tc.redstormrising-第87节

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〃They　must　have　had　nearly　a　Regiment　facing　us。〃　Alekseyev　shrugged。　〃We　can't　make　that　kind　of　mistake　very　often　and　expect　to　succeed。　We　advanced　four　kilometers　in　two　hours；　but　the　cost　was　murderous。　And　those　bastards　in　the　Air　Force！　I'll　have　something　to　say　to　our　Frontal　Aviation　generals　when　we　get　back！〃

〃That　makes　you　troop　XO；〃　the　lieutenant　said。　It　turned　out　there　were　five　surviving　tanks。　One　had　both　radios　broken。　〃You　did　good；　real　good。〃
〃How'd　the　Germans　make　out？〃　Mackall　asked　his　new　boss。
〃Fifty…percent　losses；　and　Ivan　kicked　us　back　four　klicks。　We　can't　expect　to　survive　much　more　of　this。　We　may　have　some　reinforcements　in　an　hour。　I　think　I　convinced　Regiment　that　Ivan　really　wants　this　place。　We'll　be　getting　help。　Same　for　the　Germans。　They　promised　another　battalion　by　nightfall；　maybe　a　second　one　by　dawn。　Take　your　track　down　for　refuel　and　reload。　Our　friends　may　be　back　soon。〃
〃That's　one　little　and　two　big　attacks　for　this　village。　They　ain't　got　it　yet；　sir。　〃
〃One　other　thing。　I　talked　to　Regiment　about　you。　The　colonel　says　you're　an　officer　now。〃
Mackall's　tank　spent　ten　minutes　getting　to　the　rearm　point。　Fueling　took　ten　minutes　while　the　exhausted　crewmen　loaded　a　new　collection　of　shells。　The　sergeant　was　surprised　that　he　had　to　head　back　to　the　front　five　rounds　short。

〃You've　been　hit；　Pasha。〃　The　younger　man　shook　his　head。
〃I　scratched　my　hand　getting　out　of　the　helicopter。　I'll　let　it　bleed　awhile　to　punish　myself　for　clumsiness。〃　Alekseyev　sat　opposite　his　mander　and　downed　a　full　liter　canteen　of　water。　He　was　embarrassed　by　his　slight　wound　and　decided　to　lie　about　it。
〃The　attack？〃
〃Opposition　was　ferocious。　We'd　been　told　to　expect　two　infantry　battalions；　plus　tanks。　I　estimate　the　actual　enemy　strength　as　a　damaged　regiment；　and　they　had　well…prepared　positions。　Even　so；　we　almost　broke　through。　The　colonel　in　mand　had　a　good　plan；　and　his　men　pushed　as　hard　as　anyone　could　expect。　We　forced　them　back　to　within　sight　of　the　objective。　I　want　to　release　a　regiment　of　tanks　from　the　OMG　to　the　next　attack。〃
〃We　are　not　permitted　to　do　this。〃
〃What？〃　Alekseyev　was　stunned。
〃The　Operational　Maneuver　Groups　are　to　remain　intact　until　the　breakthrough　is　achieved。　Orders　from　Moscow。〃
〃One　more　regiment　will　do　it。　The　objective　is　in　sight！　We've　chewed　up　one　motor　rifle　division　to　get　this　far；　and　lost　half　the　strength　of　another。　We　can　win　this　battle　and　get　the　first　major　rupture　in　NATO　lines…but　we　have　to　act　now！〃
〃You're　certain？〃
〃Yes；　but　we　must　move　fast。　The　Germans　must　realize　how　close　this　battle　has　bee。　They'll　try　to　reinforce　also。　The　lead　regiment　from　30th　Guards　Tank　Division　is　one　hour　from　the　front。　If　we　can　get　them　moving　within　thirty　minutes；　they'll　be　part　of　the　next　attack。　In　fact；　we　should　move　the　whole　division　up。　This　opportunity　will　not　last　long。〃
〃Very　well。　I'll　call　STAVKA　for　permission。〃
Alekseyev　leaned　back　and　closed　his　eyes。　The　Soviet　mand　structure：　to　deviate　from　the　Plan；　even　a　Theater　mander　had　to　get　permission！　It　took　over　an　hour　while　the　staff　geniuses　in　Moscow　examined　the　maps。　The　lead　regiment　of　30th　Guards　was　released　and　ordered　to　join　the　motor…rifle　division　in　the　next　attack。　But　they　were　late；　and　the　attack　was　delayed　ninety　minutes。

