tc.redstormrising-第104部分

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　that。〃
The　modore　thought　that　one　over　briefly。　〃Okay；　I'll　keep　that　in　mind。　Gallery's　en　route　to　you。　What　other　assistance　do　you　need？〃
〃You　need　Gallery　more　than　we　do。　Just　send　us　the　tug；〃　Morris　answered。　He　knew　that　the　submarine　wouldn't　be　ing　back　to　finish　the　kill。　He'd　acplished　that　part　of　his　mission。　Next；　he'd　try　to　kill　some　merchants。
〃Roger　that。　Let　me　know　if　you　need　anything　else。　Good　luck；　Ed。〃
〃Thank　you；　sir。　Out。〃
Morris　ordered　his　helo　to　drop　a　double　ring　of　sonobuoys　around　his　ship　just　in　case。　Then　the　Sea　Sprite　found　three　men　in　the　water；　one　of　them　dead。　The　whaleboat　recovered　them；　allowing　the　helo　to　rejoin　the　convoy。　It　was　assigned　to　Gallery；　which　took　Pharris's　station　as　the　convoy　angled　south。
Below；　welders　worked　their　gear　in　waist…deep　saltwater　as　they　struggled　to　seal　off　the　breaks　in　the　frigate's　watertight　bulkheads。　The　task　lasted　nine　hours；　then　the　pumps　drained　the　water　from　the　flooded　partments。
Before　they　had　finished；　the　fleet　tug　Papago　pulled　alongside　the　frigate's　square　stem。　Chief　Clarke　supervised　as　a　stout　towing　wire　was　passed　across　and　secured。　An　hour　later；　the　tug　was　pulling　the　frigate　on　an　easterly　course　at　four　knots；　backwards　to　protect　the　damaged　bow。　Morris　ordered　his　towed…array　sonar　to　be　strung　over　the　bow；　trailing　it　out　behind　to　give　them　some　small　defense　capability。　Several　extra　lookouts　were　posted　to　watch　for　periscopes。　It　would　be　a　slow；　dangerous　trip　back　home。

28　…　Breakthroughs


STENDAL；　GERMAN　DEMOCRATIC　REPUBLIC
〃Be　careful；　Pasha。〃
〃As　always；　rade　General。〃　Alekseyev　smiled。　〃e；　Captain。〃
Sergetov　fell　in　behind　his　superior。　Unlike　during　their　previous　frontline　outing；　both　men　wore　protective　body　armor。　The　General　carried　only　a　sidearm　to　go　along　with　his　map　case；　but　the　captain　was　now　officially　a　bodyguard　in　addition　to　a　staff　officer　and　had　a　small　Czech　submachine　gun　slung　over　his　shoulder。　He　was　a　different　man　today；　the　captain　saw。　On　Alekseyev's　first　trip　to　the　front；　he'd　been　tentative；　almost　hesitant　in　manner…it　hadn't　occurred　to　the　younger　man　that；　as　senior　as　Alekseyev　was；　he　had　never　seen　bat　before　and　had　approached　this　gravest　of　contests　with　the　same　sort　of　apprehension　as　a　new　private。　No　longer。　He　had　smelled　the　smoke。　Now　he　knew　how　things　worked　or　didn't　work。　The　change　was　remarkable。　His　father　was　right；　Sergetov　thought；　he　was　a　man　to　be　reckoned　with。　They　were　joined　in　their　helicopter　by　an　Air　Force　colonel。　The　Mi…24　lifted　off　in　darkness；　its　fighter　escort　overhead。

