tc.redstormrising-第38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！


o　special　alarm　has　been　sent　out…
The　northern　horizon　went　bright　yellow。　Though　he　did　not　know　it；　four　Luftwaffe　Tornados　had　just　made　a　single　pass　over　Mahlminkel；　leaving　hundreds　of　explosive　cluster　munitions　in　their　wake。　A　half…dozen　Soviet　Sukhoi　attack　fighters　went　up　in　flames；　sending　a　fireball　of　jet　fuel　that　rose　up　into　the　rain…filled　sky。
The　battery　mander　hesitated　not　at　all…he　shouted　an　order　for　his　men　to　switch　their　fire…control　radars　from　stand…by　to　active；　and　trace　them　around　〃their〃　bridges。　A　moment　later；　one　detected　an　F…111　ing　upriver。
〃Oh；　shit！〃　The　Aardvark's　systems　operator　instantly　loosed　a　Shrike　antiradar　missile　at　the　SAM　battery；　another　for　good　measure　at　the　search　radar；　a　second　Paveway　at　the　bridge；　then　the　F…111　turned　violently　left。
A　missile…launch　officer　blanched　as　he　realized　what　had　just　appeared　from　nowhere　onto　his　scopes；　and　salvoed　his　three　missiles　in　return。　The　ining　aircraft　had　to　be　hostile；　and　had　just　separated　three　smaller　objects　。　。　。
His　first　SAM　struck　and　exploded　on　the　high…tension　power　lines　that　spanned　the　river　just　south　of　the　bridges。　The　entire　valley　was　strobelighted　as　the　power　lines　fell　sparking　into　the　river。　The　other　two　SAMs　raced　past　the　surreal　explosion　and　locked　onto　the　second　F…111。
The　first　Paveway　impacted　precisely　in　the　center　of　the　northern　span。　It　was　a　delayed…action　bomb；　and　penetrated　into　the　thick　concrete　before　exploding　a　few　yards　from　a　battalion　mander's　tank。　The　north　span　was　strong…it　had　been　in　use　for　over　fifty　years…but　the　945　pounds　of　high　explosive　ripped　it　apart。　In　an　instant　the　graceful　concrete　arch　was　cut　in　two；　a　ragged　twenty…foot　gap　appearing　between　the　two　unsecured　flying　buttresses。　They　were　not　designed　to　stand　alone；　particularly　with　armored　vehicles　rumbling　over　them。　The　bomb　released　by　the　second　Aardvark　struck　closer　to　shore；　and　the　eastern　side　of　the　span　failed　entirely；　taking　eight　tanks　into　the　Elbe　with　it。
The　second　F…111　did　not　live　to　see　this；　however。　One　of　the　racing　SA…6　missiles　struck　it　broadside　and　blew　it　to　pieces　three　seconds　after　the　aircraft…launched　Shrikes　obliterated　the　pair　of　Soviet　radar　vehicles。　Neither　side　had　time　for　grief。　Another　F…111　screamed　upriver　as　the　surviving　SAM　crews　frantically　searched　for　targets。
Thirty　seconds　later；　the　north　span　was　totally　destroyed；　brick…sized　chunks　of　ferroconcrete　scattered　on　the　river　bottom　from　three　smartbomb　impacts。
Eisly　switched　his　laser…designator　to　the　south　span。　It　was　clogged　with　tanks；　logjammed　by　a　BMP…l　personnel　carrier　blown　whole　from　one　bridge　span　to　the　other　by　the　first　bomb；　torn　asunder　and　blazing　on　the　west　end　of　the　bridge。　The　fourth　Aardvark　lofted　a　pair　of　bombs　which　homed　in　remorselessly　on　the　laser…spot　now　stuck　on　the　turret　of　a　stopped　tank。　The　sky　was　alight　with　blazing　diesel　fuel　and　streaked　with　hand…launched　SAMs　that　had　been　blind…fired　by　panicked　riflemen。
Both　Paveways　exploded　a　scant　ten　feet　apart；　and　the　entire　bridge　span　failed　at　once；　dropping　a　pany　of　armored　vehicles　into　the　Elbe。
One　more　thing　to　do；　Ellington　told　himself；　there！　The　Soviets　had　stockpiled　bridging　equipment　on　the　secondary　road　paralleling　the　river。　The　engineers　were　probably　nearby。　The　Frisbee　screeched　over　the　rows　of　trucks；　each　of　which　carried　a　section　of　ribbon　bridge；　and　deployed　a　row　of　flares　before　skimming　back　west　toward　the　Federal　Republic　of　Germany；　and　safety。　The　three　surviving　Aardvarks　came　in　one　at　a　time；　each　dropping　a　pair　of　Rockeye　canisters　into　the　truck　park；　ripping　the　bridging　equipment　to　bits；　and；　their　pilots　fervently　hoped；　killing　some　of　the　skilled　bridging　engineers　as　well。　Then　the　Aardvarks　turned　west　to　follow　the　F…19　home。
By　this　time；　a　second　team　of　F…15　Eagle　fighters　had　darted　into　East　Germany　to　clear　four　lanes　for　the　returning　NATO　strike　aircraft。　They　fired　their　radar…and　infrared…guided　missiles　at　the　MiGs　trying　to　vector　toward　the　returning　fighter…bombers…but　the　American　fighters　still　had　their　aerial　radars　to　direct　them；　and　the　Soviets　did　not。　The　results　reflected　it。　The　Soviet　fighters　had　not　had　time　to　reorganize　after　the　loss　of　the　Mainstays；　and　their　formations　were　savaged。　Even　worse；　the　SAM　batteries　that　were　supposed　to　support　the　MiGs　were　ordered　to　engage　the　invading　aircraft；　and　the　surface…to…air　missiles　began　to　pluck　targets　out　of　the　sky　entirely　without　discrimination　as　the　NATO　aircraft　clung　to　the　nap　of　the　earth。
By　the　time　the　last　aircraft　recrossed　the　border　into　West　Germany；　Operation　Dreamland　had　lasted　a　total　of　twenty…seven　minutes。　It　had　been　a　costly　mission。　Two　of　the　priceless　Frisbees　and　eleven　strike　aircraft　had　been　lost。　Yet　it　had　been　a　success。　Over　two　hundred　Soviet　all…weather　fighters　had　been　destroyed　by　the　NATO　fighters；　and　perhaps　a　hundred　more　by　〃friendly〃　SAMs。　The　most　elite　squadrons　of　the　Soviet　air…defense　force　had　been　brutalized；　and　because　of　it；　for　the　time　being　NATO　would　own　the　night　skies　over　Europe。　Thirty…six　major　bridges　had　been　targeted：　thirty　had　been　destroyed　and　all　of　the　rest　damaged。　The　initial　Soviet　ground　attack　scheduled　to　begin　in　two　hours　would　not　be　supported　by　the　second　echelon；　nor　by　specialty　units　of　mobile　SAMs；　engineers；　and　other　crucial　late…arrivals　fresh　from　special　training　in　the　Soviet　homeland。　Finally；　the　attacks　against　airfields　would　give　NATO　air　parity；　at　least　for　the　moment。　The　NATO　air　forces　had　fulfilled　their　most　crucial　mission：　the　much　feared　Soviet　ground　superiority　was　decisively　reduced。　The　land　battle　for　Western　Europe　would　now　be　fought　on　nearly　even　terms。

