tc.redstormrising-第114节

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ng　up　in　New　York…he　has　to　know　unless　the　KGB　has　gone　out　of　business。　That's　one　hell　of　a　good　place　to　park　a　submarine　if　they　want　to　put　a　trailer　on　the　convoy。　Think　about　it。　If　you　get　a　NLAD　contact　there；　you　write　it　off。　The　noise　from　a　reactor　plant　at　low　power　probably　won't　be　louder　than　the　flow　noise　over　the　wreck　if　they　get　in　close　enough。　If　I　was　a　real　nervy　sub…driver；　I'd　think　hard　about　using　a　place　like　that　to　belly…up。〃
〃You　really　do　think　like　them〃；　Morris　observed。　〃Okay；　let's　see　how　we　should　handle　this　。　。　。〃
0230　hours。　Morris　watched　the　takeoff　procedures　from　the　control　tower；　then　walked　forward　to　CIC。　The　frigate　was　at　battle　stations；　doing　eight　knots；　her　Prairie/Masker　systems　operating。　If　there　were　a　Russian　sub　out　there；　fifteen　or　so　miles　away；　there　was　no　way　she'd　suspect　a　frigate　was　nearby。　In　CIC　the　radar　plot　showed　the　helo　moving　into　position。
〃Romeo；　this　is　Hammer。　Radio　check；　over；〃　O'Malley　said。　The　helicopter's　on…board　data　link　also　transmitted　a　test　message　to　the　frigate。　The　petty　officer　on　the　helicopter　munications　panel　checked　it　out；　and　grunted　with　satisfaction。　What　was　that　expression　he'd　heard？　Yeah；　right…they　had　a　〃sweet　lock　on　momma's　gadget。〃　He　grinned。
The　helo　began　its　search　two　miles　from　the　grave　of　Andrea　Doria。　O'Malley　halted　his　aircraft　and　hovered　fifty　feet　above　the　rolling　surface。
〃Down　dome；　Willy。〃
In　the　back；　the　petty　officer　unlocked　the　hoist　controls　and　lowered　the　dipping　sonar　transducer　down　a　hole　in　the　belly　of　the　helicopter。　The　Seahawk　carried　over　a　thousand　feet　of　cable；　enough　to　reach　below　the　deepest　of　thermocline　layers。　It　was　only　two　hundred　feet　to　the　bottom　here；　and　they　had　to　be　careful　not　to　let　the　transducer　e　near　the　bottom　for　risk　of　damage。　The　petty　officer　paid　close　attention　to　the　cable　and　halted　the　winch　when　the　transducer　was　a　hundred　feet　down。　As　with　surface　ships；　the　sonar　readout　was　both　visual　and　aural。　A　TV…type　tube　began　to　show　frequency　lines　while　the　sailor　listened　in　on　his　headphones。
This　was　the　hard　part；　O'Malley　reminded　himself。　Hovering　a　helicopter　in　these　wind　conditions　required　constant　attention…there　was　no　autopilot…and　hunting　for　a　submarine　was　always　an　exercise　in　patience。　It　would　take　several　minutes　for　the　passive　sonar　to　tell　them　anything；　and　they　could　not　use　their　active　sonar　systems。　The　pinging　would　only　serve　to　alert　a　target。
After　five　minutes　they　had　detected　nothing　but　random　noise。　They　recovered　the　sonar　and　moved　east。　Again　there　was　nothing。　Patience；　the　pilot　told　himself　He　hated　being　patient。　Another　move　east　and　another　wait。
〃I　got　something　at　zero…four…eight。　Not　sure　what　it　is；　a　whistle　or　something　in　the　high…frequency　range。〃　They　waited　another　two　minutes　to　make　sure　it　wasn't　a　spurious　signal。
