War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 519
In the afterglow of the setting sun, a T-34 tank with a turret painted with the words "Ukranan for the Recapture of the Soviet Union" was parked on the side of the road.

Behind it, on the sky dyed red by the setting sun, you can still vaguely see planes flying by from time to time or falling with thick smoke.

On its high-spirited barrel, there is a German chain dog with a dusty face lying on its buttocks.But around the turret, the four people, including Wei Ran, had found their positions either sitting or standing, letting the fiery red sunset shine on their bodies, faces and tank caps.

"Get ready! Look at the camera!"

A political commissar with the rank of lieutenant held the captured camera and surrounded the people on the tank with a viewfinder.

"In order to take back the Soviet Union, you can die!" Roman shouted abruptly.

"In order to take back the Soviet Union, U can rot!" Agafon and Vajim yelled out, and then, the slogan turned into a passionate and powerful "Ula", which spread like ripples throughout the entire area amidst the crisp shutter sound. Every corner of the temporary camp.

It wasn't until the exciting cheers spread far away that the captain's political commissar came over and returned the camera to Wei Ran.

"Captain Troza, I will hand over this prisoner to you." After Roman finished speaking, he saluted the other party very formally.

"He can speak Russian," Wei Ran proactively reminded while putting the camera in his bag.

"Don't worry! We will treat him well."

Captain Trosa responded with a salute, put down his hands and continued, "And when your political commissar returns, I will notify him. Also, are you sure you don't need to rest and go directly to the battlefield?"

"Of course I'm sure, they are fighting the German tanks on the front line in full swing, we don't have the mood to rest now." Roman said here and pointed to the outline of the building that was faintly visible in the distance, "It should be Tomarovka, right? ? Let's rest after we conquer there!"

"In this case, please wait for me a moment."

After Captain Trosa finished speaking, he called to the two blue hat soldiers who were waiting by his side to take off the prisoner who had been lying on the gun barrel for several hours, while he himself walked quickly to the tent not far away. .

"Roman, did we really hand over the captives to Trossa of the infantry battalion?" Agafon asked in a low voice.

"Anyway, they belong to the Fifth Army, and it doesn't matter if they are handed over to anyone."

Roman said nonchalantly, "And our political commissar is on the front line now, we can't continue to send him to the front line with gun barrels, can we?"

"That's right." Agafon took off his tank cap and scratched his messy hair, "I'm just worried that our military medals will be robbed."

Hearing this, Vajim curled his lips, "As long as you can beat the Germans, those things don't matter at all."

"Don't worry about that"

Wei Ran patted the camera already in the bag, "With the group photo just now, no one can take away our credit."

"It makes sense." Ajiafeng immediately breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the words.

"Don't waste time, fill up the remaining oil in the oil tank first, and then replenish the ammunition." While speaking, Roman and Agafon had already climbed onto the tank on the mud-covered tracks in no particular order.

However, before Wei Ran and Vajim could untie the oil drum carried on the back of the tank, the political commissar Trosha, who got into the tent, also ran over, and without a word, corked a bottle of Moscow brand vodka in his hand. Gave it to the nearest Vajim.

"Take it, this is a small gift for you." Trosa said, "Comrades, come back alive."

"Agafon, I remember finding a jug of milk at noon."

Roman smiled and said, "Go and take it out to see if it's broken. If it's not broken, give it to the political commissar."

Having said that, Roman threw down the shell casings, "Trosha, help us pass them on to the wounded."

"Thank you!" Trosha hurriedly took the jug of milk thrown by Agafon.

"Tankers don't need to say thank you, that's superfluous."

Agafon repeated what he had said to Wei Ran, and then, like two gophers waiting to be hammered, they retracted into the tank turret again and again, throwing away the empty shell casings one after another. go out.

After sending away Captain Trosha who saluted them again, Wei Ran and Vajim worked together to fill up the tank with fuel, and then the four replenished enough ammunition in a relay manner.

Soon, the roar of the tank sounded again. Vajim took a big gulp of vodka and handed the bottle to Roman behind him. When the latter raised the bottle, he also stepped on the accelerator and drove the tank towards up the front line.

In the dim sunset, scrapped tanks can be seen everywhere on the plain battlefield, and thick smoke can be seen everywhere. There are T-34s like them, light T-70s, and some from the British and Americans. Churchill or Sherman.

Of course, there are also various types of German tanks with steaming flames, but in comparison, their number is much smaller.

In violent jolts, the belated tank and drunk-driving tank crew darted past a patch of burnt forest and past a tank whose tracks were broken but still turning its turret to catch its target.

With a "creak", Vajim stopped the tank instantly as Roman stopped stepping on his back.As the turret creaked and turned, the high-spirited gun barrel also drooped, and finally aimed at another German tank whose tracks were also broken a few hundred meters away.

"boom!"

Amidst the muffled sound of firing, Wei Ran, who was slapped on the armor plate by the inertia of parking, didn't have time to see the situation of the German tank clearly. Vajim pushed the joystick again and rushed out in a circle.

From the description that Wei Ran can think of, what is unfolding on this borderless battlefield is completely a bloody stabbing battle between tanks and tanks!

"Armor-piercing shells!"

Roman shouted at the top of his voice, and Agafon immediately picked up a shell and stuffed it into the barrel.

Before he could open the locked seat, Vajim, under the command of Roman, rushed towards the German army at the fastest speed to several tanks that were firing again and again in the setting sun!

"Here we come!" Wei Ran tensed up, subconsciously clenched the machine gun in front of him with both hands.

While he was waiting anxiously, this desperate T-34 tank dexterously avoided the shells from the opposite side, and quickly closed the distance between it and the enemy.

