tc.redstormrising-第132部分

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ach　of　the　four　torpedoes。　The　two　aimed　at　Providence　closed　rapidly。　The　wounded　sub　was　up　to　twenty　knots；　and　made　noise　like　a　gravel　truck　trying　to　run。　It　was　clear　that　she'd　never　make　it。　Three　noisemakers　appeared　on　the　screen；　but　the　torpedoes　ignored　them。　The　lines　converged　to　a　single　point　that　blossomed　bright　on　the　screen。
〃They　got　her；　sir；〃　the　chief　said　quietly。
Boston　had　a　better　chance。　Simms　was　at　full　speed　now；　with　the　torpedoes　less　than　a　thousand　yards　behind。　He；　too；　deployed　noisemakers　and　made　radical　changes　in　course　and　depth。　One　torpedo　went　wild；　diving　after　a　decoy　and　exploding　on　the　bottom。　The　other　locked　on　Boston　and　slowly　ate　up　the　distance。　Another　bright　dot　appeared；　and　that　was　that。
〃Yankee…search　the　Alfa；〃　McCafferty　said；　his　voice　low　with　rage。　The　submarine　vibrated　with　the　powerful　sonar　pulses。
〃Bearing　one…zero…nine；　range　thirteen　thousand。〃
〃Set！〃
〃Match　and　shoot！〃
The　Alfa　didn't　wait　to　hear　the　ining　torpedoes。　Her　skipper　knew　that　there　was　a　third　sub　out　there；　knew　that　he'd　been　pinged。　The　Soviet　sub　went　to　maximum　speed　and　turned　east。　Chicago's　weapons　officer　tried　to　move　the　torpedoes　on　a　closing　course；　but　they　had　a　scant　five…knot　advantage　on　the　Alfa；　and　the　math　was　clear：　they'd　e　up　two　thousand　yards　short　at　the　end　of　their　fuel。　McCafferty　was　past　caring。　He　too　went　to　flank　speed　and　chased　after　her　for　half　an　hour；　ing　down　to　five　knots　three　minutes　before　the　torpedoes　ran　out　of　fuel。　The　flow　noise　cleared　off　his　sonars　just　in　time　to　hear　the　Alfa　decelerate　safely。
〃Okay；　now　we'll　try　again。〃　They　were　three　miles　from　the　ice　now；　and　Chicago　was　quiet。　The　Alfa　turned　west；　and　McCafferty's　tracking　party　gathered　data　to　pute　her　range。　The　turn　west　was　a　mistake。　He　evidently　expected　Chicago　to　run　for　the　pack　and　safety。
〃Conn；　sonar。　New　contact；　bearing　zero…zero…three。〃
Now　what？　Another　Russian　trap？〃
〃I　need　information！〃
〃Very　faint；　but　I　got　a　bearing　change；　just　moved　to　zero…zero…four。〃　A　quartermaster　looked　up　from　his　slide　rule。　〃Range　has　to　be　under　ten　thousand　yards；　sir！〃
〃Transients；　transients！…torpedo　in　the　water　bearing　zero…zero…five！〃
〃Left　full　rudder；　all　ahead　flank！〃
〃Bearing　change！　Torpedo　bearing　now　zero…zero…eight！〃
〃Belay　that　order！〃　McCafferty　shouted。　The　new　contact　was　shooting　at　the　Alfa。
〃Jesus；　what　is　this　thing？〃　the　sonar　chief　asked。
The　Alfa　heard　the　new　fish　and　reversed　course。　Again　they　heard　and　saw　the　thunder　of　the　Alfa's　engines　。　。　。　but　the　torpedo　closed　the　distance　rapidly。
〃It's　a　Brit。　That's　one　of　their　new　Spearfish。　I　didn't　know　they　had　any　in　the　fleet　yet。〃
〃How　fast？〃　the　sonar　chief　asked。
〃Sixty　or　seventy　knots。〃
〃Gawd！　Let's　buy　some。〃
The　Alfa　ran　straight　for　three　miles；　then　turned　north　to　head　for　the　ice。　She　didn't　make　it。　The　Spearfish　cut　the　corner。　The　lines　on　the　display　merged　again；　and　a　final　bright　dot　appeared。
〃Bring　her　around　north；〃　McCafferty　told　the　exec。　〃Go　to　eighteen　knots。　I　want　to　be　sure　he　knows　who　we　are。〃

