War Photographer's Notebook

"Alyosha, what happened?"

In the dry shack that was filled with the smell of corpses and horse broth, Fras pressed Alyosha's shoulder and asked.

"Dead, all dead." Alyosha cried and laughed incoherently and said, "They were all killed, all were killed."

"in the end."

"Let him go"

Wei Ran stopped David, who was about to continue questioning, "Help me hold him down, and I'll try to see if I can cure his ankle first."

After hearing this, Fras and David immediately helped hold down Alyosha who was crying in pain. Wei Ran untied Alyosha's leggings, and then took off the pair of his feet that were captured from the Germans with difficulty. Come boots.

Gently pressing his swollen ankle, Wei Ran stretched out his hand to feel it. Fortunately, although he had been deprived of medical skills, his massage and bone-setting skills did not seem to be included. He still knew exactly how to use force to move the ankle. The dislocated joint is pushed back into place.

"Don't let him bite his tongue."

Wei Ran reminded him, and David immediately took out a pair of gloves from his pocket, folded them in half, and stuffed them into Alyosha's mouth.

"Crack!"

With the crisp sound of joints snapping, Alyosha, who had just been gagged, immediately widened his eyes.

After trying to help the other party move his ankle, Wei Ran said, "Be careful not to use force on his feet. Let's take him to take a bath and change into clean clothes first. In addition, bury political commissar Zinovi."

Hearing this, David quickly pulled out the gloves from Alyosha's mouth and helped him temporarily get out of the shack, while Fras wrapped Zinovi in ​​the blanket under him and carried him out of the shack. , and went straight to the hillside where he had dug out pieces of Poria cocos when he was digging the machine gun bunker.

In the shack that was still full of stench, Wei Ran added some firewood to the bonfire, then picked out a few pieces of wood in the firewood pile, chopped them into suitable plywood with an ax, and then took them off again. Take your own pullover, tear it into strips of cloth and wrap the splints carefully.

By the time he finished his work, Fras had already buried Commissar Zinovi alone. At this time, he was in a temporary medical tent, working with David to treat Alyosha, who had just had his hair cut and shaved. I'm scrubbing my body.

After they helped Alyosha put on the thick cotton clothes they brought, Wei Ran also came over. Under the curious gaze of the female doctor named Jilia, he splinted Alyosha's ankle.

"Victor, do you still have your camera?" Fras asked suddenly, looking at Alyosha in a daze.

"It's still there, what's the matter?"

"Take a photo for everyone!" Fras said seriously, "Just like we took a photo next to that heavy machine gun, and then we will take a group photo."

"It seems you have made a decision?" As Wei Ran spoke, he had already taken off the German backpack still on his shoulders, and used its cover to take out the Rolleiflex camera.

"I just discussed it with David."

Flas and David looked at each other and said solemnly, "We want to stay and fight. We have enough weapons and ammunition, and enough medicine. We must use this forest to continue to fight against the magical silkworms outside. aggressor."

"Then." Wei Ran took a deep breath, "Then let's take a picture for everyone!"

Soon, the news of taking pictures spread, and those who blamed themselves for being late also knew about Fras and David's decision.

After some hasty preparations, several anti-tank guns were placed on the thick tree stump to serve as the background. Everyone lined up to stand at the edge of the tree stump and asked Wei Ran to take a single photo of them. And David recorded their mailing addresses in detail.

Finally, when everyone, including Alyosha, lined up in three rows in front of the lying dead tree, Wei Ran was once again enveloped in strong white light while pressing the shutter.

As he waited quietly, the white light finally gradually faded, and he returned to the abandoned factory workshop on Golonid Island, and to the huge glue work placed on the bed of the truck.

"So, is Yeremey here?"

Wei Ran stared blankly at the broken white bones wrapped in resin, then took a deep breath and looked at the writing that appeared on the metal book.

Victory song in the forest
Political commissar of the guerrilla group Vinia and guerrilla members Sasha and Yeremey were wounded and died in an ambush of a German convoy on October 1941, 10.

In July 1943, he was posthumously awarded the Patriotic War Partizan Medal 7nd Class, and in September 1944, he was posthumously awarded the Moscow Defense Medal.

Partisan Doferro was wounded in an ambush on a German convoy on October 1941, 10. On the 3th, when opening up the rear passage, he led the enemy soldiers away alone. On the 5th, he was rounded up and captured. On the 7th, he pretended to surrender and took an enemy captain hostage, and then detonated a grenade and died together.

