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ou couldn't even tell the difference between the legitimate and illegitimate。 Besides which； the Icelanders didn't seem to give a damn one way or the other。 Young unmarried girls had babies； took proper care of them； and that was that。 But who would walk away from this girl？
〃Well； speaking for myself。 Vigdis； I've never met a girl prettier than you。〃
〃Truly？〃
Her hair looked like hell； tangled and filthy； Edwards admitted to himself。 Her face and clothing were covered with dust and mud。 A hot shower could change that in a few minutes； revealing the lovely thing that she was。 But beauty es from within； and he was only beginning to appreciate the person inside。 He ran his hand along her cheek。
〃Any man who says different is an idiot。〃 He turned to see Sergeant Smith ing over。
〃Time to move； 'less you want our legs to stiffen up； Lieutenant。〃
〃Okay。 I want to make another eight or ten miles。 There's farms and roads on the far side of this mountain we're walking around。 We'll want to eyeball that area before we try to cross it。 I'll call in from there； too。〃
〃You got it； skipper。 Rodgers！ Take the point and bend it a little west。〃
BODENBURG； FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY
The ride forward had not been an easy one。 Eighth Guards Army moved its forward mand post as close behind the leading troops as possible。 Its mander； like Alekseyev； believed in having his eyes and ears as close to the front as possible。 The trip took forty minutes in armored troop carriers…it was far too dangerous to use helicopters…during which Alekseyev had observed a pair of savage air attacks on Russian columns。
German and Belgian reinforcements had joined the action； and intercepts of radio messages indicated that American and British units were also en route。 Alekseyev had called up more Russian units as well。
What had begun as a relatively simple push by one mechanized army was now growing into a major engagement。 He took this to be a good sign。 NATO would not be reinforcing if they did not regard the situation as dangerous。 The Soviet task was to achieve the desired result before reinforcements came into play。
The general manding 20th Guards Tank Division was in the mand post。 They'd set it up in a secondary school。 A new building； it had lots of space； and until an underground bunker could be prepared； it would have to do。 The pace of the advance had slowed； as much because of traffic control difficulties as from the Germans。
〃Straight down this road to Sack；〃 8th Guards Army told the tanker。 〃My motor…rifle troops should have it clear by the time you get there。〃
〃Four more kilometers to Alfeld。 Yes； just make sure you can support us when we jump across the river。〃 The General set his helmet atop his head and moved out the door。 It was going to work； Alekseyev thought。 This general had done a magnificent job of delivering his unit to the front in nearly perfect order。
The next thing he heard was an explosion。 Windows shattered； pieces of ceiling dropped around him。 The Devil's Cross had returned yet again。
Alekseyev raced outside to see a dozen burning armored vehicles。 As he watched； the crew bailed out of a brand…new T…80 tank。 An instant later the vehicle brewed up： a fire swept through the ammunition racks inside and a pillar of flame rose toward the sky as from a small volcano。
〃The general is dead…the General is dead！〃 a sergeant shouted。 He pointed to a BMD infantry carrier from which no one had escaped alive。
Alekseyev found the mander of the 8th Guards Army cursing beside him。 〃The assistant mander of that tank division is a new colonel。〃
Pavel Leonidovich reached a quick and convenient decision。 〃No； rade General。 What about me？〃
Startled； the mander stared at him； then remembered Alekseyev's reputation as a tank mander； and his father's。 He made a quick decision of his own。 〃Twentieth Tanks is yours。 You know the mission。〃
Another infantry assault carrier rolled up。 Alekseyev and Sergetov boarded it； and the driver sped off toward the divisional mand post。 It took half an hour before they stopped。 Alekseyev saw rows of tanks parked inside the treeline。 Allied artillery was falling close by； but he ignored it。 His regimental manders were grouped together。 The General quickly gave orders for objective and timing。 It spoke well of the General not dead an hour that everyone here knew his mission。 The division was finely organized； with every part of the assault plan already firmed up。 Alekseyev saw at once that he had a good battle staff。 He set them to work as his unit manders rejoined their regiments。
His first battle headquarters was fittingly in the shade of a tall tree。 His father could have wished for no better。 Alekseyev smiled。 He found his divisional intelligence officer。 〃What's the situation？〃
〃A battalion of German tanks is counterattacking on this road leading east from Sack。 They should be contained； and in any case our vehicles are moving southwest behind them。 The lead motor…rifle troops are just inside the town； and report only minor resistance。 Our leading elements are now moving and should be there within the hour。〃
〃Air Defense Officer？〃
〃SAMs and mobile antiaircraft guns are just behind the leading echelons。 We also have friendly air cover。 Two regiments of MiG…21s are on call for air defense； but we haven't had any ground…attack fighters assigned yet。 They took a beating this morning…but so did the other side。 We killed twelve NATO aircraft before noon。〃
Alekseyev nodded； dividing that number by three； as he had learned。
〃Excuse me； rade General。 I am Colonel Popov； your divisional political officer。〃
〃Fine； rade Colonel。 My Party dues are paid to the end of the year； and with luck I will live to pay them again。 If you have something important to say； be quick！〃 If there was anything Alekseyev didn't need now； it was a zampolitl
〃After we capture Alfeld…〃
