tc.redstormrising-第8节

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nion。
A　back…page　article　in　Pravda；　the　official　munist　Party　newspaper　noted　the　fire；　menting　that　the　〃heroic　fire　brigade〃　had　saved　countless　lives　by　its　skill　and　devotion　to　duty；　also　preventing　more　serious　damage　to　the　nearby　oil　facilities。
The　fire　was　reportedly　begun　by　a　〃technical　malfunction〃　in　the　automatic　refinery　control　systems　and　spread　rapidly；　but　was　swiftly　extinguished；　〃not　without　casualties　among　the　brave　men　detailed　to　attack　the　fire；　and　the　courageous　workmen　who　raced　heroically　to　their　rades'　side。〃
Though　somewhat　at　odds　with　Western　reports；　the　fire　in　the　area　did　go　out　more　quickly　than　had　been　expected。　Western　officials　are　now　speculating　about　a　highly　sophisticated　firefighting　system　built　into　the　Nizhnevartovs　facility　that　allowed　the　Soviets　to　extinguish　the　fire。
AB…BA…2…3　16：　01　EST…FL…
**END　OF　STORY**

3　…　Correlation　of　Forces

MOSCOW；　R。S。F。S。R。
〃They　didn't　ask　me；〃　explained　Chief　of　the　General　Staff　Marshal　Shavyrin。　〃They　didn't　ask　for　my　evaluation。　The　political　decision　was　already　made　when　they　called　me　in　Thursday　night。　When　was　the　last　time　the　Defense　Minister　asked　me　for　a　substantive　judgmental　decision？〃
〃And　what　did　you　say？〃　asked　Marshal　Rozhkov；　mander…in…Chief　of　Ground　Forces。　The　initial　response　was　a　grim；　ironic　smile。
〃That　the　armed　forces　of　the　Soviet　Union　were　able　to　carry　out　this　task；　given　four　months　of　preparation。〃
〃Four　months　。　。　。〃　Rozhkov　stared　out　the　window。　He　turned　back。　〃We　won't　be　ready。〃
〃Hostilities　will　mence　on　15　June；〃　Shavyrin　replied。　〃We　must　be　ready；　Yuri。　And　what　choice　did　I　have？　Would　you　have　had　me　say；　'I　am　sorry；　rade　General　Secretary；　but　the　Soviet　Army　is　unable　to　carry　out　this　task'？　I　would　have　been　dismissed　and　replaced　by　someone　more　tractable…you　know　who　my　replacement　will　be。　Would　you　rather　answer　to　Marshal　Bukharin…〃
〃That　fool！〃　Rozhkov　growled。　It　had　been　the　then…Lieutenant　General　Bukharin　whose　brilliant　plan　had　led　the　Soviet　Army　into　Afghanistan。　Professionally　a　nonentity；　his　political　connections　had　not　only　saved　him；　but　continued　his　career　to　near　the　pinnacle　of　uniformed　power。　A　clever　man；　Bukharin。　Never　involved　in　the　mountain　campaigns　himself；　he　could　point　to　his　brilliant　paper　plan　and　plain　that　it　had　been　poorly　executed；　after　he　had　moved　on　to　mand　of　the　Kiev　Military　District；　historically　the　shining　gate　of　marshal's　rank。
〃So；　would　you　have　him　in　this　office；　dictating　your　plans　to　you？〃　Shavyrin　asked。　Rozhkov　shook　his　head。　The　two　men　had　been　friends　and　rades　since　each　had　manded　a　tank　troop　in　the　same　regiment；　just　in　time　for　the　final　surge　toward　Vienna　in　1945。
〃How　are　we　to　go　about　it？〃　Rozhkov　asked。
〃Red　Storm；〃　the　Marshal　replied　simply。　Red　Storm　was　the　plan　for　a　mechanized　attack　into　West　Germany　and　the　Low　Countries。　Constantly　updated　for　changes　in　the　force　structures　of　both　sides；　it　called　for　a　two…to　three…week　campaign　mencing　after　a　rapid　escalation　of　tension　between　East　and　West。　Despite　this；　in　accordance　with　standard　Soviet　strategic　doctrine；　it　called　for　strategic　surprise　as　a　precondition　for　success；　and　the　use　of　conventional　weapons　only。
