tc.redstormrising-第96节

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Alekseyev　raced　outside　to　see　a　dozen　burning　armored　vehicles。　As　he　watched；　the　crew　bailed　out　of　a　brand…new　T…80　tank。　An　instant　later　the　vehicle　brewed　up：　a　fire　swept　through　the　ammunition　racks　inside　and　a　pillar　of　flame　rose　toward　the　sky　as　from　a　small　volcano。
〃The　general　is　dead…the　General　is　dead！〃　a　sergeant　shouted。　He　pointed　to　a　BMD　infantry　carrier　from　which　no　one　had　escaped　alive。
Alekseyev　found　the　mander　of　the　8th　Guards　Army　cursing　beside　him。　〃The　assistant　mander　of　that　tank　division　is　a　new　colonel。〃
Pavel　Leonidovich　reached　a　quick　and　convenient　decision。　〃No；　rade　General。　What　about　me？〃
Startled；　the　mander　stared　at　him；　then　remembered　Alekseyev's　reputation　as　a　tank　mander；　and　his　father's。　He　made　a　quick　decision　of　his　own。　〃Twentieth　Tanks　is　yours。　You　know　the　mission。〃
Another　infantry　assault　carrier　rolled　up。　Alekseyev　and　Sergetov　boarded　it；　and　the　driver　sped　off　toward　the　divisional　mand　post。　It　took　half　an　hour　before　they　stopped。　Alekseyev　saw　rows　of　tanks　parked　inside　the　treeline。　Allied　artillery　was　falling　close　by；　but　he　ignored　it。　His　regimental　manders　were　grouped　together。　The　General　quickly　gave　orders　for　objective　and　timing。　It　spoke　well　of　the　General　not　dead　an　hour　that　everyone　here　knew　his　mission。　The　division　was　finely　organized；　with　every　part　of　the　assault　plan　already　firmed　up。　Alekseyev　saw　at　once　that　he　had　a　good　battle　staff。　He　set　them　to　work　as　his　unit　manders　rejoined　their　regiments。
His　first　battle　headquarters　was　fittingly　in　the　shade　of　a　tall　tree。　His　father　could　have　wished　for　no　better。　Alekseyev　smiled。　He　found　his　divisional　intelligence　officer。　〃What's　the　situation？〃
〃A　battalion　of　German　tanks　is　counterattacking　on　this　road　leading　east　from　Sack。　They　should　be　contained；　and　in　any　case　our　vehicles　are　moving　southwest　behind　them。　The　lead　motor…rifle　troops　are　just　inside　the　town；　and　report　only　minor　resistance。　Our　leading　elements　are　now　moving　and　should　be　there　within　the　hour。〃
〃Air　Defense　Officer？〃
〃SAMs　and　mobile　antiaircraft　guns　are　just　behind　the　leading　echelons。　We　also　have　friendly　air　cover。　Two　regiments　of　MiG…21s　are　on　call　for　air　defense；　but　we　haven't　had　any　ground…attack　fighters　assigned　yet。　They　took　a　beating　this　morning…but　so　did　the　other　side。　We　killed　twelve　NATO　aircraft　before　noon。〃
Alekseyev　nodded；　dividing　that　number　by　three；　as　he　had　learned。
〃Excuse　me；　rade　General。　I　am　Colonel　Popov；　your　divisional　political　officer。〃
〃Fine；　rade　Colonel。　My　Party　dues　are　paid　to　the　end　of　the　year；　and　with　luck　I　will　live　to　pay　them　again。　If　you　have　something　important　to　say；　be　quick！〃　If　there　was　anything　Alekseyev　didn't　need　now；　it　was　a　zampolitl
〃After　we　capture　Alfeld…〃
