tc.redstormrising-第72节

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d　equipment。　There　should　have　been　more　helicopters。　He　shrugged　eloquently。　No　plan　was　ever　perfect。　More　helicopters　would　be　flown　in；　plus　a　few　more　mobile　radar　sets　and　some　additional　SAM　launchers。　The　Americans　looked　to　have　every　intention　of　making　his　tenure　on　Iceland　difficult；　and　he　needed　more　equipment　to　counter　that　。　。　。
Then　there　were　those　KGB　bastards。　We　have　to　pacify　the　island；　they　said。　As　if　Iceland　wasn't　already　passive　enough。　There　had　been　not　a　single　incident　of　active　resistance　yet…not　one；　the　General　thought；　remembering　his　year's　service　in　Afghanistan。　pared　with　that　mountainous　hell；　this　was　paradise　itself。　But　that　wasn't　good　enough　for　the　KGB！　Nekulturny　barbarians。　A　thousand　hostages　had　been　taken；　only　to　learn　that　there　was　no　jail　space　to　keep　them。　So　my　paratroopers　must　guard　the　poor；　harmless　wretches；　using　up　a　whole　pany　of　troops；　His　orders　were　to　cooperate　with　the　local　KGB　contingent。　One　did　not　cooperate　with　the　KGB；　of　course；　one　was　dominated　by　them。　There　were　KGB　officers　with　his　mobile　patrols；　to　advise；　they　put　it。
General　Andreyev　was　beginning　to　worry。　Crack　paratroopers　were　not　the　sort　to　be　good　jailers。　Had　they　been　ordered　to　go　easily　on　the　Icelanders；　that　would　be　one　thing。　Instead；　their　orders　forced　them　to　be　harsh；　which　generated　hostility。　Some　people　had　actually　been　heard　to　cheer　when　the　last　American　bombers　had　e　through。　Absurd；　the　General　thought。　They　had　lost　electricity　but　we　had　lost　nothing…and　they　cheered。　Because　of　the　KGB's　orders。　What　stupidity。　An　opportunity　lost。　He　considered　protesting　his　orders　to　his　central　mand　in　Moscow；　but　to　what　point？　An　officer　who　disliked　the　KGB　was　an　officer　who　disliked　the　Party　itself。
He　was　aroused　from　his　reveries　by　the　whining　sound　of　turboshaft　engines。　The　first　of　the　Mi…24　Hinds　was　turning　its　rotor；　testing　its　engines。　An　officer　ran　toward　him。
〃rade　General；　with　your　permission；　we　are　ready　for　a　test　flight。　We're　doing　it　light；　unarmed。　We'll　load　weapons　when　we　get　back。〃
〃Very　well。　Captain；　just　check　out　the　hilltops　around　Keflavik　and　Reykjavik。　How　long　on　the　second　one？〃　Andreyev　asked。
〃Two　hours。〃
〃Excellent。　Good　work；　rade　Captain。〃
A　minute　later　the　heavy　attack　chopper　lifted　into　the　air。
〃Down　and　freeze！〃　Garcia　screamed。　It　didn't　e　close　to　them；　but　seeing　it　was　enough。
〃What　kind　is　it？〃
〃Hind。　It's　an　attack　bird；　like　the　Cobra。　Bad　news；　Lieutenant。　It　carries　eight　troops　and　a　whole　shitload　of　rockets　and　guns。　An'　don't　even　think　about　shooting　it。　Sucker's　armored　like　a　damned　tank。〃
The　Mi…24　circled　the　hill　they'd　just　been　on；　then　disappeared；　heading　south　to　loop　over　another　hill。
〃Didn't　see　us；　I　guess；〃　Edwards　said。
〃Let's　keep　it　that　way。　Keep　the　radio　stowed　awhile；　Lieutenant。　We　can　call　this　one　in　after　we　move　out　a　ways；　okay？〃
Edwards　nodded　agreement。　He　remembered　a　brief　on　Soviet　helicopters　in　the　Air　Force　Academy。　〃We　are　not　afraid　of　the　Russians；〃　an　Afghan　had　been　quoted；　〃but　we　are　afraid　of　their　helicopters。〃

