War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 26 The Last Letters

While everyone was waiting, the skyline due east behind them gradually turned pale, and the soldiers who went out to repair the barbed wire and planted mines also jumped into the trenches again.

To Wei Ran's relief, the two "listeners" from last night came back unscathed. According to them, when they climbed near the barbed wire fence, Vanya threw two grenades. In case there are Germans playing dead, so they can come back alive with good luck.But even so, I heard that an unknown unlucky ghost died under the German submachine gun.

Wei Ran, who became an "audience" this time, didn't ask Yu Wang at all. He didn't know the name of the unlucky ghost who didn't come back. He didn't know if he had planned to do something after the war. Is he someone who is concerned, or has he handed the written letter into his hands yesterday.

The experience of repairing the barbed wire fence told by the two happy soldiers, and the various trophies they brought back from the dead Germans, gave Wei Ran a deep sense of powerlessness.

In this era of war when people's minds are smashed into shit, personal ideals and wishes are far less important than the value of the barbed wire outside the trench.

"It's the 24rd"

Wei Ran looked at the gradually brightening sky outside the bunker exit, and sighed silently. According to the historical process, the German army will launch an attack on the right wing of the 64th Army tomorrow. As for whether the No. 19 position is located on the right wing of the army, let alone Wei Ran , I am afraid that even the Aleutian company commander promoted by the front line does not know.

While Wei Ran waited anxiously, the German army on the other side of the front line had no intention of launching an attack. It seemed that the failed sneak attack before dawn was the KPI they needed to complete throughout the day.

It's just that, compared to the leisurely position of No. 19, the explosion in the direction of the Don River once again occupied the home field after the rain decreased slightly.Correspondingly, the supplies sent to various positions have also come to a standstill.

"Kaze, haven't our artillery positions been built yet?" Aleutian approached the artillery observer Kaze, and anxiously asked the question that he would ask almost every half hour since dawn.

Kaze, who was fiddling with the two 120mm heavy mortars, shook his head, stood up and replied again, "I'm afraid it will be at night."

"Where are these two mortars?" Vanya, who had been following Aleutian, asked after him.

"They can hit the German positions on the opposite side, but they can't reach the opponent's artillery positions. We haven't even figured out where the opponent's artillery positions are arranged."

"Should we destroy their frontline positions first?" Vanya turned to Aleutian and asked.

"We only have 80 rounds of shells," Kaze had to remind, "They should be used when they are most needed."

"These two mortars can't move yet"

The Aleutian company commander finally defeated his impulse with reason. Although the two mortars can hit the opponent's position, they may not cause much casualties, and there is even a high possibility of attracting German artillery. hit.Once they are destroyed by the opponent's artillery, the No. 19 position will be extremely passive in the subsequent defense.

Artillery observer Kaze breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the words, and said after a short pause, "Commander Aleutian, after dark, correspondent Beshev and I are going to go around the opposite German position and look for the German artillery position."

"What help do you need from us?" Captain Aleutian asked immediately.

"I need a guide who is familiar with the surrounding environment." Before Kaze finished speaking, Aleutian and Vanya immediately turned to look at the veterinarian Cyril not far away.

"Cyril! Cyril! Come here!" Vanya shouted holding up the tin trumpet.

Cyril, who was hiding in the trench with Wei Ran and was chatting with Wei Ran, who shared the boiled potatoes by the way, immediately stood up, ate the last piece of potato in two or three bites, and ran over through the mud.

"We need a guide." Aleutin pointed in the direction of the German positions, "Take Kaze and signalman Beshev to find the German artillery positions."

The veterinarian Cyril turned pale, and then asked firmly, "When are we going?"

"After dark," Kaze thought, and added, "or when it rains more."

"no problem!"

The veterinarian Cyril nodded vigorously, and pointed in the direction of Wei Ran, "I'm with the postman Victor, call me anytime you need to go."

Captain Aleutian nodded imperceptibly, then waved to Cyril.

Returning to Wei Ran with his head down, Cyril dragged the latter into a bunker not far away, "Victor, do me a favor."

"What's busy?" Wei Ran asked without knowing why.

The veterinarian Cyril took out an iron box the size of a palm and a letter folded into a triangle and stuffed it to Wei Ran, "Victor, tonight I will take Signal Corpsman Beshev and Artillery Observer Kaze to find the Germans. People’s artillery positions, if I can’t come back, can I find a way to hand these things to my family in person?”