〃Up　dome。〃　O'Malley　brought　the　helicopter　up　and　moved　off　northeast　for　three　thousand　yards。　Three　minutes　later　the　sonar　went　down　again。　Nothing　this　time。　O'Malley　changed　positions　again。　If　I　ever　write　a　song　about　hunting　submarines；　he　thought；　I'll　call　it　〃Again；　and　Again；　and　AGAIN！〃　This　time　a　signal　came　back…two　signals；　in　fact。
〃That's　interesting〃；　the　ASW　officer　aboard　Reuben　James　observed。　〃How　close　is　this　to　the　wreck？〃
〃Very　close；〃　Morris　answered。　〃Just　about　the　same　bearing；　too。〃
〃Could　be　flow　noise〃；　Willy　told　O'Malley。　〃Very　faint；　just　like　the　last　time。〃
The　pilot　reached　up　to　flip　a　switch　to　feed　the　sonar　signal　into　his　headset。　We're　looking　for　a　very　faint　signal；　O'Malley　reminded　himself。　〃Could　be　steam　noise；　too。　Prepare　to　raise　dome；　I'm　gonna　go　east　to　triangulate。〃
Two　minutes　later；　the　sonar　transducer　went　into　the　water　for　a　sixth　time。　The　contact　was　now　plotted　on　the　helicopter's　on…board　tactical　display　that　sat　on　the　control　panel　between　pilot　and　copilot。
〃We　got　two　signals　here；〃　Ralston　said。　〃About　six　hundred　yards　apart。〃
〃Looks　that　way　to　me。　Let's　go　see　the　near　one。　Willy…''
〃Cable　within　limits；　ready　to　raise；　skipper。〃
〃Up　dome。　Romeo；　Hammer。　You　got　what　we　got？〃
〃Affirmative；　Hammer；〃　Morris　answered。　〃Check　out　the　southern　one。〃
〃Doing　that　right　now。　Stand　by。〃　O'Malley　paid　close　attention　to　his　instruments　as　he　flew　toward　the　nearer　of　the　two　contacts。　Again　he　halted　the　aircraft。　〃Down　dome。〃
〃Contact！〃　the　petty　officer　said　a　minute　later。　He　examined　the　tone　lines　on　his　display　and　mentally　pared　them　with　data　he　had　on　Soviet　submarines。　〃Evaluate　this　contact　as　steam　and　plant　noises　from　a　nuclear　submarine；　bearing　two…six…two。〃
O'Malley　listened　for　thirty　seconds。　His　face　broke　into　a　slight　smile。　〃That's　a　nuc　boat　all　right！　Romeo；　Hammer；　we　have　a　probable　submarine　contact　bearing　two…six…two　our　position。　Moving　to　firm　that　fix　up　right　now。〃
Ten　minutes　later　they　had　the　contact　locked　in。　O'Malley　made　directly　for　it　and　lowered　his　sonar　right　on　top　of　the　contact。
〃It's　a　Victor…class〃；　the　sonarman　aboard　the　frigate　said。　〃See　this　frequency　line？　A　Victor　with　his　reactor　plant　turned　down　to　minimum　power　output。〃
〃Hammer；〃　Morris　called。　〃Romeo。　Any　suggestions？〃
O'Malley　was　flying　away　from　the　contact；　having　left　a　smoke　float　to　mark　it。　The　submarine　probably　hadn't　heard　them　because　of　the　surface　conditions；　or　if　he　had；　he　knew　his　safest　bet　was　to　sit　on　the　bottom。　The　Americans　carried　only　homing　torpedoes；　which　couldn't　detect　a　submarine　on　the　bottom。　Once　launched；　they'd　either　motor　along　in　a　circle　until　running　out　of　fuel　or　drive　straight　into　the　bottom。　He　could　go　active　and　try　to　flush　the　submarine　off　the　bottom；　he　thought；　but　active　sonar　wasn't　all　that　effective　in　shallow　water；　and　what　if　Ivan　didn't　move？　The　Seahawk　was　down　to　one　hour's　fuel。　The　pilot　made　his　decision。
〃Battleaxe；　this　is　Hammer。　Do　you　read；　over？〃
〃Took　your　time　to　call　us；　Hammer〃；　Captain　Perrin　replied　at　once。　The　British　frigate　was　monitoring　the　search　closely。
〃You　have　any　Mark…11s　aboard？〃
〃We　can　load　them　in　ten　minutes。〃
