Color key:

• [Panel numbers are in red.]
• Editorial comments are in green.
• Japanese kana/kanji text is in purple (viewing this requires that your browser has Japanese fonts installed, or you can activate Shodouka(©) to convert it to images for you).
• Romanized Japanese text is in blue italics.
• The translated English text is in the default color (usually black).

[Panel 1]

Otto Carius and his Tigers race down a snow covered road on the way to their next encounter with the Russians.

５０２重機車 大隊  第２中隊    全力     この時６輌
502 juukisha-daitai      dai 2 chuutai   zenryoku    kono toki 6 ryou
  502nd Heavy Panzer Battalion, 2nd Company, all power; at this time, 6 vehicles  [text above Panel 1]

SFX:
ゴゴゴ  キャラキャラ
gogogo     kyarakyara
  (sound of tank advancing)

大急ぎで カリウス達が かけつける。
Ooisogide Kariusu-tachi ga kaketsukeru.
  In a big hurry, Carius and his men rushed to the scene.

[Panel 2]

As Carius reaches the crest of a hill, he can see a small village laid out before him in the distance. It is situated on an open plain.

SFX:
タタタタ  ターン  ズズーン  ズーン  ドドー
tatatata        taan         zuzuun         zuun         dodou
  (sounds of fighting in the distance)

SFX:
ゴオオ
gooo
  (sound of tank advancing)

「小ぜりあいだな。」
  "Kozeri aida na."
    "It's a skirmish."

カリウスの小隊は 東の村へ 行くことに なる。
Kariusu no shoudai wa higashi no mura e iku koto ni naru.
  It is arranged that Carius's platoon will go to the eastern village.

[Panel 3]

Carius leaves the safety of his Tiger tank and heads out on foot.

「ようすを 聞いてくる。頭を ひっこめてろよ。」
  "Yousu o kiite kuru.  Atama o hikkometero yo."
    "I'll check out the situation.  Keep your heads down!"

[Panel 4]

Carius hurriedly approaches the entrance to a thatch-covered log farmhouse where German troops have taken shelter.  Three are visible from the outside.  Two are in the doorway and one is at an open window, machine gun at the ready.

SFX:
タタタ  ズズーン  ターン
tatata        zuzuun        taan
  (sounds of fighting)

「戦車兵が 歩いてきた。」
  "Sensha-hei ga aruite kita."
    "The tank soldier came on foot."

「中を 見せろって．．？　もの好きだなァ。」
  "Naka o miserotte..?  Mono zukida naa."
    "Show you the inside?  You're curious?"

丸太づくりの民家が 拠点に なっていた。
Maruta zukuri no minka ga kyoten ni natte ita.
  The private log house had become a base.

[Panel 5]

Carius enters the farmhouse and confronts two of the soldiers.

元気は 良かったが、兵力も 経験も 足りなかった。
Genki wa yokatta ga, heiryoku mo keiken mo tarinakatta.
  Their health was good, but they lacked military strength and experience.

「子供だ．．．」
  "Kodomo da..."
    "They're just kids..."

[Panel 6]

As the gruesome statistics are displayed above his head, a lone soldier begins to sweat as he ponders the eventual outcome of battles yet to be fought.  A comrade to his left commiserates.

ボロボロ名ばかり師団
Boroboro na bakari shidan
  They were ragged; a division in name only

この戦区に いた歩兵、６１師団は 全滅 消耗した部隊を 寄せ集めて
Kono senku ni ita hohei, 61 shidan wa zenmetsu-shoumou shita butai o yose-atsumete
再編成 中のもので、連隊でも 大隊の戦力も なかったのである。
saihensei-chuu no mono de, rentai demo daitai no senryoku mo nakatta node aru.
  The infantrymen of the 61st Division were in this battle section, which was regrouped from destroyed units; so this group was not a regiment, nor did it have the fighting power of a battalion.