In July 1943, Doferro was posthumously awarded the Patriotic War Partisan Order II. In September 7, he was posthumously awarded the Medal for the Defense of Moscow.

The guerrillas led by Taras and Zinovi, formerly the 50th Army Guard Platoon, withdrew into the Bryansk Forest after the Battle of Vyazma to carry out guerrilla fighting.

On October 1941, 10, after being reminded by the guerrilla Alyosha, the mine entrance was blown up and temporarily relocated. The original mica mine was discovered the next day and was shelled and burned.

On the 19th, the guerrillas encountered an enemy patrol and were nearly wiped out due to being outnumbered. Only the guerrillas Alyosha and Commissar Zinovi escaped.The corpses of the remaining members were returned to the original base camp to serve as minefield decoys.

On the 26th, political commissar Zinovi was seriously injured and died. The next day, guerrilla Alyosha suffered a mental breakdown.

On November 11, through the efforts of guerrillas Flas, David and others, the bodies of Taras and other guerrillas were buried near the mica mine.

In July 1943, the guerrilla group was posthumously awarded the first-class Patriotic War Guerrilla Medal. In September 7, he was posthumously awarded the Medal for Collective Defense of Moscow.

Guerrillas Fras and David, on October 1941, 10, carried out the task of opening up the supply channel in the rear.

On October 10, he successfully established contact through the virgin forest, and led the team and supplies back to the original route the next day for support.

On November 11, he met the guerrilla Alyosha and decided to continue the guerrilla movement that day.

In June 1942, David died after stepping on a landmine.

In February 1943, Fras was killed in a sniper attack while attacking an enemy transport convoy. Before his death, he had a son named Doferro (died in the winter of 2) with Gilia, a doctor at the field hospital.

In July 1943, two people were posthumously awarded the Patriotic War Partizan Medal first class and the Patriotic War Medal second class. In September 7, they were posthumously awarded the Moscow Defense Medal.

The guerrilla Alyosha became a guerrilla logistics worker after suffering a mental breakdown. During the battle in February 1943, he attacked a German transport convoy on horseback and detonated bombs, destroying two enemy transport vehicles and burning one tank.

In July 1943, he was posthumously awarded the Patriotic War Partizan Medal 7nd Class and the Patriotic War Medal 1944nd Class. In September 9, he was posthumously awarded the Moscow Defense Medal.

After writing this, the metal book started a new line, first listing the numbers corresponding to each medal, and then listed two sets of coordinates that seemed not far apart, as well as a distant and dangerous Donetsk. the address of.

At this point, the metal quill pen wrote another line again, "After the invaders are driven away, we will all sing outside the forest all day long."

"Ugh"

As Wei Ran sighed, the pale yellow page turned to the back, and the metal quill also wrote briefly under the slowly rotating red vortex, "Thank you for helping us lead away the enemy and help us escape from the encirclement. Thank you for giving us the accompaniment."

Sighing secretly again, Wei Ran waited for the metal quill to fall, then reached out and took out the contents of the red vortex.

Actually gave this
Wei Ran raised his eyebrows. This was a canvas satchel that could hold 18 flares. It also contained a LP34 Z-type flare gun produced in Germany.

Like the one used originally, this gun is equipped with a button-shaped elevation sight, and there is a "Z" mark on the outside of the bullet cylinder that represents rifling.

Silently putting away the flare gun and the canvas satchel containing the flares, Wei Ran turned the metal book in his hand to the first page, glanced at the military rank that had not changed at all, and put it away silently.

Finally, Wei Ran gently touched the huge piece of resin. After hesitating for a moment, Wei Ran took out his cell phone and dialed Mr. Alexander.

"Victor, don't tell me what you found out so quickly." Alexander on the other end of the phone asked expectantly after answering the call.

“Not so fast”

Wei Ran responded with a normal expression, "Mr. Alexander, if it is convenient, please send over those anti-tank guns and the heavy machine gun that we tested at the shooting range before. Also, that one has 12 stars painted on it." I don’t know if the barrel of Star’s gun is still there.”

"The barrel?"

Alexander was silent for a moment, and then responded, "They are still there, I will have them sent over right now."

"Then trouble you"

"Victor, you mean, that gun barrel is real?"

Alexander paused and continued to speculate, "There are other weapons sold with gun barrels, them and the resin coffin." "I just have such suspicions, so I want to borrow them for comparison." Wei Ran calmly gave The excuse he came up with on the spur of the moment.

Hearing this, Alexander on the other end stopped asking any more questions, and Wei Ran, who hung up the phone, took one last look at Yeremey who was sealed in resin, turned around, jumped out of the truck, and walked outside the workshop. Get into your car.

