tc.redstormrising-第102节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


g；　we　go　to　a　general　attack　and　chase　them　all　the　way　to　the　English　Channel！　I　think　we　have　the　situation　we've　been　hoping　for。〃

BRUSSELS；　BELGIUM
At　NATO　headquarters；　staff　officers　looked　at　the　same　maps　and　reached　the　same　conclusions　with　less　enthusiasm。　Reserves　were　dangerously　low…yet　there　was　no　choice。　Men　and　guns　converged　on　Alfeld　in　ever　increasing　numbers。

PANAMA
It　was　the　biggest　transit　of　U。S。　Navy　ships　in　years。　The　gray　hulls　used　both　sides　of　each　lock　system；　preventing　westbound　traffic　from　moving。　They　were　in　a　hurry。　Helicopters　moved　the　Canal　pilots　to　and　from　ships；　speed　restrictions　were　broken；　regardless　of　the　erosion　problems　at　the　Gaillard　Cut。　Those　ships　needing　refueling　had　it　done　as　soon　as　they　exited　the　Canal　at　the　Gatun　Locks；　then　formed　an　antisubmarine　barrier　outside　Lim￠n　Bay。　The　formation's　transit　from　Pacific　to　Atlantic　lasted　twelve　hours　under　ruthless　security。　Finished；　they　departed　north　at　a　fleet　speed　of　twenty…two　knots。　They　had　to　go　through　the　Windward　Passage　at　night。

30　…　Approaches

BOSTON；　MASSACHUSETTS
They　call　it　the　smell　of　the　sea；　Morris　thought；　but　really　it's　not。　It's　the　smell　of　land　It　came　from　the　tidal　marshes…all　the　things　that　lived　and　died　and　rotted　at　the　water's　edge；　all　the　smells　that　fermented　in　the　marginal　wetlands　and　when　released　blew　out　to　sea。　Sailors　considered　it　a　friendly　odor　because　it　meant　that　land；　port；　home；　family　were　near。　Otherwise　it　was　something　to　be　neutralized　with　Lysol。
As　Morris　watched；　the　tug　Papago　shortened　her　towline　for　better　control　in　the　restricted　waters。　Three　harbor　tugs　came　alongside；　their　crews　throwing　messenger　lines　to　the　frigate's　sailors。　When　they　were　secured；　Papago　cast　off　and　proceeded　up　the　river　to　refuel。
〃Good　afternoon；　Captain。〃　The　harbor　pilot　had　e　out　on　one　of　the　tugs。　He　looked　to　have　been　bringing　ships　in　and　out　of　Boston　for　fifty　years。
〃And　to　you；　Captain；〃　Morris　acknowledged。
〃I　see　you　killed　three　Russian　subs？〃
〃Only　one　by　ourselves。　The　others　are　assists。〃
〃How　much　water　are　you　drawing　forward？〃
〃Just　under　twenty…five　feet…no；〃　Morris　had　to　correct　himself。　The　sonar　dome　was　at　the　bottom　of　the　Atlantic　now。
〃You　did　well　to　bring　her　back；　Captain；〃　the　pilot　said；　looking　forward。　〃My　'can　didn't　survive。　Before　you　were　born；　I　guess。　Callaghan；　seven　ninety…two。　Assistant　gunnery　officer；　I'd　just　made　j。g。　We　got　twelve　Jap　planes；　but　just　after　midnight　the　thirteenth　kamikaze　got　through　on　us。　Forty…seven　men…well。〃　The　pilot　took　the　walkie…talkie　from　Ins　pocket　and　started　giving　directions　to　the　tugs。　Pharris　began　to　move　sideways　toward　a　pier。　A　medium…sized　drydock　was　straight　ahead；　but　they　were　not　moving　that　way。
〃Not　the　drydock？〃　Morris　asked；　surprised　and　angry　that　his　ship　was　being　moved　to　an　ordinary　pier。
〃Mechanical　problems　in　the　dock。　They're　not　ready　for　you　yet。　Tomorrow；　day　after　for　sure。　I　know　how　you　feel；　Captain。　Like　your　kid's　hurt　and　they　won't　let　her　in　the　hospital。　Cheer　up；　I　watched　mine　sink。〃
It　made　no　sense　to　grumble；　Morris　knew。　The　man　was　right。　If　Pharris　hadn't　sunk　during　the　tow；　she　was　safe　enough　alongside　the　pier　for　a　day　or　two。　The　pilot　was　an　expert。　His　trained　eye　measured　the　wind　and　the　tide；　and　he　gave　the　proper　orders　to　the　tug　captains。　Within　thirty　minutes　the　frigate　was　secured　to　the　cargo　pier。　Three　TV　news　crews　were　waiting　for　them　behind　a　screen　of　sailors　in　shore　patrol　livery。　As　soon　as　the　brow　was　rigged；　an　officer　hurried　aboard　and　came　right　to　the　bridge。
〃Captain；　I'm　Lieutenant　mander　Anders。　I　have　this　for　you；　sir。〃　He　handed　over　an　official…looking　envelope。
Morris　tore　it　open　and　found　a　standard　Navy　dispatch　form。　The　message　ordered　him　in　terse　Navy　prose　to　Norfolk　by　the　quickest　available　transport。
〃I　have　a　car　waiting。　You　can　catch　the　shuttle　to　D。C。；　then　hop　a　short…hauler　to　Norfolk。〃
〃What　about　my　ship？〃
〃That's　my　job；　Captain。　I'll　take　good　care　of　her　for　you。〃
Just　like　that；　Morris　thought。　He　nodded　and　went　below　to　pack　his　gear。　Ten　minutes　later　he　walked　without　speaking　past　the　TV　cameras　and　was　taken　to　Logan　International　Airport。

