tc.redstormrising-第105章

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A　sheet　of　flame　rose　from　the　forests　below　him　as　Russian　artillery　began　its　preparatory　bombardment。　Next　came　the　multiple…rocket　launchers；　and　the　morning　sky　was　alight　with　streaks　of　fire。　Alekseyev　turned　his　binoculars　downrange。　In　a　few　seconds　he　saw　the　orange…white　explosions　of　the　rounds　as　they　impacted　on　NATO　lines。　He　was　too　far　from　the　fighting　front　to　see　any　detail；　but　an　area　that　had　to　be　many　kilometers　across；　lit　up　like　the　neon　signs　so　popular　in　the　West。　There　was　a　roar　overhead；　and　the　General　saw　the　leading　elements　of　the　ground…attack　fighters　racing　to　the　front。
〃Thank　you；　rade　General；〃　Alekseyev　breathed。　He　counted　at　least　thirty　Sukhoi　and　MiG　fighter…bombers；　all　hugging　the　ground　as　they　headed　toward　the　battle　line。　His　face　crinkled　into　a　determined　smile　as　he　walked　into　the　mand　bunker。
〃The　lead　elements　are　moving　now；〃　a　colonel　announced。　On　a　table　made　of　rough　planks　laid　across　sawhorses；　grease　pencil　marks　were　made　on　the　tactical　maps。　Red　arrows　began　their　march　toward　a　series　of　blue　lines。　The　plotters　were　all　lieutenants；　and　each　wore　a　telephone　headset　linked　to　a　specific　regimental　headquarters。　The　officers　connected　to　reserve　units　stood　away　from　the　table；　puffing　on　their　cigarettes　as　they　watched　the　march　of　the　arrows。　Behind　them　the　mander　of　8th　Guards　Army　stood　quietly；　watching　his　plan　of　attack　unfold。
〃Meeting　moderate　resistance。　Enemy　artillery　and　tank　fire　is　being　encountered；〃　a　lieutenant　said。
Explosions　rocked　the　mand　bunker。　Two　kilometers　away；　a　flight　of　German　Phantoms　had　just　torn　into　a　battalion　of　mobile　guns。
〃Enemy　fighters　overhead；〃　the　air　defense　officer　said　belatedly。　A　few　eyes　looked　apprehensively　up　at　the　log　ceiling　of　the　bunker。　Alekseyev's　didn't　join　them。　A　NATO　smart…bomb　would　kill　them　all　in　a　blink。　Much　as　he　enjoyed　his　post　as　deputy　mander　of　the　theater；　he　wished　himself　back　to　the　days　when　he　had　manded　a　fighting　division。　Here　he　was　only　an　observer；　and　he　felt　the　need　to　have　the　reins　in　his　own　two　hands。
〃Artillery　reports　heavy　counterbattery　fire　and　air　attacks。　Our　missiles　are　engaging　enemy　aircraft　in　the　57th　Motor…Rifle　Division's　rear　area；〃　the　air　defense　officer　went　on。　〃Heavy　air　activity　over　the　front。〃
〃Our　fighters　are　engaging　NATO　aircraft；〃　the　Frontal　Aviation　officer　reported。　He　looked　up　angrily。　〃Friendly　SAMs　are　shooting　down　our　fighters！〃
〃Air　Defense　Officer！〃　Alekseyev　shouted。　〃Tell　your　units　to　identify　their　targets！〃
〃We　have　fifty　aircraft　over　the　front。　We　can　handle　the　NATO　fighters　alone！〃　the　aviator　insisted。
〃Tell　all　SAM　batteries　to　hold　fire　on　all　targets　above　one　thousand　meters；〃　Alekseyev　ordered。　He　had　discussed　this　with　his　Frontal　Aviation　mander　the　night　before。　The　MiG　pilots　were　to　stay　high　after　making　their　own　attack　runs；　leaving　the　missile　and　gun　batteries　free　to　engage　only　those　NATO　aircraft　that　were　an　immediate　threat　to　ground　units。　Why　were　his　own　planes　getting　hit？
Thirty　thousand　feet　over　the　Rhein；　two　NATO　E…3A　radar　aircraft　fought　for　their　fives。　A　determined　Soviet　attack　was　under　way；　two　regiments　of　MiG…23　interceptors　rocketing　through　the　sky　toward　them。　The　on…board　controllers　were　calling　for　help。　This　both　distracted　them　from　countering　the　attack；　and　stripped　fighters　from　other　missions。　Heedless　of　their　own　safety；　the　Russians　came　west　at　over　a　thousand　miles　per　hour　with　heavy　jamming　support。　American　F…15　Eagles　and　French　Mirage　jets　converged　on　the　threat；　filling　the　sky　with　missiles。　It　was　not　enough。　When　the　MiGs　got　to　within　sixty　miles；　the　AWACS　aircraft　shut　down　their　radars　and　dove　for　the　ground　to　evade　the　attack。　The　NATO　fighters　over　Bad　Salzdetfurth　were　on　their　own。　For　the　first　time　the　Soviets　had　achieved　air　superiority　over　a　major　battlefield。
〃Hundred…forty…third　Guards　Rifle　Regiment　reports　they　have　broken　through　German　lines；〃　a　lieutenant　said。　He　didn't　look　up；　but　extended　the　arrow　for　which　he　was　responsible。　〃Enemy　units　retreating　in　disarray。〃
