tc.redstormrising-第25节

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er　you　that　it　doesn't。　We　know　…we　think…that　the　Germans　aren't　this　crazy；　but　the　only　evidence　there　is　points　to　them。　Tell　the　Admiral　something　bad　is　happening。〃
Toland　did　precisely　that；　only　to　have　his　head　nearly　taken　off　by　a　senior　man　who　wanted　and　needed　hard　information。

KIEV；　THE　UKRAINE
〃rades；　we　will　mence　offensive　operations　against　the　NATO　land　forces　in　two　weeks；〃　Alekseyev　began。　He　explained　the　reasons　for　this。　The　assembled　corps　and　division　manders　accepted　the　information　impassively。　〃The　danger　to　the　State　is　as　great　as　anything　we've　had　to　face　in　over　forty　years。　We　have　used　the　past　four　months　to　whip　our　Army　into　shape。　You　and　your　subordinates　have　responded　well　to　our　demands；　and　I　can　only　say　that　I　am　proud　to　have　served　with　you。
〃I　will　leave　the　usual　Party　harangue　to　your　group　political　officers。〃　Alekseyev　ventured　a　single　smile　in　his　delivery。　〃We　are　the　professional　officers　of　the　Soviet　Army。　We　know　what　our　task　is。　We　know　why　we　have　it。　The　life　of　the　Rodina　depends　on　our　ability　to　carry　out　our　mission。　Nothing　else　matters；〃　he　concluded。　The　hell　it　doesn't　。　。　。

11　…　Order　of　Battle

SHPOLA；　THE　UKRAINE
〃You　may　proceed；　rade　Colonel；〃　Alekseyev　said　over　his　radio　circuit。　He　didn't　say；　Make　a　fool　of　me　now　and　you　will　be　counting　trees！　The　General　stood　on　a　hill　five　hundred　meters　west　of　the　regimental　mand　post。　With　him　was　his　aide；　and　Politburo　member　Mikhail　Sergetov。　As　if　I　need　that　distraction；　the　General　thought　bleakly。
First　the　guns。　They　saw　the　flashes　long　before　they　heard　the　rolling　thunder　of　the　reports。　Fired　from　behind　another　hill　three　kilometers　away；　the　shells　arced　through　the　sky　to　their　left；　cutting　through　the　air　with　a　sound　like　the　ripping　of　linen。　The　Party　man　cringed　at　the　noise；　Alekseyev　noted；　another　soft　civilian
〃I　never　did　like　that　sound；〃　Sergetov　said　shortly。
〃Heard　it　before；　rade　Minister？〃　the　General　asked　solicitously。
〃I　served　my　four　years　in　a　motor…rifle　regiment；〃　he　replied。　〃And　I　never　learned　to　trust　my　rades　at　the　artillery　plotting　tables。　Foolish；　I　know。　Excuse　me；　General。〃
Next　came　the　tank　guns。　They　watched　through　binoculars　as　the　big　main　battle　tanks　emerged　from　the　woods　like　something　from　a　nightmare；　their　long　cannon　belching　flame　as　they　glided　across　the　rolling　ground　of　the　exercise　area。　Interspersed　with　the　tanks　were　the　infantry　fighting　vehicles。　Then　came　the　armed　helicopters；　swooping　at　the　objective　from　left　and　right；　firing　their　guided　missiles　at　the　mockups　of　bunkers　and　armored　vehicles。
