tc.redstormrising-第137部分

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tself　from　what　was　going　on　around　him。　The　announcement　over　the　loudspeaker　tore　him　away　from　Miss　July。　Immediately；　Ensign　Ralston　began　the　engine　start　sequence　while　O'Malley　scanned　the　trouble　board　for　any　mechanical　problems；　then　looked　out　the　door　to　be　sure　that　the　deck　crewmen　were　clear。
〃What　are　we　supposed　to　be　doing；　mander？〃　the　systems　operator　inquired。
〃We're　supposed　to　be　missile　bait；　Willy；〃　O'Malley　replied　amiably；　and　lifted　off。

NORTH　ATLANTIC
The　southernmost　Bear　was　within　sixty　miles　of　the　convoy；　but　didn't　yet　know　it；　nor　did　the　Americans；　since　he　was　below　the　horizon　from　Reuben　James's　radar。　The　Bear's　pilot　did　know　that　it　was　about　time　for　the　aircraft　to　climb　and　switch　on　their　own　search　radars。　But　word　hadn't　e　yet　from　the　raid　mander。　Though　there　was　no　indication　of　trouble；　the　pilot　was　worried。　His　instinct　told　him　something　strange　was　happening。　One　of　the　Bears　that　had　disappeared　last　week；　reported　tracking　a　single　American　frigate　radar…nothing　more。　Just　like　now　。　。　。　The　raid　mander　then　had　aborted　the　Backfire　mission　for　fear　of　enemy　fighter　activity；　only　to　be　dressed　down　for　supposed　cowardice。　As　was　so　often　the　case　in　bat；　the　only　data　available　were　negative。　They　knew　that　four　Bears　had　not　returned。　He　knew　that　his　raid　mander　had　not　yet　given　the　expected　order。　He　knew　there　had　not　been　any　positive　sign　of　trouble。　He　also　knew　that　he　was　not　happy。
〃Estimated　distance　to　that　American　frigate？〃　he　asked　over　his　inter。
〃One　hundred　thirty　kilometers；〃　the　navigator　answered。
Maintain　radio　silence；　the　pilot　told　himself。　Those　are　the　orders　。　。　。
〃Screw　the　orders！〃　he　said　aloud。　The　pilot　reached　down　and　flipped　on　his　radio。　〃Gull　Two　to　Gull　One；　over。〃　Nothing。　He　repeated　the　call　twice　more。
Lots　of　radio　receivers　heard　that；　and　in　less　than　a　minute　the　Bear's　position　was　plotted；　forty　miles　southeast　of　the　convoy。　A　Tomcat　dove　after　the　contact。
The　raid　mander　didn't　answer　。　。　。　he　would　have　answered；　the　pilot　told　himself。　He　would　have　answered。　The　Backfires　should　now　be　less　than　two　hundred　kilometers　away。　〃What　are　we　leading　them　into？
〃Activate　the　radar！〃　he　ordered。
Every　screen　ship　detected　the　distinctive　emissions　from　the　Big　Bulge　radar。　The　nearest　SAM…equipped　ship；　the　frigate　Groves；　immediately　energized　her　missile　radars　and　fired　a　surface…to…air　missile　at　the　oning　Bear…but　the　Tomcat　fighter　that　was　also　racing　toward　the　Bear　was　too　close。　The　frigate　shut　down　her　tracking　radar；　and　the　SMI　missile　lost　radar　lock　and　self…destructed　automatically。
Aboard　the　Bear　the　warnings　came　back　to　back；　first　surface…to…air　missile　alarm；　then　an　air…intercept　radar…and　then　the　radar　operator　acquired　the　convoy。
〃Many　ships　to　the　northwest。〃　The　radar　operator　passed　the　information　to　the　navigator；　who　worked　out　a　position　report　for　the　Backfires。　The　Bear　shut　down　her　radar　and　dove　while　the　munications　officer　broadcast　his　sighting　report。　And　then　everyone's　radars　lit　up。

USS　REUBEN　JAMES
〃There　are　the　Backfires；〃　the　tactical　action　officer　said　as　the　symbols　appeared　on　the　scope。　〃Bearing　zero…four…one；　range　one　hundred　eighty　miles。〃
On　the　bridge　the　executive　officer　was　as　nervous　as　he　would　ever　get。　In　addition　to　the　inbound　bomber　raid；　he　was　now　conning　his　ship　exactly　fifty　feet　from　the　side　of　HMS　Battleaxe　The　ships　were　so　close　together　that　on　a　radarscope　they'd　appear　as　a　single　target。　Five　miles　away；　O'Malley　and　the　helicopter　from　Battleaxe　were　also　flying　close　formation　over　the　ocean　at　twenty　knots。　Each　had　its　blip…enhance　transponder　turned　on。　Ordinarily　too　small　to　register　on　this　sort　of　radar；　the　helicopters　would　now　appear　to　be　a　ship；　something　worthy　of　a　missile　attack。