STORNOWAY；　SCOTLAND
Toland　went　over　the　satellite　photographs　of　Iceland's　four　airfields。　Strangely；　the　Russians　were　not　making　any　use　of　the　old　Keflavik　field；　preferring　instead　to　base　their　fighters　at　Reykjavik　and　the　new　NATO　base。　Occasionally；　a　Backfire　or　two　were　landing　at　Keflavik；　bombers　with　mechanical　problems　or　running　short　of　fuel；　but　that　was　it。　The　northerly　fighter　sweeps　had　had　their　effect；　too…the　Russians　were　doing　their　tanking　farther　north　and　east　now；　which　had　produced　a　marginal　but　nevertheless　negative　effect　on　the　Backfires'　range。　The　experts　estimated　that　it　cut　twenty　minutes　off　the　time　they　had　to　search　for　convoys。　Despite　the　searching　done　by　the　Bears　and　satellite　reconnaissance；　only　two…thirds　of　the　raids　actually　launched　attacks。　Toland　didn't　know　why。　Was　there　a　problem　with　Soviet　munications？　If　so；　could　they　find　a　way　to　exploit　it？
The　Backfires　were　still　hurting　the　convoys；　and　badly。　After　considering　Navy　prodding；　the　Air　Force　was　starting　to　base　fighters　in　Newfoundland；　Bermuda；　and　the　Azores。　Supported　by　tankers　borrowed　from　the　Strategic　Air　mand；　they　were　trying　to　maintain　a　bat　air　patrol　over　those　convoys　they　could　reach。　There　was　no　hope　of　actually　breaking　up　a　Backfire　raid；　but　they　could　start　thinning　the　Bears　out。　The　Soviets　had　only　about　thirty　of　the　wide…ranging　Bear…D　reconnaissance　aircraft。　Roughly　ten　flew　every　day　with　their　powerful　Big　Bulge　radars　turned　on　to　guide　the　bombers　and　submarines　in　on　the　convoys；　which　made　them　relatively　easy　to　find；　if　a　fighter　could　be　put　out　there　to　find　them。　After　much　experimentation；　the　Russians　had　fallen　into　a　predictable　pattern　of　air　operations。　They　would　be　made　to　pay　for　that。　Tomorrow　the　Air　Force　would　have　a　two…plane　patrol　over　six　different　convoys。
The　Russians　would　be　made　to　pay　a　toll　for　basing　aircraft　on　Iceland；　too。
〃I　make　it　a　regiment；　say　twenty…four　to　twenty…seven　aircraft。　All　MiG…29　Fulcrums；〃　Toland　said。　〃We　never　seem　to　see　more　than　twenty…one　on　the　ground。　I　figure　they're　running　a　fairly　steady　bat　air　patrol；　say　four　birds　aloft　almost　around　the　clock。　They　also　appear　to　have　three　ground…based　radars；　and　they're　moving　them　around　a　lot。　That　probably　means　that　they're　set　up　for　ground…controlled　intercepts。　Any　problem　jamming　the　search　radars？〃
A　fighter　pilot　shook　his　head。　〃With　the　right　support；　no。〃
