tc.redstormrising-第96部分

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urned　east；　ducking　through　the　cloud　of　aluminum　chaff　left　by　the　B…52s。　The　Americans　would　claim　thirty…seven　kills；　quite　a　score　since　they　had　expected　a　total　of　only　twenty…seven　Russian　aircraft。　In　fact；　of　twenty…six　MiGs；　only　five　undamaged　aircraft　remained。　A　stunned　air　base　mander　immediately　began　rescue　operations。　Soon　the　parachute　division's　attack　helicopters　were　flying　northeast；　searching　for　downed　pilots。

STENDAL；　GERMAN　DEMOCRATIC　REPUBLIC
Thirty　kilometers　from　Alfeld　to　Hameln；　Alekseyev　thought。　An　hour's　drive　in　a　tank。　Elements　of　three　divisions　were　making　that　drive　now；　and　since　the　crossing　bad　been　achieved；　they'd　advanced　a　total　of　only　eighteen　kilometers。　This　time　it　was　the　English：　the　tanks　of　the　Royal　Tank　Regiment　and　21st　Lancers　had　stopped　his　leading　elements　cold　halfway　to　Hameln　and　hadn't　budged　in　eighteen　hours。
There　was　real　danger　here。　For　a　mechanized　formation；　safety　lay　in　movement。　The　Soviets　were　feeding　units　into　the　gap；　but　NATO　was　using　its　air　power　to　the　utmost。　The　bridges　on　the　Leine　were　being　destroyed　almost　as　fast　as　they　could　be　repaired。　Engineers　had　prepared　crossing　points　on　the　riverbanks；　and　the　Russians　were　able　to　swim　their　infantry　carriers　across　now；　but　the　tanks　couldn't　swim；　and　every　attempt　to　run　them　across　underwater…as　they　were　supposedly　equipped　to　do…had　been　a　failure。　Too　many　units　had　had　to　be　deployed　to　protect　the　breach　in　NATO's　lines；　and　too　few　were　able　to　exploit　it。　Alekseyev　had　achieved　a　perfect　textbook　breakthrough　only　to　see　that　the　other　side　had　its　own　textbook　for　containing　and　smashing　it。　Western　Theater　had　a　total　of　six　reserve　class…A　divisions　to　send　into　the　fighting。　After　that　they　would　have　to　start　using　class…B　units　posed　of　reservists；　with　older　men　and　equipment。　There　were　many　of　them；　but　they　would　not…could　not…perform　as　well　as　the　younger　soldiers。　The　General　bridled　at　the　necessity　of　mitting　units　to　battle　that　would　certainly　take　higher　casualties　than　normal。
But　he　had　no　choice。　His　political　masters　wanted　it；　and　he　was　only　the　executor　of　political　policy。
〃I　have　to　go　back　forward；〃　Alekseyev　told　his　boss。
〃Yes；　but　no　closer　than　five　kilometers　to　the　front　line；　Pasha。　I　cannot　afford　to　lose　you　now。〃

