War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 1678: Continuous Reduction of Personnel

"Gunner! I need a gunner! Yulia is injured!"

Almost at the same time as the bombers flew out of range, Giannia began to shout loudly.

"Rescue!"

Before Wei Ran finished speaking, he had already rushed out and ran to the artillery position not far away. Just a glance at it made his heart sink.

Yulia was hit by the bomber's aircraft machine gun, and the bullet broke one of her legs! At this time, she was still alive, and her only remaining leg was still on the fire pedal, ready to step on it at any time!

"Hold it!"

Before Wei Ran finished speaking, he had roughly ripped off the woman's belt and tightly tied the wound. Then he picked up the almost weightless girl and ran towards the shack that served as the operating room while shouting to Olga who was running over, "Gas lamp! Light the gas lamp!"

Hearing this, Olga panicked, turned around and ran back immediately, and started to inflate and pressurize the gas lamp as quickly as possible.

"What medicines did Sergei send last night?" Wei Ran asked as he placed Yulia on the operating table.

"A set of surgical instruments! A bottle of veterinary anesthesia! And some gauze!" Olga answered very quickly.

"For animal use? Where is it?" Wei Ran stopped tying up Yulia and asked.

"In the bedside box!" Olga answered.

With the faint light of the oil lamp, Wei Ran found a large bottle of veterinary anesthetic from the box. He hurriedly checked the label on the bottle, then immediately pulled out a glass syringe, drew a small amount of the medicine, and injected it near Yulia's severed limb.

"She needs a blood transfusion. Do you know her blood type?" Wei Ran asked loudly.

"I don't know!" Olga, who had already lit the gas lamp, answered loudly, "Of all people, I only know my mother's and my blood types!"

“Then we have to hurry up.”

Wei Ran hurriedly wiped his hands with iodine, picked up the surgical instruments and started working.

At the same time, Sasha, who came from a distance, just glanced at his girlfriend Yulia through the window outside the shack, then ran to the side of the artillery position, picked up Yulia's severed limbs and put them aside, and then sat on them himself.

"When I yell fire, just step on the pedal hard!" Jiao Niya reminded calmly, "Don't worry about anything else!"

"I know! I've practiced!" Sasha responded loudly while wiping her tears.

“They will come back”

As Giannia spoke, she looked towards the watchtower on the treetop. In a short while, Sonya, who had just run into the girls' dormitory, had climbed up again.

While Wei Ran and Olga were busy and intensely working, in the ice-blue light released by the gas lamp, Yulia's broken blood vessels were sewn together by Wei Ran in the most brutal way.

However, before he could sew up his torn muscles, the rumbling roar of bombers was heard again in the sky!
Almost at the same time, the bombers' aircraft machine guns and the anti-aircraft artillery on the three islands opened fire one after another.

But at this moment, Wei Ran didn't care about what was happening outside. He had to complete the operation on Yulia as soon as possible under the cover of the Soviet cloak that Olga tried hard to hold open.

But amid the sound of the gunfire, he heard the distinctive whistle of a falling bomb.

"Be careful to avoid the artillery!"

As Wei Ran spoke, he bent down to protect Yulia's wound. Olga, who was a little slow to react, also bent down immediately.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A series of five bombs exploded in the surroundings, and the shack that served as an operating room also shook off a lot of dirt with a crackling sound.

But fortunately, the anti-aircraft artillery outside was still counterattacking in units of seven!

"Hold on!"

As Wei Ran spoke, he stood up, opened the door and took a quick look outside. Seeing that all the members of the artillery crew were there, he immediately returned to the shack and continued to suture Yulia's wound.

Before he could finish his work, the roar of the bombers was getting farther and farther away, and the anti-aircraft artillery also stopped.

Soon after, the door of the shack was pushed open. Yuri hugged his sister Sonya and asked in a crying voice, "Victor, save her, save my sister!"

Turning his head to take a look, Wei Ran retracted his gaze and continued to sew while apologetically saying, "I'm sorry, I can't save her, she's already dead."

"Try it, try it again, please try it again." Yuri said, but he had already sat down at the door weakly.

Sonya in his arms had a broken skull and her white brain was flowing out. There was also a bullet-piercing wound in her chest.

"She's dead. Sorry."

Wei Ran said more apologetically, speeding up his movements, "Is anyone else injured?"