歩兵 中隊の例
Hohei-chuutai no rei
  An example of an infantry company -

    正規           １４２名
  Seiki                       142-mei
      A regular unit:         142 men,

                                   機関銃 重＆軽１５挺
                  kikanjuu-juu & kei 15-tei
                                      15 heavy & light machine guns

    この時          ２０ー２５名
  Kono toki                20-25 mei
      At this time:             20-25 men,

                                    機関銃 軽２挺
                  kikanjuu-kei 2-tei
                                       2 light machine guns

「こりゃ　イカン。」
  "Korya ikan."
    "This is not good."

ビンボー
Bimbou
  Poor

[Panel 7]

An overhead view of the battlefield is depicted.  The Russian advance is depicted as a large orange arrow moving from the top right towards the midway point at the bottom of the panel. The point of the arrow touches railroad tracks.   The railroad tracks bisect the scene from the upper left corner to the midway point at the right of the panel.  At the bottom left of the panel, a retired soldier comments on the dire circumstances facing the Germans.

オストザック（東の袋）       １９４４年２月末
Osutozakku (higashi no fukuro)       1944-nen 2-gatsu sue
  Ostsack ("East Sack")                      The end of February, 1944

[Note:  The "East Sack" and "West Sack" were names given in German army reports to two Russian-occupied areas, separated by a boot-shaped "protrusion point" held by German troops.]

ソ連軍 橋頭堡
Soren-gun kyoutou ho
  Soviet soldiers' bridgehead [large orange arrow across field, aimed at railroad tracks]

　ソ連軍 拠点
  Soren-gun kyoten
      Soviet soldiers' base [complex of buildings to left of orange arrow]

　踏切
  Fumikiri
      Railway crossing [of road from Soviet base]

　狙撃兵のいる モミの木
  Sogeki-hei no iru momi no ki
      Trees where snipers are [stand of trees between Soviet base and railway crossing]

　ソ連軍が とりついた 土手
  Soren-gun ga toritsuita dote
      Bunker held by the Soviet army [under railway tracks, near tip of orange arrow]

　湿地（荒地)
    Shitchi (arechi)
      Swamp (waste land) [next to railroad tracks at top left of panel]

　この辺 戦車とおれない
  Kono hen sensha toorenai
      In this area, the tanks can't pass through [wetlands to right of orange arrow]

　この辺 雑木で 線路も よく見えない
  Kono hen zakki de senro mo yoku mienai
      In this area, due to the small trees [the Germans] can't see even the railroad tracks
        [area between tracks and the German bases]

　湿性の林
  Shissei no hayashi
      Wet woods [below railroad tracks, to right of orange arrow]

　大隊 本部は この辺に あった
  Daitai-honbu wa kono hen ni atta
      The battalion's headquarters was here [complex of buildings at lower right edge of panel]

カリウスの小隊（虎２匹）の受持 地区には、
Kariusu no shoutai (tora 2-hiki) no ukemochi-chiku niwa,
  In the sector controlled by Carius's platoon (2 Tigers),

ドイツ兵のこもる農家が３軒あるだけだった。
doitsu hei no komoru nouka ga 3-gen aru dake datta.
  there were only 3 farmhouses where the German soldiers were hidden.

対 戦車 砲なんかゼロ！！
Tai-sensha-hou nanka zero!!
  They had no antitank weapons!!

約１ｋｍ
Yaku 1 km
  About 1 km [yellow arrow spanning lower left corner of panel]

３軒の農家の兵力は この時３個中隊で７０ー７５名、
3-gen no nouka no heiryoku wa kono toki 3-ko chuutai de 70-75-mei,
  The strength of the forces at the 3 farmhouses was at this time 3 companies or 70-75 men;

後には 消耗して３０名位にまで なっちゃうのだ。
nochi ni wa shoumou shite 30-mei gurai ni made natchau no da.
  later this went down to about 30 men.