By　this　time　the　hilltop　objective　was　nearly　hidden　by　explosions　and　flying　dirt　as　the　artillery　fire　marched　back　and　forth　across　it。　Alekseyev's　trained　eye　evaluated　the　exercise　closely。　Anyone　on　that　hilltop　would　be　having　a　very　hard　time。　Even　in　a　small；　deep；　protective　hole；　even　in　a　defiladed　tank；　that　artillery　fire　would　be　terrifying；　enough　to　distract　the　guided…weapons　crews；　enough　to　rattle　munications　men；　perhaps　enough　to　impede　the　officers　there。　Perhaps。　But　what　of　return　fire　from　enemy　artillery？　What　of　antitank　helicopters　and　aircraft　that　could　sweep　over　the　advancing　tank　battalions？　So　many　unknowns　in　battle。　So　many　imponderables。　So　many　reasons　to　gamble；　and　so　many　reasons　not　to。　What　if　there　were　Germans　on　that　hill？　Did　the　Germans　get　rattled…even　in　1945　at　the　gates　of　Berlin；　had　Germans　ever　been　rattled？
It　took　twelve　minutes　before　the　tanks　and　infantry　carriers　were　atop　the　hill。　The　exercise　was　over。
〃Nicely　done；　rade　General。〃　Sergetov　removed　his　ear　protectors。　It　was　good；　to　be　away　from　Moscow；　he　thought；　even　for　a　few　hours。　Why；　he　wondered；　did　he　feel　more　at　home　here　than　in　his　chosen　place？　Was　it　this　man？　〃As　I　recall；　the　standard　for　this　particular　drill　is　fourteen　minutes。　The　tanks　and　infantry　vehicles　cooperated　well。　I've　never　seen　the　use　of　armed　helicopters；　but　that　too　was　impressive。〃
〃The　greatest　improvement　was　the　coordination　of　artillery　fire　and　infantry　in　the　final　assault　phase。　Before；　they　failed　miserably。　This　time　it　was　done　properly…a　tricky　procedure。〃
〃Well　I　know　it。〃　Sergetov　laughed。　〃My　pany　never　took　casualties　from　this；　but　two　of　my　friends　did；　fortunately　none　of　them　fatal。〃
〃Excuse　my　saying　so；　rade　Minister；　but　it　is　good　to　see　that　our　Politburo　members　have　also　served　the　State　in　a　uniformed　capacity。　It　makes　munication　easier　for　us　poor　soldiers。〃　Alekseyev　knew　that　it　never　hurt　to　have　a　friend　at　court；　and　Sergetov　seemed　a　decent　chap。
〃My　older　son　just　left　military　service　last　year。　My　younger　son　will　also　serve　the　Red　Army　when　he　leaves　the　university。〃
It　was　not　often　that　the　General　was　so　surprised。　Alekseyev　lowered　his　binoculars　to　stare　briefly　at　the　Party　man。
〃You　need　not　say　it；　rade　General。〃　Sergetov　smiled。　〃I　know　that　too　few　children　of　high　Party　officials　do　this。　I　have　spoken　against　it。　Those　who　would　rule　must　first　serve。　So　I　have　some　questions　for　you。〃
〃Follow　me；　rade　Minister；　we　shall　speak　sitting　down。〃　The　two　men　walked　back　to　Alekseyev's　armored　mand　vehicle。　The　General's　aide　dismissed　the　vehicle's　crew　and　himself；　leaving　the　two　senior　men　alone　inside　the　converted　infantry　carrier。　The　General　pulled　a　thermos　of　hot　tea　from　a　partment　and　poured　two　metal　cups　of　the　steaming　liquid。
〃Your　health；　rade　Minister。〃
〃And　yours；　rade　General。〃　Sergetov　sipped　briefly；　then　set　the　cup　down　on　the　map　table。　〃How　ready　are　we　for　Red　Storm？〃
〃The　improvement　since　January　is　remarkable。　Our　men　are　fit。　They　have　been　drilling　in　their　tasks　continuously。　I　would　honestly　prefer　another　two　months；　but；　yes；　I　think　we　are　ready。〃
〃Well　said；　Pavel　Leonidovich。　Now　shall　we　speak　the　truth？〃
The　Politburo　member　said　this　with　a　smile；　but　Alekseyev　was　instantly　on　guard。　〃I　am　not　a　fool；　rade　Minister。　Lying　to　you　would　be　madness。〃