〃So　we'll　just　have　to　flush　the　MiGs　off　the　ground　and　kill　some。〃　The　manders　of　both　Tomcat　squadrons　were　with　Toland；　examining　the　maps。　〃Want　to　keep　clear　of　those　SAMs；　though。　From　what　the　guys　in　Germany　say；　the　SA…11　is　very　bad　news。〃
The　first　Air　Force　effort　to　flatten　Keflavik　with　B…52s　had　been　a　disaster。　Follow…up　efforts　with　smaller；　faster　FB…111s　had　harassed　the　Russians　but　could　not　put　Keflavik　totally　out　of　business。　SAC　was　unwilling　to　part　with　enough　of　its　fastest　strategic　bombers　to　do　this。　There　still　had　not　been　a　successful　mission　against　the　main　fuel…storage　site。　It　was　too　close　to　a　populated　area；　and　satellite　photos　revealed　that　the　civilians　were　still　there。　Of　course。
〃Let's　get　the　Air　Force　to　try　another　B…52　mission；〃　one　fighter　jock　suggested。　〃They　e　in　like　before；　except　。　。　。〃　He　outlined　some　changes　in　the　attack　profile。　〃Now　that　we　have　our　Queers　with　us；　it　might　work　out　all　right。〃
〃If　you　want　my　help；　mander；　you　might　at　least　be　a　little　polite　about　it。〃　The　Prowler　pilot　in　the　room　clearly　didn't　like　to　have　his　forty…million…dollar　aircraft　referred　to　by　that　nickname。　〃I　can　knock　those　SAM　radars　back　some；　just　keep　in　mind　that　SA…11　has　a　backup　infrared　tracker　system。　You　get　within　ten　miles　of　the　launchers；　they　have　an　even…money　chance　of　smoking　your　Tomcat　right　out　of　the　sky。〃　The　really　nasty　thing　about　the　SA…11；　pilots　had　learned；　was　that　it　left　almost　no　exhaust　trail；　which　made　it　very　hard　to　spot；　and　it　was　even　harder　to　evade　a　SAM　you　couldn't　see。
〃We'll　stay　clear　of　Mr。　SAM。　First　time；　gentlemen；　we　got　the　odds　on　our　side。〃　The　fighter　pilots　started　putting　a　plan　together。　They　now　had　solid　intelligence　of　how　Russian　fighters　operated　in　bat。　The　Soviets　had　good　tactics；　but　they　were　also　predictable。　If　the　American　aircraft　could　contrive　to　present　a　situation　for　which　the　Russians　were　trained；　they　knew　how　Ivan　would　react　to　it。

STENDAL；　GERMAN　DEMOCRATIC　REPUBLIC
He　had　never　expected　it　to　be　easy；　but　neither　had　Alekseyev　expected　NATO　air　forces　to　have　control　of　the　night　skies。　Four　minutes　after　midnight；　an　aircraft　that　had　never　registered　on　their　radar　had　obliterated　the　radio　transmitter　station　for　CINC…West's　headquarters。　They'd　only　had　three　alternate　stations；　each　more　than　ten　kilometers　from　the　underground　bunker　plex。　Now　they　had　one；　plus　a　mobile　transmitter　that　had　already　been　bombed　once。　The　underg