〃At　least　they　aren't　talking　about　atomic　arms。〃　Rozhkov　grunted。　Other　plans　with　other　names　applied　to　different　scenarios；　including　many　for　the　use　of　tactical　and　even　strategic　nuclear　arms；　something　no　one　in　uniform　wished　to　contemplate。　Despite　all　the　saber…rattling　of　their　political　masters；　these　professional　soldiers　knew　all　too　well　that　the　use　of　nuclear　arms　made　only　for　ghastly　uncertainties。　〃And　the　maskirovka？〃
〃In　two　parts。　The　first　is　purely　political；　to　work　against　the　United　States。　The　second　part；　immediately　before　the　war　begins；　is　from　KGB。　You　know　it；　from　KGB　Group　Nord。　We　reviewed　it　two　years　ago。〃
Rozhkov　grunted。　Group　Nord　was　an　ad　hoc　mittee　of　KGB　department　chiefs；　first　assembled　by　then…chief　of　the　KGB　Yuri　Andropov　in　the　mid…1970s。　Its　purpose　was　to　research　means　of　splitting　the　NATO　alliance；　and　in　general　to　conduct　political　and　psychological　operations　aimed　at　undermining　Western　will。　Its　specific　plan　to　shake　the　NATO　military　and　political　structure　in　preparation　for　a　shooting　war　was　Nord's　proudest　example　of　legerdemain。　But　would　it　work？
The　two　senior　officers　shared　an　ironic　look。　Like　most　professional　soldiers；　they　distrusted　spies　and　all　their　plans。
〃Four　months；〃　Rozhkov　repeated。　〃We　have　much　to　do。　And　if　this　KGB　magic　fails　to　work？〃
〃It　is　a　good　plan。　It　need　only　deceive　the　West　for　a　week；　though　two　weeks　would　be　better。　The　key；　of　course；　is　how　quickly　NATO　can　reach　full　readiness。　If　we　can　delay　the　mobilization　process　seven　days；　victory　is　assured…〃
〃And　if　not？〃　Rozhkov　asked　sharply；　knowing　that　even　a　seven…day　delay　was　no　guarantee。
〃Then　it　is　not　assured；　but　the　balance　of　forces　is　on　our　side。　You　know　that；　Yuri。〃　The　option　of　recalling　the　mobilized　forces　had　never　been　discussed　with　the　Chief　of　the　General　Staff。
〃We　will　need　to　improve　discipline　throughout　the　force　first　of　all；〃　CINC…Ground　said。　〃And　I　need　to　inform　our　senior　manders　at　once。　We　need　to　implement　intense　training　operations。　Just　how　awful　is　this　fuel　problem？〃
Shavyrin　handed　his　subordinate　the　notes。　〃It　could　be　worse。　We　have　enough　for　extended　unit　training。　Your　task　is　no　easy　one；　Yuri；　but　four　months　is　a　long　time　for　this　task；　is　it　not？〃
It　wasn't；　but　there　was　no　point　in　saying　so。　〃As　you　say；　four　months　to　instill　fighting　discipline。　I　will　have　a　free　hand？〃
〃Within　limits。〃
〃It　is　one　thing　to　make　a　private　soldier　snap　to　the　orders　of　his　sergeant。　It　might　be　another　for　officers　conditioned　to　pushing　paper　to　change　into　bat　leaders。〃　Rozhkov　skirted　the　issue；　but　his　superior　received　the　message　clearly　enough。
〃A　free　hand　on　both；　Yuri。　But　act　carefully；　for　both　our　sakes。〃
Rozhkov　nodded　briefly。　He　knew　whom　he'd　use　to　get　this　done。　〃With　the　troops　we　led　forty　years　ago；　Andrey；　we　could　do　this。〃　Rozhkov　sat　down。　〃And　in　truth　we　have　the　same　raw　material　now　that　we　had　then…and　better　weapons。　The　chief　unknown　remains　the　men。　When　we　drove　our　tanks　into　Vienna；　our　men　were　tough；　hard　veterans…〃
〃And　so　were　the　SS　bastards　we　crushed。〃　Shavyrin　smiled；　remembering。　〃Keep　in　mind　that　the　same　forces　are　at　work　in　the　West；　even　more　so。　How　well　will　they　fight；　surprised；　divided？　It　can　work。　We　must　make　it　work。〃
〃I'm　meeting　with　our　field　manders　Monday。　I　will　tell　them　myself　〃