BITBURG；　FEDERAL　REPUBLIC　OF　GERMANY
Colonel　Ellington　awoke　at　six　that　evening。　He　shaved　and　walked　outside；　the　sun　still　high　in　the　evening　sky。　He　wondered　what　mission　they'd　have　tonight。　He　was　not　a　bitter　man；　but　to　have　nearly　a　quarter　of　his　crews…men　with　whom　he　had　worked　for　two　straight　years　…lost　in　a　week　was　a　difficult　thing　to　accept。　It　had　been　too　long　since　his　experience　in　Vietnam。　He'd　forgotten　how　terrible　losses　could　be。　His　men　could　not　stand　down　a　day　to　mourn　their　dead　and　ease　the　pain；　much　as　they　needed　to。　They　were　being　carefully　rested。　Standing　orders　gave　them　eight　hours　of　sleep　a　day…like　night…hunters；　they　slept　only　by　day。
They　were　making　a　difference；　however。　He　was　sure　of　that。　Every　night　the　black　and　green　Frisbees　lifted　off　for　some　special　target　or　other；　and　the　Russians　still　had　not　figured　a　counter。　The　strike　cameras　mounted　in　each　aircraft　were　bringing　back　pictures　that　the　wing　intelligence　officers　could　scarcely　believe。　But　at　such　a　cost。
Well。　The　colonel　reminded　himself　that　one　sortie　a　day　was　a　lighter　load　than　the　other　air　crews　were　bearing；　and　that　the　close…support　crews　were　taking　losses　equal　to　his　own。　Tonight　held　another　mission。　He　ordered　his　brain　to　occupy　itself　with　that　task　alone。
The　briefings　took　an　hour。　Ten　aircraft　would　fly　tonight：　two　planes　each　at　five　targets。　As　mander　he　drew　the　toughest。　Surveillance　indicated　that　Ivan　had　a　previously　unsuspected　forward　fuel　dump　at　a　position　west　of　Wittenburg　that　was　supporting　the　drive　on　Hamburg；　and　the　Germans　wanted　it　taken　out。　His　wingman　would　go　in　with　Durandals；　and　he'd　follow　with　Rockeyes。　There　would　be　no　supporting　aircraft　on　this　one；　and　the　colonel　didn't　want　jammer　aircraft　to　go　in　with　him。　Two　of　his　lost　birds　had　had　such　support；　and　the　jamming　had　merely　alerted　the　defenses。
He　examined　the　topographical　maps　closely。　The　land　was　flat。　Not　much　in　the　way　of　mountains　and　hills　to　hide　behind；　but　then　he　could　skim　at　treetop　level；　and　that　was　almost　as　good。　He'd　approach　from　the　east；　behind　the　target。　There　was　a　twenty…knot　west　wind；　and　if　he　came　in　from　leeward；　the　defenders　would　be　unable　to　hear　his　approach　until　bomb　release　。　。　。　probably。　They'd　egress　the　area　by　heading　southwest。　Total　mission　time　seventy…five　minutes。　He　puted　his　necessary　fuel　load；　careful　as　always　to　allow　for　the　drag　of　his　bombs。　To　the　bare…bones　fuel　requirements　he　added　five　minutes　on　afterburner　in　case　of　air…to…air　bat　and　ten　minutes　to　orbit　Bitburg　for　landing。　Satisfied；　he　went　off　for　breakfast。　With　each　bite　of　toast　his　mind　ran　through　the　mission　like　a　movie；　visualizing　every　event；　every　obstacle；　every　SAM　site　to　be　avoided。　He　randomly　inserted　the　unexpected。　A　flight　of　low…level　fighters　at　the　target；　what　effect　would　this　have　on　the　mission？　What　would　the　target　look　like　on　this　approach？　If　he　had　to　make　a　second　bombing　pass；　from　what　direction？　Major　Eisly　ate　with　his　mander　in　silence；　recognizing　the　blank　look　on　his　face　and　running　through　his　own　mental　checklist。
