War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 1681 For Our Leningrad

As night fell, Wei Ran, who was riding on a tree branch, once again used a rope to tie the Schneider telescope he took out of the metal book to the tree trunk and monitored the northwest direction.

From time to time, he would use the handheld telescope that Yuri left for him to look at what was happening in other directions.

Although it was dark, he could still clearly see Vasily chopping wood near the camp by the reflection of the snow on the ground.

At present, this child, who is only about ten years old, is the only "idle labor force" and he is the only one who has time to carry out the crucial work of collecting firewood.

As for fried fish
It didn't matter anymore, because due to the consecutive deaths of their comrades in battle and because of Vlada's busy cooking during his lifetime, they now had enough food reserves to last for several days.

Turning his eyes to look in the direction of the artillery position, the artillery crew commanded by Giannia were still busy conducting drills.

The steering mechanism of this artillery piece was completely damaged, so Ruslan, who was in charge of aiming, only needed to shake the elevation mechanism. The horizontal movement was handed over to old Ivan, who was in charge of firing the artillery. He had to push the artillery piece to rotate to assist in aiming, and press the fire pedal with his hand to fire at the right time.

This will undoubtedly make the battle chaotic, which is why they need to practice over and over again before the enemy planes fly over.

In fact, Wei Ran knew, or everyone knew, that if Vasily also came to help and was only responsible for firing, then old Ivan's work would be much easier, but everyone subconsciously gave up this option.

Everyone knew that someone had to survive in this position, and that person could only be Vasily.

The rehearsals were interrupted by Wei Ran's sudden whistle, and soon everyone heard Wei Ran's shouts from the treetops.

"Northwest! Two planes! Attention! Northwest! Two planes!"

After a short pause, Wei Ran continued to shout, "It's two HE111s, there's a high probability that they're dropping bombs from high altitude! Be careful to avoid the bombs! There's a high probability that they're dropping bombs from high altitude! Be careful to avoid the bombs!"

While loudly reminding his companions, Wei Ran also took the time to turn around and look in the direction of Vasily through a telescope.

Fortunately, he had already run into Wei Ran's shack, which was the farthest from the battlefield and relatively the safest place.

With the help of the large telescope tied to the tree, Wei Ran looked at the direction from which the enemy plane was coming. He blew the whistle again and continued to warn loudly.

As he kept shouting, the enemy planes were getting closer and closer, and he even saw the accompanying fighter jets for the first time!

But whether they were bombers or fighters, they were flying too high, so high that their artillery could not reach them at all!
As he watched helplessly, the two bombers flew just above the winding red lifeline on the ice in the distance and dropped a series of bombs in the night.

Even the accompanying fighter jets seemed to be arrogantly firing machine guns at the ground indiscriminately.

But at this time, the people on the island could do nothing, their artillery could not reach such a high altitude!

As everyone looked up in despair, the German bombers circled and left the airspace in a swagger, and the fighter planes disappeared into the night sky after emptying their bullets.

He turned the telescope tied to the tree again and looked in the direction of the ice road. While Wei Ran was waiting anxiously, red signal lights lit up one after another, and finally formed a red lifeline again.

The German planes will come again.
After Wei Ran pulled the trigger of his gun camera towards the flashing red light in the distance, he couldn't help but look towards the northwest. He was sure that the Germans would not give up this good opportunity.

While he was waiting, and while the artillery crew members led by Giannia were waiting, Wei Ran once again saw the incoming enemy planes in the night!
"West by north!"

Wei Ran blew the whistle hard, "West by northwest! There seems to be a plane coming! Attention! West by northwest!"

As the whistle sounded, Giannia and others immediately made preparations. Even Vasily hid in the operating room shed closest to the position. He seemed ready to go over and help at any time.

After a short wait, the unique roar of the Stuka was clearly heard by everyone, and Wei Ran also tensed up his nerves. The Stuka was a dive bomber, and in order to ensure accurate bombing, he had to lower his altitude!

