tc.redstormrising-第85节

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oor　hadn't　yet　closed　when　the　driver　pulled　out　fast；　zigzagging　down　the　slope　and　across　the　plowed　field　toward　the　mand　post。
B　Troop；　1st　Squadron；　1lth　Armored　Cavalry　Regiment　had　once　been　fourteen　tanks。　Five　of　the　originals　were　gone；　and　there　had　been　only　two　replacements。　Of　the　rest；　all　had　been　damaged　to　one　degree　or　another。　His　platoon　leader　had　been　killed　on　the　second　day　of　the　war；　leaving　Mackall　in　mand　of　the　three…tank　platoon；　covering　nearly　a　kilometer　of　front。　Dug　in　between　his　tanks　was　a　pany　of　German　infantry…men　of　the　Landwehr；　the　local　equivalent　of　the　National　Guard；　farmers　and　shop　owners　for　the　most　part；　men　fighting　to　defend　not　just　their　country；　but　their　own　homes。　They；　too；　had　taken　serious　losses。　The　〃pany〃　was　no　more　than　two　platoons　of　effectives。　Surely　the　Russians　know　just　how　thin　we're　spread；　Mackall　thought。　Everyone　was　dug　in…deep。　The　power　of　Russian　artillery　had　e　as　a　shock　despite　all　the　pre…war　warnings　they'd　had。
〃The　Americans　must　love　this。〃　The　colonel　gestured　at　the　low　clouds。　〃Their　damned　airplanes　e　swooping　in　too　low　for　our　radar；　and　this　way　we　have　practically　no　chance　to　see　them　before　they　fire。〃
〃How　badly　have　they　hurt　you？〃
〃See　for　yourself。〃　The　colonel　gestured　at　the　battlefield。　Fifteen　tanks　lay　in　view…the　burned…out　remains。　〃That　American　low…level　fighter　did　this…the　Thunderbolt。　Our　men　call　it　the　Devil's　Cross。〃
〃But　you　killed　two　aircraft　yesterday；〃　Sergetov　objected。
〃Yes；　and　only　one　of　four　gun　vehicles　survived　the　effort。　The　same　vehicle　got　bothSenior　Sergeant　Lupenko。　I　remended　him　for　the　Red　Banner。　It　will　be　posthumousthe　second　aircraft　crashed　right　on　his　vehicle。　My　best　gunner；〃　the　colonel　said　bitterly。　Two　kilometers　away；　the　wreckage　of　a　German　Alphajet　was　a　charred　garnish　atop　the　remains　of　a　ZSU…30　gun　vehicle。　No　doubt　it　had　been　deliberate；　the　colonel　thought；　that　German　had　wanted　to　kill　just　a　few　more　Soviets　before　he　died。　A　sergeant　handed　his　colonel　a　radio　headset。　The　officer　listened　for　half　a　minute　before　speaking　a　few　words　that　he　punctuated　with　a　quick　nod。
〃Five　minutes；　rades。　My　men　are　fully　in　place。　Would　you　follow　me；　please？〃
The　mand　bunker　had　been　hastily　built　of　logs　and　earth；　with　a　full　meter　of　overhead　cover。　Twenty　men　were　crammed　into　it；　munications　men　for　the　two　regiments　in　the　assault。　The　division's　third　regiment　waited　to　exploit　the　breakthrough　and　pave　the　way　for　the　reserve　armored　division　to　break　into　the　enemy's　rear。　If；　Alekseyev　reminded　himself；　everything　went　as　planned。
No　enemy　troops　or　vehicles　could　be　seen；　of　course。　They　would　be　in　the　woods　atop　the　ridge　less　than　two　kilometers　away；　dug　in　deep。　He　watched　the　divisional　mander　nod　to　his　artillery　chief；　who　lifted　a　field　phone　and　spoke　two　words：
〃mence　firing。〃
It　took　several　seconds　for　the　sound　to　reach　them。　Every　gun　the　division　owned；　with　an　additional　battery　from　the　tank　division；　spoke　as　one　dreadful　voice；　and　the　thunder　echoed　across　the　countryside　The　shells　arched　overhead；　at　first　striking　short　of　the　opposite　ridgeline；　then　closing　on　it。　What　had　once　been　a　gentle　hill　covered　with　lush　grass　turned　into　a　brown　obscenity　of　bare　earth　and　smoke。

