tc.redstormrising-第48部分

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ad　been　damaged　by　the　missile　strike　The　newly　installed　landing　doors　had　jammed　solid　and　had　to　be　torched　free。　He　shrugged。　Up　to　now；　Polar　Glory　had　been　a　near　textbook　operation。　Not　bad　for　a　scratch　crew。　Most　of　his　rolling　equipment…two　hundred　armored　vehicles　and　many　trucks…had　already　been　mated　with　their　troops　and　dispersed。　The　SA…11　battalion　was　all　that　remained。　〃
Bad　news；　rade　General；〃　the　SAM　mander　reported。
〃Must　I　wait　for　it？〃　the　General　asked　testily。　It　had　been　a　very　long　day。
〃We　have　three　usable　rockets。〃
〃Three？〃
〃Both　these　barges　were　ruptured　when　the　American　missile　hit　us。　The　shock　damage　accounted　for　several。　The　main　damage　came　from　the　water　used　to　fight　the　fire。〃
〃Those　are　mobile　missiles；〃　the　General　objected。　〃Surely　the　designers　anticipated　that　they　might　get　wet！〃
〃Not　with　saltwater；　rade。　This　is　the　army　version；　not　the　naval；　and　it　is　not　protected　against　saltwater　corrosion。　The　men　who　fought　the　fire　did　so　with　great　gusto；　and　most　of　the　rockets　were　soaked。　The　exposed　control　wiring　and　the　radar　seeker　beads　on　the　missile　noses　were　badly　damaged。　My　men　have　run　electronic　tests　of　all　the　rockets。　Three　are　fully　functional。　Four　more　we　can　probably　clean　off　and　repair。　The　rest　are　ruined。　We　have　to　fly　more　in。〃
The　General　controlled　his　temper。　So；　a　small　thing　that　no　one　had　thought　of。　Aboard　ship；　fires　are　fought　with　saltwater。　They　should　have　asked　for　the　naval　variant　of　this　rocket。　It　was　always　the　small　things。
〃Divide　your　launchers　as　planned。　Place　all　the　usable　missiles　at　the　Reykjavik　airport；　and　the　ones　you　think　you　can　fix　at　Keflavik。　I'll　order　the　replacement　rockets　to　be　flown　in。　Is　there　other　damage？〃
〃Apparently　not。　The　radar　antennae　were　covered　with　plastic；　and　the　instruments　inside　the　vehicles　were　safe　because　the　vehicles　themselves　were　sealed。　If　we　get　new　rockets；　my　battalion　is　fully　ready。　We'll　be　ready　to　travel　in　twenty　minutes。　Sorry；　rade。〃
〃Not　your　fault。　You　know　where　you　are　to　go？〃
〃Two　of　my　battery　manders　have　already　checked　the　routes。〃
〃Excellent。　Carry　on；　rade　Colonel。〃　The　General　climbed　back　up　the　ladder　to　the　bridge　to　look　for　his　munications　officer。　Within　two　hours　a　plane　loaded　with　forty　SA…11　surface…to…air　missiles　was　rolling　off　Murmansk's　Kilpyavr　airfield　bound　for　Iceland。




20　…　The　Dance　of　the　Vampires

USS　NIMITZ
Toland　had　been　a　busy　fellow　for　the　past　twelve　hours。　The　data　on　Iceland　came　in　slowly；　one　confusing　piece　at　a　time；　and　even　now　he　didn't　have　enough　to　call　a　clear　picture。　The　group's　orders　had　been　changed；　though　only　after　too　many　hours　of　indecision。　The　mission　to　reinforce　Iceland　was　a　washout。　For　the　past　ten　hours　the　battle　group　had　been　heading　due　east　toward　friendly　air　cover　from　England　and　France。　Someone　had　decided　that　if　the　Marines　could　not　go　to　Iceland；　then　they　might　find　useful　employment　in　Germany。　Bob　had　expected　them　to　be　diverted　to　Norway；　where　a　Marine　Amphibious　Brigade　was　already　in　place；　but　getting　them　there　could　prove　difficult。　A　furious　air　battle　had　been　raging　over　northern　Norway　for　almost　twenty　hours；　with　losses　heavy　on　both　sides。　The　Norwegians　had　started　the　war　with　scarcely　a　hundred　modem　fighters。　They　were　screaming　for　help；　but　there　was　no　help　for　anyone　as　yet。
