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]

Under clearing skies, two Tiger tanks traverse the peat lands.

運が 良かった。  二輌の虎に 交代してもらうことに なった
Un ga yokatta.  Ni-ryou no tora ni koutai shitemorau koto ni natta
  He was lucky.  As it turned out, two Tigers were sent as replacements.

「フロに 入りたい」
"Furo ni hairitai"
  "I want to take a bath."

「ねむれるー」
"Nemureruu"
  "I can sleeep."

「うれしい  休めるぞ」
"Ureshii  Yasumeru zo"
  "I'm glad, I can take a rest."

SFX:
ギャラギャラ  ギャラ
Gyaragyara          gyara
  (sound of tanks advancing)

ケルシャーに ひかれて海岸へ
Kerushaa ni hikarete kaigan e
  Following Kerscher to the beach

[Panel 2]

Tank repair engineers pop the hood on a Tiger tank as Carius and his crew look on, and rejoice in their findings.

中隊 本部 修理 小隊
Chuutai honbu shuuri shoutai
  Company headquarters repair platoon

[Note:  The 2nd Company headquarters was located at Silamae, a city on the Gulf of Finland west of Narva and Carius's sector.]

「こりゃ２４時 間かかるな」
"Korya 24-jikan kakaru na"
  "This will take 24 hours."

２４時間
24-jikan
  24 HOURS

[Panel 3]

A smiling Carius holds a plate of....pork loin!!  Pigs as cannibals - who would have thought such a thing possible?

目の前のごちそうは 食え！！  兵隊は そうしたものだ。
Me no mae no gochisou wa kue!!  Heitai wa sou shita mono da.
  Eat the feast in front of your eyes!!!  The soldiers always did so.

いつ死ぬか わからないのだカラ
Itsu shinu ka wakaranai no da kara
  Because they don't know when they will die.

[Panel 4]

Carius and his men shed their lice-infested uniforms, take in a sauna, and "sweat like pigs."

サウナ！！！
  Sauna!!!

SFX:
モワー
Mowa-
  (steam)

「しあわせ」
"Shiawase"
  "Happy..."

エストニアは サウナの国だ
Esutonia wa sauna no kuni da
  Estonia is the land of saunas.  [text underneath Panel 4]

[Panel 5]

After the sauna, everyone runs for a dip in the icy water.

冬のフィンランド湾
Fuyu no Finrando-wan
  The Gulf of Finland in winter

氷が 浮いていたと 思う
Koori ga uiteita to omou
  I think that is ice floating

「ヒャー」
  "Hyaa..."

「アチチ」
"Achichi"
  "Ouch"

「生きててよかった」
"Ikitete yokatta"
  "It's good to be alive..."

[Panel 6]

Carius receives some bad news via radiophone while two skulls mock him from above.

が
Ga
  BUT...

「スグもどれっ  交代の二輌が やられた！！」
"Sugu modore         Koutai no ni-ryou ga yarareta!!"
  "Go back quickly!  The two relief tanks were damaged!!"

「エッ」
"E"
  "Eh..."

SFX:
ケケケケ
Kekekeke
  (skeletons laughing)

[Panel 7]

Carius mentally visualizes the conversation he previously had with the obtuse commanders of the two relief tanks, then imagines the result of their pig-headedness.  Standing next to Carius are his men (where are their clothes??!!), looking very forlorn as they sigh in resignation.

その二輌は ひきつぎを 守らなかったのだ。
Sono ni-ryou wa hikitsugi o mamoranakatta no da.
  Those two tanks didn't follow Carius's orders.

「ああで  こうで」
"Aa de         kou de"
  "Blah, blah..."

「迫撃砲の発射音が したら  すぐ動かないと やられるぞ」
"Hakugekihou no hassha-on ga shitara  sugu ugokanai to yarareru zo"
  "If you hear the sound of mortar fire, move quickly, or you'll be damaged!"

「廃虚に はりついて...」
"Haikyo ni haritsuite..."
  "Stick to the ruins [for cover]..."

クドクド
Kudokudo
  (repeatedly)

「エーッ  一日中そうしているの！？」
"Ee              Ichinichijuu sou shiteiru no!?"
  "Really, we stay like that all day?!"

「ウソだろ」
"Uso daro"
  "You must be kidding..."

で
De
  THEN...

SFX:
デーン
De-n
  (explosion)

「アラー  転輪が....」
"Araa          Tenrin ga...."
  "Ohh, the wheel...."

「トホホホホホ.........」
"Tohohohohoho........."
  "(siiiigh.........)"

[Panel 8]

A still-naked Carius barks out orders and his men scatter.

兵隊は きりかえも はやくなければ ならない
Heitai wa kirikae mo hayaku nakereba naranai
  A soldier has to be a quick changer.

「くえるだけくえー」
"Kueru dake kuee"
  "Eat as much as you can!"

「明朝 四時 出発」
"Myouchou yo-ji shuppatsu"
  "Departure is at 4:00 tomorrow morning!"

「ねろお」
"Neroo"
  "Sleeep!"

「それェ」
"Soree"
  "Make it so!"

[Panel 9]

The two "replacement" Tiger tanks depart apologetically as Carius looks on from the turret of his battered old tank.

まだまっ暗な 朝七時 ひきつぎ 完了
Mada makkura na asa shichi-ji hikitsugi kanryou
  At 7:00 in the morning, while it was still very dark, he took over their assignment.

「ワリイ....」
"Warii...."
  "I'm sorry...."

SFX:
ヴオロロロロ
Voororororo
  (sound of tank engine)

SFX:
ズリズリ
Zurizuri
  (moving, dragging)

[Panel 10]

Carius and his men enter the earthen bunker.

古巣
Furusu
  The old nest

「クセエ」
"Kusee"
  "It stinks..."

「もう一寸 ねむれるぞ」
"Mou chotto nemuresu zo"
  "We can sleep a little more!"

[Panel 11]

A Russian Commander looks closely at his watch.

「９時 ３秒前、２、１」
"9-ji 3-byou mae, 2, 1"
  "3 seconds before 9 o'clock, 2, 1..."

夜明 寸前！！
Yoake sunzen!!
  Just before dawn!!  [text below Panel 11]

[Panel 12]

Heavy Russian artillery light up the nighttime sky.

「うてェ」
"Utee"
  "Fire!"

SFX:
ガウガウ
Gaugau
  (sound of heavy artillery being fired)

[Panel 13]

Russian shells explode all around the earthen bunker.

SFX:
ズズーン  ズーン  カッ  ドウ  ズズーン  ズーン
Zuzu-n          zu-n         ka         dou     zuzu-n          zu-n
  (sounds of incoming and exploding shells)

[Panel 14]

A cup of coffee flies out of Carius's hand as the shells rock the bunker.

「はじまった！！」
"Hajimatta!!"
  "It's begun!!"

SFX:
ピシ  ピシ
Pishi     pishi
  (cracking)

SFX:
ビリビリ  グラグラ
Biribiri          guragura
  (shaking)

で つづく
De tsuzuku
  To be continued, then...  [text below Panel 14]

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