tc.thebearandthedragon-第166部分

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！


is　east；　manded　by　a　bright　young　sergeant　named　Ivanov。　He　opened　up　too　early；　Komanov　thought；　reaching　for　targets　a　good　four　hundred　meters　away；　but　there　was　nothing　to　plain　about；　and　the　heavy　machine　gun　could　easily　reach　that　far　。。。　yes；　he　could　see　bodies　crumpling　from　the　heavy　slugs…
　…then　a　crashing　BOOM　as　the　main　gun　let　loose　a　single　round；　and　it　reached　into　the　saddle　they　defended；　exploding　there　amidst　a　squad　or　so。
　〃rade　Lieutenant；　can　we？〃　his　gunner　asked。
　〃No；　not　yet。　Patience；　Sergeant；〃　Komanov　replied；　watching　to　the　east　to　see　how　the　Chinese　reacted　to　the　fire。　Yes；　their　tactics　were　predictable；　but　sound。　The　lieutenant　manding　them　first　got　his　men　down。　Then　they　set　up　a　base　of　fire　to　engage　the　Russian　position；　and　then　they　started　maneuvering　left　and　right。　Aha；　a　section　was　setting　up　something　。　。　。　something　on　a　tripod。　An　anti…tank　recoilless　rifle；　probably。　He　could　have　turned　his　gun　to　take　it　out；　but　Komanov　didn't　want　to　give　away　his　position　yet。
　〃Five　Zero；　this　is　Five　six　Alfa；　there's　a　Chinese　recoilless　setting　up　at　your　two　o'clock；　range　eight　hundred；〃　he　warned。
　〃Yes；　I　see　it！〃　the　sergeant　replied。　And　he　had　the　good　sense　to　engage　it　with　his　machine　gun。　In　two　seconds；　the　green　tracers　reached　out　and　ripped　through　the　gun　section　once；　twice；　three　times；　just　to　be　sure。　Through　his　binoculars；　he　could　see　some　twitching；　but　that　was　all。
　〃Well　done；　Sergeant　Ivanov！　Look　out；　they're　moving　to　your　left　under　terrain　cover。〃
　But　there　wasn't　much　of　that　around　here。　Every　bunker's　field　of　fire　had　been　bulldozed；　leveling　out　almost　all　of　the　dead　ground　within　eight　hundred　meters　of　every　position。
　〃We　shall　see　about　that；　rade　Lieutenant。〃　And　the　machine　gun　spoke　again。　Return　fire　was　ing　in　now。　Komanov　could　see　tracers　bouncing　off　the　turret's　thick　armor　into　the　sky。
　〃Regiment；　Five　six　Alfa　here。　Post　Five　Zero　is　under　deliberate　attack　now　from　infantry；　and…〃
　Then　more　artillery　shells　started　landing；　called　in　directly　on　Five　Zero。　He　hoped　Ivanov　was　now　under　his　hatch。　The　turret　had　a　coaxial　machine　gun；　an　old　but　powerful　PK　with　the　long　7。62…mm　cartridge。　Komanov　let　his　gunner　survey　the　threat　to　his　bunker　while　he　watched　how　the　Chinese　attacked　Sergeant　Ivanov's。　Their　infantry　moved　with　some　skill；　using　what　ground　they　had；　keeping　fire　on　the　exposed　gun　turret…enough　artillery　fell　close　enough　to　strip　away　the　bushes　that　had　hidden　it　at　first。　Even　if　your　bullets　bounced　off；　they　were　still　a　distraction　to　those　inside。　It　was　the　big　shells　that　concerned　the　lieutenant。　A　direct　hit　might　penetrate　the　thinner　top　armor；　mightn't　it？　An　hour　before；　he　would　have　said　no；　but　he　could　see　now　what　the　shells　did　to　the　ground；　and　his　confidence　had　eroded　quickly。
　〃rade　Lieutenant；〃　his　gunner　said。　〃The　people　headed　for　us　are　turning　away　to　attack　Ivanov。　Look。〃
　Komanov　turned　around　to　see。　He　didn't　need　his　binoculars。　The　sky　was　improving　the　light　he　had；　and　now　he　could　see　more　than　shadows。　They　were　man　shapes；　and　they　were　carrying　weapons。　One　section　was　rushing　to　his　left；　three　of　them　carrying　something　heavy。　On　reaching　a　shallow　intermediate　ridgeline；　they　stopped　and　started　putting　something　together；　some　sort　of　tube　。　。　。
