tc.redstormrising-第59节

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The　Tomcats　had　all　been　drawn　off；　leaving　the　formation　practically　naked。　The　only　armed　fighters　over　the　formation　were　Foch's　eight　Crusaders；　long　since　retired　from　the　American　inventory。　On　a　terse　mand　from　their　carrier；　they　went　to　afterburner　and　rocketed　southwest　toward　the　Backfires。　Too　late。
The　Bear　already　had　a　clear　picture　of　the　American　formations。　The　Russians　could　not　determine　ship　type；　but　they　could　tell　large　from　small；　and　identify　the　missile　cruiser　Ticonderoga　by　her　distinctive　radar　emissions。　The　carriers　would　be　close　to　her。　The　Bear　relayed　the　information　to　her　consorts。　A　minute　later；　the　seventy　Backfire　bombers　launched　their　hundred　forty　AS…6　Kingfish　missiles　and　turned　north　at　full　military　power。　The　Kingfish　was　nothing　like　the　Kelt。　Powered　by　a　liquid…fuel　rocket　engine；　it　accelerated　to　nine　hundred　knots　and　began　its　descent；　its　radar…homing　head　tracking　on　a　preprogrammed　target　area　ten　miles　wide。　Every　ship　in　the　center　of　the　formation　had　several　missiles　assigned。
〃Vampire；　Vampire！〃　the　CIC　talker　said　aboard　Ticonderoga。　〃We　have　numerous　ining　missiles。　Weapons　free。〃
The　group　antiair　warfare　officer　ordered　the　cruiser's　Aegis　weapons　system　into　full　automatic　mode。　Tico　had　been　built　with　this　exact　situation　in　mind。　Her　powerful　radar/puter　system　immediately　identified　the　ining　missiles　as　hostile　and　assigned　each　a　priority　of　destruction。　The　puter　was　pletely　on　its　own；　free　to　fire　on　its　electronic　will　at　anything　diagnosed　as　a　threat。　Numbers；　symbols；　and　vectors　paraded　across　the　master　tactical　display。　The　fore　and　aft　twin　missile　launchers　trained　out　at　the　first　targets　and　awaited　the　orders　to　fire。　Aegis　was　state…of…the…art；　the　best　SAM　system　yet　devised；　but　it　had　one　major　weakness：　Tico　carried　only　ninety…six　SM2　surface…to…air　missiles；　there　were　one　hundred　forty　ining　Kingfish。　The　puter　had　not　been　programmed　to　think　about　that。
Aboard　Nimitz；　Toland　could　feel　the　carrier　heeling　into　a　radical　turn；　her　engines　advanced　to　flank　speed；　driving　the　massive　warship　at　over　thirty…five　knots。　Her　nuclear…powered　escorts；　Virginia　and　California；　were　also　tracking　the　Kingfish；　their　own　missiles　trained　out　on　their　launchers。
The　Kingfish　were　at　eight　thousand　feet；　one　hundred　miles　out；　covering　a　mile　every　four　seconds。　Each　had　now　selected　a　target；　choosing　the　largest　within　their　fields　of　view。　Nimitz　was　the　nearest　large　ship；　with　her　missile…ship　escorts　to　her　north。
Tico　launched　her　first　quartet　of　missiles　as　the　targets　reached　a　range　of　ninety…nine　miles。　The　rockets　exploded　into　the　air；　leaving　a　trail　of　pale　gray　smoke。　They　had　barely　cleared　the　launch　rails　when　the　mounts　went　vertical　and　swiveled　to　receive　their　reloads。　The　load…and…fire　time　was　under　eight　seconds。　The　cruiser　would　average　one　missile　fired　every　two　seconds。　Just　over　three　minutes　later；　her　missile　magazines　were　empty。　The　cruiser　emerged　from　the　base　of　an　enormous　gray　arch　of　smoke。　Her　only　remaining　defenses　were　her　gun　systems。