〃They're　not　just　chewing　the　Norwegians　up；〃　Toland　observed。　〃They're　driving　them　south。　Most　of　the　attacks　are　on　the　northern　bases；　and　they're　not　giving　them　any　breather　at　all。〃
Chip　nodded。　〃That　figures。　Gives　their　Backfires　a　straighter　shot　at　us。　Briefing　time。〃
〃Yeah。〃　Toland　packed　up　his　notes　and　walked　again　toward　flag　country。　It　was　easier　this　time。
〃Okay；　mander；〃　Admiral　Baker　said。　〃Start　with　the　peripheries。〃
〃Nothing　much　seems　to　be　happening　in　the　Pacific　as　yet。　The　Soviets　are　evidently　putting　a　lot　of　diplomatic　pressure　on　Japan。　The　same　story　they've　given　the　rest　of　the　world…it's　all　a　German　plot。〃
〃Horseshit；〃　Baker　observed。
〃True　enough；　Admiral；　but　it's　a　plausible　enough　story　that　Greece　is　refusing　to　honor　its　treaty　mitments；　and　a　lot　of　neutral　and　third…world　countries　are　buying　it。　Anyway；　the　Russians　are　making　noises　about　giving　the　Sakhalin　Islands　back　if　they　play　ball…or　pounding　hell　out　of　them　if　they　don't。　Bottom　line：　Japan　is　not　allowing　any　bases　on　its　soil　to　be　used　for　offensive　strikes　against　the　Soviet　Union。　What　we　have　in　Korea　is　needed　there。　The　only　carrier　group　we　have　in　the　Western　Pacific　is　centered　on　Midway。　They're　well　out　to　sea　at　present；　and　they　don't　have　the　moxie　to　go　after　Kamchatka　alone。　There's　some　air　activity　in　the　South　China　Sea　west　of　the　Philippines；　but　nothing　major　yet。　Cam　Ranh　Bay　appears　to　be　empty　of　Soviet　shipping。　So　the　Pacific　is　quiet；　but　that　won't　last　long。
〃In　the　Indian　Ocean；　somebody　launched　a　missile　attack　against　Diego　Garcia；　probably　a　submarine。　Not　much　damage…just　about　everything　there　was　sent　out　to　sea　five　days　ago…but　it　got　their　attention。　At　last　report；　their　10　squadron　was　at　fifteen…north；　ninety…east；　a　long　way　from　our　guys；　and　heading　south。
〃No　activity　at　all　on　NATO's　southern　flank。　The　Turks　aren't　about　to　attack　Russia　on　their　own　hook；　and　Greece　is　staying　out　of　what　they　call　'this　German…Russian　dispute。'　So　Ivan　has　a　secure　southern　flank；　too；　and　so　far　it　looks　like　he's　happy　enough　to　keep　it　that　way。　So　far　the　Russians　are　only　fighting　in　Western　Europe　and　against　selected　American　installations　elsewhere。　They　are　telling　anyone　who'll　listen　that　they　don't　even　want　to　fight　us。　They've　even　guaranteed　the　safety　of　American　tourists　and　businessmen　in　the　Soviet　Union。　Supposedly；　they're　flying　them　all　out　through　India。　We've　underestimated　the　political　dimension　here；　sir。　So　far　it's　working　for　them。
〃Okay。　In　Europe　their　operations　began　with　from　twenty　to　thirty　Spetznaz　mando　attacks　throughout　Germany。　For　the　most　part　they　were　defeated；　but　they　scored　big　in　two　places。　The　port　of　Hamburg　has　been　blocked。　A　pair　of　merchantmen　was　scuttled　in　the　main　channel；　and　the　team　that　pulled　it　off　got　away　clean。　The　same　thing　was　attempted　in　Bremen…they　blocked　one　channel　partially　and　burned　three　ships　at　one　of　the　container　terminals。　This　team　didn't　get　away。　The　other　attacks　were　against　nuclear　weapons　storage　sites；　munications　posts；　and　one　big　one　against　a　tank　site。　Our　guys　were　ready　for　it。　We　took　losses；　but　those　Spetznaz　troops　got　chewed　up　in　most　cases。
