tc.redstormrising-第69部分

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ey　found　a　target　so　large　that　their　radar　signals　traced　from　one　part　to　another。　The　puters　could　not　decide　what　the　target　range　was；　and　kept　recycling　automatically；　rendering　the　electronics　package　useless。　The　gun　crews　cursed　as　one　man　and　switched　over　to　manual　fire…control；　using　their　eyes　to　sight　in　on　the　massive　ining　targets。
The　bombers　popped　up　to　nine　hundred　feet　now；　hoping　to　avoid　the　worst　of　the　gunfire　and　escape　without　loss。　They　had　not　been　warned　of　a　possible　fighter　presence。　Their　mission　was　to　wreck　Keflavik　before　fighters　could　get　there。
Now　surprise　was　on　the　Soviet　side。　The　Fulcrums　dived　out　of　the　sun　at　the　bombers。　Their　own　fire…control　radars　were　nearly　useless　as　they　approached；　but　half　their　missiles　were　infrared…guided；　and　the　American　bombers　gave　off　enough　heat　to　attract　the　attention　of　a　blind　man　in　a　fur　coat。
The　southbound　flight　of　three　never　saw　them　ing　in。　Two　took　missile　hits　and　exploded　in　midair。　The　third　radioed　for　fighter　cover；　jinking　his　aircraft　hard…too　hard。　His　second　dive　bottomed　out　too　late；　and　the　aircraft　disintegrated　on　the　ground　north　of　Keflavik　in　a　fireball　visible　to　Edwards　thirty　miles　away。
The　Russian　fighters　were　experiencing　an　airman's　dream。　All　eight　aircraft　had　individual　targets；　and　they　split　to　hunt　them　singly　before　Keflavik　absorbed　too　many　bomb　hits。　The　bomber　crews　pressed　in　on　their　targets。　It　was　too　late　to　run　away；　and　all　they　could　do　was　scream　for　the　fighters　to　e　back　and　support　them。
The　ground…based　gunners　joined　in。　Firing　over　open　sights；　a　young　sergeant　hit　a　bomber　just　dropping　its　load。　The　bomb　bay　took　a　dozen　rounds；　and　the　aircraft　vanished　in　a　deafening　explosion　that　shook　the　sky　and　damaged　yet　another　B…52。　One　missile…launch　crew　successfully　switched　their　missile…control　systems　to　the　backup　infrared　mode　and　fired　a　single　rocket　at　a　bomber。　It　hit　just　after　the　bombs　were　released。　The　bomber's　wing　erupted　in　flame　and　the　aircraft　swooped　east　trailing　a　black　river　of　smoke。
They　watched　it　approach　their　hill；　a　wounded　monster　whose　right　wing　trailed　burning　fuel。　The　pilot　was　trying　to　maintain　altitude　so　that　his　crew　could　eject；　but　all　four　of　his　right　engines　were　gone　and　the　burning　wing　collapsed。　The　bomber　staggered　in　the　air　and　dropped；　rolling　into　the　west　face　of　Hill　152。　None　of　the　crew　escaped。　Edwards　didn't　have　to　give　an　order。　In　five　seconds；　his　men　had　packed　their　gear　and　were　running　northeast。
The　remaining　bombers　were　now　over　the　target　and　screaming　for　help　from　their　escorting　fighters。　Eight　successfully　dropped　their　bomb　loads　before　turning　clear　of　the　area。　The　Soviet　fighters　had　claimed　five　by　now；　and　the　surviving　crews　were　desperate　to　escape　the　unexpected　hazard。　The　Russians　were　now　out　of　missiles；　and　attempting　to　engage　with　their　cannon。　That　was　dangerous。　The　B…52s　retained　their　tail　guns；　and　one　Fulcrum　was　damaged　by　machine…gun　fire　from　his　target　and　had　to　break　off。
The　final　element　of　confusion　was　the　return　of　the　American　Phantoms。　They　carried　only　three　Sparrow　missiles　each；　and　when　they　lit　off　their　missile…intercept　radars；　the　Soviet　fighters　all　received　warning　tones　from　their　defense　systems。　The　Fulcrums　scattered　before　the　twelve　ining　missiles　and　dove　for　the　ground。　Four　dropped　down　right　on　top　of　Edwards'　group；　swooping　low　over　a　crashed　B…52　east　of　Hafnarfjordur。　When　they　came　back　up；　the　sky　was　clear　again。　The　Phantoms　were　short　on　fuel。　They　could　not　press　their　attack　and　turned　away　without　a　single　kill。　The　surviving　bombers　were　now　safely　hidden　in　the　cloud　of　jamming。　The　Soviets　re…formed　and　moved　back　to　Keflavik。
Their　first　impression　was　a　bad　one。　Fully　two　hundred　bombs　had　fallen　within　the　airport　perimeter；　and　nine　of　them　had　found　runway　targets。　But　runway　eleven　was　unscarred。　As　they　watched；　the　single　Fulcrum　left　on　the　ground　roared　off　into　the　sky；　its　pilot　frantic　with　rage；　demanding　a　vector　to　a　target。　He　was　ordered　to　patrol　as　the　rest　of　the　squadron　landed　to　refuel。
