tc.redstormrising-第10节

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ty…one　who　liked　to　demonstrate　his　manly　prowess…boasted　of　it…to　the　detriment　of　his　professional　duties。　Alekseyev　had　heard　that　story　often　enough；　whispered　jovially　in　this　very　room。　But　CINC…West　was　politically　reliable。　Such　is　the　Soviet　system；　the　younger　general　reflected。　We　need　fighting　soldiers　and　what　do　we　get　with　which　to　defend　the　Rodina？　Political　reliability！　He　remembered　bitterly　what　had　happened　to　his　father　in　1958。　But　Alekseyev　did　not　allow　himself　to　begrudge　the　Party　its　control　of　the　armed　forces。　The　Party　was　the　State；　after　all；　and　he　was　a　sworn　servant　of　the　State。　He　had　learned　these　truisms　at　his　father's　knee。　One　more　card　to　play：
〃rade　General；　you　have　good　officers　manding　your　divisions；　regiments；　and　battalions。　Trust　them　to　know　their　duties。〃　It　couldn't　hurt　to　wave　the　standards　of　the　Red　Army；　Alekseyev　reasoned。
Rozhkov　stood；　and　everyone　in　the　room　strained　to　hear　his　pronouncement。　〃What　you　say　has　merit；　Pavel　Leonidovich；　but　do　we　gamble　with　the　safety　of　the　Motherland？〃　He　shook　his　head；　quoting　doctrine　exactly；　as　he　had　been　doing　for　too　many　years。　〃No。　We　rely　on　surprise；　yes；　on　the　first　weighted　blow　to　blast　open　a　path　for　the　daring　thrust　of　our　mechanized　forces。　And　we　will　have　our　surprise。　The　Westerners　will　not　wish　to　believe　what　is　happening；　and　with　the　Politburo　soothing　them　even　as　we　prepare　the　first　blow；　we　will　have　our　strategic　surprise。　The　West　will　have　perhaps　three　days…four　at　most…to　know　what　is　ing；　and　even　then　they　will　not　be　mentally　prepared　for　us。〃
The　officers　followed　Rozhkov　from　the　room　to　rinse　the　sweat　from　their　bodies　with　cold…water　showers。　Ten　minutes　later；　refreshed　and　dressed　in　full　uniform；　the　officers　reassembled　in　a　second…floor　banquet　room。　The　waiters；　many　of　them　KGB　informers；　noted　the　subdued　mood　and　quiet　conversations　that　frustrated　their　efforts　to　listen　in。　The　generals　knew　that　KGB's　Lefortovo　prison　was　a　bare　kilometer　away。
〃Our　plans？〃　CINC…Southwest　asked　his　deputy。
〃How　many　times　have　we　played　this　war　game？〃　Alekseyev　responded。　〃All　the　maps　and　formulae　we　have　examined　for　years。　We　know　the　troop　and　tank　concentrations。　We　know　the　routes；　the　highways；　the　crossroads　that　we　must　use；　and　those　that　NATO　will　use。　We　know　our　mobilization　schedules；　and　theirs。　The　only　thing　we　don't　know　is　whether　our　carefully　laid　plans　will　in　fact　work。　We　should　attack　at　once。　Then　the　unknowns　will　work　against　both　sides　equally。〃
〃And　if　our　attack　goes　too　well；　and　NATO　relies　on　a　nuclear　defense？〃　the　senior　officer　asked。　Alekseyev　acknowledged　the　importance　and　grave　unpredictability　of　the　point。
〃They　might　do　that　anyway。　rade；　all　of　our　plans　depend　heavily　on　surprise；　no？　A　mixture　of　surprise　and　success　will　force　the　West　to　consider　nuclear　weapons…〃
〃Here　you　are　wrong；　my　young　friend；〃　CINC…Southwest　chided。　〃The　decision　to　use　nuclear　weapons　is　political。　To　prevent　their　use　is　also　a　political　exercise　for　which　time　is　required。〃