　。。。　it　was　an　HJ…8　anti…tank　missile；　his　mind　told　him；　fishing　up　the　information　from　his　months　of　intelligence　briefings。　They　were　about　a　thousand　meters　to　his　left　front；　within　range　of　Ivanov　。　。　。
　。　。　。　and　within　range　of　his　big　DshKM　machine　gun。　Komanov　stood　on　his　firing　stand　and　yanked　back　hard　on　the　charging　handle；　leveling　the　gun　and　sighting　carefully。　His　big　tank　gun　could　do　this；　but　so　could　he　。。。
　So；　you　want　to　kill　Sergeant　Ivanov？　his　mind　asked。　Then　he　thumbed　the　trigger　lever；　and　the　big　gun　shook　in　his　hands。　His　first　burst　was　about　thirty　meters　short；　but　his　second　was　right　on；　and　three　men　fell。　He　kept　firing　to　make　sure　he'd　destroyed　their　rocket　launcher。　He　realized　a　moment　later　that　the　brilliant　green　tracers　had　just　announced　his　location　for　all　to　see…tracers　work　in　both　directions。　That　became　clear　in　two　minutes；　when　the　first　artillery　shells　began　landing　around　Position　Five　six　Alfa。　He　only　needed　one　close　explosion　to　drop　down　and　slam　his　hatch。　The　hatch　was　the　weakest　part　of　his　position's　protection；　with　only　a　fifth　of　the　protective　thickness　of　the　rest…else　he'd　be　unable　to　open　it；　of　course…and　if　a　shell　hit　that；　he　and　his　crew　would　all　be　dead。　The　enemy　knew　their　location　now；　and　there　was　no　sense　in　hiding。
　〃Sergeant；〃　he　told　his　gunner。　〃Fire　at　will。〃
　〃Yes；　rade　Lieutenant！〃　And　with　that；　the　sergeant　loosed　his　first　high…explosive　round　at　a　machine…gun　crew　eight　hundred　meters　away。　The　shell　hit　the　gun　itself　and　vaporized　the　infantrymen　operating　it。　〃There's　three　good　Chinks！〃　he　exulted。　〃Load　me　another！〃　The　turret　started　turning；　and　the　gunner　started　hunting。
　
　〃Getting　some　resistance　now；〃　Wa　told　Peng。　〃There　are　Russian　positions　on　the　southern　slope　of　the　second　ridge。　We're　hitting　them　now　with　artillery。〃　
　〃Losses？〃
　〃Light；〃　the　operations　officer　reported；　listening　in　on　the　tactical　radio。
　〃Good；〃　said　General　Peng。　His　attention　was　almost　entirely　on　the　river。　The　first　bridge　was　about　a　third　plete　now。
　
　〃Those　bridging　engineers　are　pretty　good；〃　General　Wallace　thought；　watching　the　〃take〃　from　Marilyn　Monroe。
　〃Yes；　sir；　hut　it　might　as　well　be　a　peacetime　exercise。　They're　not　taking　any　fire；〃　the　junior　officer　observed；　watching　another　section　being　tied　off。　〃And　it's　a　very　efficient　bridge　design。〃
　〃Russian？〃
　The　major　nodded。　〃Yes；　sir。　We　copied　it；　too。〃
　〃How　long？〃
　〃The　rate　they're　going？　About　an　hour；　maybe　an　hour　ten。〃
　〃Back　to　the　gunfight；〃　Wallace　ordered。
　〃Sergeant；　let's　go　back　to　the　ridge；〃　the　officer　told　the　NCO　who　was　piloting　the　UAC。　Thirty　seconds　later；　the　screen　showed　what　looked　like　a　tank　sunk　in　the　mud　surrounded　by　a　bunch　of　infantrymen。
　〃Jesus；　that　looks　like　real　fun；〃　Wallace　thought。　A　fighter　pilot　by　profession；　the　idea　of　fighting　in　the　dirt　appealed　to　him　about　as　much　as　anal　sex。
　〃They're　not　going　to　last　much　longer；〃　the　major　said。　〃Look　here。　The　gomers　are　behind　some　of　the　bunkers　now。〃
　〃And　look　at　all　that　artillery。〃
　
　A　total　of　a　hundred　heavy　field　guns　were　now　pounding　Komanov's　immobile　platoon。　That　amounted　to　a　full　battery　fixed　on　each　of　them；　and　heavy　as　his　buried　concrete　box　was；　it　was　shaking　now；　and　the　air　inside　filled　with　cement　dust；　as　Komanov　and　his　crew　struggled　to　keep　up　with　all　the　targets。
