"Try starting her up now, Erhard."
Erhard started up the Tiger 1's engine. It backfired a couple of times but it worked. Rain started to tap on the armor outside and thunder rolled in the sky.
"When do we start moving, Willi?" asked Albert.
"The transmission is still down so we can not give orders to the other tanks. Unless, I give orders to our second commander." Willi said as he threw his hand up. "I'll be right back."
He rushed out of the tank and sprinted to Panzer #107. The hatch was open and rain poured in and dripped on Albert's head. They waited for Willi to get back, a few minutes later.
"Push her forward, Erhard. We are on retreat. We won't stop until we're two miles from Belgorod."
Erhard pulled the levers back on the tank and turned the control wheel and we headed off to Belgorod.
********************
"Alfred said to Panzer #107 that we will be pushing west and will stop two miles before Belgorod. Start it up, driver."
"How long will we drive for?" asked Ernst.
"Alfred said about, twenty or so miles. Get comfortable everyone, loads of fighting will be ahead of us. Max, load a shell."
Max was a man that loaded the shells into the Panzer's cannon. He was a short man but he was very chatty. He always talked about his girlfriend, the war, and the tank they were in.
The tank started to move and the wheels squeaked as they moved along the Panzer's track. Ernst sat up against the wall of the tank, right next to his machine gun. He ran his hands all over the gun and played with the ammunition belt that hung from the side of it. Everyone was silent until Max starting talking again, for about the next minute or two. Then, he started to sing a song, one that Ernst had recognized from his childhood. It was the first song he had ever listen to and liked. His eyes widened and he started humming it until Max's singing got louder and it carried on for quite awhile. Everyone started to smile and Ernst's face grew lighter. He smiled and laughed.
"How do you know that song, Little Man?" asked Max.
"My childhood. I listened to it everyday when I was seven."
"Really? I started listening to it just a few mouths ago on a record player back at military camp in Munich. By the way, where was your military camp? It better not be Berlin, you look like a Berliner and you carry around an east German accent."
"I'm from Berlin and that's where my military camp was."
"Can you believe this, men? He's from Berlin and I'm not sure that he knows this but, Little Man, you come from a........"
"Max, stop!" shouted Alfred. "I know what you are gonna say and I don't want to hear it. Just please focus, this is a war, on the Eastern Front for heavens sake!"
Max slowly put his hand down and shut himself up. Max was going to whisper to him but Alfred slapped the back of his head.
"Shut up you jerk!"Â Alfred yelled.
Alfred then walked to the hatch and opened it. He stuck his head out and he got soaking wet. Ernst looked up at him yelling to the other commanders. He moved his hands in different movements, telling him what to do and where to go. He came back down after he was done and had bulging eyes.
"Stop the tank, now! Soviet tanks about 100 meters."
"How?" asked Ernst. Alfred glared at Ernst thinking that he was stupid.
"Um, they can be anywhere around here. It's their country and they defend it. Every corner they defend, Ernst."
********************
Albert jumped when he heard Willi yell about the seven Russian T-34 tanks that were ahead. He sat next to the Tiger 1's cannon and loaded in a shell on Will's command.
"Wait until I say fire, Albert!" Willi said as he put his black headset on. "Stop the tank until there are orders from Panzer #104."
Ernst's tank. Albert's eyes widened and he thought about Ernst and hoped he would stay safe in his tank. Albert prayed when he heard the tank Willi commanded "Forward at will!". Albert's heart skipped beats thinking about what was ahead. He had never been in a tank before and had no experience or knew what it was like. What would he do if the tank was on fire and he could not get out in time or if a shell comes in the tank and blows it up before he gets a chance to escape? He tried not to think about it and focused more on what was coming, his first tank battle with no experience. He was a Wehrmacht soldier, not a Panzer commander.