〃But　if　we　wait　over　four　months…how　can　we　be　assured　of　strategic　surprise？〃　Alekseyev　demanded。
〃Our　political　leadership　has　promised　it。〃
〃The　year　I　entered　Frunze　Academy；　the　Party　told　us　the　date　on　which　we　would　surely　have　'True　munism　in　our　lifetime。'　A　solemn　promise。　That　date　was　six　years　ago。〃
〃Such　talk　is　safe　with　me；　Pasha；　I　understand　you。　But　if　you　do　not　learn　to　control　your　tongue…〃
〃Forgive　me；　rade　General。　We　must　allow　for　the　chance　that　surprise　will　not　be　achieved。　'In　bat；　despite　the　most　careful　preparation；　risks　cannot　be　avoided；〃'　Alekseyev　quoted　from　the　syllabus　of　the　Frunze　Academy。　〃　'Attention　must　therefore　be　given；　and　the　most　detailed　plans　prepared；　for　every　reasonable　exigency　of　the　overall　operation。　For　this　reason；　the　unsung　life　of　a　staff　officer　is　among　the　most　demanding　of　those　honored　to　serve　the　State。〃'
〃You　have　the　memory　of　a　kulak；　Pasha。〃　CINC…Southwest　laughed；　filling　his　deputy's　glass　with　Georgian　wine。　〃But　you　are　correct。〃
〃Failure　to　achieve　surprise　means　that　we　are　forcing　a　campaign　of　attrition　on　a　vast　scale；　a　high…technology　version　of　the　'14…'18　war。〃
〃Which　we　will　win。〃　CINC…Ground　sat　down　next　to　Alekseyev。
〃Which　we　will　win；〃　Alekseyev　agreed。　All　Soviet　generals　accepted　the　premise　that　the　inability　to　force　a　rapid　decision　would　force　a　bloody　war　of　attrition　that　would　grind　each　side　down　equally。　The　Soviets　had　far　more　reserves　of　men　and　material　with　which　to　fight　such　a　war。　And　the　political　will　to　use　them。　〃If　and　only　if　we　are　able　to　force　the　pace　of　battle；　and　if　our　friends　in　the　Navy　can　prevent　the　resupply　of　NATO　from　America。　NATO　has　war　stocks　of　material　to　sustain　them　for　roughly　five　weeks。　Our　pretty；　expensive　fleet　must　close　the　Atlantic。〃
〃Maslov。〃　Rozhkov　beckoned　to　the　mander…in…Chief　of　the　Soviet　Navy。　〃We　wish　to　hear　your　opinion　of　the　correlation　of　forces　in　the　North　Atlantic。〃
〃Our　mission？〃　Maslov　asked　warily。
〃If　we　fail　to　achieve　surprise　in　the　West；　Andrey　Petravich；　it　will　be　necessary　for　our　beloved　rades　in　the　Navy　to　isolate　Europe　from　America；〃　Rozhkov　pronounced。　He　blinked　hard　at　the　response。
〃Give　me　a　division　of　airborne　troops；　and　I　can　fulfill　that　task；〃　Maslov　responded　soberly。　He　held　a　glass　of　mineral　water；　and　had　been　careful　to　avoid　drink　on　this　cold　February　night。　〃The　question　is　whether　our　strategic　stance　at　sea　should　be　offensive　or　defensive。　The　NATO　navies…above　all　the　United　States　Navy…is　a　direct　threat　to　the　Rodina。　It　alone　has　the　aircraft　and　aircraft　carriers　with　which　to　attack　the　homeland；　at　the　Kola　Peninsula。　In　fact；　we　know　that　they　have　plans　to　do　exactly　that。〃
〃So　what？〃　CINC…Southwest　observed。　〃No　attack　on　Soviet　soil　is　to　be　taken　lightly；　of　course；　but　we　will　take　severe　losses　in　this　campaign　no　matter　how　brilliantly　we　fight　it。　What　matters　is　the　final　oute。〃
