Sword Point

by Harold Coyle

  Entering the DMZ was strictly forbidden, especially with armored vehicles, but both sides did go in-to test each other's reactions and to find blind spots. Vorishnov would have preferred not to go in that night. One of his patrols, however, had gotten a BMP stuck while it was in the DMZ. Knowing the sensitivity of such violations, Vorishnov had decided to go in and personally supervise the recovery. He wanted to be out of there before dawn. Otherwise, there would be hell to pay.

  Twenty-Five Kilometers South of Marker 385, Iran 0505 Hours, 5 October (0135 Hours, 5 October, GMT)

  The young lieutenant, new to the unit, had been reluctant to wake the major.

  When reports about an unidentified vehicle arrived at the TOC, the lieutenant had decided not to bother the major until the vehicle was positively identified. Besides, the sergeant on duty told him that it was no big deal, that the Russians did that sort of thing "all the time." But when three additional vehicles were reported to have entered the DMZ, the lieutenant became nervous and sent a runner to wake Major Dixon and tell him of the violation.

  Dixon stormed into the TOC, so enraged over not having been awakened immediately at the first report that he was unable to speak coherently.

  He chewed the lieutenant out, calling him everything he could think of. Then he turned on the sergeant on duty and chewed him out for being stupid enough to allow the lieutenant to do dumb things. When Dixon left for the DMZ at the head of a two-Bradley reaction section, he was still in a rage.

  It took the entire trip and the cold night air to subdue his anger.

  Recovery of an armored vehicle is never easy. What looks so simple and commonsense in a book or during a demonstration is a major undertaking when attempted in the field, in darkness, by men tired, hungry and scared.

  Vorishnov, impatient to be out of the DMZ, stood behind the warrant officer, asking questions and rendering advice. The warrant officer, as tactfully as possible, informed the major that he had the situation in hand. Taking the hint, Vorishnov went back to his vehicle to wait.

  Leaning against the side of the armored car, he began to doze.

  Night was giving way to predawn twilight when the commander of the BRDM shook Vorishnov and told him there was some kind of vehicle moving in the American half of the DMZ. Vorishnov climbed up onto the BRDM and peered in the direction the BRDM commander indicated toward a slight rise south of the wire fence that marked the boundary between U.S. and Soviet-occupied Iran.

  Both men scanned the horizon until they detected a motionless antenna protruding over the rise. Evidently there was a patrol there, watching them. The antenna probably belonged to an armored vehicle. Vorishnov turned and looked at the progress of the recovery operation. It would still be some time before it was finished. With nothing better to do, he jumped down from the track and walked up to the wire fence, exercising great care as to where he stepped.

  Once he was at the fence, Vorishnov stopped, folded his arms and stared at the point where they had seen the antenna. Perhaps he could cause the Americans to move or expose themselves. If both sides violated the DMZ, the Soviet violation could be explained as a reaction to the Americans' violation. It was worth a try.

  "What the hell do you suppose he's up to?"

  Dixon did not answer the scout-section sergeant immediately. Instead, he continued to watch the lone Soviet major standing at the wire, arms folded, staring toward the spot where they were. He couldn't imagine what the Russian was looking at. Rolling over from his stomach to his side, Dixon looked back at the Bradley to their rear. It was down low, its turret well below the rise. Their approach had been slow and quiet.

  There was nothing that could have given them away. Nothing, except the antenna. When Dixon saw the antenna sticking up instead of being tied down, he knew what the Russian had seen. Tapping the section sergeant on the shoulder, he pointed out the antenna. The sergeant mumbled an obscenity, then asked, "Now what?"

  To the sergeant's surprise, Dixon stood up, looked in the direction of the Russian and said, "Now I go find out what he wants." With that, he began to walk toward the wire fence, being careful where he walked.

  As he approached the fence, he could see the Russian watching him intently.

  Behind the Russian major the men working on the BMP stopped and stared.

  The Russian major was a big man, half a head taller than Dixon.

  Dixon did not let that bother him. He walked up to the fence and stopped, staring into the Russian's eyes.

  For a moment, the two faced each other awkwardly. Each man had seen men of the other side, mostly prisoners of war. This was different.

  The man across the fence was not a beaten man. He was armed and he controlled other armed men. Not knowing what to do, and more from reflex than by intent, the two saluted each other.

