Heroes of the South Atlantic. Shaun Clarke

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ sky indistinguishable. Nevertheless, with the aid of the Mark 3’s computerized navigational system, Lieutenant-Commander Pedler led the other two helicopters on through the dangerous gorges of South Georgia until the sheer face of the Fortuna Glacier emerged eerily from a curtain of falling snow. There they hovered, then ascended and descended, trying to find a place to land, with the roaring helicopters being buffeted dangerously by the fierce, howling wind.

      The first attempt to land was unsuccessful, so eventually Pedler and the others flew away to circle the glacier in the hope of finding a clear area. They weren’t able to land until the third attempt, later that afternoon, when the wind was blowing at 50mph. It was like landing in hell.

      When the troops disembarked from the helicopters, or ‘helos’ as the Navy called them, the fierce wind was driving fine particles of ice before it. These stung the men’s eyes if they were not wearing goggles and, more dangerously, choked the mechanisms of their weapons.

      As they unloaded their equipment and long, lightweight pulks, they were sheltered from the worst of the weather. Also, the hot exhaust fumes of the helicopters gave them a deceptive feeling of warmth. But when they lifted off, the 16 SAS troopers, being suddenly, brutally hit by the full force of those biting, 50mph winds, realized just what they were up against.

      ‘Shit!’ Paddy exclaimed, wiping snow from his Arctic hood and examining the weapons he was putting onto his pulk. ‘They’re not only choked up – they’re frozen solid as well. Completely fucking useless.’

      ‘Damn!’ Captain Hailsham exclaimed softly, also checking the frozen weapons. ‘During the helicopter flight the warm metal must have attracted a thin film of water. Exposed to this damned wind, it froze.’

      ‘Great!’ Andrew said, rolling his eyes, then squinting into the howling gale. ‘Weapons like ice lollies. Let’s just hope the bloody Argies don’t show up until we get them thawed out again.’

      ‘The Argies won’t show up here,’ Ricketts said.

      ‘Still,’ Captain Hailsham warned him, ‘we have to get off this glacier before nightfall. ‘If we don’t, we’re likely to freeze to death.’

      ‘Right, boss,’ Ricketts said, forced to shout against the raging wind, but finding it difficult because his lips were already becoming numb. ‘We better get going then. I suggest we break the men up into four groups, each roped together, and go down the glacier in arrow formation. That way, we won’t lose each other and can help each other out if there’s trouble.’

      ‘Right, Sergeant, let’s do it.’

      After splitting up into four patrols, one of which included Ricketts, Andrew, Danny, and Paddy, the men attached themselves to the pulks loaded with food and ammunition, roped themselves together in four separate groups, then advanced down the glacier in arrowhead formation, inhuman in their bulky Arctic suits and hoods, ghostlike in the mist and swirling snow.

      One patrol had orders to watch Leith, one Stromness and one Husvik, four miles from the LZ. The fourth, led by Ricketts, had intended going down the opposite west slope to recce Fortuna Bay for boat and helicopter landing points. However, this was not to be. As the men edged slowly forward, the storm actually grew worse, with the wind howling louder and the snow thickening around them, reducing visibility to almost zero.

      The ice surface of the glacier was covered with snow, which was gathering in the crevasses. The men could not always see the indentations in the snow, and within a few metres they came to a halt when young Danny became the first to cry out instinctively as he plunged through the snow-covered ice.

      His fall was stopped by his bergen, his backpack, straddling the fissure, leaving him buried from the waist down.

      ‘Christ!’ he cried, frantically waving his hands above his head. ‘Get me outta here!’

      ‘Don’t move!’ Ricketts called to him, tugging on the rope, meanwhile pulling himself forward to anchor Danny with his pickaxe and prevent him sinking deeper into the crevasse. Andrew and Paddy then did the same, hooking their pickaxes under Danny’s armpits, then taking hold of his shoulders to pull him back up to solid ground.

