tc.redstormrising-第147部分

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ntrary。　A　CH…53　Super　Stallion　helicopter　airlifted　the　ponents　of　a　mobile　radar　transmitter　to　a　hill　on　the　island's　northwest　coast；　and　a　team　of　Army　technicians　went　to　work　at　once　to　get　it　operational。　By　the　time　the　ships　entered　the　rock…filled　nightmare　called　Stykkisholmur　harbor；　five　thousand　troops　were　already　in　position　over　the　handful　of　roads　leading　into　the　town。
The　captain　of　one　big　LST…Landing　Ship；　Tank…had　tried　to　count　the　rocks　and　shoals　on　the　trip　up　from　Norfolk。　He'd　stopped　on　reaching　five　hundred　and　concentrated　on　memorizing　his　particular　area　of　responsibility；　known　as　Green…Two…Charlie。　The　daylight　and　low　tide　helped。　Many　of　the　rocks　were　exposed　by　low　water；　and　helicopter　crews　relieved　of　their　immediate　duties　of　landing　troops　dropped　radar…reflectors　and　lighted　beacons　on　most　of　them；　which　improved　matters　greatly。　The　remaining　task　was　marginally　safer　than　crossing　a　highway　blindfolded。　The　LSTs　went　first；　winding　through　the　rocks　at　the　recklessly　high　speed　of　ten　knots；　relying　on　their　auxiliary　bow　thrusters　to　assist　rudder　movements　to　steer　the　ships　through　the　lethal　maze。
Again；　Lieutenant　Potter's　team　of　mandos　helped　matters。　They　went　from　house　to　house；　locating　the　captains　and　mates　of　local　fishing　boats。　The　skilled　seamen　were　flown　to　the　lead　ships　to　help　pilot　the　big　gray　amphibs　through　the　tightest　of　the　passages。　By　noon　the　first　LST　had　her　ramp　on　land；　and　the　first　Marine　tanks　rolled　onto　the　island。　Right　behind　them　were　trucks　loaded　with　steel；　pierced…plank　runway　material；　which　was　dispatched　east　to　a　flat　piece　of　ground　preselected　as　a　base　for　Marine　helicopters　and　Harrier　jump…jet　fighters。
Once　the　fleet　helicopters　had　pleted　their　task　of　marking　the　rocks　and　shoals；　they　returned　to　moving　troops。　The　troop　carriers　were　escorted　by　SeaCobra　gunships　and　Harriers　as　they　extended　the　Marine　perimeter　to　the　hills　overlooking　the　Hvita　River。　There　contact　was　made　with　outlying　Russian　observation　posts　and　the　first　real　fighting　began。

KEFLAVIK；　ICELAND
〃So　much　for　our　intelligence　reports；〃　General　Andreyev　muttered。　From　his　headquarters　he　could　see　the　massive　shapes　steaming　slowly　into　view。　They　were　the　battleships　Iowa　and　New　Jersey；　acpanied　by　missile　cruisers　for　air　defense。
〃We　can　engage　them　now；〃　the　artillery　chief　said。
〃Then　do　so。〃　While　you　can。　He　turned　to　his　munications　officer。　〃Has　word　gotten　out　to　Severomorsk？〃
〃Yes；　Northern　Fleet　will　sortie　its　aircraft　today　and　submarines　are　being　sent　as　well。〃
〃Tell　them　their　primary　targets　are　the　American　amphibious　ships　at　Stykkisholmur。〃
〃But　we　are　not　sure　they　are　there。　The　harbor　is　too　dangerous　for…〃
〃Where　the　hell　else　would　they　be？〃　Andreyev　demanded。　〃Our　observation　posts　there　do　not　answer　us；　and　we　have　reports　of　enemy　helicopters　moving　south　and　east　from　that　direction。　Think；　man！〃
〃rade　General；　the　Navy's　primary　objective　will　be　the　enemy　carrier　force。〃
〃Then　explain　to　our　rades　in　blue　that　carrier　aircraft　cannot　take　Iceland　away　from　us；　but　their　fucking　Marines　can！〃
Andreyev　saw　smoke　rise　from　one　of　his　heavy　gun　batteries。　The　sound　followed　a　few　seconds　later。　The　first　Russian　salvo　landed　several　thousand　yards　short。

