tc.redstormrising-第72章

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USS　PHARRIS
The　convoy　had　scattered。　Toland　looked　at　the　radar　display；　an　expanding　ring　of　ships；　now　beginning　to　turn　back　east　to　reassemble。　One　merchantman　had　been　sunk；　another　badly　damaged　and　limping　west。　Three　frigates　were　trying　to　locate　the　submarine　that　had　done　the　damage。　Gallery　had　gotten　a　possible　contact　and　fired　a　torpedo　at　it；　without　result。　Four　helicopters　were　dropping　sonobuoys　in　hope　of　reacquiring　it；　and　a　half…dozen　sonars　were　pinging　away；　but　so　far　it　looked　as　though　the　submarine　had　evaded　the　angry　escorts。
〃That　was　a　beautiful　approach；〃　the　tactical　action　officer　observed　grudgingly。　〃His　only　goof　was　hitting　the　back　end　of　the　convoy。〃
〃His　fire　control　wasn't　all　that　great；〃　Morris　said。　〃They　say　they　had　sonar　readings　on　five　fish。　Figure　three　targets。　Two　hits　for　a　kill　on　one；　and　a　scratch　hit　on　another　for　damage。　The　other　was　a　clean　miss。　Not　a　bad　afternoon's　work。　What's　he　doing　now；　people？〃
〃How　much　you　want　to　bet　it's　an　old　nuc　boat？〃　TAO　asked。　〃Their　fire…control　systems　aren't　up　to　current　standards；　and　they　can't　run　very　fast　and　still　stay　covert。　He　just　barely　made　the　intercept；　and　bit　off　two　ships。　When　they　scattered　he　didn't　have　the　speed　to　pursue　without　advertising　his　position；　and　he's　too　smart　for　that。〃
〃Then　what　did　he　do？〃　ASW　asked。
〃He　was　in　close　when　he　launched。　Ducked　inside　the　convoy　and　went　deep。　Used　the　noise　from　the　thundering　herd　to　mask　himself；　then　motored　off　clear　。　。　。〃
〃North。〃　Morris　bent　over　the　display。　〃Most　of　the　merchies　went　northeast　when　the　scatter　order　went　out。　He　probably　went　north　to　trail；　and　maybe　hope　to　get　another　shot　in　later。　What　do　you　think　we're　up　against？〃
〃Intel　says　this　area　had　three　Foxtrots　and　a　November；　plus　maybe　another　nuc。　The　one　we　killed　was　probably　a　Fox。　Doesn't　have　the　speed　to　trail　the　convoy。〃　The　ASW　officer　looked　up。　〃But　a　November　would。　We're　not　up　against　a　new　nuc。　He'd　still　be　shooting。　Call　it　a　November。〃
〃Okay；　say　he　came　north　at　six　or　seven　knots；　then　turned　east　hoping　to　pick　us　up　again　tomorrow；　say。　Where　would　he　be？〃
〃Right　now　。　。　。　here；　sir；〃　ASW　said。　He　pointed　to　a　spot　fifteen　miles　aft　of　the　frigate。　〃We　can't　go　back　after　him。〃
〃No；　but　we　can　listen　for　him　if　he　tries　to　play　catchup。〃　Morris　thought　hard。　The　convoy　would　be　altering　base　course　to　one…two…zero　on　the　hour　to　head　farther　south；　away　from　the　suddenly　increased　threat　of　Soviet　long…range　bombers。　More　time　would　be　needed　for　them　to　re…form　and　establish　proper　stations。　That　would　allow　the　submarine　to　cut　the　corner　and　close　the　target。　With　all　the　zigzagging　the　merchies　were　doing；　their　effective　speed　of　advance　was　only　about　sixteen　knots；　and　a　November　might　try　to　catch　up　with　that。　〃I　want　the　operators　to　pay　particular　attention　to　this　sector。　Our　friend　just　might　be　back。〃
〃Call　in　a　P…3？〃　TAO　wondered。
Morris　shook　his　head。　〃They　want　to　keep　station　forward。　The　main　threat　is　still　ahead　of　us。　Us　'cans　have　to　worry　about　the　trailers；　until　we　get　a　hot　contact；　anyway。　I　think　this　guy　will　trail；　and　he　might　try　and　get　off　a　contact　report。〃