NORTH　ATLANTIC
The　air　action　now　had　all　the　elegance　of　a　saloon　fight。　The　Tomcats　on　bat　air　patrol　near　the　convoy　flew　toward　the　three　Bears；　the　first　of　which　already　had　a　missile　streaking　toward　it。　The　other　two　had　not　yet　detected　the　convoy；　and　never　would；　as　they　ran　due　east　to　get　away。　It　was　a　vain　attempt。　Propeller…driven　patrol　bombers　cannot　run　from　supersonic　fighters。
Gull　Two　died　first。　The　pilot　managed　to　get　his　contact　report　out　and　acknowledged　before　a　pair　of　Sparrow　missiles　exploded　close　aboard；　setting　his　wing　afire。　He　ordered　his　men　to　bail　out；　kept　the　aircraft　level　so　they　could；　and　a　minute　later　struggled　out　of　his　seat　and　jumped　through　the　escape　hatch　in　the　floor。　The　Bear　exploded　five　seconds　after　he　opened　his　parachute。　As　the　pilot　watched　his　aircraft　fireball　into　the　sea；　he　wondered　if　he'd　drown。
Above　him　a　squadron　of　Tomcats　headed　toward　the　Backfires；　and　the　race　was　to　see　who　got　into　missile…firing　position　first。　The　Soviet　bombers　climbed　steeply　on　afterburner；　activating　their　own　look…down　radars　to　find　targets　for　their　missiles。　Their　orders　were　to　locate　and　kill　escorts；　and　they　found　what　they　were　looking　for　thirty　miles　from　the　body　of　the　convoy：　two　blips。　The　large　blip　in　the　rear　drew　six　shots。　The　smaller　one　five　miles　away　drew　four。

STORNOWAY；　SCOTLAND
〃We　have　a　multi…regiment　Backfire　raid　in　progress　now　at　forty…five　degrees　north；　forty…nine　west。〃　Toland　held　the　Red　Rocket　telex　in　his　hand。
〃What　does　EASTLANT　have　to　say　about　it？〃
〃He's　probably　going　over　this　one　now。　You　ready？〃　he　asked　the　fighter　pilot。
〃Damned　right　I'm　ready！〃
The　teleprinter　in　the　corner　of　the　room　started　chattering：　INDICATE　OPERATION　DOOLITTLE。

USS　REUBEN　JAMES
〃Vampire；　vampire！　We　have　ining　missiles。〃
Here　we　go　again；　Morris　thought。　The　tactical　display　was　more　modern　than　what　he'd　had　on　Pharriseach　of　the　ining　missiles　was　marked　with　a　velocity　vector　that　indicated　speed　and　direction。　They　were　ing　in　low。
Morris　lifted　his　phone。　〃Bridge；　bat。　Execute　separation　maneuver。〃
〃Bridge；　aye。　Separating　now；〃　Ernst　said。　〃Crash　stop！　All　back　emergency！〃
The　helmsman　pulled　the　throttle　control　back；　then　abruptly　reversed　the　pitch　of　the　propeller　blades；　throwing　the　ship　from　ahead　to　full　astern。　Reuben　James　slowed　so　rapidly　that　men　had　to　brace　themselves；　and　Battleaxe　forged　ahead；　accelerating　to　twenty…five　knots。　As　soon　as　it　was　safe；　the　British　frigate　turned　hard　to　port；　and　Reuben　James　went　to　ahead　full　and　turned　sharply　to　starboard。
Any　Soviet　radar　operator　who　had　lingered　behind　would　have　been　impressed　by　the　deception。　The　oning　AS…4　missiles　had　been　targeted　on　a　single　blip。　Now　there　were　two；　and　they　were　separating。　The　missiles　divided　their　attention　evenly；　with　three　opting　for　either　target。
Morris　watched　his　display　intently。　The　distance　between　his　ship　and　his　panion　was　widening　rapidly。
〃Missiles　are　tracking　us！〃　the　ESM　operator　said　loudly。　〃We　have　multiple　missile　seeker　heads　tracking　us。〃
〃Right　full　rudder；　reverse　course。　Fire　off　chaff　rockets！〃
Everyone　in　the　bat　Information　Center　jumped　as　four　canisters　exploded　directly　overhead；　filling　the　air　with　aluminum　foil　and　creating　a　radar　target　for　the　missiles　to　track　while　the　frigate　heeled　violently　to　port　as　she　turned。　Her　forward　missile　launcher　turned　around　with　her；　a　SAM　already　assigned　to　the　first　ining　Russian　missile。　The　frigate　righted　herself　on　a　northerly　course；　three　miles　behind　Battleaxe。
〃Here　we　go；〃　the　weapons　officer　said。　The　solution　light　blinked　on　the　firecontrol　console。
The　first　of　the　white…painted　SMI　missiles　shot　into　the　sky。　It　had　scarcely　cleared　the　launch　rail　when　the　launcher　twisted　in　two　dimensions　and　accepted　another　missile　from　the　circular　magazine；　then　turned　and　elevated　again；　firing　seven　seconds　after　the　first　missile　was　launched；　then　repeated　the　cycle　twice　more。
〃That's　it！〃　O'Malley　said　when　he　saw　the　first　smoke　trail。　He　punched　his　finger　on　the　blip…enhance　button。　〃Hatchet；　shut　down　your　emitter　and　break　left！〃　Both　helicopters　went　to　full　power　and　ran　away。　Four　missiles　suddenly　had　no　targets。　They　kept　heading　west　to　look　for　more；　but　there　were　none　to　be　found。
〃More　chaff；〃　Morris　ordered；　wa