Second　Lieutenant　Terry　Mackall…he　still　wore　his　stripes　and　was　too　tired　to　care　about　his　change　in　rank…wondered　how　seriously　mand　was　taking　this　little　tank　battle。　Two　battalions　of　German　regulars　arrived　in　tracked　vehicles；　relieving　the　exhausted　Landwehr　men；　who　moved　back　to　prepare　defensive　positions　in　and　around　the　village　to　their　rear。　A　pany　of　Leopard　tanks　and　two　platoons　of　M…1s　reinforced　the　position；　with　a　German　colonel　in　overall　mand　。　He　arrived　by　helicopter　and　surveyed　all　the　defensive　positions。　A　tough…looking　little　bastard；　Mackall　thought；　with　some　bandages　on　his　face　and　a　tight　unsmiling　mouth。　Mackall　remembered　that　if　Ivan　broke　through　here；　he　just　might　be　able　to　flank　the　German　and　British　forces　that　had　stopped　the　Russians'　deepest　penetration　at　the　suburbs　of　Hannover。　That　made　the　battle　important　to　the　Germans。
The　German　Leopards　took　the　frontal　positions；　relieving　the　Americans。　It　was　a　full　troop　now；　back　to　fourteen　vehicles。　The　troop　mander　split　the　force　into　two　parts；　with　Mackall　manding　the　southern　group。　They　found　the　last　line　of　dug　shelters；　just　southeast　of　the　village。　Mackall　arrayed　his　newly　assigned　mand　with　care；　checking　each　position　on　foot　and　conferring　with　each　tank　mander。　The　Germans　were　thorough　enough。　Any　position　that　did　not　already　have　natural　shrubbery　in　place　had　had　it　transplanted　in。　Nearly　all　of　the　civilians　who　lived　here　had　been　evacuated；　but　a　handful　of　people　were　unwilling　to　desert　the　homes　they'd　built。　One　of　them　brought　some　of　the　tankers　hot　food。　Mackall's　crew　didn't　have　time　to　eat　it。　The　gunner　repaired　two　loose　connectors　and　reset　the　balky　fire…control　puter。　The　loader　and　driver　worked　on　a　loose　tread。　Artillery　was　falling　around　them　before　they　finished。

Alekseyev　wanted　to　be　there。　He　had　a　telephone　link　with　the　division；　and　listened　in　on　the　division　mand　circuit。　The　colonel…Alekseyev　wanted　to　make　him　a　general　if　the　attack　succeeded…plained　that　they　had　been　forced　to　wait　too　long。　He'd　asked　for　and　gotten　a　reconnaissance　mission　over　enemy　lines。　One　of　the　aircraft　had　vanished。　The　other's　pilot　reported　movement；　but　could　not　provide　a　strength　estimate；　so　busy　had　he　been　dodging　surface…to…air　missiles。　The　colonel　feared　there　had　been　an　increase　in　enemy　strength；　but　without　hard　evidence　could　not　justify　either　a　further　delay　or　further　reinforcements。