Hearing this, Yuri wiped away the tears that he couldn't hold back and struggled to stand up. "No, the artillery crew is not injured. I'll go check on the others."

"Wait a moment, let me take a picture of her." Wei Ran said.

"No thanks," Yuri shook his head, "I have her picture, I-I need to go to work."

Before he finished speaking, Yuri left the shack with Sonya's body in his arms with difficulty.

"She fell from a tree," Olga said.

"I know," Wei Ran nodded.

"She's not the first one to fall from the watchtower."

Olga's tone became more painful. "Before her, there was..."

“Let’s work first.”

Wei Ran interrupted the other person, he didn't want to hear about these helpless tragedies.

"Then let's work first. Can she survive?" Olga asked.

"do not know"

Wei Ran told the truth that although he had sutured the wound, Yulia had already fallen into a coma, and the only proof that she was still alive was her heaving chest.

After finishing the final stitches, Wei Ran handed the bandaging job to Olga, "Remember to give her two candies. The candies are with your mother, Mrs. Vlada."

"I understand," Olga said as she bandaged the wound and accepted the job.

Hearing this, Wei Ran took out his camera and took a picture of the busy Olga and the unconscious Yulia. Then he pushed open the wooden door of the shack and walked out to the cemetery in the distance.

At this time, Yuri had just buried his sister Sonya with the help of Old Ivan and others.

"She left her hand warmer in the shed"

Yuri took the hand warmer from Lisa and said desperately, "She knows she is going to die."

“We all know it”

Old Ivan held Yuri in his arms and looked at Wei Ran who was approaching. "Comrade reporter, please take another photo for us. Then we will select a new sentinel."

"it is good"

Wei Ran nodded, opened the leather case of the Rollei camera, included everyone standing together in the camera viewfinder, and pressed the shutter.

"Vassily, help us select new sentries," said Old Ivan. "Joniya, take your men to the position."

"Yes!"

Giannia simply accepted the order and led her artillery crew members to the position, but left behind Sasha, who had just been an emergency substitute.

At the same time, Yuri also put the pocket warmer into his arms, hung the whistle stained with his sister Sonya's blood around his neck, took a few pieces of wood, a few nails, and a small axe, and walked alone to the watchtower that was almost destroyed by the machine gun.

At this point, except for Vasily, who was in charge of checking the troops and generals, the only people left beside the cemetery were old Ivan, Vlada, Sasha, Ruslan, Igor and Wei Ran.

"Comrade Victor, you too."

"I want to join the battle too," Wei Ran said seriously.

"And I"

Before he finished speaking, Olga came over and stood beside Wei Ran.

"Vassily, let's start." It was the cook Vlada who spoke.

"Let's get started," Old Ivan sighed, and followed suit, "Let's first select the gunners we urgently need."

Hearing this, Vasily took off his gloves and pointed his finger at the people standing in a line. "A German walked out of the thick fog, with a knife pulled out of his pocket. I want to kill you."

This time, his fingers stopped on Igor.

"I knew I was suited to be a gunner!" Igor said excitedly. Without even waiting for the others to say anything, he ran towards the artillery position with his injured hand raised.

"Next is the sentinel who will replace Sonya," said old Ivan. When Wei Ran pointed the camera at him, Vasily recited the nursery rhyme again.

As expected and unexpected, this time his fingers stopped on Wei Ran's body.

"Looks like I got the job as a sentinel"

Before anyone could speak, Wei Ran hung the camera around his neck and said, "In that case, I'll go and..."

'He can't go'

Olga grabbed Wei Ran's arm and said, "He is the only doctor on our island, or even on our three islands, who can perform surgery. He can't take risks. Let me go."

"The camp and the watchtower are next to each other, so the danger level is the same."

Wei Ran gently pried the other person's hands apart. "Besides, I can see more clearly who is injured from the sentry tower, so let me do it."

"Can"

“I’m not always up there.”

Wei Ran said, "I promise, I will come down after I spot the plane and issue a warning. It's not far from the shack."

"Okay then." Olga finally let go of Wei Ran's arm.

"I'll leave Yulia to your care."

After Wei Ran finished speaking, he quickened his pace and walked towards the watchtower. He wanted to check on Yuri's situation.

Climbing up the watchtower again, Yuri was busy repairing the almost destroyed watchtower with wooden boards and nails, and his mood was unexpectedly calm.