He could even be certain that these Stukas were most likely heading for the tracked tractors that were responsible for repairing the ice road!
Suddenly, the anti-aircraft artillery commanded by Giannia opened fire. The tracer bullets mixed in clearly marked a boundary in the night sky, and the Stukas that had just begun to prepare for a dive also suddenly began to pull up.

At the same time, the artillery on another island also opened fire - in single shots, firing shells again and again in the direction of the bombers flying over the three islands.

This almost provocative counterattack also successfully angered two of the Stukas. Soon, Wei Ran clearly saw and heard the explosion coming from another island.

At the same time, several other Stukas began to dive and strafe towards Giannia and others, and even dropped a bomb!
When the single-shot anti-aircraft gun and the gun that Joanya was in charge of stopped roaring, the Stukas also crossed the night sky above Wei Ran's head.

Fortunately, because of the desperate exchange of fire warning here, the lifeline that had just lit up in the distance was extinguished, buying enough people a short but precious time to hide and evade.

"Watch out! They're coming again!"

On the treetop, Wei Ran, who was holding the tree trunk with one hand and holding a telescope with the other, turned his head and shouted, "It's coming towards us!"

Before he finished speaking, Wei Ran saw a flash of red light coming out of the muzzle of the anti-aircraft artillery commanded by Jiao Niya.

"How come I can see the muzzle flash?"

Before Wei Ran could react to this problem, one shell after another flew over the treetops and into the night sky just two meters away from him!

"grass!"

Wei Ran realized it belatedly and hid behind a tree trunk, looking at the night sky behind him.

There was a Stuka there, a Stuka that had already started firing at the camp!
With just a quick glance, he clearly saw the shells covering the wing roots and one side of the cabin of the Stuka in the night sky. He also saw the black smoke rising from the night sky. He even thought he could smell the special smell of jet fuel!

"call--"

In the fierce wind and waves, he saw very clearly that the Stuka plane, which had lost all its bombs, slid over his head with one wing tilted to one side, then slid over the top of the artillery position, and finally plunged into the ice only a hundred or two hundred meters away from the shore!
"boom!"

With a loud bang, the Stuka spun around, breaking through the thick ice like a dart thrown by a ninja, and finally sank into the cold lake.

But the battle was not over yet. Even before the Stuka hit the ground, several other planes had already started strafing the ground and dropping bombs one after another!

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Amid the successive explosions, bombs exploded one after another on the open space at the edge of the island and even on the ice surface. The smoke, snow and dirt stirred up by the shock wave also enveloped Wei Ran's already blurred vision, making it impossible for him to see the specific situation of the artillery position.

But there is no doubt that their artillery has also misfired. The artillery crew. Life or death is unknown!

As he blew the warning whistle again and again, one of the Stukas arrogantly made another beautiful dive and strafing to check the results of the battle.

But what disappointed Wei Ran was that the cannon did not respond at all this time.

Finally, the Stuka flew away, and Wei Ran couldn't wait to grab the rope and slide down, stumbling towards the artillery position.

As the distance shortened, the bullet craters one after another made his heart sink to the bottom, and he subconsciously increased his speed.

When he finally arrived at the edge of the artillery position, he found that the shelter that everyone had spent most of the day building with a large amount of ice and snow had been blown down for the most part, and even the base of the artillery was about to be buried.

He also saw old Ivan's body that was broken into two pieces, Ruslan who was missing half an arm and was receiving emergency bandage from Olga, and Giannina who was the best protected.

“The guns are still usable”

When Jiao Niya saw Wei Ran, she said weakly, "We still have shells, but Comrade Victor, I'm short of a gunner."

"Let me do it," Wei Ran said without thinking.

"We need a sentinel more," Olga said, "and a doctor, Victor, come and help Ruslan, his arm."

"Do not bother"

Ruslan interrupted Olga's request and said, "The German planes will arrive soon, help me tie it up, and wait for us to hold on."

"I'll be the sentinel. I can be a good sentinel."

Vasily's voice came from outside the broken artillery bunker. His childish voice was full of seriousness and earnestness. "Please believe me, I can be a good sentry. I know how to be a sentry. Yuri taught me!"

"Then you will be a sentinel."