The　first　battle　had　mixed　results。　The　Americans　lost　half　their　bomber　force　in　return　for　damaging　three　of　Keflavik's　five　runways。　The　Soviets　had　most　of　a　SAM　battery　smashed　to　little　gain；　but　Keflavik　was　still　usable。　Already　the　ground　personnel　were　running　to　the　runway…repair　equipment　left　behind　by　the　Americans。　At　the　end　of　each　runway　was　a　pile　of　gravel；　and　a　half…dozen　bunkers　contained　steel　mats。　Heavy　equipment　would　bulldoze　the　debris　back　into　the　holes；　even　it　out；　then　cover　it　over　with　gravel　and　steel。　Keflavik　was　damaged；　but　its　runways　would　be　fully　operational　again　before　midnight。

USS　PHARRIS
〃I　think　this　one's　for…real；　Captain；〃　the　ASW　officer　said　quietly。　The　line　of　colored　blocks　on　the　passive　sonar　display　had　lasted　for　seven　minutes。　Bearing　was　changing　slowly　aft；　as　though　the　contact　were　heading　for　the　convoy；　but　not　Pharris。
The　frigate　was　steaming　at　twelve　knots；　and　her　Prairie/Masker　systems　were　operating。　Sonar　conditions　were　better　today。　A　hard　thermocline　layer　at　two　hundred　feet　severely　impeded　the　utility　of　a　surface　sonar。　Pharris　was　able　to　deploy　her　towed…array　sonar　below　it；　however；　and　the　lower　water　temperature　there　made　for　an　excellent　sound　channel。　Better　still；　the　layer　worked　in　both　directions。　A　submarine's　sonar　had　as　much　trouble　penetrating　the　thermocline　as　a　surface　sonar。　Pharris　would　be　virtually　undetectable　to　a　submarine　below　the　layer。
〃How's　the　plot　look？〃　the　tactical　action　officer　asked。
〃Firming　up；〃　ASW　answered。　〃Still　the　distance　question。　Given　the　water　conditions　and　our　known　sonar　performance；　our　sonar　figure　of　merit　gives　us　a　contact　distance　of　anything　from　five　to　fourteen　miles　on　direct　path；　or　into　the　first　convergence　zone。　That　predicts　out　from　nineteen　to　twenty…three　miles　。　。　。〃　A　convergence　zone　is　a　trick　of　physics。　Sound　traveling　in　water　radiates　in　all　directions。　Noise　that　traveled　down　was　gradually　turned　by　water　temperature　and　pressure　into　a　series　of　curves；　rising　to　the　surface；　then　bending　again　downward。　While　the　frigate　could　hear　noise　out　from　herself　for　a　distance　of　about　fourteen　nautical　miles；　the　convergence　zone　was　in　the　shape　of　an　annulus…the　area　between　two　concentric　circles…a　donut…shaped　piece　of　water　that　began　nineteen　miles　and　ended　twenty…three　miles　away。　The　distance　to　the　submarine　was　unknown；　but　was　probably　less　than　twenty…three　miles。　That　was　already　too　close。　The　submarine　could　attack　them　or　the　convoy　they　guarded　with　torpedoes；　or　with　surface…to…surface　missiles；　a　technology　pioneered　by　the　Soviets。
〃Remendation；　gentlemen？〃　Morris　asked。　The　TAO　spoke　first。
〃Let's　put　the　helicopter　up　for　the　near　solution；　and　get　an　Orion　working　the　far　one。〃
〃Sounds　good；〃　ASW　agreed。
Within　five　minutes；　the　frigate's　helo　was　five　miles　out；　dropping　Lofar…type　sonobuoys。　On　striking　the　water；　these　miniature　passive　sonar　sets　deployed　a　non…directional　sonar　transducer　at　a　preselected　depth。　In　this　case　all　dipped　above　the　thermocline　layer　to　determine　if　the　target　was　close。　The　data　was　relayed　back　to　Pharris's　bat　information　center：　nothing。　The　passive　sonar　track；　however；　still　showed　a　submarine　or　something　that　sounded　like　a　submarine。　The　helo　began　moving　outward；　dropping　sonobuoys　as　it　went。
Then　the　Orion　arrived。　The　four…engine　aircraft　swooped　low　along　the　frigate's　reported　bearing…to…target。　The　Orion　carried　over　fifty　sonobuoys；　and　was　soon　dropping　them　in　sets　both　above　and　below　the　layer。
〃I　got　a　weak　signal　on　number　six　and　a　medium　on　number　five；〃　a　sonar　operator　reported。　Excitement　crept　into　his　voice。
〃Roger；　confirm　that；〃　the　tactical　coordinator　on　Bluebird…Three　agreed。　He'd　been　in　the　ASW　game　for　six　years；　but　he　was　getting　excited；　too。　〃We're　going　to　start　making　MAD　runs。〃
〃You　want　our　helo　to　back　you　up？〃
〃Roger　that；　yes；　but　tell　him　to　keep　low。〃
Seconds　later　the　frigate's　SH…2F　Sea　Sprite　helicopter　sped　off　north；　her　magnetic　anomaly