tc.redstormrising-第51部分

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　of　electronics　gear　and　crewed　by　men　with　years　of　training　and　experience　in　locating　the　American　carrier　groups。　At　the　nose；　tail；　and　wingtips；　sensitive　antennae　were　already　reaching　out；　searching　for　the　signals　from　American　radar　transmitters。　They　would　close　on　those　signals；　chart　them　with　great　care；　but　remain　forever　outside　the　estimated　detection　radius。　Their　greatest　fear　was　that　the　Americans　would　use　no　radar　at　all；　or　that　they　would　switch　their　sets　on　and　off　at　random　intervals　and　locations；　which　posed　the　danger　of　the　Bears'　blundering　directly　into　armed　ships　and　aircraft。　The　Bear　had　twenty　hours　of　endurance；　but　the　penalty　for　it　was　virtually　no　bat　capability。　It　was　too　slow　to　run　from　an　interceptor；　and　had　no　ability　to　fight　one。　〃We　have　located　the　enemy　battle　force；〃　the　crews'　bitter　joke　ran：　〃Dosvidania；　Rodinia！〃　But　they　were　a　proud　group　of　professionals。　The　attack　bombers　depended　on　them…as　did　their　country。
Eight　hundred　miles　north　of　Iceland；　the　Badgers　altered　their　course　to　one…eight…zero；　due　south　at　five　hundred　knots。　They　had　avoided　the　still…dangerous　Norwegians；　and　it　was　not　thought　that　the　British　would　reach　this　far　out。　These　air　crews　kept　a　nervous　watch　out　their　windows　nevertheless；　their　own　electronic　sensors　fully　operative　and　under　constant　scrutiny。　An　attack　by　tactical　fighters　against　Iceland　was　expected　at　any　time；　and　the　bomber　crews　knew　that　any　NATO　fighter　pilot　worthy　of　his　name　would　instantly　jettison　his　bombload　for　a　chance　at　air…to…air　bat　with　so　helpless　a　target　as　a　twenty…year…old　Badger。　They　had　reached　the　end　of　their　useful　lives。　Cracks　were　developing　in　the　wings。　The　turbine　blades　in　their　jet　engines　were　worn；　reducing　performance　and　fuel　efficiency。
Two　hundred　miles　behind　them；　the　Backfire　bombers　were　finishing　their　refueling　operations。　The　Tu…22Ms　had　been　acpanied　by　tankers；　and；　after　topping　off　their　tanks；　they　headed　south；　slightly　west　of　the　Badgers'　course　track。　With　an　AS…6　Kingfish　missile　hanging　under　each　wing；　the　Backfires；　too；　were　potentially　vulnerable；　but　the　Backfire　had　the　ability　to　run　at　high　Mach　numbers　and　stood　a　fair　chance　at　survival；　even　in　the　face　of　determined　fighter　opposition。　Their　crews　were　the　elite　of　Soviet　Naval　Aviation；　well…paid　and　pampered　by　Soviet　society；　their　manders　had　reminded　them　at　the　regimental　briefings。　Now　it　was　time　to　deliver。
All　three　groups　of　aircraft　came　south　at　optimum　cruise　speed；　their　flight　crews　monitoring　fuel　consumption；　engine　heat；　and　many　other　gauges　for　the　long　over…water　flight。

USS　NIMITZ
Toland　stepped　outside　for　a　breath　of　air。　It　was　a　fine　morning；　the　cottonball　clouds　overhead　turning　briefly　pink　from　the　sunrise。　Saratoga　and　Foch　were　visible　on　the　horizon；　perhaps　eight　miles　away；　their　size　impressive　even　at　this　distance。　Closer　in；　Ticonderoga　was　cutting　through　the　five…foot　seas；　white…painted　missiles　visible　on　her　twin　launchers。　A　few　blinker　lights　traded　signals。　Otherwise　the　ships　in　view　were　gray　shapes　without　noise；　waiting。　Nimitz's　deck　was　covered　with　aircraft。　F…14　Tomcat　interceptors　sat　everywhere。　Two　were　hooked　up　on　the　midships　catapults；　only　a　hundred　feet　from　him；　their　two…man　flight　crews　dozing。　The　fighters　carried　Phoenix　long…range　missiles。　The　attack　bombers　carried　buddy…store　tanks　instead　of　weapons。　They'd　be　used　to　refuel　the　fighters　in　flight；　enabling　them　to　remain　aloft　an　extra　two　hours。　Deck　crewmen　in　multicolored　shirts　scurried　about；　checking　and　rechecking　the　aircraft。　The　carrier　began　turning　to　port；　ing　around　into　the　westerly　wind　in　preparation　for　launching　aircraft。　He　checked　his　watch。　0558。　Time　to　get　back　to　CIC。　The　carrier　would　go　to　general　quarters　in　two　minutes。　The　intelligence　watch　officer　took　one　more　breath　of　fresh　sea　air　and　wondered　if　it　would　be　his　last。