「こんなことは１９４４年には ザラだった。オドロカネェ。」
  "Konna koto wa 1944-nen ni wa zara datta.   Odoroka nee."
    "This was very common in 1944.  I wouldn't be surprised."

[Panel 8]

Carius, on all fours in an open field, talks to two reluctant soldiers following him in the night.

カリウスは 夜の内に すべて 歩いて 調べまわった。
Kariusu wa yoru no uchi ni subete aruite shirabe mawatta.
  Carius searched around on foot in the night.

およそ戦車には むかない 土地なのだ。
Oyoso sensha ni wa mukanai tochi na no da.
  It's not tank country.

SFX:
ドカーン  ヒルルル
Dokaan        hirururu
  (sound of shell exploding)

「ダンナ、もうもどろうよ。」
  "Danna, mou modorou yo."
    "Sir, let's go back!"

「ここなら 戦車で 通れるな．．．」
  "Koko nara sensha de tooreru na..."
    "The tank can go through here..."

[Panel 9]

A small louse (?) occupys the lower right corner of the panel and narrates the scene.  Carius talks to two soldiers manning a machine gun nest in the woods.

となりの戦区にも いってみた。
Tonari no senku ni mo itte mita.
  They went to the next fighting unit.

フェルトフェレンハレ師団
Ferutoferenhare shidan
  Feldherrnhalle Division  [named for a monument in Munich in honor of German military leaders ("Field Masters' Hall")]

「ヨオ、ひえるねェ。」
  "Yoo, hieru nee."
    "Yo, it's getting chilly, isn't it?"

そこまで 二ＯＯＭのスキ間が あった。
Sokomode 200 M no suki ma ga atta.
  There was a 200 meter open gap between Carius's position and the next unit.

[Panel 10]

A large group of Russian soldiers, with much verbal accompaniment, roll various artillery pieces over a log bridge by hand.

ロシア兵は 夜も 働いていた。
Roshia hei wa yoru mo hataraite ita.
  The Russian soldiers were also working at night.

がまん強い ロシア兵！！
Gaman zuyoi roshia hei!!
  Patient Russian soldiers!!

Mottos:

　攻撃 準備
  Kougeki-junbi
      Preparation for attack

　労働 強化
  Roudou-kyouka
      Intensification of labor

　陣地
  Jinchi
      Position

　雪にも 負けず
  Yuki nimo makezu
      To not be defeated even by snow

　大祖国
  Daisokoku
      Great motherland

　陣地 強化
  Jinchi-kyouka
      Strengthening of position

SFX:
セッセッ  ソレ  イテッ  ウンセウンセ  シーッ
sesse            sore     ite            unseunse             shii
  (the soldiers' shouts and whispers)

SFX:
ゾロゾロ  ガタガタ
zorozoro       gatagata
  (sounds of soldiers walking in a stream)

[Panel 11]

A lone German soldier stands outside a farmhouse and listens to the Russian advance taking place just beyond the raised railroad tracks.

農家３、線路から４０Ｍ
Nouka 3, senro kara 40 M
  Farmhouse #3, 40 meters from the railroad tracks

SFX:
ゴソゴソ  ヒソヒソ
gosogoso      hisohiso
  (whispering in the distance)

「よくやるナァ。」
  "Yoku yaru naa."
    "How hard-working they are!"

[Panel 12]

A small group of German soldiers huddle around a large square earthen stove inside a farnhouse.  Some are asleep, while others stand or sit near the stove for warmth.

一方 ドイツ兵は 歩哨の他は みんな 暖炉のまわりに ひしめいておった。
Ippou doitsu hei wa hoshou no hoka wa minna danro no mawari ni hishimeite otta.
  On the other hand, the German soldiers, except those on watch, were all crowded around the stove.

東部 戦線では よくあることなのだ。
Toubu-sensen de wa yoku aru koto na no da.
  This was common on the Eastern front.

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