tc.redstormrising-第87部分

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〃Two　kilometers…leading　elements　now　two　kilometers　from　Sack。　Opposition　from　artillery　only。　Friendly　units　are　in　sight。　Infantry　troops　in　Sack　report　minor　resistance　only。　The　town　is　nearly　clear。　Forward　scouts　report　the　road　to　Alfeld　is　open！〃
〃Bypass　Sack；〃　Alekseyev　ordered。　〃The　objective　is　Alfeld　on　the　Leine。〃

ALFELD；　FEDERAL　REPUBLIC　OF　GERMANY
It　was　a　scratch　team。　American　mechanized　infantrymen　and　the　lead　tank　squadron　of　an　advancing　British　brigade　reinforced　the　remains　of　Germans　and　Belgians　who　had　been　crushed　by　five　Soviet　divisions　that　day。　There　was　little　time。　bat　engineers　worked　furiously　with　their　armored　bulldozers　to　scrape　shelters　for　the　tanks　while　infantrymen　dug　holes　for　their　antitank　weapons。　A　cloud　of　dust　on　the　horizon　was　all　the　warning　they　needed。　A　division　of　tanks　was　reported　heading　their　way；　and　the　civilians　had　not　entirely　evacuated　the　town　behind　them。　Twenty　miles　behind　them；　a　squadron　of　ground…attack　aircraft　circled；　waiting　for　the　call…down　signal。
〃Enemy　in　sight！〃　a　lookout　on　a　church　steeple　radioed。　In　seconds　artillery　fire　lashed　at　the　leading　Soviet　columns。　Antitank…missile　crew　popped　the　covers　off　their　targeting　scopes　and　loaded　the　first　weapons　of　what　promised　to　be　a　long　afternoon。　The　Challenger　tanks　of　3rd　Royal　Tank　Regiment　settled　into　their　holes；　hatches　shut　tight　as　the　gunners　zeroed　their　sights　on　distant　targets。　Things　were　too　confused　and　there　had　not　been　enough　time　to　establish　a　firm　chain　of　mand　here。　An　American　was　first　to　fire。　The　TOW…2　missile　sped　downrange　its　control　wires　trailing　out　behind　like　a　spider's　web　as　it　reached　four　kilometers　to　a　T…80　tank。
〃Advanced　elements　are　now　under　fire　from　enemy　missile　teams；〃　reported　a　plotting　officer。
〃Flatten　them！〃　Alekseyev　ordered　his　artillery　mander。　Within　a　minute　the　division's　multiple…rocket　launchers　were　filling　the　sky　with　trails　of　fire。　Tube　artillery　fire　added　to　the　carnage　at　the　battle　line　Then　NATO　artillery　joined　the　fray　in　earnest。
〃Lead　regiment　is　taking　losses。〃
Alekseyev　watched　the　map　in　silence。　There　was　no　room　for　deceptive　maneuver　here；　nor　was　there　time。　His　men　had　to　race　through　the　enemy　lines　as　quickly　as　possible　in　order　to　seize　the　bridges　on　the　Leine。　That　meant　that　his　leading　tank　crews　would　suffer　heavily。　The　breakthrough　would　have　its　own　heavy　price；　but　the　price　had　to　be　paid。
Twelve　Belgian　F…16　fighters　swept　in　low　over　the　front　at　five　hundred　knots；　dropping　tons　of　cluster　munitions　on　the　lead　Soviet　regiment；　killing　nearly　thirty　tanks　and　a　score　of　infantry　carriers　less　than　a　kilometer　from　the　allied　lines。　A　swarm　of　missiles　rose　into　the　sky　after　them；　and　the　single…engine　fighters　turned　west；　skimming　over　the　ground　in　their　attempt　to　evade。　Three　were　smashed　to　the　ground；　and　fell　among　the　NATO　troops；　adding　to　the　carnage　already　created　by　Soviet　fire。　The　mander　of　the　British　tanks　saw　that　he　lacked　the　firepower　to　stop　the　Soviet　attack。　There　just　wasn't　enough。　It　was　time　to　leave　while　his　battalion　was　still　able　to　fight。　He　alerted　his　panies　to　be　ready　to　pull　out　and　tried　to　get　the　word　to　neighboring　units。　But　the　troops　around　Alfeld　came　from　four　different　armies；　with　separate　languages　and　radio　settings。　There　hadn't　been　time　to　establish　exactly　who　was　in　overall　mand。　The　Germans　didn't　want　to　leave。　The　town　had　not　yet　been　fully　evacuated；　and　the　German　troops　would　not　desert　their　positions　until　their　countrymen　were　safely　across　the　river。　The　Americans　and　Belgians　began　to　move　when　the　British　colonel　told　them　to；　but　not　the　Germans；　and　the　result　was　chaos　within　the　NATO　lines。