The　SAMs　raced　in　at　their　targets　with　a　closing　speed　of　over　two　thousand　miles　per　hour；　directed　in　by　the　reflected　waves　of　the　ship's　own　fire…control　radars。　At　a　range　of　a　hundred　fifty　yards　from　their　targets；　the　warheads　detonated。　The　Aegis　system　did　quite　well。　Just　over　60　percent　of　the　targets　were　destroyed。　There　were　now　eighty…two　ining　missiles　targeted　on　a　total　of　eight　ships。
Other　missile…equipped　ships　joined　the　fray。　In　several　cases　two　or　three　missiles　were　sent　for　the　same　target；　usually　killing　it。　The　number　of　ining　〃vampires〃　dropped　to　seventy；　then　sixty；　but　the　number　was　not　dropping　quickly　enough。　The　identity　of　the　targets　was　now　known　to　everyone。　Powerful　active　jamming　equipment　came　on。　Ships　began　a　radical　series　of　maneuvers　like　some　stylized　dance；　with　scant　attention　paid　to　station…keeping。　Collision　at　sea　was　now　the　least　of　anyone's　worries。　When　the　Kingfish　got　to　within　twenty　miles；　every　ship　in　the　formation　began　to　fire　off　chaff　rockets；　which　filled　the　air　with　millions　of　aluminized　Mylar　fragments　that　fluttered　on　the　air；　creating　dozens　of　new　targets　for　the　missiles　to　select　from。　Some　of　the　Kingfish　lost　lock　with　their　targets　and　started　chasing　Mylar　ghosts。　Two　of　them　got　lost；　and　selected　new　targets　on　the　far　side　of　the　formation。
The　radar　picture　on　Nimitz　suddenly　was　obscured。　What　had　been　discrete　pips　designating　the　positions　of　ships　in　the　formation　became　shapeless　clouds。　Only　the　missiles　stayed　constant：　inverted　V…shapes；　with　line　vectors　to　designate　direction　and　speed。　The　last　wave　of　SAMs　killed　three　more。　The　vampire　count　was　down　to　forty…one。　Toland　counted　five　heading　for　Nimitz　Topside；　the　final　defensive　weapons　were　now　tracking　the　targets。　These　were　the　CIWS；　20mm　Gatling　guns；　radar…equipped　to　explode　ining　missiles　at　a　range　of　under　two　thousand　yards。　Designed　to　operate　in　a　fully　automatic　mode；　the　two　after　gun　mounts　on　the　carrier　angled　up　and　began　to　track　the　first　pair　of　ining　Kingfish。　The　portside　mount　fired　first；　the　six…barrel　cannon　making　a　sound　like　that　of　an　enormous　zipper。　Its　radar　system　tracked　the　target；　and　tracked　the　outgoing　slugs；　adjusting　fire　to　make　the　two　meet。
The　leading　Kingfish　exploded　eight　hundred　yards　from　Nimitz's　port　quarter。　The　thousand　kilograms　of　high　explosive　rocked　the　ship。　Toland　felt　it；　wondering　if　the　ship　had　been　hit。　Around　him；　the　CIC　crewmen　were　concentrating　frantically　on　their　jobs。　One　target　track　vanished　from　the　screen。　Four　left。
The　next　Kingfish　approached　the　carrier's　bow　and　was　blasted　out　of　the　sky　by　the　forward　CIWS；　too　close　aboard。　Fragments　ripped　across　the　carrier's　deck；　killing　a　dozen　exposed　crewmen。
Number　three　was　decoyed　by　a　chaff　cloud　and　ran　straight　into　the　sea　half　a　mile　behind　the　carrier。　The　warhead　caused　the　carrier　to　vibrate　and　raised　a　column　of　water　a　thousand　feet　into　the　air。