BRUSSELS；　BELGIUM
The　Supreme　Allied　mander；　Europe；　looked　at　his　own　tally　sheet。　Nearly　all　of　his　reserves　were　mitted　to　the　fighting　now；　and　the　Russians　seemed　to　have　an　endless　supply　of　men　and　vehicles　moving　forward。　His　units　had　no　time　to　reorganize　and　redeploy。　NATO　faced　the　nightmare　of　all　armies：　they　could　only　react　to　the　moves　of　their　opponent；　with　almost　no　chance　to　launch　their　own　initiatives。　So　far　things　were　holding　together…but　only　barely。　Southeast　of　Hameln　his　map　showed　a　British　brigade。　In　fact　it　was　nothing　more　than　a　reinforced　regiment　posed　of　exhausted　men　and　damaged　equipment。　Artillery　and　aircraft　were　all　that　allowed　him　to　prevent　a　collapse；　and　even　that　would　not　be　enough　if　his　units　didn't　get　much　more　replacement　equipment。　More　ominously；　NATO　was　now　down　to　two　weeks　of　ordnance；　and　the　resupply　ing　from　America　had　been　seriously　impeded　by　attacks　on　the　convoys。　What　could　he　tell　his　men？　Reduce　munitions　expenditurers…when　the　only　thing　stopping　the　Russians　was　the　profligate　use　of　every　weapon　at　hand？
His　morning　intelligence　brief　was　starting。　The　chief　NATO　intelligence　officer　was　a　German　general　who　was　acpanied　by　a　Dutch　major　carrying　a　videotape　cassette；　For　something　this　important；　the　intel　officer　knew；　SACEUR　wanted　to　see　the　raw　data；　not　just　the　analysis。　The　Dutch　officer　set　up　the　machine。
A　puter…generated　map　appeared；　then　units　showed　up。　The　tape　took　under　two　minutes　to　display　five　hours　of　data；　repeating　it　several　times　so　that　the　officers　could　discern　patterns。
〃General；　we　estimate　that　the　Soviets　are　sending　six　full　divisions　towards　Alfeld。　The　movement　you　see　here　on　the　main　road　from　Braunschweig　is　the　first　of　them。　The　others　e　from　their　theater　reserve；　and　these　two　ing　south　are　reserve　formations　from　their　northern　army　group。〃
〃So　you　think　that　they　are　making　this　their　main　point　of　attack？〃　SACEUR　asked。
〃Ja。〃　The　German　General　nodded。　〃The　Schwerpunkt　is　here。〃
SACEUR　frowned。　The　rational　thing　to　do　would　be　to　withdraw　behind　the　river　Weser　to　shorten　his　defensive　line　and　reorganize　his　forces。　But　that　would　mean　abandoning　Hannover。　The　Germans　would　never　accept　that。　Their　own　national　strategy　of　defending　each　home　and　field　had　cost　the　Russians　dear…and　stretched　NATO　forces　to　the　breaking　point。　Politically　they　would　never　accept　such　a　strategic　withdrawal。　West　German　units　would　fight　on　alone　if　they　had　to：　he　could　see　it　clearly　enough　in　the　eyes　of　his　own　intelligence　chief。　And　if　somebody　invaded　New　Hampshire；　he　admitted　to　himself；　would　I　withdraw　into　Pennsylvania？
An　hour　later；　half　of　the　existing　NATO　reserves　were　heading　east　from　Osnabruck　to　Hameln。　The　battle　for　Germany　would　be　won　or　lost　on　the　right　bank　of　the　Weser。

STORNOWAY；　SCOTLAND
The　returning　Tomcats　got　little　rest。　As　soon　as　they　landed；　the　British　and　American　ground　crewmen　refueled　and　rearmed　the　fighters。　The　Russians　were　raiding　the　British　northern　airfields　more　carefully　now。　The　American　airborne　radar　aircraft　supporting　the　British　Nimrods　and　Shackletons　were　making　life　hard　on　the　twin…engine　Blinder　bombers　flying　out　of　Andoya　in　Norway。　Royal　Air　Force　Tornados　flew　bat　air…patrol　missions　two　hundred　miles　offshore　while　the　American　pilots　rested；　a　few　enterprising　crew　chiefs　painted　red　stars　underneath　the　cockpits；　and　intelligence　officers　evaluated　gunsight　videotapes　and　recordings　of　Soviet　missile　radars。
〃Looks　like　we　hurt　them；〃　Toland　judged。　The　kill　claims　were　too　high；　but　with　fighter　pilots　they　always　were。
〃Bet　your　ass！〃　replied　the　mander　of　the　Jolly　Rogers。　The　Navy　mander　chewed　on　a　cigar。　He　claimed　personal　credit　for　a　pair　of　MiGs。　〃Question　is；　will　they　reinforce？　It　worked　once；　but　they　won't　fall　for　that　gag　again。　You　tell　me；　Toland：　can　they　replace　what　we　culled　out？〃
〃I　don't　think　so。　The　MiG…29　is　about　the　only　fighter　they　can　stage　out　that　far。　The　rest　of　those　are　in　Germany；　and　they've　taken　a　beating　there；　too。　If　the　Russians　decided　to　cut　loose　some　MiG…31s；　I　think　they　can　reach　that　far；　but　I　don't　see　them　releasing　their　prime　bomber…interceptor　for　this　kind　of　mission。〃
The　Jolly　Rogers's　skipper　nodded　agreement。　〃Okay。　Next　step　then　is　we　put　a　bat　air　patrol　close　to　Iceland　and　start　beating　on　those　Backfire　raids　for…real。〃
〃They　might　just　e　looking　for　us；　too；〃　Toland　warned。　〃They　have　to　know　now　what　we　did；　and　where　we　did　it　from。〃　The　mander　of　VF…41　looked　out　the　window。　One　of　his　Tomcats　sat　half　a　mile　away　between　two　piles　of　sandbags。　Four　missiles　were　visible　on　the　airframe。　He　fingered　the　Ace　of　Spades　emblem　on　his　chest　and　turned　back。
〃Good。　If　they　want　to　fight　us　on　our　turf；　in　our　radar　cover；　fine。〃

