九味书屋 > 文学经管电子书 > tc.redstormrising >

第137部分

tc.redstormrising-第137部分

小说: tc.redstormrising 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!



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

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的