〃Hundred…forty…fifth　Guards　checking　in；〃　reported　the　plotting　officer　next　to　him。　〃The　first　line　of　German　resistance　has　collapsed。　Proceeding　south　along　the　axis　of　the　rail　line　。　。　。　enemy　units　are　on　the　run。　They　are　not　regrouping；　not　attempting　to　turn。〃
The　general　manding　8th　Guards　Army　gave　Alekseyev　a　triumphant　look。　〃Get　that　tank　division　moving！〃
The　two　understrength　German　brigades　covering　this　sector　had　suffered　too　much；　been　called　upon　to　stop　too　many　attacks。　Their　men　spent；　their　weapons　depleted；　they　had　no　choice　but　to　run　from　the　enemy；　hoping　to　form　a　new　line　in　the　woods　behind　Highway　243。　At　Hackenstedt；　four　kilometers　away；　20th　Guards　Tank　Division　started　moving　down　the　road。　Its　three　hundred　T…80　main　battle　tanks；　supported　by　several　hundred　more　infantry　assault　carriers；　spread　left　and　right　of　the　secondary　road　and　formed　its　attack　formation　in　columns　of　regiments。　The　20th　Tanks　was　the　operation/maneuver　group　for　8th　Guards　Army。　Since　the　war　had　begun；　the　Soviet　Army　had　been　trying　to　break　one　of　these　powerful　units　into　the　NATO　rear。　It　was　now　possible。
〃Well　done；　rade　General；〃　Alekseyev　said。　The　plotting　table　showed　a　general　breakthrough。　Three　of　the　four　attacking　motor…rifle　divisions　had　broken　through　the　German　lines。
The　MiGs　succeeded　in　killing　one　of　the　AWACS　aircraft　and　three　Eagle　fighters；　at　the　price　of　nineteen　of　their　own；　in　a　furious　air　battle　that　lasted　fifteen　minutes。　The　surviving　AWACS　was　back　at　altitude　now；　eighty　miles　behind　the　Rhein；　and　its　radar　operators　were　working　to　reestablish　control　of　the　air　battle　over　central　Germany　as　the　MiGs　ran　for　home　through　a　cloud　of　NATO　surface…to…air　missiles。　At　murderous　cost　they　had　acplished　a　mission　for　which　they　had　not　even　been　briefed。
But　this　was　only　the　beginning。　Now　that　the　initial　attack　had　succeeded；　the　most　difficult　part　of　the　battle　was　under　way。　The　generals　and　colonels　manding　the　attack　had　to　move　their　units　forward　rapidly；　careful　to　keep　the　formations　intact　as　they　leapfrogged　their　artillery　southwest　to　provide　continuous　support　for　the　advancing　regiments。　The　tank　division　had　the　highest　priority。　It　had　to　hit　the　next　set　of　German　lines　only　minutes　behind　the　motor…rifle　troops；　in　order　to　reach　Alfeld　before　nightfall。　Units　of　the　field　police　established　preplanned　traffic…control　points；　and　directed　units　down　roads　whose　marker　signs　had　been　removed　by　the　Germans…of　course。　The　process　was　not　as　easy　as　might　have　been　expected。　Units　were　not　intact。　Some　manders　were　dead；　vehicles　had　broken　down；　and　damaged　roads　slowed　traffic　well　below　normal　rates　of　advance。
For　their　part　the　German　troops　were　trying　to　reorganize。　Rear　guard　units　lingered　behind　every　turn　in　the　road；　pausing　to　loose　their　antitank　missiles　at　the　hard…charging　Soviet　advance　guard；　which　took　a　particularly　heavy　toll　of　unit　manders。　Allied　aircraft　were　reorganizing　also；　and　low…level　attack　fighters　began　to　engage　the　Soviet　units　in　the　open。
Behind　the　sundered　battle　line　a　German　tank　brigade　rolled　into　Alfeld；　with　a　Belgian　motorized　regiment　ten　minutes　behind。　The　Germans　proceeded　northeast　on　the　main　road；　watched　by　citizens　who　had　just　been　ordered　to　evacuate　their　homes。

FASLANE；　SCOTLAND
〃No　luck；　eh？〃　asked　Todd　Simms；　mander　of　USS　Boston。
〃None；〃　McCafferty　confirmed。　Even　the　trip　into　Faslane　had　been　unlucky。　The　guard　ship　for　the　safe…transit　corridor；　HMS　Osiris；　had　gotten　into　attack　position　without　their　having　detected　her。　Had　that　Brit　diesel　sub　been　a　Russian；　McCafferty　could　very　well　be　dead　now。　〃We　had　our　big　chance　against　that　amphibious　group。　Things　were　going　perfect；　y'know？　The　Russians　had　their　sonobuoy　lines　out；　and　we　beat　them　clean；　just　about　had　our　targets　lined　up　for　the　missile　attack…I　figured　we'd　hit　with　our　missiles　first；　then　go　in　with　torpedoes…〃
〃Sounds　good　to　me；〃　Simms　agreed。
〃And　somebody　else　launches　his　own　torpedo　attack。　Screwed　everything　up。　We　lof