War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 1725: Hunger Action

On the morning of March 3, the Beluga bomber landed at the Saipan airport under the guidance of its almost frozen crew members.

Without waiting for the bomber to stop, Wei Ran, who was almost frozen to death, struggled to put away the blanket and sailor bag that he was wrapped in.

After five hours of flight, his feet were so frozen that he almost lost all feeling.

Soon, the ground crew and the remaining gunners opened the cabin and saw Wei Ran waving at them with difficulty.

"Anthony"

Wei Ran raised his hand and pointed in the direction of the tail turret, and then he was carried down by Grant and others.

“Leave the rest to us.”

Grant whispered something in Wei Ran's ear, and the latter was directly lifted onto a stretcher and sent to the ambulance waiting on the side.

Not long after, Brad and the others were also sent up. Fortunately, they were not injured, but they were all shivering from the cold.

"Anthony is dead," navigator Bill trembled as he repeated the news of his death, which he had already known.

"Anthony is dead," repeated Jonathan the wireless operator.

"He's from Kansas," said Phillip, the mechanic.

"This is the fourth gunner lost by the White Whale," Captain Tom muttered to himself.

"But the war is not over yet," sighed the co-pilot Paul, and the ambulance drove them towards the hospital.

"Victor, are you okay?" Brad asked.

“It’s okay”

Wei Ran waved his hands. He was just too cold. But at this moment, both the surface of Saipan and the ambulance that had been exposed to the sun for half a morning were warm enough.

"Are there any bombing missions tonight?" Brad asked the second question.

"Maybe we'll know soon," said Captain Tom.

"We can still keep bombing," Brad said.

"Yes, we can continue the bombing." Mechanic Philip said, "As long as the ground crew can quickly repair the damaged parts."

"They will fix it in time," said the co-pilot Paul, looking at Wei Ran, the only one lying there. "What about you? Arsonist, do you want to continue participating?"

"It's my turn to drop the bomb next time," Wei Ran indirectly expressed his attitude.

After a few brief conversations, the ambulance took everyone to the hospital. After a simple and quick examination, the doctor gave a straightforward treatment method - drink a bowl of hot soup or take a hot bath.

Even without hot soup and hot baths, Wei Ran, whose condition was relatively the most serious, had recovered, and everyone simply left the hospital together.

"Let's go see if there are any bombing missions tonight."

Captain Tom said, "Brad, take the arsonist to eat something and take a hot bath. I will ask Grant to inform you whether there is a mission or not."

"See you later then."

As Brad spoke, he took Wei Ran into a jeep driven by gunner George and rushed to the canteen.

Although he hadn't been here for a few days, the black kitchen helpers obviously still remembered Wei Ran, who was nice to them. Especially the black kitchen helper named Nick, after learning about Wei Ran's situation and experience, he immediately brought two bowls of kidney bean soup and two grilled steaks with hot sauce as quickly as possible.

After eating a hot meal, Wei Ran, who was already sweating all over, completely got rid of the coldness in his body.

"I'm fine now, let's go see Anthony first."

Wei Ran waved to thank the black kitchen helper and said as he walked out.

"Let's go back and take a shower first," Brad said, "We all smell like burnt food."

Knowing that the other party was taking care of him, Wei Ran did not refuse and followed the other party back to the wooden house assigned to them.

However, Grant was already waiting outside the door.

"Why are you here so soon?" Brad asked, "Aren't you going to see Anthony?"

"There's another bombing mission tonight," Grant said, "again, Nagoya."

"Who is the tail gunner this time?" Wei Ran asked.

“It’s Lewis’ turn”

Grant said, "It is not certain whether the White Whale can be repaired before the mission begins, but if you want to participate in the bombing, you should rest as soon as possible."

"Anthony"

"You guys take part in the bombing and drop the bombs into the eyes of those demons as accurately as possible. I guess that's what Anthony wants to see." Grant paused, "I mean, the White Whale needs a bombardier now."

"We'll be there soon," Wei Ran said as he turned around and went into the bathroom.

After they both took a shower and changed into clean clothes, they rushed to the tent specially prepared for them next to the White Whale.

Holding up a telescope and looking at the bomber undergoing emergency repairs in the distance, Wei Ran lay on the folding bed and closed his eyes.

There is no time to mourn Anthony now. The important thing is to rest as soon as possible to participate in the new round of bombing.