A short nap temporarily soothed his spirit. When he was woken up by the sound of tapping on the car window, standing outside was Saveli, who had left and returned.

"Victor, I sent you what you need."

While Weiran pushed the door open, Saveli gestured in the direction behind him. Behind him, there was a van parked. At this time, the door at the rear of the van had been opened, and several men were standing there. Take out those weapons one by one.

"sorry to bother you"

Wei Ran said politely, then got out of the car, yawned and walked over. He bent down and picked up the gun barrel with 12 red stars on it.

Without walking far, Wei Ran took out a portable magnifying glass from his pocket and carefully observed the stars one by one.

In fact, it didn't even have to be like this. He had already recognized that this was the barrel of the anti-tank gun he had repaired.With the help of a magnifying glass, he could clearly see that the first few stars still had subtle lines left when they were painted with feathers, while the four at the back were obviously drawn more hastily, so that the size could not be maintained. consistent.

"Can you tell anything from this gun barrel?" Saveli, who was watching the excitement, asked curiously.

"This barrel should not be forged by Federer"

Wei Ran said, handing the barrel of the gun in his hand to Saveli, "I want to go home first to check some information. Saveli, I will trouble you to take care of these weapons, especially this barrel, for the time being."

"Do not worry"

Saveli took the barrel of the gun and pointed at the machine gun not far away, "With such a big killer, no one dares to come over and do anything."

"It's not meant to target your own people."

Wei Ran muttered something in Chinese that the other party could not understand, then got into the car again and drove the car in the direction of the holiday cabin.

"Why are you back so soon?" Just as he drove the car into the yard, Suisui came up and asked curiously.

"Get ready, let's go back to Kazan." Wei Ran said in Chinese.

"Back to Kazan?" Suisui, who also switched to her native language, was stunned, "When?"

"The sooner the better"

Weiran added, "But after I get back, I may have to leave for Bryansk immediately."

"It's so roundabout——!"

Suisui immediately understood Wei Ran's plan and lowered her voice and asked, "Are you planning to avoid Mr. Alexander?"

"You are the only one who is smart"

Wei Ran smiled and said, "Let everyone pack their things. How about we leave tonight?"

"no problem!"

Suisui snapped her fingers happily, turned around and ran into the room, telling Lu Xinda and others to pack their luggage now.

The process of "escaping" from Volgograd naturally went smoothly. Even until the next day, when Wei Ran took his dog Beria and landed in Bryansk on a flight, he did not receive a call from Mr. Alexander.

After calling Suisui to report that they were safe, Weiran threw his mobile phone and satellite phone into a food box filled with various condiments and left them there, then took Gouzi and got into a car rented through Ji Ma. The cheap van left Bryansk under the guidance of the navigation system and drove to the forest outside the city, and finally stopped at the end of a logging road that had been abandoned for who knows how long.

This place is about five kilometers away from one of the coordinate points provided by the metal book, and the middle is full of tall red pine forests and thick shrubs.

Coupled with the spring season at the end of March, the biggest danger here obviously comes from the various wild animals in the forest - whether they eat meat or are in heat.

"You have to prick your ears."

Wei Ran patted Beria's dog's head, and then untied the muzzle that bound it all the way.

When the dog had enough activity of shaking his head, wagging his tail and sticking his butt out, Wei Ran also took out the Ithaca 37 shotgun from the Papua New Guinea battlefield from the metal book, loaded the bullet with a "click", and then took it back. In the metal book.

Pulling Beria's leash, Wei Ran walked slowly into the tall red pine forest under the guidance of the GPS. At the same time, he also observed everything around him, trying to find something familiar - until he I discovered the creek still flowing with gurgling mountain springs.

Putting away the GPS, Wei Ran led the dog and walked silently deeper along the creek until he saw the rusty gun truck hidden in the newly sprouted bushes.

Today, more than half a century later, only the steel frame and rusty cast iron parts of this gun truck that originally belonged to Father Doferro are left, while the iron sheets and wooden parts on the body have all decayed. , even the remaining skeleton is half buried by the stream and covered with dead vines.

With a silent sigh, Wei Ran led Beria up the slope not far away, following his memory to the vicinity of the diatomaceous earth shack.

Nowadays, the huge tree stump and lying dead trees are no longer visible here, but the shack that was originally located in the canopy is particularly conspicuous. The iron-wrapped wooden board has been lifted and thrown aside, and there are even people around it. Traces of excavation.

