Sky Masters полностью

“Aircraft in eastern group reported as B-52 aircraft only,” the radioman replied after several inquiries. “No identification yet on northeast aircraft.” But judging by the speed at which the vertical plot technician was updating their position, Sun could easily guess — B-52 bombers, followed by B-l and F-111 bombers. The three southern groups were just the first wave — the second package, not as large as the first but even more powerful, were going after the Marines themselves.

“Issue an air-defense alert to all vessels and all forces; enemy bombers inbound from the east and northeast,” Sun ordered. “Have all forces take cover on the beach. Disperse landing craft and assault vessels as much as possible.”

Admiral Yin looked as if he had been deflated with a knife. He could only stare at the vertical plot, muttering something to himself that Sun could not hear. “Sir? Do you have further orders?” Sun asked. The Chinese Fleet Admiral could only mutter something unintelligible, stare at a slip of paper he had been given by the communications section, and stare at the board in absolute horror.

“Attention! Attention! Air-defense warning! Gunners man your batteries and stand by.”

Colonel of Marines Yang Yi Shuxin glanced nervously at the loudspeakers on the “island” superstructure above him, then at the turrets where the ship’s numerous 37-millimeter antiaircraft guns were mounted, but he quickly turned his attention back to the men on his landing craft. No one said a word, but Yang raised his voice easily above the amplified voice and said, “Be silent, all of you. The gunners have their job and you have yours. Stand by.”

Yang was leading a troop of forty heavily armed Chinese Marines in the invasion of Davao. They were aboard the air-cushion landing craft Dagu, a monstrous sixty-ton vessel that skimmed above the surface of the water on a cushion of air created by six gas-turbine-powered propellers on the bottom of the craft; two turboprop propellers above pushed the craft to over seventy kilometers per hour over land or sea. Dagu carried two small armored personnel carriers, each with 30-millimeter machine guns on board; the landing craft itself was armed with two 14.5-millimeter guns manned by four very young-looking soldiers. Unlike other landing craft, Dagu would take her Marines right up onto dry ground instead of into chest-deep water.

The amphibious landing ship they were on carried two such air-cushion landing craft, plus four conventional landing craft, along with twenty armored troop-carriers on the tank deck and thirty “deuce-and-a-half ’ utility trucks on the main deck, plus a total of four hundred Marines. Other amphibious assault tank-landing ships carried air-cushion landing craft, but they always called on Colonel Yang to lead any assault. Yang’s men would be the first Chinese soldiers to occupy Samar International Airport and lay siege to the city of Davao itself.

Other smaller Yuchai or Yunnan-class landing craft had gone ahead to try to draw fire, spot targets for the destroyer’s guns, or dismantle beach defenses. Dagu would lead the main Marine assault on the beach itself. After Yang’s Marines and APCs captured the beach, they would bring the amphibious assault ship into shallow water, deploy the pontoon bridge sections carried on the hull sides, and start rolling the trucks off the forward ramp. Once on the road, the trucks would rush forward and take Samar Airport — and victory.

The LST’s two big twin 76.2-millimeter guns began pounding away on the beach as the amphibious assault ship made a slight turn to bring both guns to bear. “Ready!” Yang shouted, and his men gave an animal-like growl in response. Dagu's helmsman started the engines, and the air- cushion vehicle’s four-meter-tall armor-covered skirt quickly inflated. A horn blared on the aft deck, the stern ramp lowered, and Dagu's helmsman gunned the twin turbojet propellers. The air-cushion craft leaped out into the darkness, hit the water, and sped toward the beach.

What Yang saw when they cleared the amphibious assault ship looked like something out of a child’s nightmare.

Ships were on fire everywhere. At least two other tank- and troop-landing ships were burning fiercely, with smoke billowing out of two more. Antiaircraft guns were sweeping the skies in seemingly random patterns. The water that Yang could see was littered with bodies, capsized landing craft, and debris. As he watched, another explosion ripped across the water, the shock wave strong enough to stagger him.

He had to remind himself that he could not show fear in front of his men, most of whom he knew were watching him. One of the toughest things for a Marine to do was step off a fast, safe landing craft and hit the beach, and for most of them only the sight of a brave leader would make them do it.