〃If we capture Alfeld I will let you have the keys to the city。 For the present； let me do my job。 Dismissed！〃 Probably wanted permission to shoot suspected fascists。 As a four…star general； Alekseyev could not ignore political officers； but at least he could ignore those under the rank of general。 He walked over to the tactical maps。 On one side as before； lieutenants showed the advance of his…his！…units。 On the other； intelligence officers were assembling what data they had on enemy opposition。 He grabbed the shoulder of his operations officer。
〃I want that lead regiment right behind the motor…rifle troops。 If they need some help； give it to them。 I want this breakthrough and I want it today。 What artillery do we have set up？〃
〃Two battalions of heavy guns are ready now。〃
〃Good。 If those infantry have targets for them； find out； and let's start hitting them now。 This is not a time for finesse。 NATO knows we're here； and our worst enemy is time。 Time works for them； not for us。〃 The operations officer and artillery mander got together； and two minutes later his 152mm guns were delivering fire to the front。 He'd have to have a medal awarded to the dead mander of 20th Tanks； Alekseyev decided； the man deserved a reward of some kind for the training he saw evident in this staff。
〃Enemy air attack in progress；〃 a plotting officer said。
〃Enemy tanks emerging from woods east of Sack； estimate battalion strength。 Heavy artillery fire supporting the Germans。〃
He had to trust his colonels now； Alekseyev knew。 The time at which a general could observe the entire battle and control it was long past。 His staff officers made their little marks on the map。 The Germans should have waited； the General thought； they should have let the division spearhead go through； then attack the division supply column。 That was foolish； the first time he had seen a German mander make a tactical error。 Probably a junior officer who had relieved a dead or wounded superior； or perhaps a man whose home was nearby。 Whatever the reason； it was a mistake and Alekseyev was profiting by it。 His leading two tank regiments took losses； but they smashed the German counterattack in ten furious minutes。
〃Two kilometers…leading elements now two kilometers from Sack。 Opposition from artillery only。 Friendly units are in sight。 Infantry troops in Sack report minor resistance only。 The town is nearly clear。 Forward scouts report the road to Alfeld is open！〃
〃Bypass Sack；〃 Alekseyev ordered。 〃The objective is Alfeld on the Leine。〃
ALFELD； FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY
It was a scratch team。 American mechanized infantrymen and the lead tank squadron of an advancing British brigade reinforced the remains of Germans and Belgians who had been crushed by five Soviet divisions that day。 There was little time。 bat engineers worked furiously with their armored bulldozers to scrape shelters for the tanks while infantrymen dug holes for their antitank weapons。 A cloud of dust on the horizon was all the warning they needed。 A division of tanks was reported heading their way； and the civilians had not entirely evacuated the town behind them。 Twenty miles behind them； a squadron of ground…attack aircraft circled； waiting for the call…down signal。
〃Enemy in sight！〃 a lookout on a church steeple radioed。 In seconds artillery fire lashed at the leading Soviet columns。 Antitank…missile crew popped the covers off their targeting scopes and loaded the first weapons of what promised to be a long afternoon。 The Challenger tanks of 3rd Royal Tank Regiment settled into their holes； hatches shut tight as the gunners zeroed their sights on distant targets。 Things were too confused and there had not been enough time to establish a firm chain of mand here。 An American was first to fire。 The TOW…2 missile sped downrange its control wires trailing out behind like a spider's web as it reached four kilometers to a T…80 tank。
〃Advanced elements are now under fire from enemy missile teams；〃 reported a plotting officer。
〃Flatten them！〃 Alekseyev ordered his artillery mander。 Within a minute the division's multiple…rocket launchers were filling the sky with trails of fire。 Tube artillery fire added to the carnage at the battle line Then NATO artillery joined the fray in earnest。
〃Lead regiment is taking losses。〃
Alekseyev watched the map in silence。 There was no room for deceptive maneuver here； nor was there time。 His men had to race through the enemy lines as quickly as possible in order to seize the bridges on the Leine。 That meant that his leading tank crews would suffer heavily。 The breakthrough would have its own heavy price； but the price had to be paid。
Twelve Belgian F…16 fighters swept in low over the front at five hundred knots； dropping tons of cluster munitions on the lead Soviet regiment； killing nearly thirty tanks and a score of infantry carriers less than a kilometer from the allied lines。 A swarm of missiles rose into the sky after them； and the single…engine fighters turned west； skimming over the ground in their attempt to evade。 Three were smashed to the ground； and fell among the NATO troops； adding to the carnage already created by Soviet fire。 The mander of the British tanks saw that he lacked the firepower to stop the Soviet attack。 There just wasn't enough。 It was time to leave while his battalion was still able to fight。 He alerted his panies to be ready to pull out and tried to get the word to neighboring units。 But the troops around Alfeld came from four different armies； with separate languages and radio settings。 There hadn't been time to establish exactly who was in overall mand。 The Germans didn't want to leave。 The town had not yet been fully evacuated； and the German troops would not desert their positions until their countrymen were safely across the river。 The Americans and Belgians began to move when the British colonel told them to； but not the Germans； and the result was chaos within the NATO lines。
〃Forward observers report enemy units moving back on the right； repeat； enemy units appear to be disengaging on the northern side of the town。〃
〃Move the second regiment north； loop around and head for the bridges； fast as they can。 Disregard losses and charge for those damned bridges！ Operations Officer； keep pressure on all enemy units。 We want to trap them on this side and finish them if we can；〃 Alekseyev ordered。 〃Sergetov； e with me。 I have to go forward。〃
The attack had ripped the heart out