tc.redstormrising-第137节

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〃Sir；　we　have　three　lines　on　sonobuoys　forming　up　right　now。　Gotta　be　at　least　three　aircraft　up　there。　This　one's　fairly　close；　looks　like　it'll　extend　aft　of　us；　maybe　right　on　our　friends。〃
McCafferty　watched　the　new　signal　lines　appear　at　the　rate　of　one　per　minute。　Each　was　a　Russian　sonobuoy；　and　the　line　marched　east　as　two　others　grew　on　different　azimuths。
〃They're　trying　to　box　us　in；　Chief。〃
〃Looks　that　way；　sir。〃
Every　time　we　destroyed　a　Russian　ship　we　gave　them　a　location　reference。　They've　confirmed　our　course　and　speed　of　advance　many　times　over。　McCafferty　had　gotten　his　submarine　back　to　the　Svyataya　Anna　Trough。　His　path　to　the　icepack　was　a　hundred　miles　wide　and　three　hundred　fathoms　deep。　But　how　many　Russian　subs　were　there？　The　sonar　crew　continued　to　call　off　bearings　to　the　submarine　contacts　while　the　captain　watched　the　buoy　lines　extend。
〃I　think　this　is　Providence；　sir。　She　just　increased　speed…yeah；　look　at　the　noise　now；　she's　really　increased　speed。　This　buoy　must　be　right　near　her。　Still　can't　find　Boston；　though。〃
Bearing　was　constant　to　the　two　forward　submarine　contacts。　He　couldn't　develop　a　range　figure　unless　he　or　they　maneuvered。　If　he　turned　left；　he'd　then　close　on　a　third　contact；　which　might　not　be　a　good　idea。　If　he　turned　right；　he'd　run　away　from　the　submarine　that　might　then　close　on　Providence。　If　he　did　nothing；　he'd　acplish　nothing；　but　McCafferty　didn't　know　what　to　do。
〃There's　another　buoy；　sir。〃　The　new　one　was　between　the　bearings　of　two　existing　contacts。　They　were　trying　to　localize　Providence。
〃There's　Boston。　She's…yeah；　she's　running　past　a　buoy。〃　A　new　contact　line　appeared　suddenly　bright　where　nothing　had　been　before。　Todd　just　increased　power　and　he's　going　to　allow　himself　to　be　picked　up；　McCafferty　thought。　Then　he'll　dive　deep　to　evade。
Look　at　it　from　the　Russian　side；　the　captain　told　himself。　They　don't　really　know　what　they're　up　against；　do　they？　They　probably　figure　they're　up　against　more　than　one；　but　how　many　more？　They　can't　know　that。　So　they'll　want　to　flush　the　game　before　they　shoot；　just　to　see　what's　here。
〃Torpedo　in　the　water；　bearing　one…nine…three！〃
A　Russian　Bear　had　dropped　on　Boston。　McCafferty　watched　the　sonar　display　as　Simms　took　his　boat　deep　with　the　torpedo　in　pursuit。　He'd　change　depth　and　make　a　few　radical　changes　in　course　and　speed；　trying　to　evade　the　fish。　The　bright　line　of　a　noisemaker　appeared；　holding　a　constant　bearing　as　Boston　maneuvered　further。　The　torpedo　chased　the　noisemaker；　running　another　three　minutes　before　it　ran　out　of　fuel。
The　screen　was　relatively　clear　again。　The　sonobuoy　signals　remained。　Boston　and　Providence　had　reduced　power　and　disappeared…but　so　had　the　Russian　sub　signals。
What　are　they　doing？　What　is　their　plan？　the　captain　asked　himself。　What　submarines　are　out　there？