USS　PHARRIS
It　was　still　the　previous　day　on　the　American　East　Coast。　USS　PHARRIS　led　the　way　out　of　the　Delaware　at　2200　hours。　Behind　her　was　a　convoy　of　thirty　ships；　with　a　dozen　escorting　vessels。　In　both　cases　it　was　all　that　could　be　assembled　on　the　short　notice。　Dozens　of　American　and　foreign　flag　vessels　were　racing　to　American　ports；　many　taking　southerly　routings　to　keep　as　far　away　as　possible　from　the　Soviet　submarines　reported　surging　south　from　the　Norwegian　Sea。　The　first　few　days　would　be　tough；　Morris　knew。
〃Captain；　please　e　to　munications；〃　the　announcing　system　squawked。　Morris　immediately　went　aft　to　the　always…locked　radio　room。
〃It's　for…real。〃　The　munications　officer　handed　him　the　yellow　message　form。　Morris　read　it　in　the　dim　lights。

Z0357Z15JUNE
FR：SACLANT
TO：　ALL　SACLANT　SHIPS
TOP　SECRET
1。　EXECUTE　UNRESTRICTED　AIR　AND　SEA　WARFARE　AGAINST　WARSAW　PACT　FORCES。
2。　WARPLAN　GOLF　TAC　7。
3。　STOUT　HEARTS。　SACLANT　SENDS。

