tc.redstormrising-第168部分

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The　tank　slowed　as　they　came　to　the　last　turn。　Mackall　ordered　his　〃track〃　off　the　road；　onto　the　meadow　grass；　as　it　edged　ponderously　around　a　stand　of　trees。
〃Target　BTR；　eleven　o'clock；　twenty…seven　hundred！　Fire　when　ready；　Woody！〃
The　first　of　the　eight…wheel　vehicles　exploded　before　any　of　their　crews　knew　a　tank　was　near。　They　were　looking　for　aircraft；　not　enemy　tanks　forty　kilometers　in　the　rear。　The　next　two　died　within　a　minute；　and　Mackall's　platoon　of　four　tanks　dashed　forward。
They　all　reached　the　ridge　three　minutes　later。　One　by　one；　the　huge　Abrams　tanks　crested　the　hill　overlooking　what　had　once　been　a　small　city。　Many　days　of　continuous　air　attacks　and　artillery　fire　had　ended　that。　Four　ribbon　bridges　were　in　operation；　with　numerous　trucks　crossing　or　waiting　to　cross。
First　the　tanks　located　and　engaged　anything　that　looked　even　vaguely　dangerous。　Machine…gun　fire　began　working　on　the　trucks；　while　the　main　guns　reached　into　the　tank…repair　yard　established　in　the　fields　north　of　the　town。　By　this　time；　two　full　troops　were　in　place；　and　infantry　vehicles　took　on　the　trucks　with　their　light　25mm　cannon。　Within　fifteen　minutes；　over　a　hundred　trucks　were　burning；　along　with　enough　supplies　to　keep　a　whole　Russian　division　in　business　for　a　hard　day　of　bat。　But　the　supplies　were　incidental。　The　rest　of　the　squadron　was　catching　up　with　the　advance　party；　and　their　job　was　to　hold　this　Russian　munications　nexus　until　relieved。　The　Germans　already　had　Gronau；　and　the　Russian　forces　east　of　the　Leine　were　now　cut　off　from　their　supplies。　Two　of　the　Russian　bridges　were　clear；　and　a　pany　of　M…2　Bradley　infantry　carriers　darted　across　to　take　up　position　on　the　eastern　edge　of　the　town。
Ivan　Sergetov　crawled　to　the　edge　of　the　grassy　road…he　didn't　know　what　it　was…and　watched　the　units　pass　while　his　stomach　contracted　into　an　icy　ball。　They　were　Americans；　at　least　a　battalion　in　strength；　he　estimated；　traveling　light。　No　trucks；　just　their　tracked　vehicles。　He　kept　his　wits　enough　to　begin　a　count　of　the　tanks　and　personnel　carriers　that　raced　before　him　at　a　speed　that　he'd　never　really　appreciated　before。　It　was　the　noise　that　was　most　impressive。　The　turbine…driven　M…1　tanks　did　not　make　the　roar　of　diesel…powered　tanks。　Until　they　were　a　few　hundred　meters　away；　you　couldn't　even　know　they　were　there…the　bination　of　low　noise　and　high　speed　。　。　。　They're　heading　towards　Alfeld！
I　have　to　report　this。　But　how？　His　radio　was　gone；　and　Sergetov　had　to　think　for　a　minute　to　determine　where　he　was　。　。　。　two　kilometers　from　the　Leine；　right　across　that　wooded　ridge。　His　choice　was　a　difficult　one。　If　he　returned　to　the　mand　post；　it　was　a　walk　of　twenty　kilometers。　If　he　ran　to　the　rear；　he　might　find　friendly　units　in　half　the　time　and　get　the　alarm　out。　But　running　that　way　was　cowardice；　wasn't　it？
Cowardice　or　not；　he　had　to　go　east。　Sergetov　had　the　sickening　feeling　that　the　alarm　had　not　been　sounded。　He　moved　to　the　edge　of　the　trees　and　waited　for　a　gap　in　the　American　column。　It　was　only　thirty　meters　to　the　far　side。　Five　seconds　to　cross　the　gap；　he　told　himself。　Less。
Another　M…1　blazed　past　him。　He　looked　left　and　saw　that　the　next　was　nearly　three　hundred　meters　away。　Sergetov　took　a　deep　breath　and　ran　into　the　open。
The　tank　mander　saw　him；　but　couldn't　get　to　his　machine　gun　fast　enough。　Besides；　one　man　on　foot　without　even　a　rifle　wasn't　worth　stopping　for。　He　reported　the　sighting　on　his　radio　and　returned　to　the　mission　at　hand。
Sergetov　didn't　stop　running　until　he　was　a　hundred　meters　into　the　trees。　Such　a　short　distance；　but　he　felt　as　if　his　heart　would　spring　from　his　chest。　He　sat　down　with　his　back　against　a　tree　to　catch　his　breath　and　continued　to　watch　the　vehicle　pass。　It　took　several　minutes　before　he　could　move　again；　then　it　was　up　the　steep　hill；　and　soon　he　was　once　more　looking　down　at　the　Leine。