〃Forward　observers　report　enemy　units　moving　back　on　the　right；　repeat；　enemy　units　appear　to　be　disengaging　on　the　northern　side　of　the　town。〃
〃Move　the　second　regiment　north；　loop　around　and　head　for　the　bridges；　fast　as　they　can。　Disregard　losses　and　charge　for　those　damned　bridges！　Operations　Officer；　keep　pressure　on　all　enemy　units。　We　want　to　trap　them　on　this　side　and　finish　them　if　we　can；〃　Alekseyev　ordered。　〃Sergetov；　e　with　me。　I　have　to　go　forward。〃
The　attack　had　ripped　the　heart　out　of　his　lead　regiment；　Alekseyev　knew；　but　it　had　been　worth　the　cost。　The　NATO　forces　would　have　to　move　their　units　through　a　smashed　town　to　get　to　the　bridges；　and　having　the　allied　units　on　the　north　side　disengage　first　was　a　godsend。　Now　with　a　fresh　regiment　he'd　be　able　to　run　over　them　and；　if　he　were　very　lucky；　get　the　bridges　intact。　This　he'd　have　to　supervise　himself。　Alekseyev　and　Sergetov　boarded　a　tracked　vehicle；　which　motored　southeast　to　catch　the　maneuvering　regiment。　Behind　them　his　operations　officer　began　to　give　new　orders　over　the　divisional　radio　net。
Five　kilometers　on　the　far　side　of　the　river；　a　battery　of　German　155mm　guns　was　waiting　for　this　opportunity。　They　had　remained　silent；　waiting　for　their　radio…intercept　experts　to　pin　down　the　divisional　headquarters。　Quickly　the　gunners　punched　the　target　data　into　their　firecontrol　puters　while　others　loaded　high…explosive　shells。　Every　gun　in　the　battery　trained　out　on　an　identical　azimuth。　The　ground　shook　when　they　began　rapid　fire。
A　hundred　shells　fell　in　and　around　the　divisional　headquarters　in　less　than　two　minutes。　Half　the　battle　staff　was　killed　outright；　most　of　the　others　wounded。
Alekseyev　looked　at　his　radio　headset。　His　third　close　brush　with　death。　That　was　my　fault。　I　should　have　checked　the　siting　of　the　radio　transmitter　I　must　not　make　that　mistake　again　。　。　。　Damn！　Damn！　Damn！
Alfeld's　streets　were　clogged　with　civilian　vehicles。　The　Americans　in　their　Bradley　tracked　vehicles　avoided　the　town　entirely；　hurrying　down　the　right　bank　of　the　Leine　and　crossing　to　the　other　side　in　good　order。　There；　they　took　positions　on　the　hills　overlooking　Leine；　and　set　up　to　cover　the　crossing　of　the　other　allied　troops。　The　Belgians　were　next。　Only　a　third　of　their　tanks　had　survived；　and　these　covered　the　southern　flank　on　the　far　side　of　the　river；　hoping　to　stop　the　Russians　before　they　were　able　to　cross。　German　Swatspolizei　had　held　back　civilian　traffic　and　allowed　the　armored　units　to　pass；　but　this　changed　when　Soviet　artillery　began　bursting　in　the　air　close　to　the　river。　The　Russians　had　hoped　it　would　impede　traffic；　and　it　did。　Civilians　who　had　been　late　to　follow　orders　to　leave　their　homes　now　paid　for　their　error。　The　artillery　did　scant　damage　to　fighting　vehicles　but　thoroughly　wrecked　civilian　cars　and　trucks。　In　minutes；　the　streets　of　Alfeld　were　jammed　with　disabled　and　burning　cars。　People　left　them；　braving　the　fire　to　run　for　the　bridges；　and　the　tanks　trying　to　make　their　way　to　the　river　found　their　way　blocked。　Their　only　escape　was　over　the　bodies　of　innocent　civilians；　and　even　when　ordered　to　proceed；　the　drivers　shrank　from　it。　Gunners　rotated　their　turrets　to　face　over　the　rear　and　began　to　engage　the　Russian　tanks　now　entering　the　town。　Smoke　from　burning　buildings　wafted　across　everyone's　field　of　view。　Cannon　fired　at　targets　glimpsed　for　a　moment；　rounds　went　wild；　and　the　streets　of　Alfeld　turned　into　a　slaughterhouse　of　soldiers　and　nonbatants。