“I took over Sonya’s job”

Wei Ran said, "Yuri, assign me a task."

Turning his head to look at Wei Ran, Yuri continued to busy himself with nailing the boards and asked, "How is your eyesight? Can you see clearly at night?"

"can"

Wei Ran replied, "I don't have night blindness."

"Noon to midnight," Yuri said, "You'll start guarding once I fix this place, and I'll take over for you at night."

"no problem"

Wei Ran paused, but still asked worriedly, "Yuri, you..."

"It's okay, I'm fine."

Yuri hammered the nail hard and replied, "There is no time to be sad now. The German planes will definitely come again. Victor, take a rest now. Guarding is a very hard job."

"I'll take over from you at noon."

Wei Ran left the other person some space alone, grabbed the rope and slid to the ground, then walked into the shack that served as an operating room.

At this time, Yulia was still lying on the operating table, and Olga was busy steaming and sterilizing the surgical instruments.

"Isn't Sasha here?" Wei Ran asked.

"He just came to see Yulia," Olga replied, "and now he's going to help you find canned bombs."

Hearing this, Wei Ran silently left the shack, and then saw Jiao Niya and the artillery crew members using ice and snow to repair the broken bunker.

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

But this ice and snow shelter, which is less than shoulder-high, cannot move with the anti-aircraft machine gun, and it cannot be built too high, otherwise it will block the shooting range.

In other words, this circle of ice and snow fortress, which is one meter thick, can only block some of the fragments of shells that may fall around it, but it can hardly block the bullets fired from the heading machine guns.

Seeing that Igor, who had an injured hand, was helping to fetch water from the ice cave to the position, Wei Ran simply took out the engineer shovel from the metal notebook under the cover of his backpack and helped them strengthen the defense - even if it was not of much use.

"I don't know if Uncle Seryosha can bring back the artillery shield."

Andre was the first to break the silence, "If there was a shield, maybe Yulia wouldn't be hurt."

"Even without the artillery shield, we must continue to fight."

Lisa, kneeling in the snow, patted the snow piled on the bunker with a piece of wood and said, "I would rather die here than let the Germans drop bombs on the icy road."

"How long have you not been in touch with him?" Giannia asked abruptly.

Hearing this, Lisa glanced at Wei Ran who was helping to shovel snow. "The reporter comrade brought his letter the day he came, but I haven't had time to reply. But as long as I know that he is still alive, I am satisfied."

"Your boyfriend?" Wei Ran asked.

"yes"

Lisa answered very calmly, "We are classmates. He is a transporter like Sergei and Vanya, but he drives a combat sled. Do you know combat sleds?"

"I know." Wei Ran nodded. Of course he knew that kind of thing.

"Victor, how about taking a picture for me?"

Lisa straightened up and asked, "Right here, just take a picture of me. This way, if I die, at least I can leave him a picture. I'm not afraid of death, but I can't accept that he falls in love with another woman after I die."

"I can take photos for you, but you have to hand them over to him in person." Wei Ran said seriously, "Leave it to him to live a healthy life."

"I promise you"

Lisa smiled brightly, then removed her heavy gloves, pulled off her white scarf and removed her hat, revealing her long blond hair.

"Please wait for me for a moment"

Lisa said as she pulled a comb out of her pocket and combed her hair carefully before sitting on the fortress and posing with Lake Ladoga behind her as the background.

"Do you take photos often?" Wei Ran said while pressing the shutter button towards the other person.

“My mother is a photographer in the photo studio”

Lisa replied, "Have you ever been to Leningrad? She works in the photo studio on Nevsky Prospekt."

"I've been to Leningrad, but I didn't notice the photo studio on Nevsky Prospekt."

Wei Ran said apologetically, "Has your mother left Leningrad?"

"left"

Lisa pointed in the distance and said happily, "She is also a traffic officer. The letter I received said that my mother is still alive."

“I’m done shooting.”

Wei Ran shook the camera in his hand and said, "But I hope you can personally deliver the photos to the people who need them."

"hope so"

Lisa said, stuffed her hair back into her cotton coat and put on her hat, scarf and gloves, picked up the piece of wood again and continued to beat the snow on the fort.

"Do you need me to take a picture of you too?" Wei Ran asked Jiao Niya.

"I'll forget it"

Giannia nonchalantly refused, "I don't have anyone to send photos to."

"Isn't it possible for Yuri?" Andre asked with a wink.

