War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 194 Unwelcome Reporter

In the warm and opaque tent, an orange-yellow kerosene lamp hangs on a rough tree trunk, and orange-red flames jump in a big-bellied cast-iron stove under the tree, and a small pot sitting on it , The peak snow has also begun to melt.

The young man Karl, who was kneeling by the cast-iron stove, was cutting the frozen venison and potatoes with his antler-handled Finnish hunting knife, carefully preparing food for everyone.

On the other side of the trunk, Markla was sitting on a bearskin blanket, wiping a soft cloth on the huge firearm that lay beside her.Next to his legs, a large trapezoidal metal box held three large, scary-sized magazines, as well as several different styles of muzzle brakes and a few small tools for maintenance.

And the Pravda reporter Kenon, under another small oil lamp alone, concentrated on writing something in the plastic leather book.

Seeing Wei Ran getting into the tent, Conon immediately raised his head to continue his interview, but before he could speak, Markla took the lead again.

"Victor, come here to help, this big guy has a lot of snow in his stomach, we have to take it apart and clean it up." While speaking, Markla moved her butt to give Wei Ran a little space. block of space.

Wei Ran deliberately did not look at the reporter Kenon, sat down next to Markla and asked curiously, "This gun looks really big!"

"It's a good weapon!"

Marka may have thought that Wei Ran was looking for something to say, and immediately explained in too much detail, "We found it in the weapon warehouse left by the Germans before, and it used the same anti-aircraft shell as the Ratti anti-tank gun. But it’s much more comfortable to use than Ratty, at least you won’t be unable to sleep with shoulder pain after using it.”

"But it's also very delicate, at least you've cleaned this heavy big thing a few times along the way."

Conon took the initiative to lean over and said with some pride, "If it's a Degtyaryov anti-tank rifle or a Simonov anti-tank rifle, it can be used normally even if it is buried in the snow for a day. And those two we have All the anti-tank guns produced in the Soviet Union are not as heavy as this big guy."

"That's right"

Carl, who was cooking, said in a regretful tone without raising his head, "The two anti-tank guns you mentioned are indeed very useful, but it is a pity that we captured too few in the Winter War before, otherwise we would not have to bring this heavy gun. Big damn hunk."

"Is your little mouth rubbed with chili oil?"

Wei Ran held back his laughter and muttered to himself, although this young man Karl is young, his mouth looks as if it has been aged for decades.As for the lethality of this sentence, just look at Conon's flushed face, who doesn't know whether it's cold or embarrassing.

In the warm tent filled with embarrassment, Wei Ran tried to pick up the anti-tank gun on the bearskin blanket. This weapon is not so much a gun as it is a small cannon, which weighs no less than one hundred and ten catties.

Putting the anti-tank gun that he had barely picked up to one side, Wei Ran curiously looked at the German inscription on the gun. It was the first time he had seen this kind of anti-tank weapon, but it was produced by Finland itself as mentioned by Markla just now. Ratti L39 anti-tank gun, he had a simple understanding before he participated in the war between Finland and the Soviet Union last time.

According to the inscription on this gun, it was produced by a factory called Solothurn, the weapon number is S18/1000, and the ammunition used is indeed 20X138mm shells as Markla just said.

Based on this ammunition alone, we know that it should indeed be called a "cannon", because the same type of ammunition is used, as well as the German flak30, flak38 anti-aircraft guns, the No. [-] tank, and the aircraft guns of various German aircraft.

However, even if it can be regarded as a gun according to the standards of later generations, in 1944, whether it was the Soviet Union or Germany, the main tank armor of any country could easily block its close-range shooting.Even if it is a German half-track armored vehicle, I am afraid that it must be close enough to successfully penetrate the armor plate.

Suspiciously looking at Markla, who was holding a tool to disassemble the weapon, Wei Ran secretly thought, perhaps it was because he also knew that the weapon in his hand was not powerful enough, that the father who brought his son to the battlefield stopped deliberately. Follow the enemy's footsteps, excuse that the huge lake in front of you is too empty, and distance yourself from the retreating Germans on the other side.

Wei Ran, who thought he had guessed the answer, also quietly breathed a sigh of relief. If this is the case, maybe they should not be in any danger. Camera, took ten pictures.

It's not that he doesn't want to use the Rollei SLR in the metal book, but the film in it has already been used up, and now it's just a piece of scrap metal.

In the tent with different thoughts, Markla, with the help of Wei Ran, disassembled the anti-tank weapon into parts all over the place. After carefully wiping them one by one and applying lubricating oil mixed with bear fat, the Just reassembled it.

