War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 23 The Late Letter

The bright sunshine shrouded the No. 19 position on the banks of the Don River. Except for the sporadic cold guns and bombers diving overhead, both sides of the battlefield fell into a rare peace and tranquility.

In the smelly trenches, the soldiers of the Soviet Red Army scattered everywhere received two pages of letter paper from Wei Ran, quietly wrote a lie to reassure the family, and then wrapped a few medals or captured rings inside. Reluctantly, he folded it into a triangle, wrote the address and handed it back to Wei Ran.

Of course, there are also a few of them who directly tear the letter paper into long strips and use it as cigarette paper, or simply paste it on the wound as gauze. Clean things up.

Near noon, the veterinarian Cyril brought some boiled potatoes from the rear with six children, and two large buckets of red cabbage soup mixed with something unknown. What excited almost everyone was that they also brought Two bottles of vodka came.

Under the supervision of the Aleutian company commander, one of the bottles was sent to the No. 18 position next door by the youngest child, and the other bottle was poured into a soup bucket and mixed with clean water, and then a full bottle was distributed to each of them. tablespoon.

"Company commander, there is bad news." The veterinarian Cyril approached Aleutian with his water bottle.

The latter glanced at Wei Ran who was sitting next to him, raised the kettle and took a big sip before nodding, "Let's talk."

The veterinarian Cyril bent down and said in a low voice, "Just now, the Germans broke through the right-wing defense line of the 62nd Army, and two divisions were surrounded by the Germans."

"What did you say?! Where did you get the news?"

The Aleutian company commander immediately frowned when he heard the words, and Vanya, who was sitting on the other side of him, said bluntly, "It seems that we don't have much time left."

"A messenger told me." The veterinarian Cyril was afraid that the Aleutians would not believe him, and continued to whisper, "The news is absolutely true. The messenger and I are in the same town."

"Organize everyone to carry the ammunition immediately!" Aleutian stood up immediately, "Vanya, go to the headquarters and find a way to get some more people over!"

"no need"

The veterinarian Cyril sighed, pointed to the plane above his head and said, "Because of the bombing blockade by the Germans, it is difficult to transport the supplies and supplementary troops from the east coast. I'm afraid we can only wait until night."

"At night, the Germans on the opposite side may become even crazier." Captain Aleutian said with a stern expression on his face. "They are feigning an attack. I am afraid that after the 62nd Army is settled, it will be our turn."

Wei Ran, who was silent on the side, nodded secretly. The facts were indeed as Captain Aleutian had guessed. On July 1942, 7, that is, two days later, the German army would launch an attack on the right wing of the 25th Army.

On July 7, the two sides fought for only 29 days, and the 4th Army, which lost support and supplies, had to retreat to the east bank of the Don River.For this reason, Stalin even dismissed Timoshenko as commander in disappointment and replaced him with Lieutenant General Gordov.

Now Wei Ran just hopes that the people in the 19th position can follow the large forces of the 29th Army to withdraw to the east bank of the Don River before the 64th. Otherwise, the only ending they face is to be blasted into the trenches by the Germans who are destined to cross the Don River of mud.

Captain Aleutian raised his head after thinking for a moment and said, "Cyril, find the youngest child over here, and let the other children return to the rear of the position immediately."

"Okay, okay!" The veterinarian Cyril heard this, and quickly ran along the trench and disappeared.

"Victor, have everyone's letters been written?" Aleutian company commander Chao Weiran asked.

"Mostly written, and some more"

"I know, don't worry about them."

Captain Aleutian waved his hand without waiting for Wei Ran to finish speaking, "Victor, what we need now is not a postman, but a soldier with combat effectiveness. Do you understand what I mean?"

"I understand!" Wei Ran gritted his teeth and nodded, sticking to the No. 19 position was originally one of his return missions, so even if he knew the meaning of the Aleutian company's words, Wei Ran had no choice at all.

"As long as you know"

After a moment of silence, the Aleutian company commander asked in a low voice, "Can the letter be sent to the correction camp?"

Wei Ran opened his mouth, and finally shook his head hard, but he didn't know what to say.

"Can it be sent to Tula?" The Aleutian company commander's low voice was almost completely covered by the occasional bomb explosions in the direction of the Don River.

"It may be possible not to go to the field post office." Wei Ran paused, and then added, "but the time may be a little slow."

"It's okay, it's okay to slow down." Aleutin breathed a sigh of relief, exchanged excited glances with Vanya beside him, and whispered tremblingly, "Can you give it to me?"

"can!"

Wei Ran immediately understood what the other party meant, and immediately opened the postman's bag, found the remaining dozen pieces of letter paper, a pen and a pencil, and stuffed them into Aleut's hand.

"Thank you"

Vanya muttered insignificantly, and before the veterinarian Cyril came back with the child, he stuffed the letter paper and pencil that Aleutian had given him into his bosom.

"Commander Aleutian, he is Nikolai, the youngest child here." The veterinarian Cyril pushed a little boy with a thick head and a thick head to him and introduced him.

Seeing the evasive eyes of the child named Nicholas looking at him, Captain Aleutian sighed, and then whispered into Wei Ran's ear, "Leave the job of the postman to our Nicholas, Also tell him to hide near the rear command post and never come back."

After speaking, Aleutian and Vanya got up and left one after another, hiding in a place where no one was around.

"Your name is Nicholas? You are also a postman?" Wei Ran took out the black bread that he had distributed in the morning and handed it to the other party while speaking.

Nicholas hesitated for a moment, and finally took the black bread mixed with sawdust, "My other companions and I used to deliver letters for Grandpa Mehri."

Wei Ran glanced at the veterinarian Cyril, who immediately removed the big hand on Nicholas' shoulder, turned around and left, leaving enough room for them to talk.

Looking around, Wei Ran took off the messenger bag hanging on his shoulder, helped Nicholas hang it on his shoulder and said in a low voice, "Nicholas, what is the postman's responsibility?"

"Deliver every letter and parcel to the people who are waiting for it on time and accurately." Nicholas replied without hesitation. Since he got the postman's job, Grandpa Mehri has never stopped asking questions like this. I asked them once.

"The letter in this parcel is very important"

Wei Ran looked around again, and finally put his mouth close to the opponent's ear and whispered, "According to the secret order of Captain Aleutian, you need to send these letters to the field post office at noon on August 8st. Remember, it must be at noon on August 1st, and it must not be earlier. Before this time comes, you have to follow the rear command post, and you will go wherever they go, understand?"

"I understand!" Nicholas stood on tiptoe and whispered into Wei Ran's ear, "Noon on August 8st, it must not be earlier!"

"Let's go now." Wei Ran patted Nicholas on the shoulder, "On August 8st, I will go to the field post office to ask if you have delivered the letter in this parcel on time."

Nicholas, a decent court guard, saluted, covered the huge messenger bag with his raincoat, and his thin body ran along the trench three times and then disappeared.

(End of this chapter)