〃We'll　be　waiting。　Romeo；　do　you　approve　a　VECTAC？〃
〃Affirmative〃　Morris　answered。　The　vectored　attack　approach　was　perfect；　and　he　was　too　excited　at　what　they　had　here　to　be　annoyed　at　O'Malley　for　bypassing　him。　〃Weapons　free。〃
O'Malley　circled　his　aircraft　at　one　thousand　feet　while　he　waited。　This　was　really　crazy。　Was　Ivan　just　sitting　there？　Was　he　waiting　for　a　convoy　to　pass　by？　It　was　about　an　even…money　chance　that　he'd　heard　the　helicopter。　If　he'd　heard　the　helo；　did　he　want　the　frigate　to　e　in　so　he　could　attack　her？　His　systems　operator　watched　the　sonar　display　intently　for　any　change　in　the　signal　from　the　contact。　So　far　there'd　been　none。　No　increase　in　engine　power；　no　mechanical　transients。　Nothing　at　all　but　the　hissing　of　a　reactor　plant　at　fractional　power；　a　sound　undetectable　from　more　than　two　miles　off。　No　wonder　several　people　had　looked　and　found　nothing。　He　found　himself　admiring　the　nerve　of　the　Soviet　submarine　mander。
〃Hammer；　this　is　Hatchet。〃
O'Malley　smiled　to　himself。　Unlike　American　procedures；　the　Brits　assigned　helicopter　names　associated　with　that　of　their　mother　ships。　HMS　Brazen's　helo　was　〃Hussy。〃　Battleaxe's　was　〃Hatchet。〃
〃Roger；　Hatchet。　Where　are　you？〃
〃Ten　miles　south　of　you。　We've　two　depth　charges　aboard。〃
O'Malley　switched　his　flying　lights　back　on。　〃Very　well；　stand　by。　Romeo；　the　way　I　want　to　work　this；　you　give　Hatchet　a　radar　steer　to　our　sonobuoy　and　we'll　use　our　sonar　for　the　cross…bearing　to　drop。　Do　you　concur；　over？〃
〃Roger；　concur；〃　Morris　answered。
〃Arm　the　fish；〃　O'Malley　told　his　copilot。
〃Why？〃
〃If　the　charges　miss；　you　can　bet　he'll　e　off　the　bottom　like　a　salmon　at　spawning　time。〃　O'Malley　brought　his　helo　around　and　spotted　the　blinking　anticollision　lights　of　the　British　Lynx　helicopter。　〃Hatchet；　tallyho；　I　have　you　now　at　my　nine　o'clock。　Please　hold　your　current　position　while　we　get　set。　Willy；　any　change　in　the　contact？〃
〃No；　sir。　This　dude's　playing　it　awful　cool；　sir。〃
You　poor　brave　bastard；　O'Malley　thought　to　himself。　The　smoke　float　atop　the　contact　was　about　burned　out。　He　dropped　another。　After　rechecking　his　tactical　display　he　moved　to　a　position　one　thousand　yards　east　of　the　contact；　hovered　fifty　feet　above　the　surface　and　deployed　the　dipping　sonar。
〃There　he　is；〃　the　petty　officer　reported。　〃Bearing　two…six…eight。〃
〃Hatchet；　Hammer。　We're　ready　for　your　VECTAC。　Take　your　steer　from　Romeo。〃
Control　of　the　British　helicopter's　course　came　now　from　Reuben　James's　radar；　which　steered　it　onto　a　precise　northerly　course。　O'Malley　watched　the　Lynx　approach；　checking　to　make　sure　the　wind　wasn't　driving　him　off　his　own　position。
〃You　will　drop　your　charges　one　at　a　time；　on　my　mark。　Stand　by；　Hatchet。〃
〃Standing　by。〃　The　British　pilot　armed　his　depth　charges　and　came　forward　at　ninety　knots。　O'Malley　lined　up　the　blinking　lights　with　the　smoke　float。
〃Charge　one…Mark…mark！　Charge　two…Mark…mark！　Get　clear！〃
The　Lynx　pilot　needed　no　encouragement。　Scarcely　had　the　second　depth　charge　fallen　free　when　the　helo　leaped　upward　and　raced　northeast。　Simultaneously；　O'M