No matter from which level, Wei Ran can be considered a veteran, so he fell into a deep sleep not long after. However, Brad, who was lying on the other bed, tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep. His hand would touch his collar from time to time, but he would move it away again and again.

When Wei Ran was awakened, the gunners and ground crew of the Beluga outside the tent were busy hanging cluster incendiary bombs into the bomb bay. Apparently, the plane had been repaired while the ground crew was busy.

"It's time for us to go bomb Nagoya. Victor, no, arsonist, do you want to be the bombardier?"

Brad urged, at this time, he was holding a thick B3 flight jacket in his hand.

"certainly"

Wei Ran had already climbed up and walked out, saying, "You don't need to bring this thick jacket. We won't be shot down."

After a moment of hesitation, Brad threw the jacket in his hand onto the bed and followed Wei Ran towards the White Whale not far away.

Taking the chalk from Grant, the two left the same greetings on the cluster incendiary bomb as the rest of the crew members - this time for Anthony.

Watching all the cluster incendiary bombs being sent into the bomb bay, Captain Tom handed several ribbons to Wei Ran, Brad and others, "As usual, we all have to come back alive."

"Let's take a group photo," Wei Ran suggested as he took the ribbon.

“Then take a picture.”

Tom nodded, asked everyone to gather together, and with the Beluga as the background, he asked the ground staff to help take a group photo including Wei Ran.

Without further delay, Wei Ran followed the captain and others to climb up to the front cockpit, while Brad and gunner Lewis climbed towards the waist and tail of the plane.

Sitting back in the bombardier's position, Wei Ran put the eighth ribbon he had obtained on the large keychain, then raised the camera and pressed the shutter towards the ground crew outside and several gunners including Grant.

"I got a message"

While waiting for takeoff, Captain Tom said, "We may not have much incendiary bombs left. After this, we may get a few days of rest."

“Don’t worry about that.”

In the internal communication, Brad said confidently, "Big Cigar will help us find enough bombs. If we run out of incendiary bombs, he will let us drop high-explosive bombs. If we run out of high-explosive bombs, I guess he won't even mind letting us hang the jeep in the bomb bay and drop it over."

"You really know him," said Lewis in the tail turret.

"I worked for him for many years," Brad said. "I even have a picture with him."

"I heard from Grant that you still have his autographed cigars?" Lewis continued, "How about showing them to me when we come back?"

"Of course," Brad agreed nonchalantly.

Amid the random chatter on the internal communications, the Beluga began to taxi and take off. This time, they were in the front batch.

"Did we forget to bring seasoning this time?" asked mechanic Philip after the bomber stabilized.

"I really forgot. I didn't even have time to see Anthony." said co-pilot Paul.

"I didn't have time either," Tom added. "By the time we get back, his body might have been taken away."

"Gentlemen, an idea suddenly occurred to me."

Navigator Bill said, “After the war is over, I plan to go to Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka.

Of course, there was Kobe last night, and I was going to go there to see, at least to see how effective our bombing was.”

"That's a good idea," said Jonathan, the wireless operator. "We can go together then."

“I will definitely go there then.”

Brad said on the intercom, "Victor, what about you? Are you going?"

"Of course, if I have the chance, I will definitely go." Wei Ran said with a smile, "I will bring my camera with me."

“We can take a few more photos in those places then,” mechanic Philip suggested a good idea.

"If that's the case, I'll go too," said Tom. "I'm the captain."

“I’ll go too.”

The co-pilot Paul said, "Lewis, you are going too, you, George, Val, Ann Grant, you are all going."

“We will go”

Tail gunner Lewis responded, and like everyone else, he tacitly glanced over the name that the co-pilot almost said accidentally.

Inevitably, the internal communication fell into silence, as if no one knew how to proceed with this topic.

After a long silence, the bombers flew over Nagoya again.

Even without the help of the bomb sight, Wei Ran could clearly see the cross flame that served as a mark rekindled on the surface.

"Arsonist"

"Received," Wei Ran responded and temporarily took over the control of the bomber.

He maneuvered the bomber to slightly change its course, aimed in the direction of the port and began to drop bombs.

Just as the cluster incendiary bombs began to fall towards the predetermined target, Wei Ran also raised his camera with one hand and pressed the shutter towards the beautiful night view outside the porthole. At the same time, Brad also operated the aerial camera to start shooting.

