tc.redstormrising-第61部分

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〃You　want　the　Tomcats　to　ambush　them　on　the　way　home？　The　timing's　going　to　be　tricky。〃
〃Extremely。　Another　plication。　They　will　use　Iceland　as　a　navigational　check　and　a　secure　assembly　point。　We　know　Ivan　has　fighters　there；　and　now　it's　reported　that　he　has　fighters　operating　from　these　two　airfields　on　Iceland。〃
〃Is　the　source　for　this　something　called　Beagle？〃
〃Ah；　you've　heard　about　that　one。　Yes。〃
〃What　kind　of　fighters？〃
〃Twin　tails；　is　what　your　chap　reported。　Could　be　MiG…25s；　…29s；　or　…31s。〃
〃Fulcrums；〃　Toland　said。　〃The　others　are　interceptors。　Didn't　the　B…52s　get　a　look　at　them？〃　The　briefing　he'd　just　left　had　gone　over　the　Air　Force　mission　against　Keflavik。　More　good　news　to　cheer　the　troops　up。
〃Evidently　not　a　good　one；　and　superficially　they　are　quite　similar。　I　agree　they're　probably　Fulcrums；　and　the　sensible　thing　for　Ivan　to　do　is　have　the　fighters　establish　a　safe　corridor　for　his　bombers。〃
〃They　might　have　to　tank　ing　back　。　。　。　go　for　the　tankers？〃
〃We've　thought　of　that。　But　they　have　a　million　square　miles　of　ocean　to　use。〃　The　area　on　the　chart　was　obvious。　〃The　timing　for　that　will　be　damned　near　impossible；　but　we　think　it　would　be　worth　the　effort　some　time　in　the　future。　For　the　moment　our　primary　concern　is　air　defense。　After　that；　we　think　Ivan　may　be　planning　an　amphibious　operation　for　Norway。　If　his　surface　fleet　sorties；　it's　our　job　to　hammer　it。〃

USS　PHARRIS
〃Raid　warning；　skipper；〃　the　executive　officer　said。　〃There's　about　twenty…five　Backfires　downbound；　target　unknown。〃
〃Well；　they　won't　be　going　after　the　carrier　group；　not　with　twenty…five　aircraft　now　that　they're　under　NATO　fighter　cover。　Where　are　they　now？〃
〃Probably　over　Iceland。　Three　to　five　hours　off。　We're　not　the　biggest　convoy　in　range；　but　we　are　the　most　exposed。〃
〃On　the　other　hand；　if　they　go　for　all　those　independents　out　there；　they　can　hunt　undefended　ships　in　open　ocean。　But　I　wouldn't。　Our　ships　are　carrying　war　materiel　。　。　。〃　The　convoy　had　only　five　SAM…equipped　ships。　A　ripe　target。

GRAFARHOLT；　ICELAND
〃Contrails；　Doghouse；　we　have　contrails　overhead；　looks　like　twenty　or　so。　Passing　overhead　right　now。〃
〃Can　you　get　an　ID？〃
〃Negative。　Large　aircraft　with　no　engines　visible　on　the　wings；　but　I　can't　be　sure　of　the　type。　They're　pretty　high；　heading　south。　Can't　gauge　the　speed；　either…no　sonic　booms；　though　if　they　were　busting　Mach　1；　we　should　have　heard　it　by　now。〃
〃Repeat　your　count；〃　Doghouse　ordered。
〃I　count　twenty…one　sets　of　contrails；　two…one　sets；　heading　about　one…eight…zero。　All　the　fighters　at　Reykjavik　lifted　off　and　went　north　about　thirty　minutes　before　they　passed　overhead。　They　still　haven't　landed　back　here　yet；　but　we　do　not　know　where　they　are。　The　bombers　do　not　appear　to　be　escorted。　Nothing　else　new　to　report。〃
〃Roger；　Beagle。　Let　us　know　when　the　fighters　land。　Might　be　nice　to　get　a　feel　for　their　cycle　time。　Out。〃　The　major　turned　to　his　sergeant。　〃Get　that　one　out　in　the　printer　right　now。　Confirm　the　one…regiment　Backfire　raid　downbound；　over　Reykjavik　right　now；　estimated　course　one…eight…zero。　Possibly　with　fighter　escort　。　。　。　yeah；　better　put　that　in；　too。〃
The　NATO　munications　center　was　about　the　only　thing　working　as　planned。　The　munications　satellites　in　their　as…yet　unreachable　orbits　over　the　equator　were　supplying　information　to　units　all　over　the　world；　and　here　in　Scotland　was　one　of　the　main　〃nodes；〃　military　parlance　for　a　high…tech　telephone　exchange。

