tc.redstormrising-第144章

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　bearing　change。　〃Attack　sequence。〃
〃Master　Arm。〃　Ralston　ran　his　hands　across　the　buttons。　〃Torpedo　Select；　position　one。〃
〃Set　initial　search　depth　two…fifty；　course…select；　Snake。〃　Ralston　made　the　proper　settings。
〃Set。〃

〃Okay；　Willy；　get　ready　for　Yankee…search；〃　O'Malley　ordered；　meaning　a　search　using　active　sonar。
〃Ready；　sir。　Bearing　to　contact　now　two…zero…zero；　changing　right…to…left　rapidly。〃
〃Hammer　his　ass！〃　O'Malley　switched　the　sonar　signals　into　his　headset。
Willy　thumbed　the　button　and　the　sonar　transducer　fired　off　a　series　of　pings。　The　wave　fronts　of　sound　energy　reflected　off　the　submarine's　hull　and　came　back　to　the　transducer。　The　contact　suddenly　increased　engine　power。
〃Positive　contact；　bearing　one…eight…eight；　range　eight　hundred　yards。〃
Ralston　fed　the　last　numbers　into　the　fire…control　system：　〃Set！〃
The　pilot　brought　his　thumb　across　the　stick　to　a　button　on　the　right　side　and　pressed　it　home。　The　Mark…46　torpedo　dropped　free　of　its　shackles　and　plunged　into　the　sea。　〃Torp　away。〃
〃Willy；　secure　pinging。〃　O'Malley　keyed　his　radio。　〃Romeo；　we　just　dropped　on　a　diving　two…screw　submarine；　approximately　eight　hundred　yards　from　us　on　a　bearing　of　one…eight…eight。　Torpedo　is　in　the　water　now。　Stand　by。〃
The　Mark…46　torpedo　was　set　on　a　〃snake〃　pursuit　pattern；　a　series　of　undulating　curves　that　carried　it　in　a　southerly　direction。　Alerted　by　the　helicopter's　sonar；　the　Soviet　submarine　was　running　at　flank　speed　and　diving　to　evade　the　torpedo。
〃Hammer；　Romeo；　be　advised　that　Hatchet　is　en　route　to　you　in　case　your　torp　misses；　over。〃
〃Roger　that；〃　O'Malley　acknowledged。
〃It's　got　him！〃　Willy　said　excitedly。　The　torpedo　was　on　automatic　pinging　as　it　closed　with　the　submarine。　The　captain　made　a　hard　right　turn；　but　the　fish　was　too　close　to　be　fooled。
〃Hit！　That's　a　hit！〃　Willy　said　almost　as　loudly　as　the　noise　of　the　explosion。　Directly　ahead　of　them　the　surface　seemed　to　jump；　but　no　gout　of　foam　leaped　up。　The　torpedo　had　gone　off　too　deep　for　that。
〃Well；〃　O'Malley　said。　In　all　his　years　of　practice　he'd　never　fired　a　live　fish　at　a　live　sub。　The　sounds　of　the　dying　sub　seemed　the　saddest　thing　he'd　ever　heard。　Some　oil　bubbled　to　the　surface。　〃Romeo；　we're　calling　that　one　a　kill。　Tell　the　bosun　to　get　out　his　paintbrush。　We　are　now　orbiting　to　look　for　wreckage　and　possible　survivors。〃　Another　frigate　had　rescued　the　entire　crew　from　a　downed　Russian　Bear　the　previous　day。　They　were　already　on　the　mainland　for　interrogation。　But　there　would　be　none　from　this　incident。　O'Malley　circled　for　ten　minutes；　then　turned　for　home。

ICELAND
〃Beagle；　you　all　fed　and　rested？〃　Doghouse　asked。
〃I　guess　you　could　say　that。〃　Edwards　had　been　waiting　for　this；　but　now　that　it　had　e　it　sounded　ominous　enough。
〃We　want　you　to　patrol　the　southern　shore　of　the　Hvammsfj〃rdur　and　let　us　know　of　any　Russian　activity　you　see。　We　are　particularly　interested　in　the　town　of　Stykkisholmur。　That's　a　small　port　about　forty　miles　west　of　you。　As　before；　your　orders　are　to　evade；　observe；　and　report。　You　got　that？〃
〃Roger。　How　long　we　got？〃
〃I　can't　say　that；　Beagle。　I　don't　know。　You　want　to　move　right　along；　though。〃
〃Okay；　we'll　be　moving　in　ten　minutes。　Out。〃　Edwards　dismantled　the　antenna；　then　stowed　the　plete　radio　assembly　in　the　backpack。　〃People；　it's　time　to　leave　this　mountain　retreat。　Sergeant　Nichols？〃
〃Yes；　sir？〃　Nichols　and　Smith　came　over　together。
〃Were　you　briefed　on　what　we're　supposed　to　be　up　to？〃
〃No；　sir。　Our　orders　were　to　relieve　your　party　and　await　further　instructions。〃　Edwards　had　already　seen　the　sergeant's　map　case。　He　had　cards　for　the　whole　western　Icelandic　coast；　all　but　their　drop　zone　in　a　pristine　condition。　Of　course；　the　purpose　of　their　coastal　reconnaissance　was　clear　enough；　wasn't　it？　The　lieutenant　took　out　a　tactical　map　and　plotted　their　course　west。
〃Okay；　we'll　pair　off。　Sergeant　Smith；　you　take　the　point　along　with　one　of　our　new　friends。　Nichols；　you　take　Rodgers　with　you　and　cover　the　back　door。　You　both　have　a　radio；　and　I'll　take　the　third　and　keep　the　rest　of　the　party　with　me。　The　groups　stay　within　sight　of　each　other。　We　keep　to　the　high　ground　as　much　as　possible。　The　first　hard…surface　road　we　hit　is　ten　miles　west　of　here。　If　you　see　anything；　you　drop　and　report　in　to　me。　We　are　supposed　to　avoid　contact。　No　hero　crap；　okay？　Good；　we'll　move　out　in　ten　minutes。〃　Edwards　assembled　his　gear。
〃Where　we　go；　Michael？〃　Vigdis　asked。
〃Stykkisholmur；〃　he　answered。　〃You　feel　okay？〃
〃I　can　walk　with　you；　yes。〃　She　sat　down　beside　him。　〃And　when　we　get　to　Stykkisholmur？〃
Mike　smiled。　〃They　didn't　tell　me　that。〃
〃Why　they　never　tell　you　anything？〃
〃It's　called　security。　That　means　the　less　we　know；　the　better　it　is　for　us。〃
〃Stupid；〃　she　replied。　Edwards　didn't　know　how　to　explain　that　she　was　both　right　and　wrong。
〃I　think　when　we　get　there；　we　can　start　thinking　about　a　normal　life　again。〃
Her　face　changed。　〃What　is　normal　life；　Michael？〃
Another　good　question；　Edwards　thought。　But　I　have　too　much　on　my　mind　to　chew　that　one　over。　〃We'll　see。〃