They　headed　straight　into　East　Germany　for　fifty　miles　before　turning　north　at　Rathenow。　Two　Soviet　Mainstay　aircraft　were　up；　a　good　distance　back　from　the　border　and　surrounded　by　agile　Flanker　interceptors。　Staying　well　outside　the　effective　range　of　their　radar；　the　two　aircraft　flew　low　and　in　tight　formation。　When　they　screeched　over　main　roads；　it　was　always　in　a　direction　away　from　a　course　to　their　target　They　avoided　cities；　towns；　and　known　enemy　depots　where　there　might　be　SAMs。
The　inertial　navigation　systems　kept　track　of　their　progress　on　a　map　display　on　the　pilot's　instrument　panel。　The　distance　to　the　target　shrank　rapidly　as　the　aircraft　curved　west。
They　flashed　over　Wittenberg　at　five　hundred　knots。　The　infrared　cameras　showed　fueling　vehicles　on　the　roads　heading　right　for　the　target　area　。　。　。　there！　At　least　twenty　tank　trucks　were　visible　in　the　trees　fueling　from　underground　tanks。
〃Target　in　sight。　Execute　according　to　plan。〃
〃Roge；〃　acknowledged　Shade…Two。　〃I　have　them　visual。〃
The　Duke　broke　left；　clearing　the　way　for　his　wingman　to　make　the　first　run。　Shade…Two's　aircraft　was　the　only　one　left　with　the　proper　ejector　racks　for　the　bulky　hard…target　munitions。
〃Gawd！〃　The　Duke's　display　showed　an　SA…11　launcher　right　in　his　flight　path；　its　missiles　aimed　northwest。　One　of　his　aircraft　had　learned　the　hard　way　that　the　SA…11　had　an　infrared　homing　capacity　that　no　one　had　suspected。　The　colonel　reefed　his　aircraft　into　a　hard　right　turn　away　from　the　launcher；　wondering　where　the　rest　of　the　missile　battery's　vehicles　were。
Shade…Two　skimmed　over　the　target。　The　pilot　toggled　off　his　four　bombs　and　kept　heading　west。　Gunfire　rippled　across　the　sky　in　his　wake。　Too　late。
The　French…made　Durandal　weapons　fell　off　the　ejector　racks　and　scattered。　Once　free；　they　pointed　down；　and　rockets　fired　to　accelerate　the　munitions　straight　at　the　ground。　They　were　designed　to　break　up　concrete　runways　and　were　ideal　for　underground　fuel　tanks。　The　bombs　did　not　explode　on　impact。　Instead；　the　hard…steel　weapons　lanced　into　the　ground；　penetrating　several　feet　before　detonating。　Three　found　underground　fuel　tanks。　The　Durandals；　exploded　upward；　breaking　open　a　path　for　burning　fuel　to　leap　into　the　air。
It　was　the　next　thing　to　a　nuclear　detonation。　Three　white　columns　of　flame　rocketed　into　the　air；　spreading　like　fountains　and　dropping　fuel　for　hundreds　of　yards。　Every　vehicle　in　the　pound　was　engulfed　in　flame；　and　only　those　men　near　the　perimeter　escaped　with　their　lives。　Rubber　fuel　bladders　brought　to　the　sight　exploded　a　few　seconds　later；　and　a　river　of　burning　diesel　and　gasoline　spread　through　the　trees。　In　a　matter　of　seconds；　twenty　acres　of　woods　were　transformed　into　a　fireball　that　raced　skyward；　punctuated　by　secondary　explosions。　Ellington's　fighter　rocked　violently　as　the　shock　wave　passed。
〃Damn；〃　he　said　quietly。　The　plan　called　for　him　to　use　his　cluster　munitions　to　ignite　what　the