NORFOLK；　VIRGINIA
〃I　hope　you　take　good　care　of　it；〃　the　Mayor　said。
It　was　a　moment　before　mander　Daniel　X。　McCafferty　reacted。　USS　Chicago　had　been　in　mission　for　only　six　weeks；　her　pletion　delayed　by　a　yard　fire　and　her　missioning　ceremony　marred　by　the　absence　of　the　Mayor　of　Chicago　due　to　a　strike　of　city　workers。　Just　back　from　five　tough　weeks　of　workups　in　the　Atlantic；　his　crew　was　now　loading　provisions　for　their　first　operational　deployment。　McCafferty　was　still　entranced　with　his　new　mand；　and　never　tired　of　looking　at　her。　He'd　just　walked　with　the　Mayor　along　the　curved　upper　deck；　the　first　part　of　any　submarine　tour；　even　though　there　was　almost　nothing　to　be　seen　there。　〃Excuse　me？〃
〃Take　good　care　of　our　ship；〃　said　the　Mayor　of　Chicago。
〃We　call　them　boats；　sir；　and　we'll　take　good　care　of　her　for　you。　Will　you　join　us　in　the　wardroom？〃
〃More　ladders。〃　The　Mayor　pretended　to　grimace；　but　McCafferty　knew　him　to　be　a　former　fire　chief。　Would　have　been　useful　a　few　months　back；　the　captain　thought。　〃Where　are　you　heading　tomorrow？〃
〃To　sea；　sir。〃　The　captain　started　down　the　ladder。　The　Mayor　of　Chicago　followed　him。
〃I　figured　that。〃　For　a　man　in　his　late　fifties；　he　handled　the　steel　ladder　easily　enough。　They　met　again　at　the　bottom。　〃What　exactly　do　you　do　in　these　things？〃
〃Sir；　the　Navy　calls　it　'Oceanographic　Research。'　〃　McCafferty　led　him　forward；　turning　for　a　smile　with　his　answer　to　the　awkward　question。　Things　were　starting　quickly　for　Chicago。　The　Navy　wanted　to　see　just　how　effective　her　new　quieting　systems　were。　Everything　looked　good　in　the　acoustical　test　range　off　the　Bahamas。　Now　they　wanted　to　see　how　well　things　worked　in　the　Barents　Sea。
The　Mayor　laughed　at　that　one。　〃Oh；　I　suppose　you'll　be　counting　the　whales　for　Greenpeace！〃
〃Well；　I　can　say　that　there　are　whales　where　we're　heading。〃
〃What's　with　the　tile　on　your　deck？　I　never　heard　of　rubber　decks　on　a　ship。〃
〃It's　called　anechoic　tile；　sir。　The　rubber　absorbs　sound　waves。　It　makes　us　quieter　to　operate；　and　makes　it　harder　to　detect　us　on　sonar　if　somebody　pings　at　us。　Coffee？〃
〃You'd　think　that　on　a　day　like　this…〃
The　captain　chuckled。　〃Me；　too。　But　it's　against　regulations。〃
The　Mayor　hoisted　his　cup　and　clicked　against　McCafferty's。　〃Luck。〃
〃I'll　drink　to　that。〃

MOSCOW；　R。S。F。S。R。
They　met　at　the　Main　Officers　Club　of　the　Moscow　Military　District　on　Ulitsa　Krasnokazarmennaya；　a　massively　impressive　building　dating　back　to　Czarist　times。　It　was　the　normal　time　of　year　for　senior　field　manders　to　confer　in　Moscow；　and　such　events　were　always