KIEV；　THE　UKRAINE
〃Good　news；〃　the　naval　officer　said。　〃Our　bombers　report　sinking　three　aviation　ships；　two　cruisers；　and　two　destroyers。〃
Alekseyev　and　his　boss　exchanged　a　look：　their　colleagues　in　blue　would　be　insufferable　now。
〃How　firm　is　that　evaluation？〃　CINC…Southwest　asked。
〃There　were　four　carrier…type　ships　photographed　before　the　attack。　The　next　satellite　pass　eight　hours　after　the　attack　showed　only　one。　Two　cruisers　and　two　destroyers　were　also　missing。　Finally　we　have　intelligence　reports　of　numerous　carrier…type　aircraft　landing　at　French　naval　air　bases　in　Brittany。　Our　submarines　were　unable　to　make　contact　with　the　formation…it　would　seem　that　one　was　sunk；　unfortunately；　but　our　first　naval　air　battle　was　a　smashing　success。　We　will　close　the　Atlantic　for　you；　rades；〃　the　captain　predicted。
〃We　may　need　it　closed；〃　Alekseyev　said　after　the　captain　left。
His　boss　grunted　agreement。　Things　in　Germany　were　not　going　well。　The　Soviet　Air　Force　had　been　hurt　even　worse　than　they　had　feared；　and　as　a　result　the　land　campaign　was　already　far　behind　schedule。　On　the　second　day　of　the　war；　the　first　day's　objectives　had　been　met　in　only　one　army's　zone；　and　that　one　was　being　heavily　counterattacked　twenty　kilometers　east　of　Hamburg。　Tank　losses　had　been　50　percent　higher　than　predicted；　and　control　of　the　air　was　in　jeopardy；　with　many　units　reporting　heavier…than…expected　air　attacks。　Only　half　of　the　Elbe　bridges　had　been　replaced　as　yet；　and　the　floating　ribbon　bridges　could　not　carry　all　the　load　of　the　highway　bridges　they　replaced。　The　NATO　armies　had　not　yet　reached　their　peak　strength。　American　reinforcements　were　still　arriving　by　air；　mating　up　with　their　pre…positioned　equipment。　The　Soviet　first　echelon　was　being　bled；　and　the　second　echelon　was　still　largely　trapped　behind　the　Elbe。

ICELAND
〃About　as　dark　as　it's　gonna　get；〃　Edwards　said。　The　light　level　was　what　meteorologists　and　sailors　called　nautical　twilight。　Visibility　was　down　to　five　hundred　yards　with　the　sun　just　below　the　northwest　horizon。　The　lieutenant　put　on　his　pack　and　rose。　His　Marines　did　the　same；　with　as　much　enthusiasm　as　a　child　on　his　way　to　school。
They　headed　down　the　shallow　slope　towards　the　Sudura　River；　more　a　fair…sized　creek；　Edwards　thought。　The　lava　field　provided　good　cover。　The　ground　was　littered　with　rocks；　some　as　much　as　three　feet　high；　a　landscape　that　broke　up　shapes　and　disguised　movement　to　the　casual　observer。　He　hoped　there　was　nothing　more　than　that　out　there。　They　had　observed　a　number　of　Soviet　patrols；　mainly　on　military　trucks　that　passed　through　the　area　at　intervals　of　about　thirty　minutes。　They　saw　no　fixed　positions。　Certainly　they　had　garrisoned　the　hydroelectric　power　station　at　Burfell；　farther　east　on　Route　1。　No　one　had　bombed　that　yet：　the　lights　were　still　bright　in　some　of　the　homes　below　them。
The　rocks　got　smaller　as　the　land　changed　to　a　grassy　meadow。　There　had　been　sheep　here　recently…the　smell　was　unmistakable　and　the　grass　was　short。　Instinctively　the　men　walked　in　a　crouch　toward　a　gravel　road。　The　houses　and　barns　here　were　spread　irregularly。　They　picked　a　spot　where　the　space　between　buildings　was　about　five　hundred　yards；　hoping　that　the　dim　light　and　their　camouflage　uniforms　would　make　them　invisible　to　any　observer。　No　one　was　about　in　the　open。　Edwards　halted　his　group　and　looked　carefully　through　his　binoculars　at　the　nearest　houses。　Lights　burned　in　some；　but　no　people　were　visible　outside。　Perhaps　the　Russians　had　imposed　a　curfew　。　。　。　meaning　that　anyone　seen　moving　might　be　shot　on　sight。　Happy　thought。
The　riverbanks　sloped　downward　sharply　about　twenty　feet　to　the　water；　and　were　covered　with　rocks　smoothed　by　years　of　erosion　at　highwater　time。　Smith　went　down　first　as　the　others　lay　with　weapons　ready　at　the　lip　of　the　south　bank。　The　sergeant　moved　slowly　at　first；　checking　the　water　depth　before　hurrying　across；　rifle　held　high　in　the　air。　Edwards　was　surprised　how　quickly　he　went　through　it；　then　up　the　far　bank。　The　sergeant　waved；　and　the　rest　of　the　men　followed。　Edwards　soon　found　out　why　the　sergeant　had　crossed　the　stream　quickly。　The　waist…deep　water　was　icy　cold；　like　most　of　the　streams　on　Iceland；　fed　by　melting　glaciers。　He　gasped　and　went　across　as　fast　as　he　could；　his　rifle　and　radio　held　above　his　head。　A　minute　later　he　was　atop　the　far　bank。
Smith　chuckled　in　the　dark。　〃I　guess　that　woke　everybody　up。〃
〃Like　to　froze　my　balls　off；　Sarge；〃　Rodgers　groused。
〃Looks　clear　ahead；〃　Edwards　said。　〃Beyond　this　meadow　is　another　creek；　then　the　main　road；　a　secondary　road；　then　up　a　hill　into　a　lava　field。　Let's　keep　moving。〃
〃Right；　Lieutenant。〃　Smith　got　to　his　feet　and　moved　off。　The　others　trailed　behind　him　at　five…yard　intervals。　The　little　bastard's　in　a　hurry；　isn't　he？
The　ground　here　was　agreeably　flat；　the　grass　as　high　as　their　boot　tops。　They　moved　rapidly；　keeping　low；　weapons　held　ready　across　their　chests　as　they　angled　slightly　east　to　avoid