ALFELD；　FEDERAL　REPUBLIC　OF　GERMANY
Alekseyev　left　his　helicopter　on　the　outskirts　of　the　town　and　climbed　into　yet　another　BMP　infantry　carrier。　Two　ribbon　bridges　were　operating。　Fragments　of　at　least　five　others　littered　the　riverbanks；　along　with　countless　burned…out　tanks　and　trucks。　The　mander　of　20th　Tanks　rode　with　them。
〃NATO　air　attacks　are　murderous；〃　General　Beregovoy　said。　〃I've　never　seen　anything　like　it。　Even　with　our　SAMs　they　close　in。　We　get　our　share；　but　it's　not　enough；　and　things　only　get　worse　as　we　approach　the　front。〃
〃What　progress　have　you　made　today？〃
〃The　main　opposition　at　the　moment　is　English。　At　least　a　brigade　of　tanks。　We've　pushed　them　back　two　kilometers　since　dawn。〃
〃There's　supposed　to　be　a　Belgian　force　out　there　also；〃　Sergetov　pointed　out。
〃They've　disappeared。　We　don't　know　where　they　are…and；　yes；　that　worries　me　also。　I've　placed　one　of　the　new　divisions　on　our　left　flank　to　guard　against　counterattack。　The　other　will　join　20th　Tanks　when　we　resume　the　attack　this　afternoon。〃
〃Strength？〃　Alekseyev　asked。
〃The　Twentieth　is　down　to　ninety　working　tanks。　Maybe　less；〃　the　General　said。　〃That　number　is　four　hours　old。　Our　infantry　has　done　better；　but　the　division　is　now　under　fifty…percent　nominal　strength。〃
Their　vehicle　angled　down　onto　the　floating　ribbon　bridge。　Each　boxlike　segment　was　bolted　to　two　others；　and　the　vehicle　bobbed　up　and　down　like　a　small　boat　in　the　surf　as　they　drove　across　the　Leine。　All　three　officers　controlled　their　feelings；　but　none　liked　being　locked　inside　a　steel　box　over　the　water。　The　BMP　infantry　assault　vehicle　was　technically　amphibious；　but　many　had　sunk　without　warning　and　it　was　rare　for　anyone　to　escape　when　that　happened。　They　could　hear　distant　artillery　fire。　Air　attacks　at　Alfeld　happened　without　warning。　It　took　just　over　a　minute　to　plete　the　crossing。
〃In　case　you're　curious；　that　bridge　we　just　crossed　holds　the　record　for　the　longest　survival。〃　He　checked　his　watch。　〃Seven　hours。〃
〃What　of　that　major　you　requested　the　gold　star　for？〃　Alekseyev　asked。
〃He　was　wounded　in　an　air　attack。　He'll　live。〃
〃Give　him　this。　Perhaps　it　will　speed　his　recovery。〃　Alekseyev　reached　into　a　pocket　and　came　out　with　a　five…pointed　gold　star　attached　to　a　bloodred　ribbon。　He　handed　it　to　the　General。　That　major　of　engineers　was　now　a　Hero　of　the　Soviet　Union。

USS　CHICAGO
All　the　boats　slowed　on　reaching　the　icepack。　McCafferty　inspected　it　through　his　periscope；　a　thin　white　line　less　than　two　miles　away。　There　was　nothing　else　visible。　Few　ships　lingered　so　near　the　ice；　and　no　aircraft　were　visible。
Sonar　reported　a　gratifying　amount　of　noise。　The　serrated　fringe　of　the　pack　was　posed　of　thousands　of　individual　floes；　slabs　of　ice　a　few　feet　thick；　ranging　in　size　from　a　few　square　feet　to　several　acres。　Every　year　they　came　loose　with　the　spring　thaw　and　drifted　at　random　until　the　freeze　began　again。　While　loose　in　the　brief　arctic　summer；　they　drifted　at　random；　grinding　against　one　another　in　a　process　that　destroyed　some　of　the　smaller　floes；　which　add