〃The　Soviet　Army　attacked　west　just　before　dawn　yesterday。　The　good　news　here　is　that　the　Air　Force　pulled　something　really　wild。　That　new　Stealth　fighter　we've　been　hearing　rumblings　about　is　in　squadron　service；　and　it　was　used　to　raise　a　lot　of　hell　behind　Russian　lines。　The　Air　Force　says　they've　got　air　superiority；　or　something　close　to　it；　so　Ivan　must　have　taken　a　big　hit。　Whatever　they　did；　the　initial　Russian　attack　was　not　as　powerful　as　expected。　They're　moving　forward；　but　as　of　midnight　nothing　more　than　fifteen　kilometers；　and　in　two　places　they　got　stopped　cold。　So　far　no　word　on　nukes　or　chemical　weapons。　Losses　are　reported　heavy　on　both　sides；　especially　up　in　northern　Germany；　where　they　moved　the　farthest。　Hamburg　is　threatened。　The　Kiel　Canal　may　have　been　hit　with　an　airborne　or　airmobile　attack；　we're　not　sure；　but　part　is　under　Russian　control。　That　situation　is　a　little　confused。　A　lot　of　activity　on　the　Baltic；　too。　The　fast　attack　boats　of　the　German　and　Danish　navies　claim　to　have　beaten　up　hard　on　a　bined　Soviet　and　East　German　attack；　but　again　things　are　pretty　confused。〃
Toland　went　on　to　describe　the　situation　in　Norway。
〃The　direct　threats　against　us　are　from　submarines　and　aircraft。　Ivan's　subs　have　been　pretty　busy。　We　have　reports　of　twenty…two　merchant　ships　sunk。　The　worst　was　Ocean　Star；　a　Panamanian…flag　passenger　liner　ing　back　from　a　Med　cruise。　Eight　hundred　miles　northwest　of　Gibraltar　she　took　a　missile　hit；　type　unknown；　but　probably　from　a　Juliet。　She　burned；　lots　of　casualties。　Two　Spanish　frigates　are　moving　in　for　the　search…and…rescue。
〃We　have　three　submarines　reported　close　to　our　course　track；　an　Echo；　a　Tango；　and　a　Foxtrot。　There　could　be　more；　but　intelligence　reports　have　most　of　them　south　and　west　of　us。　When　Iceland　got　neutralized；　we　lost　the　G…I…UK　SOSUS　line；　and　that　will　allow　Ivan's　subs　an　easier　access　to　the　North　Atlantic。　SACLANT　is　dispatching　subs　to　block　the　gaps。　They'll　have　to　hustle；　we　have　reports　of　numerous　Soviet　submarines　heading　for　the　Denmark　Strait。〃
〃How　many　subs　have　we　taken　out？〃　Svenson　asked。
''Lajes　and　Brunswick　claim　four　kills。　The　P…3s　got　off　to　a　good　start。　The　bad　news　here　is　that　one　Orion　is　missing；　and　another　reported　being　shot　at　by　a　sub…launched　missile。　This　is　being　evaluated　now；　and　we　expect　something　firm　by　noon。　In　any　case；　the　main　threat　to　us　now　appears　to　be　from　aircraft；　not　subs。　That　could　change　by　tomorrow；　though。〃
〃One　day　at　a　time。　Get　to　Iceland；〃　Baker　ordered。

〃The　reports　we　had　yesterday　were　correct。　Evidently　a　regimental…sized　unit　came　in　by　sea；　and　the　rest　of　its　division　was　airlifted　in；　starting　around　1400　hours。　We　have　to　assume　they're　all　in　by　now。〃
〃Fighters？〃　Svenson　asked。
〃None　reported；　but　it's　possible。　Iceland　has　four　usable　airfields〃
〃Wrong；　Toland；　it's　three；〃　Baker　said　harshly。
〃Beg　pardon；　sir；　four。　The　big　base　is　Keflavik。　Five　runways；　two　of　them　over　ten　thousand　feet　long。　We　built　the　place　to　stage　B…52s　out　of；　and　it's　quite　a　facility。　Ivan　got　it　virtually　intact。　His　attack　was　planned　deliberately　not　to　crater　the　runways。　Second；　they　have　the　civilian　airfield　at　Reykjavik。　The　longest　runway　there　is　about　two　thousand　meters；　plenty　big　enough　for　fighters；　and　it's　got　a　city　wrapped　around　it。　Hitting　that　place　means　running　the　risk　of　civilian　casualties。　On　the　north　side　of　the　island　is　Akureyri；　one　hard…surface　strip。　The　fourth　one；　Admiral；　is　old　Keflavik；　about　two　miles　southeast　of　the　current　NATO　air　base。　It　shows　on　the　maps　as　unusable；　but　I　ran　into　a