Wei Ran was stunned, "I remember"

"My daughter is 17"

Cyril sighed and said in a low voice, "She always wanted to go to the battlefield, fight the Germans or rescue wounded Soviet soldiers on the battlefield, just like her father. But look at the German corpses lying outside the trenches, Look at the Soviet soldiers who were carried away by those children and buried en masse.

I'm afraid they won't even leave a name in this war. I don't want her to waste her life in such a ghostly place.So it's fine to leave this war to us, as long as we finish all the wars. "

Cyril passed the things in Wei Ran's hands again, and his voice became smaller, "But if this kind of thought is written in a letter, it will definitely be discovered by the field post office, I"

"I understand"

Wei Ran took the iron box and envelope from Cyril, carefully wrapped them with a rainproof cloth together with the letters from Aleutian and Vanya, and stuffed them into his arms.

"Thank you, thank you Victor." Cyril breathed a sigh of relief as if he had let go of a heavy burden, and said in a relaxed tone, "If I can come back, I will come to you to get these things back."

"I'll wait for you to come back to get it!" Wei Ran said solemnly.

Cyril was about to say something when Beshev, the communications soldier, came in from the outside, "Uncle Cyril, Kaze called you over to inquire about the situation."

"I'll go right away!" Cyril patted Wei Ran's shoulder heavily, bent over and got out of the bunker.

"Comrade Victor"

Communications soldier Beshev also handed a triangular letter to Wei Ran, "I just heard the conversation between you and Cyril outside, if possible, please accept this letter."

"you also."

"It doesn't matter." Beshev turned around and got out of the bunker calmly, "You can send it through the field post office. I just inform my fiancee that she doesn't have to wait for me anymore."

Squeezing a ring that seemed to be a ring wrapped in the envelope, Wei Ran sighed, after all, he didn't say anything, just took out the rainproof cloth package in his arms again.

Shortly after noon, the torrential rain finally stopped completely, and even the sun, which had been hiding behind the dark clouds, appeared, making the muddy trenches extremely hot and stuffy, and at the same time, the explosions in the direction of the Don River became more intense.

Not long after the rain stopped, those women and children brought simple food and drink again, and the female soldier Zoya who had come here yesterday came with them.

"Commander Aleutian, is there a postman in your position?" Zoya approached Captain Aleutian and asked.

"Victor! Come here!" Aleutian didn't get up at all, and started shouting at the top of his voice.

Wei Ran had been secretly staring at the camera on Zoya's neck, so almost at the same time Aleutian spoke, he quickly stood up and ran over.

"What do you want from me?" Wei Ran asked pretending not to know.

"Send me a letter." Zoya took out a letter from her satchel and handed it over.

Wei Ran raised his eyebrows and looked at the envelope handed over from the local area. This was the first letter with an envelope he saw after he entered the No. Hinted at the origin of Zoya's identity.

The Aleutian company commander handed Zoya a glass of cold water with sand in it, and asked suspiciously, "Why did you come here to post the letter?"

"After Uncle Mehri died, the headquarters ordered Sasha from the post office to take the postman children to the east bank of the Don River before dawn."

Zoya drank the water in the glass in one breath, and then continued, "So in the whole position, only you have the only postman here, and I can only deliver the letter here."

"Do you know the little postman Vasily? Did he evacuate to the other side?" Wei Ran asked doubtfully while carrying the envelope into the tarp.

Zoya nodded, "It should have been withdrawn, and now all the children behind the position have withdrawn to the other side."

Wei Ran breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the words, "Why didn't you follow along?"

"I'm a reporter." Zoya said naturally, "This is your position, and it's also my position."

Captain Aleutian reminded indifferently, "But the camera in your hand can't stop the Germans on the opposite side."

Zoya put down the water glass in her hand, and said in a very affirmative tone, "At least let everyone know what happened on the battlefield and know that the Germans are invading our land."

"That's only if our Victor can deliver your letters to the destination." Vanya, who was cleaning his submachine gun, said without looking up, "but he doesn't even have a waterproof messenger bag now."

　Thanks for riding a whale and looking for a deer baby for rewarding 20000 points (two IOUs, let me pay off the debt first and then buy the IOUs, I beg you guys)

　　Thanks to the amateur photography foodie chef for rewarding 1500 points

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　　Thanks to Bai Yi Lei Dongduo, Jia Ge Ning, MGL丨Su, book friend 202103011054156 for rewarding 500 points each

　　Thanks to Feiwushou, love tara and love Qri, and reward 200 points respectively

　　Thanks to Chen Duxiu and No Expectation in the World for rewarding 100 points respectively

　　
　
(End of this chapter)