  Dixon spoke first. "In the name of the Allied forces, I must protest the unprovoked introduction of forces and armored vehicles into the demilitarized zone. This is in direct violation of the armistice agreement. I demand their immediate withdrawal."

  Vorishnov, straight-faced, responded in English, "Our presence in the demilitarized zone is in response to your provocation. It is you who have violated the armistice."

  Dixon looked from Vorishnov to where the Russian was looking-in the direction of the waiting scout sergeant and the concealed Bradley. Finally he said, "Perhaps we are both guilty of violating the treaty."

  Vorishnov looked at the American and agreed. "Perhaps, but only a little."

  Each man studied the man across the fence. Each knew what unit he faced across the DMZ and the role that that unit had played in the fighting. Each had seen much and knew that the man he faced had also.

  Both had seen too much.

  It was Vorishnov who spoke first. "How long do you suppose this will last, Major?"

  Dixon thought for a moment. "Hard to say. These things take time. In Korea, negotiations took years. We still have forces there in the DMZ."

  Vorishnov sighed. "Yes, diplomats do not have the need to hurry. They do not have to face what we have to."

  Dixon asked, "Do you suppose things would be different if they were here?"

  "No, I suppose not. Besides, they are not of our kind.

  They could no more do what we must than we could do what they are ordered to do."

  The Russian's reference to "our kind" was a revelation to Dixon. He had never looked upon a Russian in that light or thought there was a bond, a common ground, a similarity. As he considered that, it made sense. The Russian, like him, was a tanker, a veteran, a survivor.

  A Russian soldier called out to Vorishnov. He turned and saw that the BMP was out of the ditch and beginning to move toward the BRDM. "It is time to leave now, Major. May your journey back be safe."

  Dixon stepped back. "Yes. Be careful of the mines. We have a hell of a time keeping the Iranians from moving them about."

  Vorishnov smiled for the first time. "You see, we share the same problems. Goodbye, Major."

  With that, the two saluted, turned and walked back to their vehicles.

  Glossary of Military Terms

  A-10 — The A-10 Thunderbolt, nicknamed the Warthog, is a ground-attack aircraft specially built for the U.S. Air Force to crack tanks. Armed with a 30mm. cannon capable of destroying tanks from above, the A-10 can also carry 8 tons of ammunition. It has a maximum speed of 423 mph and an operational range of 288 miles.

  AH-64 — The U.S. Army's current attack helicopter, named the Apache. Now being fielded, it is capable of carrying sixteen Hellfire antitank guided missiles or seventy-six 2.75-inch rockets. In addition, the helicopter is armed with a 30mm. cannon. It has a maximum speed of 192 mph and an operational range of 380 miles. A computer-driven fire-control system that includes thermal sights and a laser designator tracker range finder makes the AH-64 one of the most effective antitank weapons systems in the world.

  AK — Avtomat-Kalashnikov assault rifle, the standard rifle of the Red Army. The original AK, the AK-47, fired a
7.62mm. round in either the semiautomatic or the full automatic mode. The rifle has a cyclic rate of fire of 600 rounds per minute but in reality can only fire 90 rounds, as the magazine holds either 30 or 40 rounds. Effective range of the AK-47 is 400 meters. The AKM was an improvement of the AK47, a folding stock being the most noticeable feature. The current assault rifle of the Red Army, the AKS74, which is based on the AK-47, fires a 5 .45mm. round and has an effective range of 500 meters.

  ATGM — Antitank guided missile.

  AWACS — See E-3 Sentry.

  Battalion — A military organization consisting of three to five companies, with personnel strength of 350 to 800 men.

  Battle-Dress Uniform — Camouflaged fatigues worn by U.S. ground forces. Referred to as BDUs.

  Blackhawk — See UH-60 Blackhawk.

  BMD — The airborne version of the BMP-1 (See BMP).

