Thunder in Space and Other Stories — Lester Del Rey

While Russia continues to remain wary of American attack, America has grown more suspicious of Russian activities. And the rest of the world is stricken with the painful knowledge that they shall inevitably be caught in the crossfire …

At the back of his mind, Goddard's Acting Commander, Jerry Blane, knew it was bound to happen sooner or later, but he never expected he'd have to blast the enemy under these circumstances: the establishment of friendlyâ€"even helpfulâ€"relations with their Russian counterpart, the Tsiolkovsky. So when faced with the decision to save his life and his crew by demolishing the Russian spaceship, he made a choice that would foster revolutionary mindsets and alter global history.

Also contains the stories,

SPAWNING GROUND
MOON-BLIND
LET 'EM BREATHE SPACE!
PURSUIT
THE BAND PLAYED ON