War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 285

On the dark and cold Bear Island, two reindeer sleigh carts were slowly moving forward on the thick snow. From time to time, they had to stop to distinguish the surrounding terrain before moving on.

Speaking of which, the island is actually not that big. The maximum distance between the north and south coasts is only 20 kilometers, and the longest distance between east and west is even less than 20 kilometers.For those strong reindeer, even if they ran a full circle around the island, it would not take much time.

But this is without considering the terrain. This heart-shaped Bear Island has high terrain on the east and south coasts and steep shores. Although the rest of the location is flat and undulating, it hides a large number of ice crevasses and enough to take people away. Buried snow nest.

Often, in order to reach the location Jonas pointed to, Leo, as a guide, had to lead them around a distance far beyond their imagination.

Shouting to the reindeer, he followed the sleigh cart controlled by Leo in front and stopped for several hours.Wei Ran also gradually let his tense nerves relax, and began to think about the requirements of this return mission.

Not to mention the shooting of the 200 photos, the simple four-character requirement of "live to the end" brought him countless guesses.

Since he needs to live to the end, there must be some who have not survived.So who didn't survive?Those three in the front sleigh?How did they die?Did the fishing boat waiting at the simple pier kill them, or will a second group of people land on the island soon?

This time, the only weapons provided by the metal book are the Mauser bayonet and his own sidearm. Even if the 1911 pistol obtained on the fishing boat is included, the firepower is definitely not strong.In addition, the harsh environment on this island is also threatening everyone's safety.

Having figured out the cause and effect, Wei Ran also yelled at the two reindeer to slow down again, and cautiously followed the trail left by the sled car in front, while listening to the surrounding movement.

The two sled cars stopped and went until the high-pressure gas lights that provided illumination were about to go out, and then Leo, who led them, brought them to the back of a rock that was the size of a truck and stopped.

"My cousin said that he couldn't continue running and had to take a break."

Eric waited for Wei Ran to come up and helped translate, "Although those reindeer don't need to consume fuel, they have reached their limit."

"Then take a rest." Jonas looked at the rolling aurora above his head, and nodded helplessly in agreement with Leo's arrangement.

After Wei Ran also nodded, Leo immediately untied the reins of the four reindeer. These four strong and big guys were exceptionally docile, neither running nor barking, but snorting and kicking with their thick hooves. Open the thick snow, quietly gnawing on the moss and lichen buried under the snow.

Use a brush to carefully clean the frozen snow on the reindeer. While talking, Leo unloaded a dirty deerskin square blanket from Wei Ran's sleigh and spread it on the ground, and then put it on the Sprinkled some salt brick and bean mixture.

Seeing this, the reindeer immediately ran over, sticking out their big wet tongues to lick the things on the blanket, and two of them even lay on it directly.

Eric smiled and translated, "Leo just said that he raised these reindeer since he was a child, so he doesn't have to worry about them running around. Now let's quickly set up the tent."

After Eric finished translating, Leo immediately called him and Wei Ran to help, and unloaded two heavy canvas bundles and two wooden sticks as tall as a man and thick as wrists from the fully loaded sleigh cart.

Insert one of the wooden sticks into a hole reserved in the front of the sled. With the help of Wei Ran and his cousin Eric, Leo used one of the bundles of canvas to wrap around the pole that had been padded by the sled. With more than two meters of wooden sticks, a pyramid-shaped tent was easily erected.

After understanding the construction method, Wei Ran and Eric imitated the example and set up another tent. After Leo tightened the wind rope for the first tent, he vigorously waved the snow shovel to move the tent. The edges were buried tightly, and the snow in the tent was also smoothed by the way.

Although Professor Jonas couldn't help with the physical work of setting up the tent, the old man was not idle. He took the initiative to light up the gasoline flatbread oven that he and Eric brought, and cooked it clean with the matching stainless steel kettle. of snow.

The four worked together to set up two tents, and Leo distributed two thick reindeer skin blankets to each of them.And he himself walked into another tent with his precious polar bear skin in his arms.

Although the tent that Leo prepared for them was only a layer of thick waterproof canvas on the outside, it also had a thin layer of deerskin inside. These two layers easily insulated from the freezing temperature outside and the biting cold wind. Coupled with the whirring gasoline pressure stove and the thick and fluffy reindeer skin blanket under the buttocks, everyone took off their thick cold-proof cotton clothes in less than ten minutes.

I have to admit that although this tent is a bit primitive, it is definitely useful.Moreover, the materials prepared by Leo are also abundant enough.After moving so many things down, the sleigh cart that Wei Ran steers still has four large barrels full of 20 liters of gasoline, and a wooden box of vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, potatoes, and onions.

