“Three companies, we believe — in all, plus or minus three hundred men.”
“Whew! That’s all right then,” said Aussie. “Thought there mightn’t be enough to go around.”
The major grinned politely but quickly returned their attention to the triangular section — at the Kremlin’s northernmost end, which was roughly wedge-shaped — the arsenal that would contain the SPETS on the left-hand side of the wedge, the Council of Ministers where the STAVKA meeting would take place, on the right — in between them, a relatively open section of several acres with some tree cover.
Tapping the open area at the bottom or widest part of the wedge, Rye told them, “This’ll be your landing zone. Remember, too far west and you’re on the roof of the Palace of Congress. Too far southwest and you’re into a thicket of spires. Landing atop the Palace of Congress wouldn’t be so bad for Laylor’s Troop A. It has a very good overview of the open area below it — the middle of the wedge — as well as a view of the arsenal on its left and the Council of Ministers to the right. But Troop B and Troop C, on the other hand, must avoid wasting time by landing on the palace and having to rappel down. Oh yes — too far south altogether and you could find yourself over the wall in queue for Lenin’s mausoleum.”
“Have to pay to get in, sir?”
“Well I’m sure,” quipped Rye, “that whatever currency was required, Lewis, you’d have it.”
Rye turned back to the map. “Before I discuss the job of the other two groups — B and C — a few more points you all need to know.”
The major paused to make sure every man of the three-troop squadron was watching him before going on. “The raid, gentlemen, is to cut off the head of the snake. It must be a quick and decisive operation. Very fast, very hard. Now, some of you are probably wondering, why not a bombing run? Good question — easy answer. The Kremlin complex covers well over sixty acres. Furthermore, after the U.S. “smart bomb” attack on Qaddafi years ago knocked out everything else but failed to get Qaddafi, which was the whole point of the raid, NATO HQ, correctly in my view, have shied away from delegating this kind of task to a bombing run. Bombing looks all very impressive from postraid aerial photographs. It appears that you’ve taken out everything when in fact half of it remains operational. We learned that with the Ho Chi Minh Trail. And do remember, gentlemen— the day after the A-bomb landed on Hiroshima, trolley cars were running in the city. No, the only sure way is to actually go in and do the job on the ground. Then you’ve got a much better chance of taking them out — whether they’re in the upper chambers of the Council of Ministers or in the bomb shelters below.
“Understood, sir,” put in the Guards officer, Laylor, in command of A Group. “But if the shelters are sealed off, then even if we get some members of the STAVKA HQ upstairs, what happens if the rest scurry to the shelters before we can—”
“Good question, Laylor — so now we come to Groups B and C.” The major was looking around at the eighty men. “Ah, Brentwood, there you are. I do hope you don’t object to leading Bravo Troop? You were chosen because of your experience in the Freeman raid on Pyongyang.
“Good. Now, your job is to get into the Council of Ministers — hereafter designated COM — while Laylor’s Alfa Group is securing the perimeter. Hit them before they know what the dickens is going on. Remember, they’ve at least two companies of SPETS billeted in the arsenal just two hundred yards west of the COM. That’s in addition to regular Kremlin guards stationed at building entrances, et cetera.”
The major turned back to Laylor. “In any event, Laylor, the drill will be that whether or not the STAVKA and other members of the Politburo do ‘scurry’ to the cellars, your job is to secure a perimeter within which Brentwood’s Bravo Troop can clean house.’ Brentwood, your sappers will plant enough plastique to bring down the entire COM if necessary. Whether the STAVKA are shot or asphyxiated by thousands of tons of concrete coming down on their shelter is neither here nor there to us. Your job is to kill them before they get a chance to unleash all-out chemical and biological warfare on our troops and on our civilians.
“Before your departure, all of you will be doing walkthroughs — many, in fact — of a mock-up of Suzlov’s office, et cetera, on the top floor of the COM’s eastern wing. Remember, all you are concerned with is the area bounded by the triangle— the Kremlin’s northern end. You should land within the triangle — hopefully in the more open space between the arsenal and the Council of Ministers. When you open your chutes at low altitude, even with cloud, your infrared goggles should allow you to make out the landing zone area clearly. For a reference point, look for the line of cannons lined up all along here — the eastern side of the arsenal facing the Council of Ministers. We’ll be practicing orientation here, sending you up on the mezzanine and looking down on the model. You’ll be issued flares — short fuse — but hopefully you’ll have the element of surprise and won’t have to use them, as you’d only be presenting yourselves as targets. Most critical phase will be the time it takes the SPETs in and around the arsenal to realize what’s going on. But no matter where you land within the Kremlin complex, remember you’ll never be too far from your targets. So regroup quickly.”
Next Rye turned to Cheek-Dawson, who was designated leader of the remaining twenty-odd SAS. “C Troop under Mr. Cheek-Dawson will surround the Council of Ministers Building, to help Laylor’s Alfa Group bottle up the SPETS in the arsenal while Brentwood is cleaning house. C will also provide a squad of sappers to plant the time-delay plastique which will bring down the COM, covering its shelters in rubble, should Mr. Brentwood’s group not put pay to everyone at the STAVKA meeting. No use doing only half the job. Captain, you’ll also provide ‘fire teams’ of two, no more than four, men to plug any weak holes in the perimeter.”
“Understood, sir,” said Cheek-Dawson.
“Good. Everyone else — clear so far?”
Rye was wearing such an encouraging smile that for a moment it occurred to the Australian, Lewis, that to anyone walking in, it might seem as if they were merely being briefed for yet another practice HALO jump, except the atmosphere in the room was electric with excitement, laced through with the fear that they were going into the bear’s den.
“I’ll hand this over in a few moments to Mr. Cheek-Dawson for your detailed walk-throughs, but I do have a few closing remarks. We have — I should say MI5 and CIA have — provided us with enough information to arrange a mock-up ‘attack set’ in our Hereford house. You will all do six run-throughs — each fifteen minutes maximum — before you take off tomorrow afternoon for our forward airfields around Minsk.
“Remember the whole thrust of your training is that above all, SAS adapts to any situation faster and better than anyone else. Apart from those weapons and techniques that you’ve spent the last weeks honing to a fine point, your greatest weapon will be speed and surprise. If we had thought we could have relied on any other means to do the job, we wouldn’t have asked you. That, indeed, was my first consideration when former C in C General Freeman, who originated this plan and kept it on standby, initially presented it to me in Brussels. And if we thought we could get you in by low, radar-evading choppers, we would have also tried that. But I’m afraid the perimeter defenses of Moscow area simply made that unfeasible. The only way is to go high and drop you in. So far as getting you out — something I venture a few of you at least are interested in doing—” the laughter was short “—Royal Air Force will launch a Harrier-escorted flight of four Sea Stallion choppers for pickup—” he turned to the map “—here at Naro-Fominsk. It’s thirty miles out — closest we can possibly hope to get. But we do have surprise help for you on that score.”