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]

German infantry dug in beneath railroad tracks come under intense fire as the Russians initiate a full scale barrage along the entire front of the German bridgehead.

１９４４年３月１７日 夜明け前
1944-nen 3-gatsu 17-nichi yoake-mae
  March 17, 1944; before dawn

SFX:
クワ  ズズーン  グオ  ゲホ  ドハ  クワッ  ズズーン  ドコ  クワッ
Kuwa   zuzu-n          guo      geho     doha   kuwa       zuzu-n           doko    kuwa
グワ！  アアアア  ズズー  ドドドドド  ドロドロ  バッ
Kuwa!      aaaa            zuzu-         dodododo        dorodoro    ba
  (sounds of explosion and shots)

SFX:
ビリビリビリ  ビリビリ
Biribiribiri            biribiri
  (railroad shaking)

「スゲェ」
"Sugee"
  "Horrible..."

[Panel 2]

Additional German infantry also come under attack.

SFX:
ズズーン  ズーン
Zuzu-n          zu-n
  (shooting)

「ヒャア」
  "Hyaa..."

[Panel 3]

Miyazaki (in cramped confines) introduces us to Episode No. 3.

妄想ノート No. 3
Mousou nouto No. 3
  Fantasy Note No. 3  [Mousou can also mean "wild or crazy idea" or "delusion"]

泥だらけの虎
Doro-darake no tora
  Tigers covered with mud  [see note below]

オソオ
Osoo
  Slow  [a pun on Miyazaki's given name "Hayao"("fast" or "agile")]

「せまい」
"Semai"
  "It's narrow..."

ホントは 泥まみれの虎です（笑）
Honto wa Doro-mamire no tora desu  (warai)
  Actually, it's "Doro-mamire no tora."  (laugh)  [text to right of Panel 3]

[Note:  The difference between "...-mamire" ("covered with ...") and "...-darake" ("covered with ..." or "full of ...")...] is difficult to explain in English.   "Mamire" implies that something is completely covered, whereas "darake" may imply a more spotty coverage.  Also, according to some sources, "darake" may have a slightly more negative connotation.]

[Panel 4]

Carius, inside his potato-cellar bunker, attempts to communicate with headquarters as one of his crew holds aloft the severed field radio cable.

SFX:
ドゴーン
Dogo-n
  (sound of explosion)

SFX:
パラパラ
Parapara
  (dirt sprinkling)

SFX:
ミシ
Mishi
  (creaking)

SFX:
ビリビリ
Biribiri
  (bunker roof shaking)

「モシモシ......」
"Moshi moshi......"
  "Hello......"

「きれてる」
"Kireteru"
  "It's cut off."

[Panel 5]

Carius and a soldier peer out from the bunker as shells impact on all sides.

戦車に 近づくことも できない
Sensha ni chikazuku koto mo dekinai
  They can't even go near their tanks.

SFX:
ドドドドド  ミシ
Dododododo    mishi
  (quaking)        (creaking)

「こりゃ 歩兵は エライ目に 会ってるな」
"Korya hohei wa erai me ni atteru na"
  "The infantrymen are having a hard time in all this..."

[Panel 6]

Miyazaki holds a conversation with a mysterious man clothed in black.

「タイトル間違ってますよ」怪
"Taitoru machigattemasu yo"    Kai
  "The title is wrong."                     (mysterious man)

「だっけ  マ...  イイヤ」
"Dakke        Ma...  ii ya"
  "Really, well... it's OK."

[Panel 7]

Russian fighter-bombers approach.

SFX:
ウオオオ
Uooo
  (sounds of planes)

すさまじい集中 射。 典型 的な 攻撃 準備 砲撃。
Susamajii shuuchuu-sha.  Tenkei-tekina kougeki-junbi-hougeki.
  Fierce concentrated shooting.  Typical preparatory bombardment.

３０分後、弾幕は 後へ 移動し始めた。
30-pun-go, danmaku wa ushiro e idou shihajimeta.
  30 minutes later, the barrage started to move back.

その間に 夜が 明けた。
Sono aida ni yo ga aketa.
  During that period, day dawned.

[Panel 8]

Carius and his men frantically scramble onto their Tiger tanks, which are covered with large amounts of mud - a direct result of the Russian artillery barrage.

SFX:
ズーン  ズズーン  ズーン
Zu-n         zuzu-n          zu-n
  (shooting)

「いまだ  いそげ！」
"Ima da       isoge!"
  "Now, hurry!"

[Panel 9]

Carius ducks inside his Tiger and barks out commands to his crew.

「異常ないか！？  点検いそげ！！」
"Ijounai ka!?  Tenken isoge!!"
  "Nothing unusual?!  Check in a hurry!!"

「ただちに エンジン 始動！！  無線手、中隊 本部と 連絡 トレ」
"Tadachini enjin shidou!!  Musenshu, chuutai-honbu to renraku tore"
  "Start the engine immediately!!  Radio controller, contact company headquarters."

油煙と ドロで、世界一汚い 戦車！
Yuen to doro de, sekai-ichi kitanai sensha!
  (Covered) with oil and mud, the dirtiest tank in the world!  [text below Panel 9]

[Panel 10]

Carius's tank driver listens intently as the aging Tiger's engine turns over.

虎が すぐに 動き出せると おもったら おおまちがい
Tora ga suguni ugoki daseru to omottara oomachigai
  If you think a Tiger can move immediately, it's a big mistake.

「カカッテ」
"Kakatte"
  "Please start..."

SFX:
クウ・・  クウ・・
Kuu..            kuu..
  (sound of the engine)

ひえきった エンジン、たよりない バッテリー
Hiekitta enjin, tayorinai batterii
  A cold engine, an unreliable battery  [text below Panel 10]

[Panel 11]

The tank's radio operator adjusts the controls in an attempt to reach company headquarters.

SFX:
ジジ・・・
Jiji...
  (sound of vacuum tubes warming up)

真空管も そう簡単に はあったまってくれない。
Shinkuukan mo sou kantanni wa attamatte kurenai.
  Vacuum tubes also don't warm up so easily.

[Panel 12]

As Carius looks on from his perch in the commander's cupola, his Tiger's engine comes to life with a cloud of smoke issuing from the exhaust.

SFX:
ヴオロロロン
Vorororon
  (sound of the engine)

「かかった  あっ  いけね！」
"Kakatta         A          ikene!"
  "It started...    Oh, that's bad!"

SFX:
ズーン
Zu-n
  (explosion)

[Panel 13]

The tank crew attacks the mud covering the tank in order to clear the clogged air ducts.

「ドロを おとせ」
"Doro o otose"
  "Take off the mud."

「ヒィー」
"Hii-"
  "Ooof..."

空気が 通らなければ虎も 動かなくなる。
Kuuki ga tooranakereba tora mo ugokanaku naru.
  If air doesn't go through (the air filters), the Tiger doesn't move.

エンジンの暖機 だけ でも １５分、とにかく 時間が かかるのだ。
Enjin no danki dake demo 15-fun, tonikaku jikan ga kakaru no da.
  Just warming up the engine takes 15 minutes; it always takes time.

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