In addition, there is a box of condensed milk, cream, coffee and other things in this sleigh car, and a skinned goat, as well as a large box of cooked and frozen arctic shrimp, as well as bread and sausage stuffed in every corner. , Even the wine has prepared a small box.

Such a rich reserve of food materials naturally made Wei Ran and the others in the tent extremely happy, and Eric couldn't help showing a smug look on his young face when he saw his cousin showing such face.

When the snow in the stainless steel kettle completely melted and boiled, Eric made coffee and poured everyone a cup, and asked curiously, "Professor, you never said where you got the news about that weather station .We're all on Bear Island, can you tell us about it? After all"

"After all this expedition was funded by you, wasn't it?"

Jonas unobtrusively glanced at Leo who was wiping his weapon under the light of a kerosene lamp. After hesitating for a moment, he put down the wooden cup containing instant coffee and explained, "My father worked here during World War II. Not long ago, I found the work notes he left behind and found out that there is an abandoned weather station here."

"Professor, are there many such weather stations?" Wei Ran asked, "Since there is Equator No. 2 weather station, there should at least be No. 1 station."

"It is true"

Jonas nodded approvingly, "According to the work notes left by my father, there are about a dozen such weather stations on various islands in the Arctic, but most of them are unattended.

Unfortunately, he only recorded the specific location of Station 2 and the reason for its abandonment in his notes, otherwise we might have collected more meteorological data, which are much more accurate and precious than those provided by the school. "

Eric sighed regretfully, "In recent years, international disputes over the territory of the Arctic have become more and more serious, and the value of these meteorological data has also increased. If we can find other weather stations, we can completely A research group has been formed."

"Even if you only find Station 2, it's enough for you and Victor to set up a research group and apply for some funds."

Jonas said expectantly, "After you graduate, you can even continue your research on this subject. No matter who will be the master of the North Pole in the future, this is a research direction with high gold content."

"professor"

Wei Ran tentatively asked, "Compared to these, I'm a little curious as to why the Equator 2 weather station we were looking for was abandoned."

"This matter begins at the end of World War II"

Jonas leaned on the huge wooden box he brought and explained, "According to the work diary left by my father, when the German army withdrew from Norway, it was planned to take away the staff here, but because of the Allied forces at sea And air blockade, it is obviously not a wise choice to retreat at that time.

So the navy that was responsible for picking up the soldiers at that time left them a civilian fishing boat that was enough for them to sail to Norway, and left a small team in Norway to pick them up when the situation was better. Before that, He and his colleagues still need to continue to ensure the operation of Station No. 2, and also receive meteorological data from other weather stations and send them back to Norway by radio. "

"And then?" Eric asked.

"And then World War II ended"

Jonas spread his hands and answered as a matter of course, "My father and his colleagues escaped secretly in a fishing boat after the end of World War II. But the people who supported them were gone, so after the situation improved, they Then he returned to West Germany with the false identity prepared in advance, and the meteorological data that were not brought back have remained on this island."

"I used to hear from my cousin that when the Germans occupied Norway, they took a lot of good things from his hometown of Finnmark."

Eric said and turned to look at his cousin Leo, and asked something in Norwegian, and the latter immediately gave a series of responses that only Eric could understand.

Eric spread his hands, "He said that Finnmark was almost turned into ruins by the Germans at that time, and even the icons and crosses in the church were taken away. This is almost a well-known story in the local area .”

"It's impossible for those things to be sent to Xiong Island." Wei Ran couldn't help but said.

Jonas added a cup of coffee to Wei Ran, and asked with great interest, "Why is it impossible?"

"A very simple math problem"

Wei Ran took a sip of coffee and explained, "For Germany at that time, the value of safe and reliable weather information was far more than the property robbed from Finnmark County. Unless the person responsible for robbing the local property was a Polish, he was Absolutely not, and I dare not take the risk of exposing this weather station to transport the looted things here."

"Victor was right"

Jonas refilled a cup of coffee for Eric and his cousin Leo before continuing, "This is the value and function of meteorology. A perfectly prepared weather forecast can easily change many things."

"Victor's joke is also good," Eric grinned and echoed, "but it would be nice if we could find the things that Germany robbed from Norway in World War II on this island, so that we not only have enough Research materials, and you can make a fortune by the way."

Jonas shook his head dumbfoundingly, "Although it's the polar night, it's still far from the time when you can dream when you're awake."

(End of this chapter)