〃Fire　mission！〃
Iowa　had　not　fired　her　guns　in　anger　since　Korea；　but　now　the　massive　sixteen…inch　rifles　turned　slowly　to　starboard。　In　the　central　gunnery　control　station；　a　technician　worked　the　joystick　controls　for　a　Mastiff　remotely　piloted　vehicle。　The　miniature　airplane　purchased　a　few　years　earlier　from　Israel　circled　eight　thousand　feet　above　the　Russian　gun　battery；　its　television　camera　shifting　from　one　emplacement　to　another。

〃I　count　six　guns；　look　like　one…fifty…five　or　so。　Call　'em　six…inch。〃
The　precise　location　of　the　Russian　battery　was　plotted。　Next　the　puter　analyzed　data　on　air　density；　barometric　pressure；　relative　humidity；　wind　direction　and　speed；　and　a　dozen　other　factors。　The　gunnery　officer　watched　his　status　board　for　the　solution　light　to　e　up。
〃mence　firing。〃
The　center　gun　of　the　number　two　turret　loosed　a　single　round。　A　millimeter…band　radar　atop　the　after　director…tower　tracked　the　shell；　paring　its　flight　path　with　the　one　predicted　by　the　fire…control　puter。　Not　surprisingly；　there　were　some　errors　in　predicted　wind　velocity。　The　radar's　own　puter　forwarded　the　new　empirical　readings　to　the　master　system；　and　the　remaining　eight　main…battery　guns　altered　position　slightly。　They　fired　even　before　the　first　round　landed。

〃Mother　of　God！〃　Andreyev　whispered。　The　orange　flash　obscured　the　ship　momentarily。　Someone　to　his　left　shouted；　perhaps　thinking　that　one　of　the　Russian　artillery　rounds　had　struck　home。　Andreyev　had　no　such　illusions。　His　artillerymen　were　out　of　practice　and　had　not　yet　bracketed　their　target。　He　turned　his　field　glasses　to　his　gun　battery；　four　kilometers　away。
The　first　round　landed　fifteen　hundred　meters　southeast　of　the　nearest　gun。　The　next　eight　landed　two　hundred　meters　behind　them。
〃Get　that　battery　moved　right　now！〃

〃Drop　two　hundred　and　fire　for　effect！〃
Already　the　guns　were　going　through　their　thirty…second　reload　cycle。　Inert　gas　ejected　scraps　of　the　silk　propellant…bags　out　the　muzzles　to　clear　the　bores；　then　the　breeches　opened　and　loading　ramps　unfolded　into　place。　The　bores　were　checked　for　dangerous　residue；　then　elevators　from　the　handling　rooms　rose　to　the　back　edge　of　the　ramps　and　the　shells　were　rammed　into　the　waiting　gun　barrels。　The　heavy　power　bags　were　dropped　onto　the　ramps　and　rammed　behind　the　shells。　The　ramp　came　up；　the　breeches　closed　hydraulically；　and　the　guns　elevated。　The　turret　crews　moved　out　of　the　loading　partments　and　held　their　hands　over　their　muff…style　ear…protectors。　In　fire…control　fingers　depressed　the　keys　and　the　breeches　surged　backwards　once　more。　The　cycle　began　again；　the　teenage　seamen　performing　the　same　tasks　that　their　grandfathers　had　done　forty　years　before。