Gradually, Soviet tanks collided with each other appeared in the observation hole, German soldiers who came out of the turret with burning bodies appeared, and also appeared holding pistols and jumped onto the opposite tank to shoot wildly, and then died. of the Soviet Red Army.

At that moment, Wei Ran admitted that he was afraid. In this real steel collision, the physical combat power of human beings has become a weight that can be completely ignored.

But at the same time, the spiritual power of human beings began to gain the upper hand.

Fear can make you unable to hold the joystick, hold the already heavy shells, and even make you feel claustrophobic in a small and stuffy tank.

Similarly, courage can make people temporarily forget life and death, and it plays a vital role in this duel of war machines.

The best example is Vajim, who is closest to him. His driving skills are reliable enough, and his courage and belief are firm enough.

Coupled with the cover of many tanks and tank wreckages around, it was finally lucky to avoid the shells one after another, and the distance between the car and the enemy was gradually shortened to within the visible range of the naked eye.

"The big man hiding behind the wreckage on the left!" Roman shouted loudly, further confirming the selected target.

"About 400 meters!" Vajim shouted loudly, while speaking, he pushed the joystick in his hand again.

"Paste it!" Roman responded without hesitation.

At the same time, Wei Ran also pulled the trigger. While trying his best to stabilize his figure, he pushed the butt of the gun so that the flames from the muzzle swept across two tank soldiers who climbed out of the German No. [-] tank.

Soon, the target that Roman was about to attack appeared again in the narrow field of vision, and it was only at this time that Wei Ran could see clearly that it turned out to be a Leopard!
Fortunately, before he could react, he lost his shooting vision again because of Vajim's turning, and it also indicated that they had avoided the scary barrel that was about to turn towards them!
Putting the tank cap on his forehead against the armor plate again, Wei Ran put his eyes behind the observation hole and continued to search for the target.

Not long after, the Leopard tank appeared in his field of vision again.It's just that compared with the quick glance just now, the distance between the two is much closer this time.

But Roman, who was obliquely behind him, never gave an order to stop, let alone fired the armor-piercing bullet in the barrel.

"200 meters!" Vajim shouted at the top of his voice.

"Remember what you did on a rainy day?" Roman shouted.

"Remember! Of course I remember!"

Vajim stopped the car abruptly, and when the Leopard also stopped and turned the turret, he immediately steered the tank to circle around again under the cover of the wreckage.

In just a short while, behind Wei Ran's invisible, several T-34s had stopped steadily, moving their muzzles to aim at the Leopard armor.

After two clearly audible firing sounds, it happened that the guard of the tank was seen again in the observation hole, and the sparks from its frontal armor were also clearly seen.

It's a pity that compared to the frontal armor of the Leopard tank, their shells are obviously not powerful enough.On the contrary, one of them was pierced through the armor by the opponent's artillery!
"Rush up!" Roman yelled fiercely, "Bump into its left hand!"

Vajim didn't give any verbal response, but Wei Ran felt a bit of the so-called pushing back in this iron car with a top speed of no more than 60 kilometers per hour!
"Hold on firmly!" Vajim reminded everyone loudly, wishing he could step on his slightly longer right leg into the fuel tank!
Wei Ran, who was squeezed against the bulkhead by inertia again, moved his eyes to the back of the observation hole with difficulty, but unfortunately, the rapidly shaking field of vision made it too late for him to aim at any target he found!

"Oh!"

With a dull bang, Wei Ran's head uncontrollably hit the thick armor plate again. This time, even his nose was not spared, and a little blood flowed out from the pain.

At the same time, the tank under his butt also slammed into the left front track of the Leopard tank with its thick front.

Vajim, whose lip had been bitten by his teeth, pulled one of the joysticks with the help of inertia and body weight almost at the same time his bounced body sat back on the chair.Immediately, the T-34 began to draw an arc and retreat to the right at the fastest speed!

"boom!"

Amidst the muffled gunfire, Wei Ran shrank his neck subconsciously and closed his eyes when he saw a bright flame emanating from the muzzle of the Leopard tank's gun in the observation hole!
In the trembling sound of "嗡——", he only felt the body of the tank shake, but that was all.

"Missed?" Wei Ran was stunned for a moment, and quickly put his eyes behind the observation hole.

At this time, more tanks in the distance had rushed towards the Panther, and at the same time, the Panther followed the tank commanded by Roman to rotate the turret and body.

Both parties clearly knew that although the T-34's 76mm cannon might not be able to penetrate the Panther's frontal armor, the thin sides couldn't bear it at such a short distance.

However, the impact of Vajim just now was not a simple savage collision. A tank weighing dozens of tons hit it at a speed of more than 50 kilometers per hour. The left track of the Leopard had already had problems!
And it followed the action of turning the tank chassis, which undoubtedly became the last straw that broke the track.

"Crench!"

Almost at the moment when the Leopard's track broke and the road wheels rolled over the mud, Vajim stopped the tank again, pushed the joystick again, and manipulated the T-34, which was originally backward, to draw a line towards the left front. They easily avoided the deadly barrel that was about to fire at them again!

Almost at the same time when they got out of sight, several other tanks that had come after them immediately aimed at the looming side of the Leopard, and fired shells of various flavors one after another!

When Vajim drove the tank in a circle and stopped far away on the side of a No. 4 tank, Roman used the armor-piercing bullet in the barrel to open a big hole in the side of the opponent's body that was big enough to explode the ammunition rack. , Wei Ran, whose nose was bleeding, also vaguely saw the flames steaming from the Leopard.

(End of this chapter)