〃If　we　capture　Alfeld　I　will　let　you　have　the　keys　to　the　city。　For　the　present；　let　me　do　my　job。　Dismissed！〃　Probably　wanted　permission　to　shoot　suspected　fascists。　As　a　four…star　general；　Alekseyev　could　not　ignore　political　officers；　but　at　least　he　could　ignore　those　under　the　rank　of　general。　He　walked　over　to　the　tactical　maps。　On　one　side　as　before；　lieutenants　showed　the　advance　of　his…his！…units。　On　the　other；　intelligence　officers　were　assembling　what　data　they　had　on　enemy　opposition。　He　grabbed　the　shoulder　of　his　operations　officer。
〃I　want　that　lead　regiment　right　behind　the　motor…rifle　troops。　If　they　need　some　help；　give　it　to　them。　I　want　this　breakthrough　and　I　want　it　today。　What　artillery　do　we　have　set　up？〃
〃Two　battalions　of　heavy　guns　are　ready　now。〃
〃Good。　If　those　infantry　have　targets　for　them；　find　out；　and　let's　start　hitting　them　now。　This　is　not　a　time　for　finesse。　NATO　knows　we're　here；　and　our　worst　enemy　is　time。　Time　works　for　them；　not　for　us。〃　The　operations　officer　and　artillery　mander　got　together；　and　two　minutes　later　his　152mm　guns　were　delivering　fire　to　the　front。　He'd　have　to　have　a　medal　awarded　to　the　dead　mander　of　20th　Tanks；　Alekseyev　decided；　the　man　deserved　a　reward　of　some　kind　for　the　training　he　saw　evident　in　this　staff。
〃Enemy　air　attack　in　progress；〃　a　plotting　officer　said。
〃Enemy　tanks　emerging　from　woods　east　of　Sack；　estimate　battalion　strength。　Heavy　artillery　fire　supporting　the　Germans。〃
He　had　to　trust　his　colonels　now；　Alekseyev　knew。　The　time　at　which　a　general　could　observe　the　entire　battle　and　control　it　was　long　past。　His　staff　officers　made　their　little　marks　on　the　map。　The　Germans　should　have　waited；　the　General　thought；　they　should　have　let　the　division　spearhead　go　through；　then　attack　the　division　supply　column。　That　was　foolish；　the　first　time　he　had　seen　a　German　mander　make　a　tactical　error。　Probably　a　junior　officer　who　had　relieved　a　dead　or　wounded　superior；　or　perhaps　a　man　whose　home　was　nearby。　Whatever　the　reason；　it　was　a　mistake　and　Alekseyev　was　profiting　by　it。　His　leading　two　tank　regiments　took　losses；　but　they　smashed　the　German　counterattack　in　ten　furious　minutes。
〃Two　kilometers…leading　elements　now　two　kilometers　from　Sack。　Opposition　from　artillery　only。　Friendly　units　are　in　sight。　Infantry　troops　in　Sack　report　minor　resistance　only。　The　town　is　nearly　clear。　Forward　scouts　report　the　road　to　Alfeld　is　open！〃
〃Bypass　Sack；〃　Alekseyev　ordered。　〃The　objective　is　Alfeld　on　the　Leine。〃

ALFELD；　FEDERAL　REPUBLIC　OF　GERMANY
It　was　a　scratch　team。　American　mechanized　infantrymen　and　the　lead　tank　squadron　of　an　advancing　British　brigade　reinforced　the　remains　of　Germans　and　Belgians　who　had　been　crushed　by　five　Soviet　divisions　that　day。　There　was　little　time。　bat　engineers　worked　furiously　with　their　armored　bulldozers　to　scrape　shelters　for　the　tanks　while　infantrymen　dug　holes　for　their　antitank　weapons。　A　cloud　of　dust　on　the　horizon　was　all　the　warning　they　needed。　A　division　of　tanks　was　reported　heading　their　way；　and　the　civilians　had　not　entirely　evacuated　the　town　behind　them。　Twenty　miles　behind　them；　a　squadron　of　ground…attack　aircraft　circled；　waiting　for　the　call…down　signal。
