　the　submarine　was　just　passing　through　five　hundred　feet　and　hurtling　down。　The　speed　log　now　showed　thirty　knots。　The　rate　of　acceleration　slowed　as　Chicago　neared　her　maximum　speed。　He　patted　the　boy　on　the　shoulder。
〃Now。　Ten　degrees　rise　on　the　planes　and　e　right　twenty　degrees　rudder。〃
〃Yes；　sir！〃
The　hull　thundered　with　the　news　that　their　fish　had　found　their　target。　Everyone　jumped　or　cringed…they　had　their　own　problems　chasing　after　them。　Chicago's　maneuver　left　a　massive　knuckle　in　the　water　that　the　executive　officer　punctuated　with　four　noisemakers。　The　small　gas　canisters　filled　the　disturbance　with　bubbles　that　made　excellent　sonar　targets　while　Chicago　sped　north。　She　raced　right　under　a　sonobuoy；　but　the　Russians　could　not　put　another　torpedo　down　for　fear　of　interfering　with　those　already　running。
〃Bearing　is　changing　on　all　contacts；　sir；〃　sonar　reported。
McCafferty　started　to　breathe　again。　〃Ahead　one…third。〃
The　helmsman　dialed　the　annunciator　handle。　The　engineers　responded　at　once；　and　again　Chicago　slowed。
〃We'll　try　to　disappear　again。　They　probably　aren't　sure　yet　who　killed　who。　We'll　use　that　time　to　get　back　down　to　the　bottom　and　crawl　northeast。　Well　done；　people；　that　was　sorta　hairy。〃
The　helmsman　looked　up。　〃Skipper；　the　south　side　of　Chicago　ain't　the　baddest　part　of　town　anymore！〃
Sure　as　hell　is　the　tiredest；　though；　the　captain　thought。　They　can't　keep　ing　at　us　this　way。　They　have　to　back　off　and　rethink；　don't　they？　He　had　the　chart　memorized。　Another　hundred　fifty　miles　to　the　icepack。

39　…　The　Shores　of　Stykklisholmur

HUNZEN；　FEDERAL　REPUBLIC　OF　GERMANY
They'd　finally　defeated　the　counterattack。　No；　Alekseyev　told　himself；　we　didn't　defeat　it；　we　drove　it　off。　The　Germans　had　withdrawn　of　their　own　accord　after　blunting　half　of　the　Russian　attack。　There　was　more　to　victory　than　being　in　possession　of　the　battlefield。
It　only　got　harder。　Beregovoy　had　been　right　when　he'd　said　that　coordinating　a　large　battle　on　the　move　was　much　harder　than　doing　it　from　a　fixed　mand　post。　Just　the　effort　of　getting　the　right　map　opened　inside　a　cramped　mand　vehicle　was　a　battle　against　time　and　space；　and　eighty　kilometers　of　front　made　for　too　many　tactical　maps。　The　counterattack　had　forced　the　generals　to　move　one　of　their　precious　A　reserve　formations　north；　just　in　time　to　watch　the　Germans　withdraw　after　savaging　the　rear　areas　of　three　B　motor…rifle　divisions；　and　spreading　panic　throughout　the　thousands　of　reservists　who　were　trying　to　cope　with　old　equipment　and　barely　remembered　training。
〃Why　did　they　pull　back？〃　Sergetov　asked　his　general。
Alekseyev　did　not　respond。　There　was　a　fine　question　that　he　had　already　asked　half　a　dozen　times。　There　were　probably　two　reasons；　he　told　himself。　First；　they'd　lacked　the　strength　to　pursue　the　effort　and　had　had　to　settle　for　a　spoiling　attack　to　unbalance　our　operation。　Second；　the　central　axis　of　our　attack　was　on　the　verge　of　reaching　the　Weser；　and　they　might　have　been　called　back　to　deal　with　this　possible　crisis。　The　Army　group　intelligence　officer　approached。
〃rade　General；　we　have　a　disturbing　report　from　one　of　our　reconnaissance　aircraft。〃　The　officer　related　the　sketchy　radio　message　from　a　low…flying　recce　aircraft。　NATO's　control　of　the　air　had　brought　particularly　grim　losses　to　those　all…important　units。　The　pilot　of　this　MiG…21　had　seen　and　reported　a　massive　column　of　allied　armor　on　the　E8　highway　south　of　Osnabruck　before　disappearing。　The　General　immediately　lifted　the　radiophone　to　Stendal。
〃Why　were　we　not　informed　of　this　as　soon　as　you　received　it？〃　Alekseyev　demanded　of　his　superior。