Compared with the long journey, the bombing process was undoubtedly short, and perhaps because of the previous attack, Nagoya did not launch any decent counterattack this time. He did not even see the smoke from the anti-aircraft gun explosion.

When the captain took back control of the bomber, Wei Ran said regretfully, "It would be better if our bomber could carry more bombs."

"Yeah, it would be nice if our Essex could fly," mechanic Philip joked. "Then maybe we could take turns dropping bombs all day," co-pilot Paul said with a smile, "Lewis, Brad, are you all right?"

"It's okay. The scenery here is very good." Lewis said, "I even clearly saw that the incendiary bomb dropped by the arsonist seemed to have set a boat on fire."

"I'm fine too," Brad replied, "I filmed the entire bombing process just now."

“Hope we can stay longer next time we come to Nagoya”

Gunner Lewis said, "Do you know? There is a beautiful girl from Nagoya on Saipan. She speaks English and has good skills."

“Be careful of getting sick.” Philip’s reminder immediately made everyone start teasing Lewis.

"Gentlemen, after the war, if we really have the opportunity to go to Nagoya, we can find some clean girls together."

Gunner Lewis said in the internal communication, "We can give them several long bombings. At least it won't be over in just a few seconds like the arsonists."

"Maybe we could just find a Nagoya girl and take turns dropping bombs all day long," Brad joked, "like the Essex is flying."

"Why don't you guys wait until the war is over and go to the Japanese to make a movie," Wei Ran, who was once again in trouble, muttered in a helpless manner.

At this time, the White Whale had completely left behind the lively Nagoya. The topic of conversation became more and more relaxed, but at the same time, they deliberately avoided talking about the gunner Anthony.

After another five hours of flight, the Beluga landed safely at Saipan Airport again without any damage.

But this time, before he could stand up from the bombardier's position and leave, everything in front of him was suddenly shrouded in a thick white light without any warning.

When the white light faded, he found himself lying on the bed assigned to him and Brad in the wooden cabin. On the table next to him was a Japanese radio that came from nowhere. From the radio, he could clearly hear the Tokyo radio reporting on the air raids in March, frequently mentioning "massacre bombing."

It was also through these few words in the broadcast that he learned the specific time. It was still March, but it had jumped from the morning of the 3th to the evening of the 19th, a week later.

Almost at the same time he confirmed the time, Brad opened the door and said hurriedly, "Victor, change your clothes quickly! Take the aerial camera!"

"What's wrong?" Wei Ran asked as he turned over and sat up.

"The modification of the Beluga has been completed, and there will be a bombing mission tonight." Brad said as he picked up the aerial camera and walked outside.

Modification? Bombing? No. 27? Starvation? ! Hidden Rewards!

Wei Ran suddenly became excited. He never expected that he would have the opportunity to participate in Operation Hunger this time!

If the previous incendiary bombing was a fire attack, then the following starvation operation was a water attack. The mines dropped during the following period essentially destroyed the Japanese shipping!

"Wait me a moment!"

As Wei Ran spoke, he hurriedly picked up his clothes and the camera on the bedside table and ran out.

Driving to the Beluga's base in a familiar manner, Wei Ran felt a little relieved. The crew members of the Beluga were still there. He also learned from Brad on the road just now that the Dumbo's crew had not suffered any casualties in the past few days, and they would also participate in the mine-laying operation tonight.

"Who is the gunner tonight?" Brad asked Grant before the car stopped.

"It's my turn tonight," Grant said. "How about you? Who's going to drop the bomb tonight?"

"Let me do it," Brad said as he jumped out of the car.

Hearing this, Wei Ran, who also jumped out of the car, didn't say anything. Although he also wanted to throw a mine, this was only the first day of Operation Hunger and there would be plenty of opportunities in the future.

"As usual, let's take another group photo." Captain Tom took the initiative to say, and once again distributed a ribbon to everyone.

After taking the ribbon, Wei Ran handed the camera to a ground crew member familiarly and took a group photo with the crew.

This time, in addition to the White Whale bomber, there were also a bunch of magnetic and sonic pressure mines serving as their background.

"I heard from Grant that you were going to leave in a few days?"

After the photo shoot, mechanic Philip asked Brad.

“We do have this plan.”

Brad said, "I heard that a new bombardier has been sent to you?"

“It will probably arrive tomorrow.”

Paul said, "Where are you going next, Brad?"