LAMMERSDORF；　FEDERAL　REPUBLIC　OF　GERMANY
Not　many　people　appreciated　the　importance　of　the　videocassette　recorder。　A　useful　convenience　for　the　home；　to　be　sure；　but　not　until　a　captain　in　the　Royal　Dutch　Air　Force　had　demonstrated　a　bright　idea　two　years　before　had　its　battlefield　utility　been　proven　in　secret　exercises　first　in　Germany；　then　in　the　Western　United　States。
NATO　radar　surveillance　aircraft　kept　their　customary　positions　high　over　the　Rhein。　The　E…3A　Sentry　aircraft；　better　known　as　AWACS；　and　the　smaller；　lesser…known　TR…1；　flew　their　missions　in　boring　circles　or　straight　lines　far　behind　the　fighting　front。　They　had　similar　but　different　functions。　The　AWACS　was　mainly　concerned　with　air　traffic。　The　TR…1；　an　upgraded　version　of　the　venerable　U…2；　looked　for　vehicles　on　the　ground。　Initially　the　TR…1　had　been　something　of　a　failure。　Because　it　tracked　too　many　targets；　many　of　them　immobile　radar　reflectors　set　everywhere　by　the　Soviets；　the　NATO　manders　had　been　deluged　with　information　that　was　too　disordered　to　use。　Then　came　the　VCR。　All　the　data　relayed　from　the　aircraft　was　recorded　on　videotape　anyway　since　it　was　a　convenient　medium　for　data　storage；　but　the　VCRs　built　into　the　NATO　system　possessed　only　a　few　operating　features。　The　Dutch　captain　thought　to　bring　his　personal　machine　into　his　office；　and　demonstrated　how　by　using　fast　forward　and　fast　reverse；　the　radar　data　could　be　used　to　show　not　only　where　things　were　going；　but　also　where　they　had　e　from　puter　support　made　the　task　easier　by　eliminating　items　that　moved　no　more　than　once　every　two　hours…thus　erasing　the　Russian　radar　lures…and　there　it　was；　a　brand…new　intelligence　tool。
With　several　copies　made　of　each　tape；　a　staff　of　over　a　hundred　intelligence　and　traffic…control　experts　examined　the　data　round　the　clock。　Some　engaged　in　straight　tactical　intelligence。　Others　looked　for　patterns。　A　large　number　of　trucks　moving　at　night　to　and　from　front…fine　units　could　only　mean　shuttle　runs　to　fuel　and　ammunition　dumps。　A　number　of　vehicles　breaking　away　from　a　divisional　convoy　and　deploying　in　line　parallel　to　the　front　meant　artillery　preparing　for　an　attack。　The　real　trick；　they　had　learned；　was　to　get　the　data　to　the　forward　manders　quickly　enough　so　they　could　make　use　of　it。
At　Lammersdorf；　a　Belgian　lieutenant　was　just　finishing　up　a　tape　that　was　six　hours　old；　and　his　report　was　sent　by　land　line　to　the　forward　NATO　manders。　At　least　three　divisions　had　been　moved　north　and　south　on　Autobahn…7；　he　reported。　The　Soviets　would　attack　at　Bad　Salzdetfurth　in　strength；　sooner　than　expected。　Immediately；　reserve　units　from　the　Belgian；　German；　and　American　armies　were　rushed　forward；　and　allied　air　units　alerted　for　a　major　land　action。　Fighting　in　this　sector　had　been　vicious　enough　already。　The　German　forces　covering　the　area　south　of　Hannover　were　at　less　than　50…percent　strength；　and　the　battle　that　had　not　yet　begun　was　already　a　race；　as　both　sides　tried　to　get　reserves　to　the　point　of　attack　before　the　other。

HOLLE；　FEDERAL　REPUBLIC　OF　GERMANY
〃Thirty　minutes；〃　Alekseyev　told　Sergetov。　Four　motor…rifle　divisions　were　on　line；　covering　a　front　of　less　than　twenty　kilometers。　Behind　them　a　tank　division　waited　to　exploit　the　first　breach　in　German　lines。　The　objective　was　the　town　of　Alfeld　on　the　Leine　River。　The　town　manded　two　roads　being　used　by　NATO　to　shuttle　units　and　supplies　north　and　south；　and　its　capture　would　open　a　breach　in　the　NATO　lines；　allowing　the　Soviet　operational/maneuver　groups　to　burst　into　NATO's　rear。
〃rade　General；　how　are　things　progressing　in　your　opinion？〃　the　captain　asked　quietly。
〃Ask　me　in　a　few　hours；〃　the　General　answered。　The　river　valley　to　his　rear　was　yet　another　wasteland　of　men　and　arms。　They　were　only　thirty　kilometers　from　the　border…and　the　Red　Army's　tanks　had　been　expected　to　reach　Holle　in　only　two　days。　Alekseyev　frowned；　wondering　what　staff　genius　had　e　up　with　that　timetable。　Again　the　human　factor　had　been　overlooked。　The　morale　and　fighting　spirit　of　the　Germans　was　like　nothing　he　had　ever　seen。　He　remembered　his　father's　stories　of　the　battles　across　the　Ukraine　and　Poland；　but　he　had　never　quite　believed　them。　He　believed　them　now。　The　Germans　contested　every　lump　of　dirt　in　their　country　like　wolves　defending　their　cubs；　retreating　only　when　they　were　forced　to；　counterattacking　at　every　opportunity；　draining　the　blood　from　the　advancing　Russian　units　as　they　brought　every　weapon　they　had　to　bear。
Soviet　doctrine　had　predicted　heavy　losses。　The　battle　of　movement　could　be　achieved　only　by　costly　frontal　assault　which　first　had　to　blast　a　hole　in　the　front　lines…but　the　NATO　armies　were　denying　that　hole　to　the　Soviets。　Their　sophisticated　weapons；　firing　from　safe；　prepared　positions；　were　ripping　through　each　attack　wave。　Their　aircraft　attacks　in　the　Soviet　rear　sapped　the　strength　of　units　before　they　could　be　mitted　to　decisive　battle　and　played　hob　with　artillery　support　despite　the　most　careful　deceptive　measures。
The　Red　Army　was　moving　forward；　Alekseyev　reminded　himself；　and　NATO　was　paying　its　own　price。　Their　reserves　were　also　being　thinned　out。　The　German　forces　were　not　using　their　mobility　as　Alekseyev　would　have；　too　often　tying　themselves　to　geographic　locations　instead　of　fighting　the　Soviet　forces　on　the　move。　Of　course；　the　General　thought；　they　didn't　have　very　much　terrain　to　trade　for　time。　He　checked　his　watch。
A　sheet　of　flame　rose　from　the　forests　below　him　as　Russian　artillery　began　its　preparatory　bombardment。　Next　came　the　multiple…rocket　l