〃There　they　are！〃　Sergetov　pointed。　Three　highway　bridges　spanned　the　Leine。　Alekseyev　started　to　give　orders；　but　they　weren't　necessary。　The　regimental　mander　already　had　his　radio　microphone　keyed；　and　directed　a　battalion　of　tanks　with　infantry　support　to　proceed　up　the　west　bank；　following　the　same　route；　still　relatively　open；　that　the　Americans　had　used。
The　American　fighting　vehicles　on　the　far　side　of　the　river　opened　fire　with　missiles　and　their　light　cannon；　killing　a　half…dozen　tanks；　and　the　remainder　of　the　regiment　engaged　them　with　direct　fire　while　Alekseyev　personally　called　down　artillery　on　the　hilltops。
In　Alfeld　the　battle　had　e　to　a　bloody　standstill。　The　German　and　British　tanks　took　up　positions　at　intersections　largely　hidden　from　view　by　wrecked　cars　and　trucks；　and　backed　toward　the　river　slowly　as　they　fought　to　give　the　civilians　time。　The　Russian　infantry　tried　to　engage　them　with　missiles；　but　too　often　debris　lying　in　the　streets　tore　the　flight　control　wires；　causing　the　missiles　to　fall　out　of　control　and　explode　harmlessly。　Russian　and　allied　artillery　fire　churned　the　town　to　rubble。
Alekseyev　watched　his　troops　advancing　toward　the　first　bridge。
South　of　him；　the　mander　of　the　lead　regiment　swore　at　his　losses。　More　than　half　his　tanks　and　assault　vehicles　had　been　destroyed。　Victory　was　within　his　grasp；　and　now　his　troops　had　been　stopped　again　by　impassable　streets　and　murderous　fire。　He　saw　the　NATO　tanks　pulling　slowly　back；　and；　enraged　that　they　were　escaping；　called　in　for　artillery。
Alekseyev　was　surprised　when　the　artillery　fire　shifted　from　the　center　of　the　town　to　the　riverfront。　He　was　shocked　when　he　realized　that　it　was　not　tube　artillery　fire；　but　rockets。　As　he　watched；　explosions　appeared　at　random　over　the　riverfront。　Then　rounds　began　exploding　in　the　river　in　rapid　succession。　The　rate　of　fire　increased　as　more　and　more　launchers　were　trained　on　the　target；　and　it　was　already　too　late　for　him　to　stop　them。　The　farthest　bridge　went　first。　Three　rockets　landed　at　once；　and　it　came　apart。　Alekseyev　watched　in　horror　as　over　a　hundred　civilians　fell　into　the　churning　water。　His　horror　was　not　for　the　loss　of　life…he　needed　that　bridge！　Two　more　rockets　landed　on　the　center　bridge。　It　did　not　collapse；　but　the　damage　it　took　was　serious　enough　to　prevent　tanks　from　using　it。　The　fools！　Who　was　responsible　for　this？　He　turned　to　Sergetov。
〃Call　up　the　engineers。　Get　bridging　units　and　assault　boats　to　the　front。　They　have　absolute　priority。　Next；　I　want　every　surface…to…air　missile　and　antiair　gun　battery　you　can　find。　Anyone　who　gets　in　their　way　will　be　shot。　Make　sure　the　traffic…control　officers　know　this。　Go！〃
The　Soviet　tanks　and　infantry　had　reached　the　only　surviving　bridge。　Three　infantry　vehicles　raced　to　the　far　side　and　were　taken　under　fire　by　the　Belgians　and　Americans　as　they　raced　to　cover。　A　tank　followed。　The　T…80　rumbled　across；　got　to　the　far　side　and　exploded　from　an　impacting　missile。　Anoth