"Snapped!"

Jiao Niya threw a snowball at the other person's face to show her attitude, but Wei Ran pressed the shutter in time and successfully captured the picture.

"I'll tell Yuri that there's a picture here that Giannia gave him."

Wei Ran added before Giannia threw a snowball at him, "I hope this will make him happy."

Hearing this, Jiao Niya threw the snowball at her feet and said indifferently, "Then give it to him."

"Comrade reporter, please take a picture for me too!" said Andre.

"Do you have someone you want to send a photo to too?" Wei Ran said, motioning for the other person to sit on the cannon.

"Of course!" Andre said with a silly smile, "but I can't tell you who I want to give it to."

After saying that, he still couldn't help but took off his gloves and wiped the corners of his eyes.

“I’ll take a good picture for you.”

Wei Ran raised the camera again and took a picture of the other person, in which his sadness was concealed with a bright smile. He might be as sad as Yuri, or even sadder than Yuri.

"Igor, what about you?" Wei Ran shook the camera, "Let me take a picture of you too."

"I don't have a favorite aunt."

"Yes, you will meet a girl you like in the future."

Andre said, "Anyway, comrade reporter, take a picture of him too."

As he spoke, Andrei had already asked Igor to sit in the gunner's position, and kindly helped him hide his hand in his sleeve.

After taking photos of Igor, Wei Ran took a group photo of the newly formed artillery crew.

At this moment, Sasha also came back with a sled full of canned bombs, and shouted from a distance, "Comrade reporter, I found a lot of canned bombs!"

“It seems I can’t help you.”

"It's okay. I hope your bomb can catch so many fish today." Igor, who had picked up the iron bucket again, said expectantly.

"I hope so," Wei Ran said as he picked up his engineer shovel and left the position.

Back to his own shack, Wei Ran couldn't help feeling dizzy when he saw the sled that Sashara brought back. There were at least sixty or seventy can bombs on the sled.

"Where did all this come from?" Wei Ran couldn't help but ask.

"When we encountered can bombs in the past, we would throw them into a bear cave," Sasha explained, "Ruslan and I just dug out all the can bombs inside."

"Is there a bear cave on this island?" Wei Ran asked in surprise.

"If trucks can drive on the ice, why can't bears?"

“That makes sense”

Wei Ran nodded and said, "I'll start making it now."

"Comrade reporter, let me help you."

Sasha requested, "I want Yulia to at least have a full stomach every day for the next period of time."

After a little hesitation, Wei Ran finally nodded, ordered the other party to find the corresponding materials, carefully explained the precautions, and then took him to start making canned fried fish.

This thing is actually not that dangerous, it just requires some caution.

"When did you and Yulia meet?" Wei Ran, who was posing as a reporter, naturally asked this slightly cruel question.

"On the way out of Leningrad"

Sasha answered while carefully opening the can, "Her grandfather starved to death, and her mother was killed by a can bomb. I gave her the last half of my cookie, and then we became friends."

"At least she is still alive," Wei Ran said after a long silence.

"Yes, at least she's still alive." Sasha said thankfully, "When Father Seryosha comes back, maybe he can send her to Kobona."

“Let me take a picture of you.”

Wei Ran said again, "You can ask Yulia to take him to Kobona when the time comes."

"it's here?"

"Of course I'll go shoot with Yulia."

As Wei Ran spoke, he stood up, asked the other party to put down the work in his hands, and walked through the cemetery into the operating room.

Olga happened to be away at the moment, so Wei Ran motioned Sasha to sit beside the bed and took a photo of the two of them - deliberately not including Yulia's injured leg.

"Let's leave here quickly before Olga notices," Wei Ran said as he put away the camera.

"Will she survive?" Sasha asked before standing up.

“Yes,” Wei Ran responded confidently.

"That's good"

Sasha showed a relieved expression, "Victor, I will make the canned fried fish myself. I have figured out how to make it."

"Be careful and make sure to tie the board tightly."

As Wei Ran spoke, he stepped out of the operating room and walked towards the kitchen in the distance. He had a strong premonition that more people might be sacrificed during the day. He had to finish the photo taking work as soon as possible before the next person was buried in the cemetery. He had to take a picture of everyone and listen to everyone's experience as much as possible.

Anyway, he came here as a reporter this time. He had the responsibility to do some record-keeping work as a reporter should do in addition to his return mission.