  BMP — A Red Army infantry-fighting vehicle introduced in the 1960s. It comes in two primary versions. The BMP-1, the original design, is armed with a 73mm. smooth-bore gun, a 7.62mm. machine gun and an AT-3 SAGER antitank guided missile. The BMP-2 is armed with a 30mm. gun, a 7.62mm. machine gun and an AT-5 SPAN DEL antitank guided missile. Both vehicles have a crew of three and can carry eight infantrymen. The BMP is amphibious, weighs 11.3 tons and has a range of operations of 310 miles and a top speed of 34 mph. There are now several variations of this vehicle, including a reconnaissance version that has replaced the PT-76 light tank, and a command post. Boggy-Air Force slang for an enemy aircraft.

  Bradley — Name of the U.S. Army infantry-fighting vehicle. See M-2.

  BRDM — The standard Soviet reconnaissance vehicle. This vehicle comes in two recon versions, the BRDM-1, now obsolete, and the BRDM-2. The BRDM-2 is armed with a 14.5mm. machine gun and a 7.62mm. machine gun; it weighs 6.9 tons, is fully amphibious, and has a top speed of 62 mph on land and 6.25 mph in the water, with a range of 400 miles.

  Brigade — A flexible organization that consists of two to five combat maneuver battalions and various combat support and combat service support units such as engineers, air-defense artillery, military intelligence, supply, medical, maintenance, etc.

  BTR-60 — A Soviet eight-wheeled armored personnel carrier capable of carrying up to fourteen people. It weighs approximately 10 tons, is amphibious and is fielded in several versions, some of which have a small turret armed with a 14.5mm. and a 7.62mm. machine gun.

  CAA — See Combined Arms Army.

  C-5A Galaxy — The largest transport aircraft in the U.S. Air Force. It can carry 100 tons and all oversized cargo such as tanks, and has a range of 7500 miles.

  CO — Short for "commanding officer."

  Combined Arms Army — The Soviet equivalent of a U.S. Army corps in size and purpose. It has three or four motorized rifle divisions and one or two tank divisions, plus combat-support units such as artillery, rocket troops, air defense, attack helicopters and engineers, as well as supply and transportation units. The combined arms army is the main weapon of the Red Army at the operational level.

  Company — A military organization that numbers from 50 to 180 personnel and is normally divided into platoons and/or sections.

  Corps — In the U.S. Army, an organization comprising several combat divisions, independent combat brigades, armored cavalry regiments, and combat-support units such as artillery, rocket troops, air defense, attack helicopter and engineers, as well as supply and transportation units. It is a flexible organization that can be added to or have units taken from it, depending on the corps's missions. The corps is commanded by a lieutenant general and can number from 50,000 to over 100,000 men.

  CP (Command Post) — The center where commanders and their operations and intelligence staff, along with special staff officers, plan, monitor and control the battle.

  CQ — Short for "charge of quarters." This is a noncommissioned officer who is put on duty at company level during non duty hours. He is responsible for the maintenance of unit rules and regulations and is the point of contact for receiving and passing important information at the company.

  Division — A major military organization that consists of brigades and/or regiments and can have personel strength as low as 6,500 men or as high as 20,000 depending on the type.

  Dragon — The M-47, currently the medium-range wire guided antitank guided missile, with a maximum range of 1,000 meters, used by both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps. The system consists of a tracker, which contains all the optics and the command guidance system, and the missile, which comes in a fiberglass tube that is disposed of after the missile has been fired. The missile and the launcher together weigh 30 pounds.

  E-3 Sentry — An airborne early-warning and control system (AWACS). The Sentry, equipped with state of-the-art radar and sensors, provides a look-down view of all air activity over an extended area of operations. It is more than a simple information-gatherer; the personnel aboard control the conduct of air operations, directing friendly fighters against hostile aircraft.

  F-15 Eagle — An air-superiority fighter. Introduced in late 1974, the F-15, along with the F-16, is the mainstay of the U.S. Air Force today and for the foreseeable future. The A and C models are single-seater fighters, the B and C models are two-seater trainers, and the E model, now entering service, is a two seater ground-attack plane. The F-15 weighs 12.7 tons empty and can cant' a variety of stores weighing up to 8 tons in the A and C models and tons in the E model. (The B-17 heavy bomber of World War II had a maximum bomb load of 10 tons.) In addition to bombs, the F-15 can carry four Sparrow and four Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and has a 20mm. gun with 920 rounds for air-to-air combat. Maximum speed at 36,000' feet and carrying only four Sparrows is 1,653 mph, or two and a half times the speed of sound. It is capable of flying as high as 65,000 feet.