      Once Danny had shaken off the snow and ice, they all stepped over the crevasse, leaned into the wind and continued their advance down the white, gleaming side of the glacier. Then Paddy fell into another crevasse, compelling them to stop and start the rescue procedure all over again.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4QAYRXhpZgAASUkqAAgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/sABFEdWNreQABAAQAAABQAAD/4QRdaHR0cDov L25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wLwA8P3hwYWNrZXQgYmVnaW49Iu+7vyIgaWQ9Ilc1TTBNcENl aGlIenJlU3pOVGN6a2M5ZCI/PiA8eDp4bXBtZXRhIHhtbG5zOng9ImFkb2JlOm5zOm1ldGEvIiB4 OnhtcHRrPSJBZG9iZSBYTVAgQ29yZSA1LjAtYzA2MSA2NC4xNDA5NDksIDIwMTAvMTIvMDctMTA6 NTc6MDEgICAgICAgICI+IDxyZGY6UkRGIHhtbG5zOnJkZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMTk5 OS8wMi8yMi1yZGYtc3ludGF4LW5zIyI+IDxyZGY6RGVzY3JpcHRpb24gcmRmOmFib3V0PSIiIHht bG5zOnhtcE1NPSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvbW0vIiB4bWxuczpzdFJlZj0i aHR0cDovL25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wL3NUeXBlL1Jlc291cmNlUmVmIyIgeG1sbnM6eG1w PSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvIiB4bWxuczpkYz0iaHR0cDovL3B1cmwub3Jn L2RjL2VsZW1lbnRzLzEuMS8iIHhtcE1NOk9yaWdpbmFsRG9jdW1lbnRJRD0idXVpZDoyNjc4YTZl Yy1lNmI4LTdmNGUtOWI0NC00NmM1NmJhNTUwYjgiIHhtcE1NOkRvY3VtZW50SUQ9InhtcC5kaWQ6 OEE1QjI2OTg0RTVCMTFFNUJFREQ4M0I4M0NDRkQzMzQiIHhtcE1NOkluc3RhbmNlSUQ9InhtcC5p aWQ6OEE1QjI2OTc0RTVCMTFFNUJFREQ4M0I4M0NDRkQzMzQiIHhtcDpDcmVhdG9yVG9vbD0iQWRv YmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIENTNS4xIE1hY2ludG9zaCI+IDx4bXBNTTpEZXJpdmVkRnJvbSBzdFJlZjpp bnN0YW5jZUlEPSJ4bXAuaWlkOkY2MDRGNzhERUIyNDY4MTE5RkNCRUU5QzRDNjA5NDNGIiBzdFJl Zjpkb2N1bWVudElEPSJ4bXAuZGlkOkY1MDRGNzhERUIyNDY4MTE5RkNCRUU5QzRDNjA5NDNGIi8+ IDxkYzpjcmVhdG9yPiA8cmRmOlNlcT4gPHJkZjpsaT5hcnRkeGY8L3JkZjpsaT4gPC9yZGY6U2Vx PiA8L2RjOmNyZWF0b3I+IDxkYzp0aXRsZT4gPHJkZjpBbHQ+IDxyZGY6bGkgeG1sOmxhbmc9Ingt ZGVmYXVsdCI+SGVyb2VzIG9mIHRoZSBTb3V0aCBBdGxhbnRpYyBQQi5pbmRkPC9yZGY6bGk+IDwv cmRmOkFsdD4gPC9kYzp0aXRsZT4gPC9yZGY6RGVzY3JpcHRpb24+IDwvcmRmOlJERj4gPC94Onht cG1ldGE+IDw/eHBhY2tldCBlbmQ9InIiPz7/7QBIUGhvdG9zaG9wIDMuMAA4QklNBAQAAAAAAA8c AVoAAxslRxwCAAACAAIAOEJJTQQlAAAAAAAQ/OEfici3yXgvNGI0B1h36//iDFhJQ0NfUFJPRklM RQABAQAADEhMaW5vAhAAAG1udHJSR0IgWFlaIAfOAAIACQAGADEAAGFjc3BNU0ZUAAAAAElFQyBz UkdCAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD21gABAAAAANMtSFAgIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEWNwcnQAAAFQAAAAM2Rlc2MAAAGEAAAAbHd0cHQAAAHwAAAA FGJrcHQAAAIEAAAAFHJYWVoAAAIYAAAAFGdYWVoAAAIsAAAAFGJYWVoAAAJAAAAAFGRtbmQAAAJU AAAAcGRtZGQAAALEAAAAiHZ1ZWQAAANMAAAAhnZpZXcAAAPUAAAAJGx1bWkAAAP4AAAAFG1lYXMA AAQMAAAAJHRlY2gAAAQwAAAADHJUUkMAAAQ8AAAIDGdUUkMAAAQ8AAAIDGJUUkMAAAQ8AAAIDHRl eHQAAAAAQ29weXJpZ2h0IChjKSAxOTk4IEhld2xldHQtUGFja2FyZCBDb21wYW55AABkZXNjAAAA AAAAABJzUkdCIElFQzYxOTY2LTIuMQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEnNSR0IgSUVDNjE5NjYtMi4xAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABYWV

СКАЧАТЬ