The　shock　of　seeing　the　American　tanks　was　bad　enough。　What　he　saw　here　was　far　worse。　The　Army　tank…repair　yard　was　a　smoking　ruin。　Everywhere　there　were　burning　trucks。　At　least　it　was　downhill。　He　ran　down　the　east　side　of　the　ridge　right　up　to　the　river。　Quickly　stripping　off　his　pistol　belt；　Sergetov　leaped　into　the　swift　current。
〃What's　that？　Hey；　I　see　a　Russian　swimming！〃　A　machine　gunner　swiveled　his　。50　caliber　around。　The　vehicle　mander　stopped　him。
〃Save　it　for　the　MiGs；　soldier！〃
He　climbed　up　the　east　bank　and　turned　to　look　back。　The　American　vehicles　were　digging　into　defensive　positions。　He　ran　to　cover　and　stopped　again　to　make　a　count　before　proceeding。　There　was　a　traffic…control　point　at　Sack。　Sergetov　ran　all　the　way。
After　the　first　hour；　things　settled　down。　Lieutenant　Mackall　got　out　of　his　tank　to　inspect　his　platoon's　positions。　One　of　the　few　ammunition　carriers　to　acpany　the　troop　stopped　briefly　at　each　tank；　its　crew　tossing　out　fifteen　rounds　each。　Not　enough　to　replace　what　they'd　fired；　but　not　bad。　The　air　attacks　would　be　next。　Crews　were　out　chopping　down　trees　and　shrubs　to　camouflage　their　vehicles。　The　acpanying　infantry　set　out　their　Stinger　crews；　and　Air　Force　fighters　were　already　circling　overhead。　intelligence　said　that　eight　Russian　divisions　were　on　the　west　side　of　this　river。　Mackall　was　sitting　on　their　supply　route。　That　made　it　a　very　important　plot　of　real　estate。

USS　INDEPENDENCE
Quite　a　change　from　the　last　time；　Toland　thought。　The　Air　Force　had　an　E…3　Sentry　operating　out　of　Sondrestrom　to　protect　the　fleet；　and　four　of　their　own　E…2C　Hawkeyes　were　also　up。　There　was　even　an　Army…manned　ground　radar　just　ing　up　on　Iceland。　Two　Aegis　cruisers　were　with　the　carriers；　and　a　third　with　the　amphibious　force。
〃You　think　they'll　hit　us　first；　or　the　'phibs？〃　Admiral　Jacobsen　asked。
〃That's　a　coin…toss；　Admiral；〃　Toland　replied。　〃Depends　on　who　gives　the　orders。　Their　navy　will　want　to　kill　us　first。　Their　army　will　want　to　kill　the　'phibs。〃
Jacobsen　crossed　his　arms　and　stared　at　the　map　display。　〃This　close；　they　can　e　in　from　any　direction　they　want。〃
They　expected…no　more　than　fifty　Backfires；　but　there　were　still　plenty　of　the　older　Badgers；　and　the　fleet　was　only　fifteen　hundred　miles　from　the　Soviet　bomber　bases：　they　could　e　out　with　nearly　their　maximum　ordnance　loads。　To　stop　the　Russians；　the　Navy　had　six　squadrons　of　Tomcats；　and　six　more　of　Hornets；　nearly　a　hundred　forty　fighters　in　all。　Twenty…four　were　aloft　now；　supported　by　tankers　while　the　ground　attack　aircraft　pounded　Russian　positions　continuously。　The　battleships　had　ended　their　first　visit　to　the　Keflavik　area　and　were　now　in　Hvalfj〃rdur…Whale　Bay…providing　fire　support　to　the　Marines　north　of　Bogarnes。　The　entire　operation　had　been　planned　with　the　likelihood　of　a　Russian　air…to…surface　missile　attack　in　mind。　There　would　be　more　vampires。
The　loss　of　northern　Norway　had　eliminated　the　utility　of　Realtime。　The　submarine　was　still　on　station　gathering　signal　intelligence；　but　the　task　of　spotting　the　outbound　Russian　bomber　streams　passed　on　to　British　and　Norwegian　patrol　aircraft　operating　out　of　Scotland。　One　of　the　latter　spotted　a　three…plane　Vic　of　Badgers　heading　southwest　and　radioed　a　warning。　The　Russian　aircraft　were　roughly　seventy　minutes　from　the　fleet。
Toland's　station　in　CIC　was　immediately　below　the　flight　deck；　and　he　listened　to　the　roar　of　jet　engines　overhead　as　the　fighters　catapulted　off。　He　was　nervous。　Toland　knew　that　the　tactical　situation　was　very　different　now　from　that　on　the　second　day　of　the　war；　but　he　also　remembered　that　he　was　one　of　the　two　men　who'd　escaped　alive　from　a　partment　just　like　this。　A　flood　of　information　came　into　the　room。　The　land…based　radar；　the　Air　Force　E…3；　and　the　Navy　E…2s　all　linked　their　data　to　the　carriers。　There　was　enough　electromagnetic　energy　in　the　sky　to　cook　the　birds　in　flight。　The　display　showed　the　fighters　proceeding　to　their　stations。　The　Tomcats　reached　out　to　the　northern　Icelandic　shore；　curving　into　loitering　circles　as　they　awaited　the　Russian　bombers。
〃Ideas；　Toland。　I　want　ideas！〃　the　Admiral　said　quietly。
〃If　they're　after　us；　they'll　approach　from　the　east。　If　they're　going　for　the　'Phibs；　they'll　e　straight　in。　There's　just　no　percentage　in　deceptive