  Frigate — A small naval ship used as an escort and for submarine-hunting. It can carry a variety of offensive weapons, including a 5-inch gun, torpedoes, surface to-surface antiship missiles, surface-to-air antiaircraft missiles, antisubmarine rockets, and a helicopter used in antisubmarine warfare (ASW) operations. It can also carry various defenses against missile attacks, including antimissile missiles, rapid-fire guns, and electronic and mechanical spoofing devices designed to confuse the incoming missile's guidance system. A typical frigate weighs approximately 3,000 tons.

  G1, etc. — See S-1, etc.

  HEAT — High-explosive antitank. A HEAT round is a round that has a shaped charge in its warhead. Upon impact and detonation, the shaped charge forms a jet stream of molten-metal particles traveling at extreme high speeds. This jet stream literally displaces the molecules of an armored vehicle's armor and forces its way into the interior of the vehicle, where it comes into contact with flammable material such as on-board fuel and ammo-and, of course, with the crew. Reactive armor, now in use in several armies around the world, is meant to defeat HEAT rounds by preventing the jet stream of the HEAT round from forming. Hummer-The M-998 high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle (HMMWV). This is the replacement for the World War II-era one-quarter-ton truck or jeep.

  KGB — The security force of the USSR, reaching into every aspect of Soviet life and into the affairs of all nations. The KGB comprises many services and organizations. Besides intelligence, it includes border security forces, battalions of paramilitary troops for internal security, and political officers attached to military units; and it mans and runs the State's prison-camp system for political prisoners. The head of the KGB is one of the three most powerful men in the Soviet Union.

  LAVA — wheeled light armored vehicle (hence LAV), in use with the U.S. Marine Corps. It weighs slightly under 10 tons and has a top speed of 63 mph and range of over 400 miles. Armament includes a 25mm. cannon, the same as that used by the M-2 Bradley, and a 7.62mm. machine gun mounted coaxially with the 25mm. cannon.

  LAW — Light antitank weapon. The current LAW in use with the U.S. Army is the 66mm. M72A2 that fires an antitank rocket from a disposable tube and has a
n effective range of 355 meters. The M72 is being replaced by the AT-4, built by Honeywell and based on the Swedish LAW. The AT-4 weighs 14.6 pounds, fires an 84mm. antitank rocket from a disposable launcher and has an effective range of 500 meters.

  LTVP — 7-An armored amphibious assault vehicle used by the U.S. Marine Corps. It weighs 26 tons and has top speeds of 39 mph on land and 8.5 mph in the water. Capable of carrying up to twenty-five troops, it is armed with a50-caliber machine gun.

  M-1 and M-1A1 — The current main battle tank of the U.S. Army. Type-classified in 1981, the M-1 is in the field in two versions: the M-1, which is armed with a 105mm. rifled main gun, and the M-1A1, which is armed with a 120mm. smooth-bore gun. The two versions have similar characteristics, which include secondary armament of a.50-caliber machine gun at the commander's station and a 7.62mm. machine gun mounted coaxially with the main gun. The tank weighs 61 tons and has a maximum speed of 45 mph and a range of 275 miles. The M-1 is the first U.S. tank to be protected by special armor, sometimes referred to as Chobham armor.

  M-2 — The current U.S. Army infantry-fighting vehicle, called the Bradley. The Bradley is armed with a twin tube TOW-missile launcher, a 25mm. gun, and a 7.62mm. machine gun mounted coaxially with the 25mm. gun. It has a crew of three and can carry six infantrymen, each of whom has a firing port and a periscope from which he can fire a special port weapon. The M-2 weighs 25 tons, has a top speed of 41 mph, is amphibious and has a range of 300 miles.

  M-3 — The reconnaissance version of the M-2 Bradley, found in scout platoons and armored cavalry units. Its characteristics and performance are the same as the infantry version.

  M-8 — The standard Soviet troop-carrying helicopter.

  M-16 — The standard rifle of U.S. ground-combat forces. It fires a 5.56mm. round, either semiautomatic or full automatic, and is gas operated, magazine fed and air-cooled. The M-16A2, now being fielded, eliminates the automatic mode and fires a three-round burst instead and has several other improvements, including a heavier barrel that allows greater accuracy at longer ranges.