　〃This　is　getting　exciting；　rade　Lieutenant；〃　the　gunner　observed；　as　he　loosed　his　fifteenth　main…gun　shot。
　Komanov　was　in　his　mander's　cupola；　looking　around　and　seeing；　rather　to　his　surprise；　that　his　bunker　and　all　the　others　under　his　mand　could　not　deal　with　the　attackers。　It　was　a　case　of　intellectual　knowledge　finally　catching　up　with　what　his　brain　had　long　proclaimed　as　evident　mon　sense。　He　actually　was　not　invincible　here。　Despite　his　big　tank　gun　and　his　two　heavy　machine　guns；　he　could　not　deal　with　all　these　insects　buzzing　about　him。　It　was　like　swatting　flies　with　an　icepick。　He　reckoned　that　he　and　his　crew　had　personally　killed　or　wounded　a　hundred　or　so　attackers…but　no　tanks。　Where　were　the　tanks　he　yearned　to　kill？　He　could　do　that　job　well。　But　to　deal　with　infantry；　he　needed　supporting　artillery　fire；　plus　foot　soldiers　of　his　own。　Without　them；　he　was　like　a　big　rock　on　the　sea　coast；　indestructible；　but　the　waves　could　just　wash　around　him。　And　they　were　doing　that　now；　and　then　Komanov　remembered　that　all　the　rocks　by　the　sea　were　worn　down　by　the　waves；　and　eventually　toppled　by　them。　His　war　had　lasted　three　hours；　not　even　that　much；　and　he　was　fully　surrounded；　and　if　he　wanted　to　survive；　it　would　soon　be　time　to　leave。
　The　thought　enraged　him。　Desert　his　post？　Run　away？　But　then　he　remembered　that　he　had　orders　allowing　him　to　do　so；　if　and　when　his　post　became　untenable。　He'd　received　the　orders　with　a　confident　chuckle。　Run　away　from　an　impregnable　mini…fortress？　What　nonsense。　But　now　he　was　alone。　Each　of　his　posts　was　alone。　And…
　…the　turret　rang　like　an　off…tone　bell　with　a　direct　impact　of　a　heavy　shell；　and　then…
　…〃Shit！〃　The　gunner　screamed。　〃Shit！　My　guns　damaged！〃
　Komanov　looked　out　of　one　of　his　vision　slits；　and　yes；　he　could　see　it。　The　gun　tube　was　scorched　and　。　。　。　and　actually　bent。　Was　that　possible？　A　gun　barrel　was　the　sturdiest　structure　men　could　make…but　it　was　slightly　bent。　And　so　it　was　no　longer　a　gun　barrel　at　all；　but　just　an　unwieldy　steel　club。　It　had　fired　thirty…four　rounds；　but　it　would　fire　no　more。　With　that　gone；　he'd　never　kill　a　Chinese　tank。　Komanov　took　a　deep　breath　to　collect　himself　and　his　thoughts。　Yes；　it　was　time。
　〃Prepare　the　post　for　destruction！〃　he　ordered。
　〃Now？〃　the　gunner　asked　incredulously。
　〃Now！〃　the　lieutenant　ordered。　〃Set　it　up！〃
　There　was　a　drill　for　this；　and　they'd　practiced　it。　The　loader　took　a　demolition　charge　and　set　it　among　the　racked　shells。　The　electrical　cable　was　in　a　spool；　which　he　played　out。　The　gunner　ignored　this；　cranking　the　turret　right　to　fire　his　coaxial　machine　gun　at　some　approaching　soldiers；　then　turning　rapidly　the　other　way　to　strike　at　those　who'd　used　his　reaction　to　the　others'　movement　for　cover　to　move　themselves。　Komanov　stepped　down　from　the　cupola　seat　and　looked　around。　There　was　his　bed；　and　the　table　at　which　they'd　all　eaten　their　food；　and　the　toilet　room　and　the　shower。　This　bunker　had　bee　home；　a　place　of　both　fort　and　work；　but　now　they　had　to　surrender　it　to　the　Chinese。　It　was　almost　inconceivable；　but　it　could　not　be　denied。　In　the　movies；　they'd　fight　to　the　death　here；　but　fighting　to　the　death　was　a　lot　more　fortable　for　actors　who　could　start　a　new　film　the　next　week。
　〃e　on；　Sergeant；〃　he　ordered　his　gunner；　who　took　one　last　long　burst　before　stepping　down　and　heading　toward　the　escape　tunnel。
　Komanov　counted　off　the　men　a