〃In　our　country；　truth　is　often　greater　madness。　Let　us　speak　frankly。　I　am　a　candidate　member　of　the　Politburo。　I　have　power；　yes；　but　you　and　I　both　know　what　the　limits　of　that　power　are。　Only　candidate　members　are　out　with　our　forces　now；　and　we　are　tasked　with　reporting　back　to　the　full　members。　You　might　also　draw　some　meaning　from　the　fact　that　I　am　here　with　you；　not　in　Germany。〃
That　was　not　entirely　true；　Alekseyev　noted。　This　unit　would　entrain　for　Germany　in　three　days；　and　that　was　why　the　Party　man　was　here。
〃Are　we　truly　ready；　rade　General？　Will　we　win？〃
〃If　we　have　strategic　surprise；　and　if　the　maskirovka　succeeds；　yes；　I　believe　we　should　win；〃　Alekseyev　said　cautiously。
〃Not　'we　will　surely　win'？〃
〃You　have　served　in　uniform；　rade　Minister。　On　the　field　of　battle　there　are　no　certainties。　The　measure　of　an　army　is　not　known　until　it　has　been　blooded。　Ours　has　not。　We　have　done　everything　we　know　how　to　do　to　make　our　Army　ready…〃
〃You　said　you　wished　for　two　more　months；〃　Sergetov　noted。
〃A　task　like　this　is　never　truly　finished。　There　are　always　improvements　that　need　to　be　made。　Only　a　month　ago　we　initiated　a　program　of　replacing　some　senior　officers　at　battalion　and　regimental　level　with　younger；　more　vigorous　subordinates。　It　is　working　very　well　indeed；　but　a　number　of　these　young　captains　now　in　majors'　jobs　could　do　with　some　further　seasoning。〃
〃So；　you　still　have　doubts？〃
〃There　are　always　doubts；　rade　Minister。　Fighting　a　war　is　not　an　exercise　in　mathematics。　We　deal　with　people；　not　numbers。　Numbers　have　their　own　special　kind　of　perfection。　People　remain　people　no　matter　what　we　try　to　do　with　them。〃
〃That　is　good；　Pavel　Leonidovich。　That　is　very　good。　I　have　found　an　honest　man。〃　Sergetov　toasted　the　General　with　his　tea。　〃I　asked　to　e　here。　A　rade　on　the　Politburo；　Pyotr　Bromkovskiy；　told　me　of　your　father。〃
〃Uncle　Petya？〃　Alekseyev　nodded。　〃He　was　missar　with　my　father's　division　on　the　drive　to　Vienna。　He　often　visited　our　home　when　I　was　young。　He　is　well？〃
〃No；　he　is　old　and　sick。　He　says　that　the　attack　on　the　West　is　madness。　The　ramblings　of　an　old　man；　perhaps；　but　his　war　record　is　distinguished；　and　because　of　that　I　want　your　evaluation　of　our　chances。　I　will　not　inform　on　you；　General。　Too　many　people　are　fearful　of　telling　us…we　of　the　Politburo…the　truth。　But　this　is　a　time　for　that　truth。　I　need　your　professional　opinion。　If　I　can　trust　you　to　give　it　to　me；　you　can　trust　me　not　to　harm　you　for　it。〃　The　entreaty　ended　as　a　harsh　mand。
Alekseyev　looked　his　guest　hard　in　the　eyes。　The　charm　was　gone　now。　The　blue　was　the　color　of　ice。　There　was　danger　here；　danger　even　for　a　general　officer；　but　what　the　man　had　said　was　true。
〃rade；　we　plan　on　a　rapid　campaign。　The　projections　are　that　we　can　reach　the　Rhein　in　two　weeks。　Those　are　actually　more　conservative　than　our　plans　of　only　five　years　ago。　NATO　has　improved　its　readiness；　particularly　its　antitank　capabilities。　I　would　say　three　weeks　is　more　realistic；　depending　on　the　degree　of　tactical　surprise　and　the　many　imponderables　present　in　war。〃
〃So　the　key　is　surprise？〃
〃The　key　is　always　surprise；〃　Alekseyev　answered　at　once。　He　quoted　Soviet　doctrine　exactly。