Panzer 382

The operation starts!

The day is June 21st,1941.The 22nd was ordered to our starting point for the operation tomorrow.I could be arrested or even killed as a traitor to the army.I am at a town in Poland called Kraków.Im of the third panzer Corp of the 22nd and my name is Erich Curtis and I'm the gunner of panzer 382.

I am under the command of captain Luther wintel.he has more experience in battle than me,being that he was in the France campaign."Erich,get The ammunition ready for tomorrow.We gonna need every shot."He said in his Deep voice,his SS badge glowing in the moonlight on his black uniform along with his boots.I stand up."yes captain!".He smirks and walks off to the other tank commanders."geez,why not just relax a little?we've been here for two months.Stop acting like the instructor's are watching all the time."Keter said.Keter and I went to the same tank academy back in Germany.His brother had died in the French campaign by a land mines but if you ask anyone else they would think I was his brother.Both of our hair were golden and eyes blue,That's how we got into the SS.I hear a Panzer 4 hatch and we turn around.It was our driver,Erick Lenten.Erick was twenty one and older than me and Keter by 2 years.His brown beard covering his lower head and chin.His red and blue eye glowing in the Fire.His strong body comes from also being the ranks main man for the platoon when other platoons felt like getting cocky.His body made our look puny compared to his."Have y'all two seen the commander?".He said in the same voice as the captain."yeah,he just went to headquarters for tomorrow's briefing.".I responded back to him."Alright thanks.Make sure you eat a lot tonight.when we start tomorrow we're not stopping for a while.He walks away in the same way as the captain."geez,look at him trying to be like the captain.He's not even trying to hide it at this point."Keter said laughing quietly.He spilled some of his soup on the ground."you better watch were your food lands.If it falls on your uniform you will make the SS look bad." a voice beside use said.we turn and see it the crew of Panzer 381,in a sense,our sister tank."what if we do?what gonna happen?".keter asked the men.All of them looking like unwashed hobos off the street."then we'll have to kill ya!".one in the back said.I give a smirk and look at Keter,his face had pure fear in it.I hear the others laughing at his facial expression.I join in while trying to get Keter attention on me.Keter looks at me,noticed what I was trying to do,and walks to the tank.The other see him leave and walk away as well,still laughing."What was that about?".I turn to see who it is and it our radio operator,Walter ölay.The twenty-eight year old man with brown hair and black eyes was the kindest of us all.He would've given his life for his family if he forcefully drafted into the German army,he coming from a German-Belgium family in France.He left his family to join the German army five years ago."nothing,just the guys from 381 letting out some steam before the operation,that all.".I reply back.He gives me a smirk."yeah,they can't help it.everyone pretty pumped up for tomorrow,some have their own ways of dealing with it than others.".He pats me on his head.His hand pushing my hair down."you might want to get some sleep before we start.We don't want a tired gunner.".He says as he opens his hatch.the metal joint creak with rust.He hops in and closes it as soon as he gets in."alright,final preparations for the operation!wake up!".The commander said as he banged on the tank.I stand up at attention,wait for my orders."Erich,did you check out ammunition count of the tank and machine guns?".He asked in his usual stern voice."YES SIR!".He steps over Keter and Walters hatches and begins stomping on them."get up gentlemen.its showtime.".

We are moving to our starting positions.lets move.".The camp suddenly Became alive with activity,men started forming up,engines started up and vehicles getting on.I put out the fire and start heading to my hatch.I start climbing the thank when I hear a voice from behind me."Make sure you make the fatherland and your family proud.",I turn around and see it our platoon commander and our tank commander brother.I look up and see the commander staring back at him."Same to you brother,Don't be a disappointment to ether of them.".He smirks as I hop in the hatch.I look around,the white paint inside made the look like a bucket of paint exploded inside."driver forward!".The clicking of the controls sticks and the rev of the engine were louder than the gun firing,Everything was shacking."Gunner,load armor penetrating shell!".I could barely hear him over the headset.I pull the gun breach back and Erick loaded the shell into the gun.I close the breach back and turn to open my hatch back up.The fire from the artillery crews were the first thing I saw.The eighty-eight millimeter guns glistening from the fires.The officer of the gun noticed us and saluted.We saluted back at him and kept moving forward."Hey,keep you hatch unlocked just in case.I want all of us to get out of this thing if this thing goes up in flame.".The commander said to me,still looking ahead."Well let's hope we don't get hit them.".I say back to him with a smile.He looks down at me and returns a smile,then puts his hand around his neck to use his microphone."Driver,pull up next to this haft track.".The tank pulls up next to a haft track with SS markings on the side of it and a eighty-eight cannon on the top of it.When the tank stops some of the men notice us.The platoon commander walks up to us."I'm assuming your our tank support for tomorrow.".The man said in his raspy voice. His helmet between his arm and body was painted in the pattern of a tiger, the roundness of his glasses distracted me from the conversation."I'm lieutenant Wagner and this is my tiger platoon.You must be captain wintel.".the man said as he starts to climb up the tank."Yeah,that would be me sir.".he replied back.The lieutenant climbed over my hatch and and sat on the turret roof.He pulled out a map and began."You see that town over there?Brzesko?Thats our first day objective.the crossroads are important.It's your job to get us there safely.understand?".He said looking at the captain."yes sir".the captain replied.The lieutenant nods and fall off the tank and walks to his tent."Hatches,close them now.".we do as we are told and close our hatches.The slam of the top hatch made us all look up.The pin-ups on the inner hull and the clinking of the shell in the dirty ammo."ok gentlemen,listen up.I have some things to announce before we set off for the operation.First,put all of your medals in this box.".He pulls out a wooden box that looks older than him.The creak of the box echoed through out the tank."put all of your medals and identification in this box,just in case we get burnt out.".we do as we're told and start taking off our things."second,a toast to panzer 382 and the lucky bastards that crew her.".he pours all of us a glass of wine and hands it to us.We down our glasses and hand the captain them back.The cream of the joint again means he put them away.The top hatch open and sunlight rushes in."driver forward.".The captain said.The engine started back up and we were off,off to war.