〃I　think　they're　serious；　Sarge；〃　the　loader　said；　pulling　his　hatch　down　tight。
Mackall　adjusted　his　helmet　and　microphone　as　he　peered　out　the　view　ports　built　into　his　mander's　cupola。　The　thick　armor　plate　kept　most　of　the　noise　out；　but　when　the　ground　shook　beneath　them；　the　shock　came　through　the　treads　and　suspension　to　rock　the　vehicle；　and　each　crewman　reflected　to　himself　on　the　force　needed　to　budge　a　sixty…ton　tank。　This　was　how　the　lieutenant　had　bought　it…a　one…in…a…thousand　shot　from　a　heavy　gun　had　landed　a　round　right　on　his　turret；　and　it　had　burrowed　through　the　thin　overhead　armor　to　explode　the　vehicle。
Left　and　right　of　Mackall's　tank；　the　largely　middle…aged　German　territorials　cowered　in　their　deep；　narrow　holes；　their　emotions　oscillating　between　terror　and　rage　at　what　was　happening　to　them　and　their　country…and　their　homes！

〃Good　fire　plan；　rade　Colonel；〃　Alekseyev　said　quietly。　A　screaming　sound　passed　overhead。　〃There　is　your　air　support。〃
Four　Russian　ground…attack　fighters　wheeled　overhead　to　trace　parallel　to　the　ridgeline　and　dropped　their　loads　of　napalm。　As　they　turned　back　toward　Russian　fines；　one　exploded　in　midair。
〃What　was　that？〃
〃Probably　a　Roland；〃　the　colonel　answered。　〃Their　version　of　our　SA…8　rocket。　Here　we　go。　One　minute。〃
Five　kilometers　behind　the　mand　bunker；　two　batteries　of　mobile　rocket　launchers　ripple…fired　their　weapons　in　a　continuous　sheet　of　flame。　Half　were　high…explosive　warheads；　the　other　half　smoke。