USS　PHARRIS
A　good　day　for　contrails；　Morris　saw。　Just　the　right　mixture　of　temperature　and　humidity　at　high　altitude；　it　would　cause　condensation　in　the　hot　exhaust　from　aircraft　engines。　They　could　see　the　tracks　of　air　traffic　crossing　the　Atlantic。　The　big　twenty…power　binoculars　usually　kept　on　the　bridge　wings　for　surface　lookout　work　had　been　moved　to　the　flying　bridge　atop　the　forward　superstructure；　and　his　lookouts　were　using　them　to　identify　the　aircraft。　They　were　mainly　looking　for　Bears；　the　Soviet　search　aircraft　that　scouted　targets　for　the　Backfires。
Everyone　was　tense；　and　no　relief　was　in　sight。　The　submarine　threat　was　bad　enough；　but　with　the　carrier　group　savaged　the　day　before；　the　convoy　was　virtually　naked　to　air　attack。　They　were　too　far　at　sea　for　any　hope　of　land…based　fighter　protection。　Pharris　had　only　the　most　rudimentary　air　defenses。　She　could　barely　protect　herself　and　was　of　no　use　whatever　to　anyone　else。　The　ships　equipped　with　surface…to…air　missiles　were　now　assembling　in　line　on　the　north　side　of　the　convoy；　twenty　miles　south　of　the　frigate；　while　Pharris　continued　her　antisubmarine　search。　All　the　frigate　could　do　was　keep　watch　on　her　threat…warning　instruments　and　radio　any　data　developed。　They　were　sure　that　Ivan　would　be　using　his　own　Big　Bulge　search　radars　aboard　the　Bears　to　locate　and　classify　the　target。　The　convoy　mander's　plan　was　to　use　the　SAM…ships　as　an　additional　row　of　targets；　formed　up　just　like　the　merchantmen。　With　luck；　an　especially　curious　Bear　might　mistake　them　for　unarmed　ships　and　be　lured　in　for　a　visual　search。　A　long　shot；　it　was　the　only　card　they　had　to　play　。　。　。
〃Contact！　We　have　a　Big　Bulge　radar　bearing　zero…zero…nine。　Signal　strength　is　low。〃
〃Miss　us；　you　bastard；〃　the　tactical　action　officer　breathed。
〃Not　much　chance　of　that；〃　Morris　said。　〃Get　the　data　to　the　escort　mander。〃
The　Bear　was　on　a　southerly　heading；　using　its　radar　only　two　minutes　out　of　every　ten　as　it　approached　the　convoy。　Soon　another　was　detected　slightly　to　the　west。　Plotting　teams　estimated　their　positions；　and　a　report　was　sent　via　satellite　to　CINCLANTFLT　in　Norfolk　with　an　urgent　request　for　assistance。　Norfolk　receipted　their　message；　ten　minutes　later　they　learned　that　no　help　was　available。
Pharris　manned　her　gun　mount。　The　point…defense　missile　system　and　Gatling　gun　radar　aft　were　switched　to　standby。　Other　radar　was　kept　off。　The　radar　operators　in　the　bat　information　center　sat　nervously　at　their　posts；　fingering　their　switches　while　listening　to　the　ESM　reports　and　stealing　an　occasional　look　at　the　plot。
〃Both　of　them　probably　have　us　now。〃
Morris　nodded。　〃Next　e　the　Backfires。〃
The　captain　thought　of　the　battles　he　had　studied　at　the　naval　academy…early　in　World　War　II；　when　the　Japanese　fleet　had　had　air　superiority；　or　when　the　Germans　had　used　long…range　Condors　to　circle　convoys；　radioing　their　positions　to　any　interested　party；　and　not　a　thing　the　Allies　back　then　could　do　about。　He'd　never　expected　to　be　in　the　same　fix。　The　same　tactical　situation　repeating　itself　after　forty　years？　It　was　absurd；　Morris　told　himself。　Absurd　and　terrifying。
〃We　have　a　visual　sight　on　a　Bear；　just　over　the　horizon　at　two…eight…zero；〃　the　talker　said。
〃Director；　use　your　optics　to　track　the　target　aft；〃　the　tactical　action　officer　said　at　once。　He　looked　over　to　Morris。　〃Maybe　he'll　fly　close　enough　for　a　shot。〃