"We don't have an anti-aircraft searchlight, so we really need a sentry," Giannia said. "Vassily, I'll give you that job."

"Yes!"

Vasily saluted solemnly, took the whistle handed to him by Wei Ran, hung it around his neck, turned around and ran towards the watchtower.

"This is not a responsibility he should bear at his age," Olga said as she tied up Ruslan's severed arm with the help of Wei Ran.

"I know"

Giannia stood up with difficulty while speaking, "But we have no choice. Well, while we still have enough manpower, let's quickly change the position of the artillery."

Hearing this, Ruslan was the first to struggle to get up, allowing Olga to inject him with a small amount of veterinary anesthetic, and then he skillfully lifted the auxiliary hoe.

After four people dragged it with great difficulty, the artillery finally left the destroyed bunker and was pushed little by little into the last intact bunker.

"Dudududu——!"

At this moment, Vasily, who had climbed to the top of the tree, blew the whistle, and then everyone heard his shout, "Southwest direction! A person on the lake lit an oil lamp and fell down! Southwest direction! A person on the lake lit an oil lamp and fell down! It looks like Uncle Seryosha!" "I'll go!" Wei Ran ran out first before he finished speaking.

He did not see, and he could not see at all, that Vasily, who was riding on the tree branch, was holding his kerosene lamp which was supposed to be used for lighting in the operating room.

He didn't know that Vasily had already turned up the pressure on the gas lamp, and that he had a box of matches stolen from the kitchen hidden in his gloves.

No one knew what this little boy, who was only about ten years old, was going to do. He just used his childish but calm and loud voice to loudly direct Wei Ran in the direction to run.

About a hundred meters away from the island, Wei Ran saw a white figure lying on the ground.

He was wearing a white Mazari robe and holding an oil lamp that was poked diagonally into the snow beside him.

His other hand had already thrown off its thick mittens and was now holding a Nagant revolver, with his finger even on the trigger.

But he could no longer pull the trigger. His finger was frozen to the trigger, and a wound on his thigh caused by an aircraft machine gun was also frozen to the edge of his robe and his cotton trousers.

But even so, he still carried a rope on his back.

The other end of the rope was tied to a tattered gun shield, on which lay the only two boxes of ammunition.

He is Seryosha, the captain of the militia and a veteran of World War I.

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

"Seryozha?"

Wei Ran turned him over and wiped the frozen ice and snow off his face with his gloves. Fortunately, he was still alive and breathing.

"for"

"What did you say?" Wei Ran moved his ear closer to the other person's mouth.

"For. My. Our. Leningrad"

Wei Ran said this sentence with difficulty in the smallest voice. He also noticed that the other party's breathing had stopped. When he turned around, Xie Liaosha had stopped breathing, and the oil lamp next to him also extinguished the last bit of light.

"Seryozha? Seryozha?"

Wei Ran called out softly twice, then with difficulty picked up this equally light, almost weightless man, placed him on the gun shield, picked up the rope and threw it over his shoulder, then walked towards the remaining anti-aircraft artillery position on the island as quickly as possible.

When he climbed back up the island, pulling Seryosha, ammunition and the gun shield, he saw Vasily's shadowy figure in the tree and Giannina standing outside the artillery position not far away.

"Father Seryosha died"

Wei Ran stopped and said, "But he brought artillery shields and two boxes of ammunition."

"Olga, you go and bury him."

Giannia glanced at the body of Father Seryosha and said almost numbly, "Victor, help me install the gun shield. This may help us shoot down a few more planes."

"it is good"

Wei Ran and Olga accepted Giannia's order in unison.

Helping Olga put the body of old man Seryosha on a sled that had just been used to transport ammunition, Wei Ran and the somewhat depressed Ruslan struggled to lift the heavy gun shield with a wooden bar and placed it on the cannon, allowing Giannia to use the screws and even iron wire on the gun shield to install it on their cannon.

"I don't know if I installed it correctly, but it looks like it can at least block some bullets."

After finishing her work, Jiao Niya said with satisfaction, "Comrades, we must shoot down more planes before everyone dies!"

"Hurray!" Ruslan was the first to respond, waving his only remaining arm.