Glancing at Grant who was looking back at him, Brad smiled and said, "I'll probably go to England, and then I might return to the European battlefield as a reporter."

"Is Victor coming too?" Captain Tom asked curiously.

"Maybe"

Wei Ran replied vaguely, "I haven't thought about it yet."

“We will miss you”

Mechanic Philip said with a smile, "You two will always be members of the crew of the White Whale, and you will always be our bombardiers."

"After the war is over, we will go to Nagoya to drop bombs together." Brad reminded with a wink, "right Lewis."

"That's right!" Gunner Lewis responded loudly.

“Count me in then,” Grant said with a smile.

"certainly"

Brad agreed with a silly smile, and then boarded the front half of the cabin with the captain and others.

A moment later, Wei Ran followed Grant into the back half of the cabin and they each found a seat.

Wei Ran put the ninth ribbon he had just obtained on the keychain and looked at the mines in the bomb bay not far away, secretly wondering what would happen next time he dropped a bomb.

Soon, the White Whale took off with a jolt and a roar, and the internal communication began with casual chatter as usual.

The content of this chat was all about Brad's KPD girlfriend.

"I plan to contact her when I get to the UK next month," Brad said. "Maybe I'll work with her then."

"what does she do?"

Grant asked curiously, "I never asked these questions. I didn't even know her name."

"She's a publicist, her name is Martina, Martina Kruger," Brad said. "I don't know any more details."

"Not sure?"

"She has her secrets too," Brad replied matter-of-factly.

"Well, you must have a picture of her, right?" asked Captain Tom.

"Yes, but they are all in her hands."

Brad said, "I don't have any pictures of her for her protection, but I will definitely take a picture of us when I see her next month."

"So you will go to live in the Soviet Union in the future?"

Paul couldn't help but ask curiously, "She is a KPD, isn't she? I guess maybe the only way for you to be together is to go to the Soviet Union."

“So can the United States”

Brad spread his hands. "She's just a KPD, not black."

“I haven’t seen CP yet.”

Mechanic Philip said, "Brad, if your wedding is held in the United States or the United Kingdom, please remember to inform me."

"And me," Bill and others said one after another.

"Of course, not only you, but also Dumbo's friends." Brad said, "You all have to come to our wedding."

"I hope their radio operator Jack will have found a girlfriend by then," joked Jonathan, who is also a radio operator.

"He already has a girlfriend"

Grant said, "It was a blonde girl at the USO club. I saw them kissing each other several times under a palm tree or behind a truck."

"I've seen that, too," said Bill, the navigator.

"I saw it too," said Wei Ran, who had been listening, "If I wasn't worried about the girl being deported, I almost took a picture of it."

"So Grant is the only one who doesn't have a girlfriend now?" Brad teased.

"The gunners of the Moby Dick are all poor bachelors," Captain Tom said, and as expected, the internal communication began to bully single men.

"After the war, I will find a beautiful girl to recruit nuclear weapons." Grant vowed.

"And drop bombs on him every night?" Jonathan's words immediately made everyone in the internal communication start laughing again.

In this relatively cheerful atmosphere, the five-hour flight passed in a flash, and navigator Bill began to remind everyone through internal communications that they had arrived at the designated airspace.

Almost at the same time when Wei Ran checked his seat belt and picked up the remote shutter, the door of the bomb bay was also opened.

Immediately afterwards, mines rushed towards the sea shrouded in darkness like dumplings.

This time, because there was no fire on the surface, Wei Ran even had a premonition that he might not be able to capture anything.

But even so, he still pressed the remote control and recorded the bombing process as much as possible.

However, before the bomb bay could be closed, the anti-aircraft artillery on the ground began to counterattack!

"An enemy plane has appeared!" Grant also began to remind from the tail turret.

"Everyone sit tight!"

Captain Tom gave a loud warning and began to pull the bomber to increase its altitude.

However, at this moment, the sound of an anti-aircraft shell exploding was heard around the White Whale.

At the same time, Brad's screams were heard over the internal communications!

"what happened to you?"

As Grant asked loudly, Wei Ran also heard the roar of a machine gun coming from the tail turret.

"What's wrong with Brad?" Wei Ran also asked loudly.

"Shrapnel hit Brad!"

Captain Tom shouted a reminder, "What's the situation back there?"

"I saw a bomber get hit!"

Grant shouted back, "It's starting to smoke! There's an enemy plane behind me, climb! We need to climb!"

(End of this chapter)