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each reached a spot five thousand feet over their designated segment of the battlefield。 They didn't know that this was directly over the real estate occupied by the Chinese 29th Type A Group Army and its three heavy divisions； which included nearly seven hundred main…battle tanks； three hundred armored personnel carriers； and a hundred mobile guns。 That made a total of roughly a thousand targets for the nearly four thousand descending submunitions。 But the falling bomblets were guided； too； and each had a seeker looking for heat of the sort radiated by an operating tank； personnel carrier； self…propelled gun； or truck。 There were a lot of them to look for。
No one saw them ing。 They were small； no larger； really； than a mon crow； and falling rapidly； they were also painted white； which helped them blend in to the morning sky。 Each had a rudimentary steering mechanism； and at an altitude of two thousand feet they started looking for and homing in on targets。 Their downward speed was such that a minor deflection of their control vanes was sufficient to get them close； and close meant straight down。
They exploded in bunches； almost in the same instant。 Each contained a pound and a half of high…explosive； the heat from which melted the metal casing； which then turned into a projectile…the process was called 〃self…forging〃…which blazed downward at a speed of ten thousand feet per second。 The armor on the top of a tank is always the thinnest； and five times the thickness would have made no difference。 Of the 921 tanks on the field； 762 took hits； and the least of these destroyed the vehicles' diesel engine。 Those less fortunate took hits through the turret； which killed the crews at once and/or ignited the ammunition storage； converting each armored vehicle into a small man…fabricated volcano。 Just that quickly； three mechanized divisions were changed into one badly shaken and disorganized brigade。 The infantry carriers fared no better； and it was worst of all for the trucks； most of them carrying ammunition or other flammable supplies。
All in all； it took less than ninety seconds to turn 29th Type A Group Army into a thinly spread junkyard and funeral pyre。
〃Holy God；〃 Ryan said。 〃Is this for…real？〃 〃Seeing is believing。 Jack； when they came to me with the idea for J…SOW； I thought it had to be something from a science…fiction book。 Then they demo'd the submunitions out at China Lake； and I thought； Jesus； we don't need the Army or the Marines anymore。 Just send over some F…18s and then a brigade of trucks full of body bags and some ministers to pray over them。 Eh； Mickey？〃
〃It's some capability；〃 General Moore agreed。 He shook his head。 〃Damn； just like the tests。〃
〃Okay； what's happening next？〃
〃Next〃 was just off the coast near Guangszhou。 Two Aegis cruisers； Mobile Bay and Princeton； plus the destroyers Fletcher； Fife； and John Young； steamed in line…ahead formation out of the morning fog and turned broadside to the shore。 There was actually a decent beach at this spot。 There was nothing much behind it； just a coastal…defense missile battery that the fighter…bombers had immolated a few hours before。 To finish that job； the ships trained their guns to port and let loose a barrage of five…inch shells。 The crack and THUNDER of the gunfire could be heard on shore； as was the shriek of the shells passing overhead； and the explosions of the detonations。 That included one missile that the bombs of the previous night had missed； plus the crew getting it ready for launch。 People living nearby saw the gray silhouettes against the morning sky； and many of them got on the telephone to report what they saw； but being civilians； they reported the wrong thing； of course。
It was just after nine in the morning in Beijing when the Politburo began its emergency session。 Some of those present had enjoyed a restful night's sleep； and then been disturbed by the news that came over the phone at breakfast。 Those better informed had hardly slept at all past three in the morning and； though more awake than their colleagues； were not in a happier mood。
〃Well； Luo； what is happening？〃 Interior Minister Tong Jie asked。
〃Our enemies counterattacked last night。 This sort of thing we must expect； of course；〃 he admitted in as low…key a voice as circumstances permitted。
〃How serious were these counterattacks？〃 Tong asked。
〃The most serious involved some damage to railroad bridges in Harbin and Bei'an； but repairs are under way。〃
〃I hope so。 The repair effort will require some months；〃 Qian Kun interjected。
〃Who said that！〃 Luo demanded harshly。
〃Marshal； I supervised the construction of two of those bridges。 This morning I called the division superintendent for our state railroad in Harbin。 All six of them have been destroyed…the piers on both sides of the river are totally wrecked； it will take over a month just to clear the debris。 I admit this surprised me。 Those bridges were very sturdily built； but the division superintendent tells me they are quite beyond repair。〃
〃And who is this defeatist？〃 Luo demanded。
〃He is a loyal party member of long standing and a very petent engineer whom you will not threaten in my presence！〃 Qian shot back。 〃There is room in this building for many things； but there is not room here for a lie！〃
〃e now； Qian；〃 Zhang Han Sen soothed。 〃We need not have that sort of language here。 Now； Luo； how bad is it really？〃
〃I have army engineers heading there now to make a full assessment of the damage and to mence repairs。 I am confident that we can restore service shortly。 We have skilled bridging engineers； you know。〃
〃Luo；〃 Qian said； 〃your MAGIC army bridges can support a tank or a truck； yes； but not a lootive that weighs two hundred tons pulling a train weighing four thousand。 Now； what else has gone wrong with your Siberian adventure？〃
〃It is foolish to think that the other side will simply lie down and die。 Of course they fight back。 But we have superior forces in theater； and we will smash them。 We will have that new gold mine in our pocket before this meeting is over；〃 the Defense Minister promised。 But the pledge seemed hollow to some of those around the table。
〃What else？〃 Qian persisted。
〃The American naval air forces attacked last night and succeeded in sinking some of our South Sea Fleet units。〃
〃Which units？〃
〃Well； we have no word from our missile submarine； and…〃
〃They sank our only missile submarine？〃 Premier Xu asked。 〃How is this possible？ Was it sitting in harbor？〃
〃No；〃 Luo admitted。 〃It was at sea； in pany with another nuclear submarine； and that one is also possibly lost。〃
〃Marvelous！〃 Tong Jie observed。 〃Now the Americans strike at our strategic assets！ That's half our nuclear deterrent gone； and that was the safe half of it。 What goes on； Luo？ What is happening now？〃
At his seat； Fang Gan took note of the fact that Zhang was strangely subdued。 Ordinarily he would have leaped to Luo's defense； but except for the one conciliatory ment； he was leaving the Defense Minister to flap in the wind。 What might that mean？
〃What do we tell the people？〃 Fang asked； trying to center the meeting on something important。
〃The peo