〃Enemy　in　sight！〃　a　lookout　on　a　church　steeple　radioed。　In　seconds　artillery　fire　lashed　at　the　leading　Soviet　columns。　Antitank…missile　crew　popped　the　covers　off　their　targeting　scopes　and　loaded　the　first　weapons　of　what　promised　to　be　a　long　afternoon。　The　Challenger　tanks　of　3rd　Royal　Tank　Regiment　settled　into　their　holes；　hatches　shut　tight　as　the　gunners　zeroed　their　sights　on　distant　targets。　Things　were　too　confused　and　there　had　not　been　enough　time　to　establish　a　firm　chain　of　mand　here。　An　American　was　first　to　fire。　The　TOW…2　missile　sped　downrange　its　control　wires　trailing　out　behind　like　a　spider's　web　as　it　reached　four　kilometers　to　a　T…80　tank。
〃Advanced　elements　are　now　under　fire　from　enemy　missile　teams；〃　reported　a　plotting　officer。
〃Flatten　them！〃　Alekseyev　ordered　his　artillery　mander。　Within　a　minute　the　division's　multiple…rocket　launchers　were　filling　the　sky　with　trails　of　fire。　Tube　artillery　fire　added　to　the　carnage　at　the　battle　line　Then　NATO　artillery　joined　the　fray　in　earnest。
〃Lead　regiment　is　taking　losses。〃
Alekseyev　watched　the　map　in　silence。　There　was　no　room　for　deceptive　maneuver　here；　nor　was　there　time。　His　men　had　to　race　through　the　enemy　lines　as　quickly　as　possible　in　order　to　seize　the　bridges　on　the　Leine。　That　meant　that　his　leading　tank　crews　would　suffer　heavily。　The　breakthrough　would　have　its　own　heavy　price；　but　the　price　had　to　be　paid。
Twelve　Belgian　F…16　fighters　swept　in　low　over　the　front　at　five　hundred　knots；　dropping　tons　of　cluster　munitions　on　the　lead　Soviet　regiment；　killing　nearly　thirty　tanks　and　a　score　of　infantry　carriers　less　than　a　kilometer　from　the　allied　lines。　A　swarm　of　missiles　rose　into　the　sky　after　them；　and　the　single…engine　fighters　turned　west；　skimming　over　the　ground　in　their　attempt　to　evade。　Three　were　smashed　to　the　ground；　and　fell　among　the　NATO　troops；　adding　to　the　carnage　already　created　by　Soviet　fire。　The　mander　of　the　British　tanks　saw　that　he　lacked　the　firepower　to　stop　the　Soviet　attack。　There　just　wasn't　enough。　It　was　time　to　leave　while　his　battalion　was　still　able　to　fight。　He　alerted　his　panies　to　be　ready　to　pull　out　and　tried　to　get　the　word　to　neighboring　units。　But　the　troops　around　Alfeld　came　from　four　different　armies；　with　separate　languages　and　radio　settings。　There　hadn't　been　time　to　establish　exactly　who　was　in　overall　mand。　The　Germans　didn't　want　to　leave。　The　town　had　not　yet　been　fully　evacuated；　and　the　German　troops　would　not　desert　their　positions　until　their　countrymen　were　safely　across　the　river。　The　Americans　and　Belgians　began　to　move　when　the　British　colonel　told　them　to；　but　not　the　Germans；　and　the　result　was　chaos　within　the　NATO　lines。
〃Forward　observers　report　enemy　units　moving　back　on　the　right；　repeat；　enemy　units　appear　to　be　disengaging　on　the　northern　side　of　the　town。〃
〃Move　the　second　regiment　north；　loop　around　and　head　for　the　bridges；　fast　as　they　can。　Disregard　losses　and　charge　for　those　damned　bridges！　Operations　Officer；　keep　pressure　on　all　enemy　units。　We　want　to　trap　them　on　this　side　and　finish　them　if　we　can；〃　Alekseyev　ordered。　〃Sergetov；　e　with　me。　I　have　to　go　forward。〃
The　attack　had