〃If　the　Americans　succeed　in　attacking　Kola；　they　effectively　prevent　our　closure　of　the　North　Atlantic。　And　you　are　wrong　to　shrug　off　these　attacks。　American　entry　into　the　Barents　Sea　will　constitute　a　direct　threat　to　our　nuclear　deterrent　forces；　and　could　have　more　dire　consequences　than　you　imagine。〃　Admiral　Maslov　leaned　forward。　〃On　the　other　hand；　if　you　persuade　STAVKA　to　give　us　the　resources　to　execute　Operation　Polar　Glory；　we　can　seize　the　bat　initiative　and　dictate　the　nature　of　operations　in　the　North　Atlantic　on　our　chosen　terms。　He　held　up　a　closed　fist。　〃By　doing　this　we　can；　first〃…he　raised　a　finger…〃prevent　an　American　navel　attack　against　the　Rodina；　second〃…another　finger…〃use　the　majority　of　our　submarine　forces　in　the　North　Atlantic　basin　where　the　trade　routes　are；　instead　of　keeping　them　on　passive　defense；　and；　third〃…a　final　finger…〃make　maximum　use　of　our　naval　aviation　assets。　At　one　stroke　this　operation　makes　our　fleet　an　offensive　rather　than　a　defensive　weapon。〃
〃And　to　acplish　this　you　need　only　one　of　our　Guards　Air　Rifle　divisions？　Outline　your　plan　for　us；　please；　rade　Admiral；〃　Alekseyev　said。
Maslov　did　so　over　a　period　of　five　minutes。　He　concluded；　〃With　luck；　we　will　with　one　blow　give　the　NATO　navies　more　than　they　can　deal　with；　and　leave　us　with　a　valuable　position　for　postwar　exploitation。〃
〃Better　to　draw　their　carrier　forces　in　and　destroy　them。〃　CINC…West　joined　the　discussion。
Maslov　responded：　〃The　Americans　will　have　five　or　six　carriers　available　to　use　against　us　in　the　Atlantic。　Each　one　carries　fifty…eight　aircraft　that　can　be　used　in　an　air　superiority　or　nuclear　strike　role；　aside　from　those　used　for　fleet　defense。　I　submit；　rade；　that　it　is　in　our　interest　to　keep　those　ships　as　far　from　the　Rodina　as　possible。〃
〃Andrey　Petravich；　I　am　impressed；〃　Rozhkov　said　thoughtfully；　noting　the　respect　in　Alekseyev's　eye…；　as　well。　Polar　Glory　was　both　bold　and　simple。　〃I　want　a　full　briefing　on　this　plan　tomorrow　afternoon。　You　say　that　if　we　can　allocate　the　resources；　success　in　this　venture　is　highly　probable？〃
〃We　have　worked　on　this　plan　for　five　years；　with　particular　emphasis　on　simplicity。　If　security　can　be　maintained；　only　two　things　need　go　right　for　success　to　be　achieved。〃
Rozhkov　nodded。　〃Then　you　will　have　my　support。〃

4　…　Maskirovka

MOSCOW；　R。S。F。S。R。
The　Foreign　Minister　entered　stage　left；　as　he　always　did；　and　walked　to　the　lectern　with　a　brisk　step　that　belied　his　sixty　years。　Before　him　was　a　mob　of　reporters　arrayed　by　the　Soviet　Guards　into　their　respective　groups；　the　print　press　grasping　at　their　pads　and　backed　up　by　their　photographers；　the　visual　media　arrayed　in　front　of　their　portable　klieg　lights。　The　Foreign　Minister　hated　the　damned　things；　hated　the　people　in　front　of　them。　The　Western　press　with　its　lack　of　manners；　always　prying；　always　probing；　always　demanding　answers　that　he　need　not　give　to　his　own　people。　How　odd；　he　thought；　while　looking　up　from　his　notes；　that　he　often　had　to　speak　more　openly　to　these　paid　foreign　spies　than　to　members　of　the　Party　Central　mittee。　Spies；　exactly　what　they　were　。　。　。
They　could　be　manipulated；　of　course；　by　a　skilled　man　with　a　collec