Andreyev　stepped　outside　to　watch　in　ghastly　fascination。　He　could　hear　the　sound　of　ripping　linen　that　announced　the　passage　of　the　monstrous　projectiles；　and　turned　to　look　at　the　battery。　Trucks　were　puffing　up　to　the　guns　as　the　crews　fired　off　their　last　rounds　and　began　frantic　preparations　for　relocating　their　guns。　The　battery　had　six　152mm　pieces　and　many　trucks　for　the　crews　and　ammunition。　A　curtain　of　dirt　and　rock　appeared；　followed　by　three　secondary　explosions；　then　four　more　salvos　as　New　Jersey　joined　her　older　sister　in　the　bombardment。
〃What's　that？〃　A　lieutenant　pointed　to　a　dot　in　the　sky。
The　artillery　mander　tore　his　eyes　away　from　what　had　been　a　third　of　his　heavy　guns　and　identified　the　remotely　piloted　vehicle。　〃I　can　have　it　shot　down。〃
〃No！〃　Andreyev　shouted。　〃You　want　to　tell　them　where　our　last　SAM　launchers　are？〃　The　General　had　faced　mortar　and　rocket　fire　in　Afghanistan。　This　was　his　first　experience　on　the　receiving　end　of　heavy　guns。
〃My　other　batteries　are　all　camouflaged。〃
〃I　want　at　least　three　new　alternate　positions　prepared　for　every　gun　you　have；　fully　camouflaged；　all　of　them。〃　The　General　went　back　inside　the　building。　He　felt　confident　that　the　Americans　would　not　shell　the　city　of　Keflavik；　at　least　not　soon。　The　map　room　contained　wall…sized　charts　of　the　western　Icelandic　coast。　Already　his　intelligence　staff　was　placing　flags　to　denote　the　position　of　suspected　American　units。
〃What　do　we　have　on　the　Hvita？〃　he　asked　his　operations　chief。
〃One　battalion。　Ten　BMD　infantry　carriers；　the　rest　of　the　transport　is　trucks　and　mandeered　vehicles。　They　have　mortars；　antitank　missiles；　and　handheld　SAMs。　They　are　deployed　to　cover　the　highway　bridge　above　Bogarnes。〃
〃The　Americans　are　already　looking　down　at　them　from　this　hill。　What　sort　of　aircraft　have　we　seen？〃
〃The　Americans　have　several　carriers　within　striking　distance　of　us。　Twenty…four　fighters　and　thirty…four　attack　aircraft　per　carrier。　If　they　also　landed　a　full　division　of　Marines；　we　are　facing　a　significant　number　of　helicopters；　plus　fixed…wing　Harriers。　These　can　operate　off　their　amphibious　aviation　ships　or　from　land　bases　set　up　for　the　purpose…with　the　right　materials　it　can　be　done　in　four　to　six　hours。　A　Marine　division　is　about　double　our　strength　in　men；　one　heavy　battalion　of　tanks；　stronger　in　artillery；　but　not　so　many　mortars。　It's　their　mobility　that　worries　me。　They　can　dance　all　around　us；　using　helicopters　and　landing　craft　to　place　troops　anywhere　they　choose…〃
〃Just　as　we　did　when　we　landed。　Yes；〃　the　General　agreed　soberly。　〃How　good　are　they？〃
〃The　American　Marines　regard　themselves　as　elite　troops；　just　as　we　do。　Some　of　their　senior　officers　and　NCOs　doubtless　have　bat　experience；　but　few　pany　officers　and　squad　sergeants　will　have　seen　any　real　action。〃
〃How　bad　is　it？〃　A　new　man　came　into　the　room。　It　was　the　KGB　station　chief。
〃You　chekista　bastard！　You　told　me　the　Marine　division　was　going　to　Europe！　They're　killing　my　men　while　we　speak。〃　The　distant　thunder　of　heavy　guns　punctuated　Andreyev's　words。　The　battleships　were　shifting　fire　to　a　supply　dump。　Fortunately　not　much　was　left　there。
〃rade　General；　I…〃
〃Get　out　of