〃We　are　HMS　Torbay。　Who　are　you？〃
〃Chicago。〃
〃We　heard　the　motion　earlier。　Are　you　alone？〃　Captain　James　Little　asked
〃Yes。　The　Alfa　ambushed　us…we're　alone。〃
〃We　will　escort　you。〃
〃Understood。　Do　you　know　if　the　mission　was　successful？〃
〃Yes；　it　was。〃

40　…　The　Killing　Ground

STYKKISHOLMUR；　ICELAND
There　was　much　to　do；　and　time　was　short。
Lieutenant　Potter　and　his　team　of　Force　Recon　mandos　found　eight　Russian　troops　in　the　town。　They　were　trying　to　escape　down　the　only　road　south　when　they　ran　into　an　ambush　which　killed　or　wounded　five　of　their　number。　Those　were　the　last　who　could　have　warned　Keflavik　of　the　ships　on　the　horizon。
The　first　regular　troops　came　by　helicopter。　Platoon…　or　pany…sized　units　were　placed　on　every　hilltop　overlooking　the　bay。　Particular　care　was　taken　to　keep　the　aircraft　below　the　radar　horizon　from　Keflavik；　where　a　single　Russian　transmitter　remained　in　operation　despite　all　efforts　to　the　contrary。　A　CH…53　Super　Stallion　helicopter　airlifted　the　ponents　of　a　mobile　radar　transmitter　to　a　hill　on　the　island's　northwest　coast；　and　a　team　of　Army　technicians　went　to　work　at　once　to　get　it　operational。　By　the　time　the　ships　entered　the　rock…filled　nightmare　called　Stykkisholmur　harbor；　five　thousand　troops　were　already　in　position　over　the　handful　of　roads　leading　into　the　town。
The　captain　of　one　big　LST…Landing　Ship；　Tank…had　tried　to　count　the　rocks　and　shoals　on　the　trip　up　from　Norfolk。　He'd　stopped　on　reaching　five　hundred　and　concentrated　on　memorizing　his　particular　area　of　responsibility；　known　as　Green…Two…Charlie。　The　daylight　and　low　tide　helped。　Many　of　the　rocks　were　exposed　by　low　water；　and　helicopter　crews　relieved　of　their　immediate　duties　of　landing　troops　dropped　radar…reflectors　and　lighted　beacons　on　most　of　them；　which　improved　matters　greatly。　The　remaining　task　was　marginally　safer　than　crossing　a　highway　blindfolded。　The　LSTs　went　first；　winding　through　the　rocks　at　the　recklessly　high　speed　of　ten　knots；　relying　on　their　auxiliary　bow　thrusters　to　assist　rudder　movements　to　steer　the　ships　through　the　lethal　maze。
Again；　Lieutenant　Potter's　team　of　mandos　helped　matters。　They　went　from　house　to　house；　locating　the　captains　and　mates　of　local　fishing　boats。　The　skilled　seamen　were　flown　to　the　lead　ships　to　help　pilot　the　big　gray　amphibs　through　the　tightest　of　the　passages。　By　noon　the　first　LST　had　her　ramp　on　land；　and　the　first　Marine　tanks　rolled　onto　the　island。　Right　behind　them　were　trucks　loaded　with　steel；　pierced…plank　runway　material；　which　was　dispatched　east　to　a　flat　piece　of　ground　preselected　as　a　base　for　Marine　helicopters　and　Harrier　jump…jet　fighters。
Once　the　fleet　helicopters　had　pleted　their　task　of　marking　the　rocks　and　shoals；　they　returned　to　moving　troops。　The　troop　carriers　were　escorted　by　SeaCobra　gunships　and　Harriers　as　they　extended　the　Marine　perimeter　to　the　hills　overlooking　the　Hvita　River。　There　contact　was　made　with　outlying　Russian　observation　posts　and　the　first　real　fighting　began。