Rules　of　Engagement　War　Option　Seven。　That　meant　no　nukes；　he　was　perfectly　happy　to　see…PHARRIS　didn't　have　any　at　the　moment。　He　was　now　free　to　engage　without　warning　any　East　Bloc　warship　or　merchant　vessel。　Well　。　。　。　Morris　nodded。　He　tucked　the　message　form　into　his　pocket；　returned　to　the　bridge；　and　went　without　a　word　to　the　microphone。
〃This　is　the　captain　speaking。　Listen　up：　It's　official。　We　are　now　in　a　shooting　war。　No　more　drills；　gentlemen。　If　you　hear　an　alarm　from　now　on；　it　means　there's　a　Bad　Guy　out　there；　and　they　have　live　weapons；　too。　That　is　all。〃　He　hung　up　and　looked　over　to　the　officer　of　the　deck。　〃Mr。　Johnson；　I　want　the　Prairie/Masker　systems　operating　continuously。　If　they　go　down；　I　want　to　know　about　it　at　once。　That　goes　in　the　order　book。〃
〃Aye；　Captain。〃
Prairie/Masker　was　a　system　for　defeating　submarine　sonars。　Two　metallic　bands　surrounded　the　frigate's　hull；　fore　and　aft　of　the　engine　spaces。　This　was　Masker。　It　took　pressed　air　and　bled　it　into　the　water　around　the　ship　in　the　form　of　millions　of　tiny　bubbles。　The　Prairie　part　of　the　system　did　the　same　with　the　propeller　blades。　The　air　bubbles　created　a　semipermeable　barrier　that　tended　to　trap　sounds　made　by　the　ship；　letting　only　a　fraction　of　her　propulsion　noises　escape…which　made　the　ship　extremely　difficult　for　a　submarine　to　detect。
〃How　long　till　we　clear　the　channel？〃　Morris　asked。
〃We'll　be　at　the　sea　buoy　in　ninety　minutes。〃
〃Okay；　tell　the　bosun's　mate　of　the　watch　to　be　ready　to　stream　the　tail　and　the　Nixie〃…the　towed…array　sonar　and　the　Nixie　torpedo　decoy…〃at　twenty…three　forty…five。　I'm　going　to　take　a　nap。　Wake　me　at　twentythree　thirty。　Anything　happens；　call　me。〃
〃Aye　aye；　sir。〃
A　trio　of　P…3C　Orion　antisubmarine　aircraft　swept　the　area　ahead　of　them。　The　only　hazard　was　that　of　normal　navigation；　and　suddenly　the　prospect　of　grazing　the　bottom　or　smashing　an　errant　buoy　looked　like　a　minor　affair。　He'd　need　his　sleep　now；　Morris　knew；　and　he　would　not　be　at　all　surprised　to　find　a　submarine　waiting　right　on　the　continental　shelf　in　three　hours。　He'd　want　to　be　rested　for　that　eventuality。

SUNNYVALE；　CALIFORNIA
What　was　holding　Washington　up？　the　colonel　asked　himself　All　he　needed　was　a　simple　yes　or　no。　He　checked　his　boards。　Three　KH…type　photoreconnaissance　satellites　were　currently　in　orbit；　plus　nine　electronic　surveillance　birds。　That　was　his　low…level　〃constellation。〃　He　didn't　fear　for　his　higher…flying　navigation　and　munications　satellites；　but　the　twelve　in　low　earth　orbit；　especially　the　KHs；　were　valuable　and　vulnerable。　Two　of　them　had　Russian　killersats　in　close　proximity；　and　one　of　his　birds　was　now　approaching　Soviet　territory；　with　another　only　forty　minutes　behind。　The　third　Key…Hole　bird　didn't　have　a　satellite　assigned　yet；　but　the　last　pass　over　Leninsk　showed　another　F…type　booster　being　fueled　on　the　pad。
〃Take　another　look　at　the　trailer；〃　he　ordered。
A　technician　made　the　requisite　mands；　and　half　a　world　away；　the　satellite　fired　its　attitude　control　thrusters　and　pivoted　in　space　to　allow　its　cameras　to　search　for　the　Russian　killer　satellite。　It　had　held　position　fifty　miles　behind；　and　nine　miles　below　the　American　satellite；　but　now　was　。　。　。　gone。
〃They　moved　it。　They　moved　it　in　the　last　half　hour。〃　He　lifted　the　phone　to　tell　CINC…NORAD　that　he　was　moving　the　satellite　on　his　own　authority。　Too　late。　As　the　satellite　turned　again　to　point　its　cameras　at　the　ground；　a　cylindrical