With the help of Wei Ran, he was carefully wrapped in a rabbit fur blanket and carried aside. The two of them got out of the tent and carefully washed off the oil on their hands with the snow outside. On the side of the simple dining table.

Under the dim kerosene lamp, Carl served everyone a large bowl of steaming venison soup and a piece of hard rye bread.

As for that reporter, Conon, as if to ease the relationship between him and Wei Ran, he generously took out an apple from his sack and handed it to Karl, who then cut it into four fairly with a hunting knife. The portion was distributed among the people.

Taking advantage of the meal time, Konon preached the Soviet Union's ruling philosophy in a roundabout way, and took the initiative to help the Markla father and son and "Victor from Vipri" look forward to a happy life in the future.

It's a pity that both Makla and his son, and Wei Ran, did not talk to each other tacitly. After finishing their respective food in silence, they lay down on the leather blanket and fell asleep, and they didn't even bother to arrange the night watch.

Conon, who was left on the sidelines, frowned and looked at the three who were already snoring, clenched his fists secretly, took out his pencil and plastic leather notebook again, and began to write furiously.

When I woke up, it was still dark outside the tent, and the reporter, Conon, was already snoring wrapped in a wolf fur blanket.

Wei Ran glanced at the camera placed next to Kenon's head, and after hesitating for a long time, he finally extinguished the urge to take it over and press the shutter while the former was not paying attention.

Not long after, Markla and his son also woke up one after another. The old and the young seemed to be deliberately tossing Conon not to let him rest. Cooking and carrying weapons easily woke him up. Conon, who had just fallen asleep.

"Going away?" Conon asked sleepily.

"Looks like it's going to snow"

Marka explained indifferently, "We must cross the lake as soon as possible to get closer to the Germans, and later on, once the track tracks are covered by snow, it will be difficult to catch up with them."

Just one sentence made Conon wake up completely, and quickly helped clean up the animal skin blanket and various things in the tent.

After dismantling the tent and drinking a large bowl of broth in a hurry, Karl set off again, following the faintly visible ruts on the snow, crossing the frozen lake and a large frozen swamp, and finally got safely into the forest on the opposite bank .

Soon, a large number of footprints appeared right in front of the sleigh vehicle. Next to a collapsed pine tree, there were still remains of a bonfire covered by snow and several tin cans.

Carl, who was in charge of the car, wisely didn't go up to it. Instead, he yelled softly to the two reindeer with white breath from their nostrils to stay away. On the flat snow, he followed the increasingly clear ruts and slowed down. .

In the sleigh, Conon, who was wrapped in a wolfskin blanket, started the tireless interview again, but this time the only response he got was the silence gestures made by Markla and Wei Ran indiscriminately.

Seeing that Kenon reluctantly put away the pencil and plastic notebook, Markla and Wei Ran looked at each other tacitly, and then each showed a subtle smile.

After several hours of tracking, the ruts not far from the side of the sleigh continued to move forward as if there was no end, but the snowflakes falling overhead and the cold wind blowing on the face became bigger and bigger.As the sky got brighter, Karl also yelled at the reindeer to stop again.

"Why did you stop again?" Conon asked dissatisfied.

Carl took a small sack containing beans from his father, and held a fist-sized brick of salt in the other hand to the mouths of the two reindeer, eating beans while one head stuck into the sack, and the other A big head leaned over to lick the salt bricks and said angrily, "Mr. Conon from a big southern city, if you think it's okay to drive a sleigh full of things and four people for hours? Need a break, how about putting these two reindeer in the sleigh and you pulling the sleigh after the oil-burning armored vehicle?"

"Carl!"

Markla frowned and shouted, and waited until his poisonous son shut up, then picked up a bundle of hay from under his buttocks as a cushion, and walked to the side of the reindeer on the snow.

"Don't look at me." Wei Ran said before Conon opened his mouth, "I won't go to pull the sleigh with you."

"You!" Conon, who was stunned by Karl just now, subconsciously put his hand on the holster of the TT33 pistol at his waist.

"What? You still want to shoot?"

While Wei Ran was speaking, he had already held the Mosin Nagant rifle that had been lying on his lap, and Markla, who was feeding the reindeer, also quickly grasped the Bobosha that had been carried on his shoulders. Submachine gun, aiming the muzzle at Conon silently.

"Are you trying to kill me here?"

Conon's tone was a little trembling, but more of it was unabashed contempt and ridicule, "I knew you were secretly helping those escaped Germans!"

(End of this chapter)