〃It　is　an　unconfirmed　report；〃　CINC…West　replied。
〃Dammit；　we　know　the　Americans　landed　reinforcements　at　Le　Havre！〃
〃And　they　can't　be　at　the　front　for　at　least　another　day。　How　soon　will　you　have　a　bridgehead　on　the　Weser？〃
〃We　have　units　on　the　river　now　at　Ruhle…〃
〃Then　move　your　bridging　units　there　and　get　them　across！〃
〃rade；　my　right　flank　is　still　in　disarray；　and　now　we　have　this　report　of　a　possible　enemy　division　forming　up　there！〃
〃You　worry　about　crossing　the　Weser　and　let　me　worry　about　this　phantom　division！　That's　an　order；　Pavel　Leonidovich！〃
Alekseyev　set　the　phone　back　in　its　place。　He　has　a　better　overall　picture　of　what's　going　on；　Pasha　told　himself。　After　we　bridge　the　Weser；　we　have　no　really　serious　obstacle　in　front　of　us　for　over　a　hundred　kilometers。　After　the　river　Weser；　we　can　race　into　the　Ruhr；　Germany's　industrial　heart。　If　we　destroy　that；　or　even　threaten　it；　then　perhaps　the　Germans　will　seek　their　political　solution　and　the　war　is　won。　That　is　what　he　is　telling　me。
The　General　looked　at　his　maps。　Soon　the　lead　regiment　would　try　to　force　men　across　the　river　at　Ruhle。　A　bridging　regiment　was　already　en　route。　And　he　had　his　orders。
〃Start　moving　the　OMG　troops。〃
〃But　our　right　flank！〃　Beregovoy　protested。
〃Will　have　to　look　after　itself。〃

BRUSSELS；　BELGIUM
SACEUR　was　still　worried　about　his　supplies。　He'd　also　been　forced　to　gamble　in　giving　highest　transport　priority　to　the　armored　division　now　approaching　Springe。　The　container　ships　loaded　with　munitions；　spare　parts；　and　the　millions　of　other　specialty　items　were　just　now　sending　their　cargoes　to　the　front。　His　largest　reserve　formation；　the　tank　force；　was　about　to　team　up　with　two　German　brigades；　and　what　was　left　of　the　11th　Armored　Cavalry　Regiment；　once　a　brigade　in　all　but　name；　now　only　two　battalions　of　weary　men。
His　supply　situation　was　still　tenuous。　Many　of　his　line　units　were　down　to　four　days　of　consumable　stores；　and　the　resupply　effort　would　take　two　days；　even　if　things　went　perfectly：　a　thin　margin　that　in　a　prewar　exercise　might　have　seemed　equitable　enough；　but　not　now；　when　men　and　nations　were　at　stake。　Yet　what　choice　did　he　have？
〃General；　we　have　a　report　here　of　a　regiment…sized　attack　on　the　Weser。　It　looks　like　Ivan's　trying　to　put　troops　on　the　left　bank。〃
〃What　do　we　have　there？〃
〃One　battalion　of　Landwehr；　and　they're　pretty　beat　up。　There　are　two　panies　of　tanks　on　the　way；　ought　to　be　there　in　a　little　over　an　hour。　There　are　preliminary　indications　that　Soviet　reinforcements　are　heading　that　way。　This　might　be　the　main　axis　of　their　attack；　at　least　it　seems　that　they're　orienting　in　that　direction。〃
SACEUR　rocked　back　in　his　chair；　looking　up　at　the　map　display。　He　had　one　reserve　regiment　within　three　hours　of　Ruhle。　The　General　was　a　man　who　loved　to　gamble。　He　was　never　happier　than　when　sitting　at　a　table　with　a　deck　of　cards　and　a　few　hundred　dollars'　worth　of　chips。　He　usually　won。　If　he　attacked　south　from　Springe　and　failed　。　。　。　the　Russians　would　put　two　or　three　divisions　across　the　Weser；　and　he　had　precisely　one　regiment　in