Thirty　rockets　landed　in　Mackall's　sector　and　thirty　in　the　valley　before　him。　The　impact　of　the　explosives　shook　his　tank　violently；　and　he　could　hear　the　pings　of　fragments　bouncing　off　his　armor。　But　it　was　the　smoke　that　frightened　him。　That　meant　Ivan　was　ing。　From　thirty　separate　points；　gray…white　smoke　billowed　into　the　air；　forming　an　instant　manmade　cloud　that　enveloped　all　the　ground　in　view。　Mackall　and　his　gunner　activated　their　thermal…imaging　sights。
〃Buffalo；　this　is　Six；〃　the　troop　mander　called　in　over　the　mand　circuit。　〃Check　in。〃
Mackall　listened　in　closely。　All　eleven　vehicles　were　intact；　protected　by　their　deep　holes。　Again　he　blessed　the　engineers…and　the　German　farmers…who　had　dug　the　shelters。　No　further　orders　were　passed。　None　were　needed。
〃Enemy　in　view；〃　the　gunner　reported。
The　thermal　sight　measured　differences　in　temperature　and　could　penetrate　most　of　the　mile　of　smoke　cover。　And　the　wind　was　on　their　side。　A　ten…mile…per…hour　breeze　was　driving　the　cloud　back　east。　Sergeant　First　Class　Terry　Mackall　took　a　deep　breath　and　went　to　work。
〃Target　tank；　ten　o'clock。　Sabot！　Shoot！〃
The　gunner　trained　left　and　centered　the　sight　reticle　on　the　nearest　Soviet　battle　tank。　His　thumbs　depressed　the　laser　button；　and　a　thin　beam　of　light　bounced　off　the　target。　The　range　display　came　up　in　his　sight：　1310　meters。　The　fire…control　puter　plotted　target　distance　and　speed；　elevating　the　main　gun。　The　puter　measured　wind　speed　and　direction；　air　density　and　humidity；　the　temperature　of　the　air；　and　the　tank's　own　shells；　and　all　the　gunner　had　to　do　was　place　the　target　in　the　center　of　his　sights。　The　whole　operation　took　less　than　two　seconds；　and　the　gunner's　fingers　jammed　home　on　the　triggers。
A　forty…foot　muzzle　blast　annihilated　the　shrubs　planted　two　years　earlier　by　some　German　Boy　Scouts。　The　tank's　105mm　gun　jerked　back　in　recoil；　ejecting　the　spent　aluminum　case。　The　shell　came　apart　in　the　air；　the　sabot　failing　free　of　the　projectile；　a　40mm　dart　made　of　tungsten　and　uranium　that　lanced　through　the　air　at　almost　a　mile　a　second。
The　projectile　struck　the　target　one　second　later　at　the　base　of　the　gun　turret。　Inside；　a　Russian　gunner　was　just　picking　up　a　round　for　his　own　cannon　when　the　uranium　core　of　the　shot　burned　through　the　protective　steel。　The　Russian　tank　exploded；　its　turret　flying　thirty　feet　into　the　air。
〃Hit！〃　Mackall　said。　〃Target　tank；　twelve　o'clock。　Sabot！　Shoot！〃
The　Russian　and　American　tanks　fired　at　the　same　instant；　but　the　Russian　shot　went　high；　missing　the　defiladed　M…1　by　nearly　a　meter。　The　Russian　was　less　lucky。
〃Time　to　leave；〃　Mackall　announced。　〃Straight　back！　Heading　for　alternate　one。〃
The　driver　already　had　reverse　engaged；　and　twisted　hard　on　his　throttle　control。　The　tank　surged　backward；　then　spun　right　and　headed　fifty　yards　to　another　prepared　position。

〃Damned　smoke！〃　Sergetov　swore。　The　wind　blew　it　back　in　their　faces；　and　they　couldn't　tell　what　was　going　on。　The　battle　was　now　in　the　hands　of　captains；　lieutenants；　and　sergeants。　All　they　could　see　was　the　orange　fireballs　of　exploding　vehicles；　and　there　was　no　way　to　know　whose　they　were。　The　colonel　in　mand　had　his　radio　headset　on　and　was　barking　orders　to　his　subunit　manders。

Mackall　was　in　his　fast　alternate　position　in　less　than　a　minute。　This　one　had　been　dug　parallel　to　the　ridgeline；　and　his　massive　turret　trained　to　the　left。　He　could　see　the　infantry　now；　dismounted　and　running　ahead　of　their　assault　carriers。　Allied　artillery；　both　German　and　American；　ripped　through　their　ranks；　but　not　quickly　enough　。
〃Target…tank　with　an　antenna；　just　ing　out　of　the　treeline。〃
〃Got　'em！〃　the　gunner　answered。　He　saw　a　Russian　T…80　main　battle　tank　with　a　large　radio　antenna　projecting　from　the　turret。　That　would　be　a　pany　mander…maybe　a　battalion　mander。　He　fired。
The　Russian　tank　wheeled　just　as　the　shot　left　the　muzzle。　Mackall　watched　the　tracer　barely　miss　his　engine　partment。
〃Gimme　a　HEAT　round！''　the　gunner　shouted　over　the　inter。
〃Ready！〃
〃Turn　back；　you　mother…〃
The　Russian　tank　was　driven　by　an　experienced　sergeant　who　zigzagged　his　way　across　the　valley　floor。　He　jinked　every　five　seconds；　and　now　brought　his　tank　left　again…
The　gunner　squeezed　off　his　round。　The　tank　jumped　at　the　recoil　and　the　spent　round　clanged　off　the　turret's　rear　wall。　Already　the　closed　tank　hull　stank　of　the　ammonia…based　propellant。
〃Hit！　Nice