NORTH　ATLANTIC
〃Contact！〃　the　technician　said　over　the　Bear's　interphone。　〃Signals　indicate　an　American　airborne　radar　transmitter；　carrier　type。〃
〃Give　me　a　bearing！〃　the　pilot　manded。
〃Patience；　rade　Major。〃　The　technician　made　an　adjustment　on　his　board。　His　radio…interferometers　timed　the　signals　as　they　arrived　at　antennae　arrayed　all　over　the　aircraft。　〃Southeast。　Bearing　to　signal　is　one…three…one。　Signal　strength　one。　He　is　quite　distant。　Bearing　is　not　changing　as　yet。　I　remend　we　maintain　a　constant　course　for　the　present。〃
The　pilot　and　copilot　exchanged　a　look；　but　no　words。　Somewhere　off　to　their　left　was　an　American　E…2C　Hawkeye　radar　aircraft。　A　flight　crew　of　two…a　radar　intercept　officer　and　two　radar　operators。　It　could　manage　the　air　battle　for　over　a　hundred　enemy　aircraft；　could　vector　a　missile…armed　interceptor　in　at　them　within　seconds　of　detection。　The　pilot　wondered　just　how　accurate　his　information　was　on　the　Hawkeye's　radar。　What　if　they　had　already　detected　his　Bear？　He　knew　the　answer　to　that。　His　first　warning　would　e　when　he　detected　the　fire…control　radar　of　an　American　F…14　Tomcat　heading　right　at　him。　The　Bear　held　course　one…eight…zero　while　the　plotting　officer　tracked　the　change　in　bearing　to　the　radar　signal。　In　ten　minutes　they　might　just　have　an　accurate　fix。　If　they　lived　that　long。　They　would　not　break　radio　silence　until　they　had　a　fix。
〃I　have　it；〃　the　plotting　officer　reported。　〃Estimate　distance　to　contact　is　six　hundred　fifty　kilometers；　position　forty…seven　degrees；　nine　minutes　north；　thirty…four　degrees；　fifty　minutes　west。〃
〃Get　it　out；〃　the　pilot　ordered。　A　directional　HF　antenna　in　the　aircraft's　tail　fin　turned　within　its　housing　and　radioed　the　information　to　the　raid　mander；　whose　Bear　mand　aircraft　was　a　hundred　miles　behind　the　snoopers。
The　raid　mander　pared　this　datum　with　that　from　the　reconnaissance　satellite。　Now　he　had　two　pieces　of　information。　The　Americans'　position　three　hours　ago　was　sixty　miles　south　of　the　estimated　plot　for　the　Hawkeye。　The　Americans　probably　had　two　of　them　up；　northeast　and　northwest　of　the　formation。　That　was　normal　fleet　doctrine。　So；　the　carrier　group　was　right　about　。　。　。　here。　The　Badgers　were　heading　right　for　it。　They　would　encounter　the　American　radar　coverage　in　。　。　。　two　hours。　Good；　he　said　to　himself。　Everything　is　going　according　to　plan。