KEFLAVIK；　ICELAND
〃So　much　for　our　intelligence　reports；〃　General　Andreyev　muttered。　From　his　headquarters　he　could　see　the　massive　shapes　steaming　slowly　into　view。　They　were　the　battleships　Iowa　and　New　Jersey；　acpanied　by　missile　cruisers　for　air　defense。
〃We　can　engage　them　now；〃　the　artillery　chief　said。
〃Then　do　so。〃　While　you　can。　He　turned　to　his　munications　officer。　〃Has　word　gotten　out　to　Severomorsk？〃
〃Yes；　Northern　Fleet　will　sortie　its　aircraft　today　and　submarines　are　being　sent　as　well。〃
〃Tell　them　their　primary　targets　are　the　American　amphibious　ships　at　Stykkisholmur。〃
〃But　we　are　not　sure　they　are　there。　The　harbor　is　too　dangerous　for…〃
〃Where　the　hell　else　would　they　be？〃　Andreyev　demanded。　〃Our　observation　posts　there　do　not　answer　us；　and　we　have　reports　of　enemy　helicopters　moving　south　and　east　from　that　direction。　Think；　man！〃
〃rade　General；　the　Navy's　primary　objective　will　be　the　enemy　carrier　force。〃
〃Then　explain　to　our　rades　in　blue　that　carrier　aircraft　cannot　take　Iceland　away　from　us；　but　their　fucking　Marines　can！〃
Andreyev　saw　smoke　rise　from　one　of　his　heavy　gun　batteries。　The　sound　followed　a　few　seconds　later。　The　first　Russian　salvo　landed　several　thousand　yards　short。

〃Fire　mission！〃
Iowa　had　not　fired　her　guns　in　anger　since　Korea；　but　now　the　massive　sixteen…inch　rifles　turned　slowly　to　starboard。　In　the　central　gunnery　control　station；　a　technician　worked　the　joystick　controls　for　a　Mastiff　remotely　piloted　vehicle。　The　miniature　airplane　purchased　a　few　years　earlier　from　Israel　circled　eight　thousand　feet　above　the　Russian　gun　battery；　its　television　camera　shifting　from　one　emplacement　to　another。

〃I　count　six　guns；　look　like　one…fifty…five　or　so。　Call　'em　six…inch。〃
The　precise　location　of　the　Russian　battery　was　plotted。　Next　the　puter　analyzed　data　on　air　density；　barometric　pressure；　relative　humidity；　wind　direction　and　speed；　and　a　dozen　other　factors。　The　gunnery　officer　watched　his　status　board　for　the　solution　light　to　e　up。
〃mence　firing。〃
The　center　gun　of　the　number　two　turret　loosed　a　single　round。　A　millimeter…band　radar　atop　the　after　director…tower　tracked　the　shell；　paring　its　flight　path　with　the　one　predicted　by　the　fire…control　puter。　Not　surprisingly；　there　were　some　errors　in　predicted　wind　velocity。　The　radar's　own　puter　forwarded　the　new　empirical　readings　to　the　master　system；　and　the　remaining　eight　main…battery　guns　altered　position　slightly。　They　fired　even　before　the　first　round　landed。

〃Mother　of　God！〃　Andreyev　whispered。　The　orange　flash　obscured　the　ship　momentarily。　Someone　to　his　left　shouted；　perhaps　thinking　that　one　of　the　Russian　artillery　rounds　had　struck　home。　Andreyev　had　no　such　illusions。　His　artillerymen　were　out　of　practice　and　had　not　yet　bracketed　their　target。　He　turned　his　field　glasses　to　his　gun　battery；　four　kilometers　away。
The　first　round　landed　fifteen　hundred　meters　southeast　of　the　nearest　gun。　The　next　eight　landed　two　hundred　meters　behind　them。
〃Get　that　battery　moved　right　now！〃

〃Drop　two　hundred　and　fire　for　effect！〃
Already　the　guns　were　going　through　their　thirty…second　reload　cycle。　Inert　gas　ejected　scraps　of　the　silk　propellant…bags　out　the　muzzles　to　clear　the　bores；　then　the　breeches　opened　and　loading　ramps　unfolded　into　place。　The　bores　were　checked　for　dangerous　residue；　then　elevators　from　the　handling　rooms　rose　to　the　back　edge　of　the　ramps　and　the　shells　were　rammed　into　the　waiting　gun　barrels。　The　heavy　power　bags　were　dropped　onto　the　ramps　and　rammed　behind　the　shells。　The　ramp　came　up；　the　breeches　closed　hydraulically；　and　the　guns　elevated。　The　turret　crews　moved　out　of　the　loading　partments　and　held　their　hands　over　their　muff…style　ear…protectors。　In　fire…control　fingers　depressed　the　keys　and　the　breeches　surged　backwards　once　more。　The　cycle　began　again；　the　teenage　seamen　performing　the　same　tasks　that　their　grandfathers　had　done　forty　years　before。

Andreyev　stepped　outside　to　watch　in　ghastly　fascination。　He　could　hear　the　sound　of　ripping　linen　that　announced　the　passage　of　the　monstrous　projectile