〃Don't　light　off　any　radars　just　yet。　He　might　just　wander　into　somebody's　missile　envelope　if　he's　not　careful。〃
〃No　way　he'll　be　that　dumb。〃
〃He　will　try　to　evaluate　the　convoy　defenses；〃　Morris　said　quietly。　〃He　can't　have　them　visually　yet；　not　quite　yet。　Then　for　a　while　all　he'll　be　able　to　see　is　bumps　with　wakes　behind　them。　Not　easy　to　identify　a　ship　from　an　airplane；　mister。　Let's　see　just　how　curious　this　guy　is　。　。　。〃
〃Aircraft　just　changed　course；〃　the　talker　reported。　〃Turning　east　towards　us。〃
〃Air　action　starboard！　Right　standard　rudder。　All　ahead　full！　e　to　new　course　one…eight…zero；〃　Morris　ordered　immediately。　He　turned　south　to　lure　the　Bear　closer　to　the　SAM　ships。　〃Illuminate　the　target。　Weapons　free！　Engage　when　he　gets　within　range。〃
Pharris　heeled　hard　to　the　left　as　she　changed　course。　Forward；　the　five…inch　gun　mount　rotated　clockwise　as　the　ship　brought　her　stem　across　the　target　bearing。　As　soon　as　the　gun　mount　was　unmasked；　firecontrol　radars　gave　it　a　target　solution；　and　the　long…barrel　gun　elevated　to　thirty　degrees　and　locked　on　the　target。　The　point…defense　missile　mount　on　the　fantail　did　the　same。
〃Target　is　at　thirty　thousand　feet；　range　fifteen　miles　and　closing。〃
The　escort　mander　still　had　not　authorized　a　missile　launch。　Better　to　have　Ivan　shoot　his　missiles　first；　before　he　knew　what　lay　in　his　path。　Data　from　the　carrier　battle　was　already　out　to　the　fleet。　The　big　Russian　air…to…surface　missiles　were　not　especially　hard　targets　to　hit；　since　they　ran　straight　for　their　targets；　though　you　did　have　to　react　in　a　hurry：　they　were　mighty　fast。　He　figured　that　the　Bear　was　still　doing　a　target　evaluation　and　did　not　yet　know　the　strength　of　the　escort　force。　The　longer　he　was　kept　in　the　dark；　the　better；　because　the　Backfires　would　not　have　much　time　to　loiter　this　far　from　their　bases。　And　if　the　Bear　came　in　just　a　little　closer　。　。　。
〃mence　firing！〃　the　TAO　shouted。
Pharris's　gun　mount　went　to　full…automatic　mode；　firing　a　round　every　two　seconds。　The　Bear　was　barely　within　range　of　her　gun；　and　there　was　scant　chance　of　a　kill；　but　it　was　time　to　give　him　something　to　worry　about。
The　first　five　rounds　fell　short；　exploding　harmlessly　a　mile　from　the　Bear；　but　the　next　three　came　closer；　one　exploding　only　two　hundred　yards　from　his　left　wing。　The　Soviet　pilot　instinctively　turned　right　to　evade。　That　was　a　mistake。　He　didn't　know　that　the　nearest　row　of　〃merchantmen〃　carried　missiles。
Seconds　later；　two　missiles　launched　and　the　Bear　immediately　dove　to　evade；　a　shower　of　chaff　in　her　wake　as　she　headed　right　for　Pharris；　which　gave　the　frigate's　gun　crew　another　chance　to　score　a　kill。　They　fired　off　twenty　new　rounds　as　the　plane　approached。　Perhaps　two　were　close　enough　to　damage　the　bomber；　but　there　was　no　visible　result。　The　missiles　came　in　next；　tiny　white　darts　trailing　columns　of　gray　smoke。　One　missed　and　detonated　in　the　chaff　cloud；　but　the　second　detonated　a　hundred　yards　away　from　the　bomber。　The　warhead　expanded　explosively　like　a　watchspring；　breaking　into　thousands　of　fragments；　and　several　ripped　into　the　Bear's　port　wing。　The　massive　propJet　lost　power　in　one　engine　and　suffered　major　wing　damage　before　the　pilot　regained　control　just　outside　Pharris's　gun　range。　She　headed　off　north；　trailing　smoke。
The　other　Bear　remained　discreetly　out　of　ever