Mackall　also　watched　from　a　distance。　The　last　row　of　hills　was　a　mile　away；　across　what　had　been　a　farm　but　was　now　covered　mostly　with　small　trees；　as　though　the　soil　had　been　exhausted。　His　forces　were　organized　in　two　three…tank　platoons。　As　mander；　his　job　was　to　lie　back　and　direct　them　by　radio。
Twenty　minutes　after　the　radio　reported　a　strong　Russian　advance；　he　began　to　see　movement。　German　personnel　carriers　began　streaming　down　the　hill；　toward　the　village。　Some　Soviet　helicopters　appeared　to　the　north；　but　this　time　a　Roland　battery　hidden　in　the　village　engaged　them；　exploding　three　before　they　retreated　out　of　sight。　Next　came　the　German　Leopard　tanks。　Mackall　counted　and　came　up　three　short。　NATO　artillery　pounded　the　hilltops；　and　Soviet　guns　dropped　shells　in　the　fields　around　the　American　tanks。　Then　the　Russians　appeared。
〃Buffalo；　all　units　hold　fire。　Repeat；　everyone　hold　fire；〃　the　troop　mander　said　over　the　radio。
Mackall　saw　that　the　retreating　Germans　were　passing　through　the　village。　So；　that's　what　that　little　Kraut　bastard　has　planned；　he　thought。　Beautiful　。　。　。

〃We　have　them　on　the　run！''　the　colonel　told　Alekseyev　over　the　mand　circuit。　On　the　map　table　in　front　of　the　General；　counters　were　moved　and　plotting　officers　made　marks　with　grease　pencils。　They　penciled　in　a　red　gap　in　the　German　lines。
The　leading　Soviet　tanks　were　now　five　hundred　meters　from　the　village；　racing　down　the　two…kilometer　gap　between　B…Troop's　tanks。　The　German　colonel　gave　his　order　to　the　American　troop　mander。
〃Buffalo；　this　is　Six…take　'em！〃　Twelve　tanks　fired　at　once　and　hit　nine　targets。
〃Woody；　look　for　antennas；〃　Mackall　ordered　his　gunner。　He　used　his　viewing　prisms　to　keep　an　eye　on　his　subordinates　as　the　gunner　traversed　right　and　searched　the　rear　Soviet　ranks。
〃There's　one！　Load　a　HEAT　round！　Target　tank。　Range　twenty…six　hundred…〃　The　tank　lurched　sideways。　The　gunner　watched　the　tracer　on　the　shell　arc　through　the　air　on　its　two…mile　path　。　。　。　〃Hit！〃
The　second　volley　from　the　M…1s　killed　eight　tanks；　then　others　began　to　explode　from　antitank　missiles　launched　out　of　the　village。　The　Russians　had　defiladed　tanks　on　their　flanks；　and　in　front　of　them　was　a　village　bristling　with　antitank　missiles：　the　German　colonel　had　set　a　moving　ambush；　and　the　pursuing　Russians　had　fallen　into　it。　Already　the　Leopards　were　sweeping　around　left　and　right　from　behind　the　village　to　catch　the　Russians　in　the　open。　The　air…control　officer　brought　his　fighter…bombers　in　on　the　Soviet　artillery　positions　yet　again。　Soviet　fighters　engaged　them；　but　while　doing　that　they　could　not　interfere　with　the　land　battle；　and　now　a　squadron　of　German　Gazelle　missile…armed　choppers　added　their　fire　into　the　killing　ground。　The　Soviet　tanks　fired　off　smoke　and　desperately　tried　to　engage　their　enemies；　but　the　Americans　were　dug　in　deep；　and　the　German　missileers　in　the　village　skillfully　changed　firing　points　after　every　shot。
Mackall　shifted　one　platoon　right　and　the　other　left。　His　own　gunner　located　and　killed　a　second　mand　tank；　then　the　Germans　enveloped　the　Russian　formation　from　north　and　south。　Still　outnumbered；　the　Germans　nevertheless　caught　the　Russians　off　balance；　raking　the　tank　column　with　their　big　120mm　gun　tubes。　The　Soviet　mander　ordered　his　helicopters　back　in　to　blast　open　an　escape　route。　They　surprised　and　killed　three　German　tanks　before　missiles　began　t