The　fourth　and　fifth　missiles　came　in　from　aft；　not　a　hundred　yards　apart。　The　after　gun　mount　tracked　on　both；　but　couldn't　decide　which　to　engage　first。　It　went　into　Reset　mode　and　petulantly　didn't　engage　any。　The　missiles　hit　within　a　second　of　one　another；　one　on　the　after　port　corner　of　the　flight　deck；　the　other　on　the　number　two　arrestor　wire。
Toland　was　thrown　fifteen　feet；　and　slammed　against　a　radar　console。　Next　he　saw　a　wall　of　pink　flame　that　washed　briefly　over　him。　Then　came　the　noises。　First　the　thunder　of　the　explosion。　Then　the　screams。　The　after　CIC　bulkhead　was　no　longer　there；　instead　there　was　a　mass　of　flame。　Men　twenty　feet　away　were　ablaze；　staggering　and　screaming　before　his　eyes。　Toland's　only　thought　was　escape。　He　bolted　for　the　watertight　door。　It　opened　miraculously　under　his　hand　and　he　ran　to　starboard。　The　ship's　fire…suppression　systems　were　already　on；　showering　everything　with　a　curtain　of　saltwater。　His　skin　burned　from　it　as　he　emerged；　hair　and　uniform　singed；　to　the　flight　deck　catwalk。　A　sailor　directed　a　water　hose　on　him；　nearly　knocking　him　over　the　side。
〃Fire　in　CIC！〃　Toland　gasped。
〃What　the　hell　ain't！〃　the　sailor　screamed。
Toland　fell　to　his　knees　and　looked　outboard。　Foch　had　been　to　their　north；　he　remembered。　Now　there　was　a　pillar　of　smoke。　As　he　watched；　the　last　Kingfish　was　detonated　a　hundred　feet　over　Saratoga's　flight　deck。　The　carrier　seemed　undamaged。　Three　miles　away；　Ticonderoga's　after　superstructure　was　shredded　and　ablaze　from　a　rocket　that　had　blown　up　within　yards　of　her。　On　the　horizon　a　ball　of　flame　announced　the　destruction　of　yet　another…my　God；　Toland　thought；　might　that　be　Saipan？　She　had　two　thousand　Marines　aboard　。　。　。
〃Get　forward；　you　dumbass！〃　a　firefighter　yelled　at　him。　Another　man　emerged　to　the　catwalk。
〃Toland；　you　all　right？〃　It　was　Captain　Svenson；　his　shirt　torn　away　and　his　chest　bleeding　from　a　half…dozen　cuts。
〃Yes；　sir；〃　Bob　answered。
〃Get　to　the　bridge。　Tell　'em　to　put　the　wind　on　the　starboard　beam。　Move！〃　Svenson　jumped　up　onto　the　flight　deck。
Toland　did　likewise；　racing　forward。　The　deck　was　awash　in　firefighting　foam；　slippery　as　oil。　Toland　ran　recklessly；　falling　hard　on　the　deck　before　he　reached　the　carrier's　island。　He　was　in　the　pilothouse　in　under　a　minute。
〃Captain　says　put　the　wind　on　the　starboard　beam！〃　Toland　said。
〃It　is　on　the　fucking　beam！〃　the　executive　officer　snapped　back。　The　bridge　deck　was　covered　with　broken　glass。　〃How's　the　skipper？〃
〃Alive。　He's　aft　with　the　fire。〃
〃And　who　the　hell　are　you？〃　the　XO　demanded。
〃Toland；　group　intel。　I　was　in　CIC。〃
〃Then　you're　one　lucky　bastard。　That　second　bird　hit　fifty　yards　from　you。　Captain　got　out？　Anyone　else？〃
〃I　don't　know。　Burning　like　hell。〃
〃Looks　like　you　caught　part　of　it；　mander。〃
Bob's　face　felt　as　if　he'd　shaved　with　a　piece　of　glass。　His　eyebrows　crumpled　to　his　touch。　〃Flashburns；　I　guess。　I'll　be　okay。　What　do　you　want　me　to　do？〃
The　XO　pointed　to　Toland's　water　wings。　〃Can　you　conn　the　ship。？　Okay；　do　it。　Nothing　left　to　run　into　anyway。　I'm　going　aft　to　take　charge　of　the　fire。　munications　are　out；　radar's　out；　but　the　engines