War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 21 Temporary Peace

Don 19 position, in the trench silted with rainwater and rotting corpses, a group of recruits with little combat experience, led by Aleutian and several veterans, manipulated anti-tank guns and anti-tank guns, approaching the trench again and again The line of German tanks drove back.

Wei Ran, who also participated in it, had no other thoughts at all at this time. He just went back and forth between the ammunition storage point and the artillery position again and again with a few soldiers, panting, to provide enough shells for the anti-tank gun.

The shells that hit the position from time to time lifted up the smelly mud and stumps, and then fell on almost all the survivors and corpses nearby.

But all the recruits, including Wei Ran, have long since lost the trembling at the beginning. At most, they just wiped off the dirt on their faces that blocked their vision, and continued to be busy with their work. As for whether the dirt that was thrown off was mud or Rotten meat, perhaps it has long been unimportant.

Because everyone knows that as long as the position under our feet is still there, as long as the Germans on the opposite side of the position are still there, death is just a destined ending sooner or later.

The sound of the artillery from the anti-tank gun position, the explosion of the shells that hit the position, the roar of the anti-tank guns and the DShka heavy machine guns, under the disturbance of all these noises, Wei Ran's hearing has been almost unbroken. beep instead.

But even so, through the flares that the Germans fired into the night sky again and again, he could vaguely see, from time to time, a tall or short figure rushing out of the trench holding a bundle of grenades tied with wire. Outside the blind spot blocked by the trenches, there will be a flash of life that seems to be burning.

Finally, when the top of the head gradually turned pale, meteors with long tail flames tore up the night sky from the direction of the Don River behind them, and smashed hard at the German soldiers who were about to tear apart the No. 19 position at any time. and their tanks and armored vehicles.

"Katyusha! It's Katyusha! It's our Katyusha!"

The Aleutian company commander yelled in surprise at the top of his throat. This night's battle has already promoted him, a second lieutenant, to become the company commander of this position. As for the former supreme commander of the 19th position
Wei Ran, who was almost deaf, glanced at the command post that had turned into a bomb crater not far away, tiredly put the shells he had just picked up back into the wooden box, and then sat down on the ammunition box next to him.

Although he couldn't hear what Company Commander Aleutian was shouting at this time, he could guess that it was the female name that haunted and longed for countless front-line soldiers during World War II——Katyusha!

After this round of rocket strikes, the fighting that lasted almost all night finally came to a temporary halt. Except for a few soldiers on guard, almost everyone sat on the ground exhaustedly, staring blankly at the top of their heads.

Not long after, some women with a wide range of ages, and a dozen fifteen or sixteen-year-old children brought barely clean drinking water, two large baskets of black bread mixed with sawdust, and a small piece of boiled water in small baskets. of fish.

Stuffing food into the hands of everyone who was still alive, these women and children bent down and cooperated with each other to carry the wounded soaked in muddy water to the rear hospital. A shell, or a few grenades, or a chain of ammunition or even a few clips.

After sending these ammunition supplies to the ammunition dump by category, they silently lifted up the dead soldiers and sent them to the mass cemetery along an exceptionally quiet trench.

As these people went back and forth again and again, the reserves of the ammunition storage sites filled up visibly with the naked eye. In the muddy trenches, not only the bodies of the dead soldiers and the wounded disappeared, but a layer of wrist-thick logs was even laid in several key positions. , Finally, it is barely enough for the living people to stop soaking in the muddy water.

"Crack!"

The crisp shutter sound did not disturb many people, but Wei Ran, who barely recovered his hearing, suddenly raised his head, and then saw a female soldier in a Soviet military uniform and a boat cap taking a Leica camera from Aliu Company Commander Shen moved away.

As for Aleutian who was photographed, he was obviously very familiar with this female soldier, but he raised his trembling hand tiredly, and then asked hoarsely, "Zoya, how are the other positions?"

"not too good"

Zhuo Ya, who put away the camera, sighed, and replied sadly, "The No. 18 position next door suffered the heaviest loss. After the battle, there were less than 10 people left and two anti-tank guns were barely able to fight."

"Uncle Mehri"

As soon as a young soldier next to Aleutian asked, the female soldier Zhuoya shook her head, "He blew up a German tank."

Wei Ran, who was about to ask something, sat down slowly against the wet trench again, and tried several times to tell the people around him what he knew about the historical process, but in the end he kept his mouth tightly shut and did not utter a word.

So what if I said it?Apart from being treated like a lunatic, it doesn't help the battle at all.Even if Captain Aleutian believed his nonsense, could they give up this position?If you can really give up so easily, what's the point of those corpses that were carried away not long ago?
"Vanya! Where is Vanya?!" Aleutian stood up unsteadily and shouted hoarsely.

"I'm here," a shirtless burly man stood up from not far away and responded.

Wei Ran's pupils shrank for a moment. This strong man was the one who pulled him out of the corner of the trench last night and arranged for him to work as an ammunition hand!

"Calculate our situation, and by the way, ask when the recruits will be replenished."

Before he could finish his sentence, Captain Aleutian climbed up on a simple wooden ladder, looked out cautiously against the edge of the trench, and then quickly jumped back into the trench.

Hearing this, Vanya immediately began counting the number of people along the trench, and the female soldier Zoya also pointed the camera lens at a young soldier who was cleaning an anti-tank gun.

After a short rest, the people who barely had enough to eat were organized by the Aleutian company commander to repair the messy trench in an orderly manner.

"What's your name?"

Holding a small notebook in one hand and a pencil in the other, Vanya asked Wei Ran, who was digging drainage ditches for anti-tank artillery positions.

"Victor"

Wei Ran straightened up and replied out of breath.

"It's a good name." After Vanya praised him, he continued to ask without raising his head, "Can you read?"

"I know!" Wei Ran nodded quickly, "I'm a postman at the field post office of the 64th Army, and I can read and write! I can use a camera, but also"

"Keep digging your gutters"

Vanya didn't have time to listen to Wei Ran's nonsense, glanced at the messenger bag that was still slung over Wei Ran's shoulder, scribbled down a few words and immediately pulled another soldier to repeat the question just now.

(End of this chapter)