Tangos；　has　to　be　Tangos。　They　cut　their　electric　motors　back；　slowed　to　steerageway；　and　that's　why　they　disappeared　off　the　scopes。　Okay；　they're　not　ing　in　after　us　anymore。　They　stopped　moving　when　the　aircraft　detected　Providence　and　Boston。　They're　coordinating　with　the　Bears！　That　means　they　have　to　be　at　shallow　depth；　and　their　sonar　performance　is　down　because　they're　close　to　the　surface。
〃Chief；　assume　that　these　two　contacts　you　had　were　Tangos　doing　about　ten　knots。　The　figure　of　merit　gives　us　a　detection　range　of　what？〃
〃These　water　conditions　。　。　。　ten　to　twelve　miles。　I'd　be　real　careful　using　that　number；　sir。〃
Three　more　sonobuoy　lines　began　to　appear　north　of　Chicago。　McCafferty　went　aft　to　see　how　they　were　plotted　out。　They　assumed　about　a　two…mile　spacing　on　the　sonobuoy　lines；　and　that　gave　them　range　figures。
〃Not　being　very　subtle；　are　they？〃　the　exec　observed。
〃Why　bother　when　you　don't　have　to？　Let's　see　if　we　can　pick　our　way　through　the　buoys。〃
〃What　are　our　friends　doing？〃
〃They'd　better　be　ing　north；　too。　I　don't　want　to　think　about　what　other　assets　they　have　moving　in　on　us。　Let's　head　right　through　here。〃
The　executive　officer　gave　the　orders。　Chicago　began　to　move　forward　again。　Now　they'd　really　find　out　if　the　rubber　tiles　on　the　hull　absorbed　sonar　waves　or　not。　The　last　bearings　to　the　Russian　submarines　were　plotted　also。　McCafferty　knew　that　they　too　could　be　moving　behind　that　wall　of　noise。　When　he　detected　them　again　it　would　be　at　perilously　close　range。　They　went　deep。　The　submarine　dove　to　a　thousand　feet　and　cruised　toward　the　precise　midpoint　between　a　pair　of　pinging　buoys。
Another　torpedo　appeared　in　the　water　aft；　and　McCafferty　maneuvered　quickly　to　evade；　only　to　realize　that　it　was　aimed　at　someone　else；　or　nothing　at　all。　They　listened　to　it　run　for　several　minutes；　then　fade　out。　A　perfect　way　to　break　a　man's　concentration；　McCafferty　thought；　bringing　his　sub　back　to　a　northerly　course。
Bearings　to　the　sonobuoys　changed　as　they　got　closer。　They　were　almost　exactly　two　miles　apart；　a　mile　on　either　beam；　as　Chicago　went　through　the　first　line；　crawling　just　above　the　bottom。　They　were　set　on　a　frequency　that　could　be　heard　clearly　through　the　hull。　Just　like　the　movies；　the　captain　thought；　as　the　crewmen　not　directly　involved　in　navigating　the　boat　looked　up　and　outward　at　the　hull　as　though　it　were　being　caressed　by　the　noise。　Some　caress。　The　second　line　was　three　miles　beyond　the　first。　Chicago　turned　slightly　left　to　head　for　another　gap。
Speed　was　down　to　four　knots　now。　Sonar　called　out　a　possible　contact　to　the　north　that　immediately　faded　away。　Maybe　a　Tango；　maybe　nothing。　It　was　plotted　anyway；　as　the　submarine　took　nearly　an　hour　to　reach　the　second　line　of　pinging　buoys。
〃Torpedo　in　the　water；　port　side！〃　sonar　screamed　out。
〃Right　full　rudder；　all　ahead　flank！〃
Chicago's　propeller　thrashed　at　the　water；　creating　a　bonanza　of　noise　for　the　Russian　aircraft　who'd　dropped　a　fish　on　a　possible　contact。　They　ran　for　three　minutes　while　waiting　for　additional　data　on　the　torpedo。
〃Where's　the　torpedo？〃
〃It's　pinging　sir…but　it's　pinging　the　other　way；　bearing　changing　south；　left　to　right；　and　weakening。〃
〃All　ahead　one…third；　rudder　amidships；〃　McCafferty　ordered。