USS　NIMITZ
Toland　watched　the　aircraft　plot　in　silence。　The　radar　picture　from　the　Hawkeyes　was　being　transmitted　to　the　carrier　by　digital　radio　link；　enabling　the　battle　group　mander　to　follow　everything。　The　same　data　went　to　the　group　air　defense　boss　on　Ticonderoga　and　every　other　ship　fitted　with　the　Naval　Tactical　Data　System。　That　included　the　French　ships；　which　had　long　since　been　equipped　to　operate　closely　with　the　U。S。　Navy。　So　far　there　was　nothing　to　be　seen　except　the　tracks　of　American　military　and　mercial　aircraft　ferrying　men　and　supplies　across　the　ocean；　and　dependents　back　to　the　States。　These　were　beginning　to　swing　south。　Warned　that　an　air　battle　was　possible；　the　pilots　of　DC…10s　and　C…5As　were　prudently　keeping　out　of　the　way；　even　if　it　meant　having　to　land　and　refuel　on　the　way　to　their　destinations。
The　group's　forty…eight　Tomcat　interceptors　were　now　mostly　on　station；　spread　in　a　line　three　hundred　miles　across。　Each　pair　of　Tomcats　had　a　tanker　aircraft　in　attendance。　The　attack　birds；　Corsairs　and　Intruders；　carried　oversized　fuel　tanks　with　refueling　drogues　attached；　and　one　by　one　the　Tomcats　were　already　beginning　to　top　off　their　fuel　tanks　from　them。　Soon　the　Corsairs　began　returning　to　their　carriers　for　refills。　They　could　keep　this　up　for　hours。　The　aircraft　remaining　on　the　carriers　were　spotted　on　the　decks　for　immediate　takeoff。　If　a　raid　came　in；　they　would　be　shot　off　the　catapults　at　once　to　eliminate　the　fire　hazard　inherent　in　any　type　of　aircraft。
Toland　had　seen　all　this　before；　but　could　not　fail　to　be　amazed　by　it。　Everything　was　going　as　smoothly　as　a　ballet。　The　aircraft　loitered　at　their　stations；　tracing　lazy；　fuel…efficient　circles　in　the　sky。　The　carriers　were　racing　east　now　at　thirty　knots　to　make　up　the　distance　lost　during　launch　operations。　The　Marines'　landing　ships　Saipan；　Ponce；　and　Newport　could　make　only　about　twenty　knots；　and　were　essentially　defenseless。　East　of　the　group；　carrier　S…3A　Viking　and　land…based　P…3C　Orion　antisubmarine　aircraft　were　patrolling　for　Soviet　submarines。　They　reported　to　the　group　ASW　mander　on　the　destroyer　Caron。　There　was　as　yet　nothing　for　anyone　to　direct　his　frustration　against。　The　old　story　known　to　all　fighting　men。　You　wait。

NORTH　ATLANTIC
The　raid　mander　was　rapidly　accumulating　data。　He　now　had　positions　on　four　American　Hawkeyes。　The　first　two　had　barely　been　plotted　when　the　second　pair　had　showed　up；　outside　and　south　of　the　first。　The　Americans　had　unwittingly　given　him　a　very　accurate　picture　of　where　the　battle　group　was；　and　the　steady　eastward　drift　of　the　Hawkeyes　gave　him　course　and　speed。　His　Bears　were　now　in　a　wide　semicircle　around　the　Americans；　and　the　Badgers　were　thirty　minutes　north　of　American　radar　cover；　four　hundred　miles　north　of　the　estimated　location　of　the　ships。
〃Send　to　Group　A：　'Enemy　formation　at　grid　coordinates　456/810；　speed　twenty；　course　one…zero…zero。　Execute　Attack　Plan　A　at　0615　Zulu　time。'　Send　the　same　to　Group　B。　Tactical　control　of　Group　B　switches　to　Team　East　Coordinator。〃　The　battle　had　begun。
The　Badger　crews　exchanged　looks　of　relief。　They　had　detected　the　American　radar　signals　fifteen　minutes　before；　and　knew　that　each　kilometer　south　meant　a　greater　chance　that　they　would　run　into　a　cloud　of　enemy　fighters。　Aboard　each　aircraft　the　navigator　and　bombardier　worked　quickly　to　feed　strike　information　into　the　Kelt　missiles　slung　under　each　wing。
Eight　hundred　miles　to　their　southwest；　the　Backfire　crews　advanced　their　throttles　slightly；　plotting　a　course　to　the　datum　point　supplied　by　the　raid　mander。　Having　circled　far　around　the　American　formation；　they　would　now　be　controlled　by　the　strike　officer　aboard　the　first　Bear　to　make　electronic　contact　with　the　Hawkeyes。　They　had　a　solid　fix　on　the　NATO　formation；　but　they　needed　better　if　they　were　to　locate　and　engage　the　carriers。　These　crews　were　not　relieved；　but