STENDAL；　GERMAN　DEMOCRATIC　REPUBLIC
The　battle　for　Hameln　and　the　battle　for　Hannover　were　now　essentially　the　same　action。　Two　hours　before；　the　NATO　forces　had　withdrawn　to　the　west；　south　of　the　industrial　city；　allowing　them　to　shorten　lines　and　consolidate。　Soviet　units　were　probing　forward　cautiously；　suspicious　of　another　German　trap。　Alekseyev　and　mander…in…Chief　West　pored　over　their　maps　in　an　attempt　to　analyze　the　consequences　of　the　NATO　withdrawal。
〃It　allows　them　to　put　at　least　one；　probably　two　brigades　in　reserve；〃　Alekseyev　thought。　〃They　can　use　this　Highway　217　to　move　troops　rapidly　from　one　sector　to　another。〃
〃How　often　have　the　Germans　given　ground　voluntarily？〃　his　superior　asked。　〃They　didn't　do　this　because　they　wanted　to。　Their　lines　were　overextended。　Their　units　are　depleted。〃
〃So　are　ours。　The　Category…B　units　we're　mitting　to　battle　are　taking　losses　almost　a　third　greater　than　the　'A'　units　they　replace。　We　are　paying　dearly　for　our　advances　now。〃
〃We　have　paid　dearly　already！　If　we　fail　now　it　will　all　have　been　for　nothing。　Pasha；　we　must　attack　in　force。　This　entire　sector　is　ready　to　collapse。〃
〃rade　General；　that　is　not　my　impression。　Resistance　is　spirited。　German　morale　remains　high　despite　their　losses。　They　have　hurt　us　badly　and　they　know　it。〃　Alekseyev　had　returned　from　the　forward　mand　post　at　Folziehausen　only　three　hours　before。
〃Viewing　the　action　from　the　front　lines　is　very　useful；　Pasha；　but　it　hinders　your　ability　to　perceive　the　larger　picture。〃
Alekseyev　frowned　at　that。　〃The　larger　picture〃　was　frequently　an　illusion。　His　mander　had　told　him　that　very　thing　many　times。
〃I　want　you　to　organize　an　attack　along　this　entire　front。　NATO　formations　are　gravely　depleted。　Their　supplies　are　low；　they　have　taken　massive　casualties。　A　vigorous　attack　now　will　sunder　their　lines　on　a　fifty…kilometer　front。〃
〃We　don't　have　enough　A　units　to　attack　on　this　scale；〃　Alekseyev　objected。
〃Keep　them　in　reserve　to　exploit　the　breakthrough。　We'll　launch　the　attack　with　our　best　reserve　divisions　from　Hannover　in　the　north　to　Bodenwerder　in　the　south。〃
〃We　don't　have　the　strength　for　that；　and　it　will　use　up　too　much　fuel；〃　Alekseyev　warned。　〃If　we　have　to　attack；　I　suggest　an　assault　on　a　two…division　front　here；　south　of　Hameln。　The　units　are　in　place。　What　you　propose　is　too　ambitious。〃
〃This　is　not　a　time　for　half　measures；　Pasha！〃　CINC…West　shouted。　He'd　never　raised　his　voice　to　Alekseyev　before。　The　younger　man　found　himself　wondering　what　pressure　was　being　applied　to　his　mander；　who　calmed　down　now。　〃An　attack　along　a　single　axis　allows　a　counterattack　along　a　single　axis；〃　he　continued。　〃This　way　we　can　greatly　plicate　the　enemy's　task。　He　can't　be　strong　everywhere。　We　will　find　a　weakness；　break　out；　and　drive　our　remaining　A　units　through　to　the　Rhein。〃

USS　REUBEN　JAMES
〃Drop　now…now…now！〃　O'Malley　yelled。　The　eighth　sonobuoy　ejected　from　the　side　of　the　Seahawk；　and　the　pilot　brought　the　helicopter　around　and　headed　back　east。
O'Malley　had　already　been　up　for　three　long；　grueling　hours　this　time；　with　precious　little　to　show　for　it。