〃Another　one…torpedo　in　the　water　bearing　zero…four…six。〃
〃Right　full　rudder；　all　ahead　flank；〃　McCafferty　ordered　yet　again。　He　turned　to　the　exec。　〃You　know　what　they　just　did？　They　dropped　a　fish　to　spook　us　into　moving！　Damn！〃　Beautiful　tactic；　whoever　you　are。　You　know　we　can't　afford　to　ignore　a　torpedo。
〃But　how'd　they　know　we　were　here？〃
〃Maybe　they　just　guessed　well；　maybe　they　got　a　twitch。　Then　we　gave　'em　the　contact。〃
〃Torpedo　bearing　zero…four…one。　The　torpedo　is　pinging　at　us；　don't　know　if　it　has　us；　sir。　Captain；　I　got　a　new　contact　bearing　zero…nine…five。　Sounds　like　machinery　noises…possible　submarine。〃
〃Now　what？〃　McCafferty　whispered。　He　put　the　Russian　torpedo　on　his　stem　and　hugged　the　bottom。　Sonar　performance　dropped　to　zero　as　Chicago　accelerated　past　twenty　knots。　Their　instruments　could　still　hear　the　ultrasonic　pings　of　the　torpedo；　however；　and　McCafferty　maneuvered　to　keep　the　weapon　behind　him　as　it　dove　down　after　the　American　sub。
〃Bring　her　up！　Make　your　depth　one　hundred　feet。　Shoot　off　a　noisemaker。〃
〃Full　rise　on　the　planes！〃　The　diving　officer　ordered　a　short　blow　on　the　forward　trim　tanks　to　effect　the　maneuver。　Along　with　the　noisemaker；　it　created　an　enormous　disturbance　in　the　water。　The　torpedo　raced　in　after　it；　missing　below　Chicago。　A　good　maneuver；　it　was　also　a　desperate　one。　The　submarine　rose　quickly；　her　elastic　hull　popping　as　the　pressure　on　the　steel　diminished。　There　was　an　enemy　sub　out　there；　and　he　now　had　all　sorts　of　noise　from　Chicago。　All　McCafferty　could　do　was　run。　He　was　confident　that　the　other　sub　would　chase　after　him　with　a　homing　torpedo　circling　below；　but　didn't　understand　why　the　other　sub　was　there　at　all。　He　slowed　Chicago　to　five　knots　and　turned　as　the　torpedo　ran　out　of　fuel　below　him。　Next　problem：　there　was　a　Soviet　submarine　close　by。
〃He's　gotta　know　about　where　we　are；　skipper。〃
〃You　got　that　one　right；　XO。　Sonar；　Conn；　Yankee…search！〃　Both　sides　could　use　unusual　tactics。　〃Fire…control　party；　stand　by；　this　one's　going　to　be　a　snapshot。〃
The　powerful　but　seldom…used　active　sonar　installed　in　Chicago's　bow　blasted　the　water　with　low…frequency　energy。
〃Contact；　bearing　zero…eight…six；　range　four　six　hundred！〃
〃Set　it　up！〃
Chicago's　steel　hull　reverberated　three　seconds　later　with　Soviet　sonar　waves。
〃Set！　Ready　for　tubes　three　and　two。〃
〃Match　bearings　and　shoot！〃　The　torpedoes　were　fired　within　seconds　of　one　another。　〃Cut　the　wires。　Take　her　down！　Make　your　depth　one　thousand　feet；　all　ahead　flank；　left　full　rudder；　e　to　new　course　two…six…five！〃　The　submarine　wheeled　and　sped　west　as　her　torpedoes　raced　toward　their　target。
〃Transients…torpedoes　in　the　water　aft；　bearing　zero…eight…five。〃
〃Patience；〃　McCafferty　said。　You　didn't　expect　us　to　do　that；　did　you？　〃Nice　job；　fire…control！　We　got　our　shots　off　a　minute　faster　than　the　other　guy。　Speed？〃
〃Twenty…four　knots　and　increasing；　sir；〃　the　helmsman　answered。　〃Passing　four　hundred　feet；　sir。〃
〃Sonar；　how　many　fish　we　got　chasing　us？〃
〃At　least　three；　sir。　Sir；　our　units　are　pinging。　I　believe　they　have　the　target。〃
〃XO；　in