Squatting at the entrance of the cave, he took out a flashlight and shone it in. Wei Ran couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. Inside, he could see a table and a simple little bed. On the table was a disassembled Momo The Cinagan rifle and the gun repair tools that Father Doferro once used, and several boxes in the corner also contained various dusty gun parts.

In addition, a large number of animal bones, pine needles and weeds were scattered on the dusty floor of the shack, and the smell of brown bears was permeated.Fortunately, the brown bear homeowner was not at home at this time, so they avoided hurting each other.

After some thought, Wei Ran tied the dog's leash to the branch of a pine tree not far away, and walked alone to the door of another shack.

He took out the engineering shovel and carefully cleared away the weeds. Then he shoveled away the floating soil bit by bit, and finally dug out a wooden board that was also wrapped with iron sheets and coated with a layer of white diatomaceous earth. .

However, when he lifted the wooden board and saw the situation in this shack, he couldn't help but stop.

In this shack reinforced by logs, there were only three simple coffins made of wooden boards, and a table also nailed out of logs.There was also an enamel bucket with a lid placed on the table, which was not too big.After hesitating for a moment, he finally put on his gloves, bent down and walked in with a flashlight.

Under the light of the flashlight, he could clearly see that the names of David, Vlas and Alyosha were written in red paint on the three coffins.

Gently opening the lid of the enamel bucket, there were not many things inside. There was a wooden plug blocking the mouth of the Soloton long bullet shell with red paint remaining on the outside, a plastic book, and a There are medals and matching certificates carefully placed inside, as well as the backpack that once belonged to Commissar Vigna and the pocket watch that once belonged to Father Doferro.

Taking out these things one by one and placing them on the table, Wei Ran opened the plastic book and found that it was a photo album. The photos in it were of Platoon Leader Taras and Political Commissar Zinovi who had led Those guerrillas, including Vinya and Father Doferro, and the individual photos and group photos he took of the new guerrillas before the white light that sent him back lit up.

Without exception, the corresponding names and addresses are written next to these photos, as well as the words "to be sent" or "returned" or even "no address found" or "unreceived".

When he turned to the single photo of Political Commissar Vinya holding a machine gun, he found that what was written next to it was "On September 1943, 9, we finally liberated Bryansk, but the war is not over yet." So A line of delicate Russian handwriting.

Almost subconsciously, Wei Ran also remembered Commissar Vinia's last request before his death. He hoped to wait until the war was over before sending his things back.
But when will the war end?
Wei Ran gently closed the photo album while sighing, and then opened the backpack of political commissar Vinia.

It was the same as the contents he saw when he secretly looked through the backpack when he was digging the position. Except for the extra pistol that once belonged to political commissar Vigna, there was still a light and weightless lunch box and a plastic notepad inside. And a tin jar filled with coarse salt, and a small photo frame with a metal shell as big as a palm.

In this photo frame, the young political commissar Vinia is wearing a Soviet uniform, with a happy face holding a petite young woman in his arms.In the woman's arms, she was holding a little baby who seemed to have just been born.

Putting the photo frame aside, Wei Ran opened the salt shaker again. There was still a piece of bacon buried in coarse salt, as well as some corroded low-level medals.

Finally opening the plastic-covered notebook, Wei Ran couldn't help but clenched his fists. There was still a letter folded into a triangle without any signature or address, and a pen whose ink had long dried up.

But in this notepad, there is a detailed list of the soldiers of an assault platoon under the Second Guards Cavalry Division who performed meritorious service, issued low-level medals, and even died in action.

He is also a political commissar
Wei Ran gently closed the notepad, then put all the things that belonged to him, even the few pieces of medals that belonged to him, into the still sturdy canvas pocket bag, tied it carefully, and then put the rest of the things Put it back into the enamel bucket and put the lid on.

After finishing all this, he was not in a hurry to leave. Instead, he sat on the loose soil at the door, took out his harmonica, and played the accompaniment of the gun jam again.

When the song ended, he left the shack that was used as a tomb, carrying the canvas bag that belonged to Commissar Vinya, and carefully re-covered the entrance of the hole.

After putting Commissar Vinya's backpack into his own bag and carrying it on his back, Wei Ran looked up at the sky above his head, then led his dog, and with the help of GPS, walked to another place in the forest several kilometers away. A coordinate point.

However, even without GPS guidance, he already knew exactly that the location marked by another coordinate point was undoubtedly the abandoned mine.

But compared to these, he was thinking about another thing along the way, whether to send Commissar Vinya's relics to the address in Donetsk provided by the metal book - even though the war there has not yet ended.