"Ula!"

Wei Ran, Olga who ran back from the cemetery, and Vasily who was in the tree in the distance, all shouted slogans of encouragement together.

"Now that Reporter Comrade has taken over Uncle Ivan's job, we need to continue the drill," Giannia followed.

"Please wait for me for a moment"

As Wei Ran spoke, he ran towards the cemetery between the camps. He took out his camera and put the last roll of film, which was almost full, into a sealed tube. Then he took out the last roll of film from the gun camera and put it into the sealed tube as well.

After he finished all this, he ran to the forked birch tree, climbed up on the stones left there, and threw the last two rolls of film into Vasily's mailbox as quickly as possible - he also saw the slingshot he made by himself here, which was probably put in by Vasily.

After placing the box containing the gun-type camera on the tree, Wei Ran ran back to the artillery position without any more burden.

"Let's start. There are no reporters now, only the militiaman Victor." Wei Ran said seriously.

Joania nodded and said concisely, "In addition to pressing the firing pedal to open fire, your task is to follow Ruslan's command to maneuver the anti-aircraft artillery."

"I will command you left and right, and you will keep turning until I shout stop," Ruslan added.

"Let's try it," Giannia said.

However, before everyone could respond and get ready, Vasily on the sentry tower blew the whistle again and shouted in his immature duck voice, "Attention! West by northwest! The plane is coming! West by northwest! Attention!"

"Move!"

Giannia was the first to pick up the rangefinder she had been carrying and began to measure, "The mark is 1500!"

"The mark is 1500!"

Olga and Ruslan responded together.

"Direction 30!"

"Bearing 30! Turn right! Turn! Turn! Turn! Turn!"

At Ruslan's call, Wei Ran pushed the anti-aircraft artillery and started to rotate.

"Stop! Fire!"

Before Ruslan finished speaking, Wei Ran, who was almost tripped by the artillery mount, immediately pressed down the fire pedal!
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Amid the deafening roar of artillery fire, shells were fired into the night sky, and Olga immediately loaded new magazines.

"Dodge!"

Giannia shouted and squatted down holding her rangefinder. At the same time, Olga also squatted down. Only Wei Ran, who was hiding behind the artillery shield, and Ruslan on the other side did not leave their positions and did not stop the artillery.

In an instant, with a clanging sound, dense bullets hit the artillery shield. However, Ruslan was still directing Wei Ran to rotate the artillery while firing.

Finally, they survived the first round of attacks, and the Stukas also lined up and rushed into the night sky!

"Beep! Beep! Beep!"

Just at this moment, Vasily on the treetop blew a whistle, and Giannia subconsciously looked over!

But soon, she was stunned. A kerosene lamp emitting a dazzling light had been lit on the big tree that served as a sentry tower!
"Direction 220!"

After just a moment of daze, Giannia shouted and gave orders, and Ruslan immediately urged Wei Ran to turn the artillery to the left.

"Stop!" Ruslan's sudden shout made Wei Ran stop immediately, and the cannon was also pointed at the dazzling fire on the watchtower!

"No! Giannina! No!" Ruslan shouted in panic.

"Ready to fire! I command you to prepare to fire!"

"Fire!" Ruslan desperately ordered Wei Ran.

When Wei Ran, who was concentrating on pushing the cannon, subconsciously pressed the fire pedal and looked in the direction of the muzzle, he was stunned. He realized that was the direction of the watchtower!
"Thumbs up!"

In an instant, the 25mm shells fired by the artillery and the aviation machine gun bullets coming from another direction were aimed at the treetops where the watchtower was located.

In less than half a second, the gas lamp emitting an ice-blue light was shattered by an aviation machine gun, and the diving bomber also collided head-on with a shell that flew sideways less than five meters in front of the watchtower!

In the next half second, the Stuka rushed towards the frozen lake on the other side of the island, but the other plane dived and dropped bombs one after another directly at Wei Ran and others!

"dying"

Wei Ran only had time to murmur something before he felt himself suddenly lose gravity, followed by a thick, white light blowing towards him.

(End of this chapter)