Enter station.
Power station.
Start engine.
Zero coaxial machine gun.
Zero main gun.
Throttle up.

Ever since I was promoted to the 4^th Company, 5^th Platoon, 1^st Vehicle¹German Panzers are numbered in three digits, but not always. Standard numbering protocol was company, platoon, and vehicle. This means the protagonist's Panzer is 451. of the Wehrmacht²German Army of WWII in 1934 after the Führer was elected chancellor of Germany³Reichskanzlei Adolf Hitler, these were the words engraved in my mind after me and fellow comrades were introduced to the Panzers⁴German for "armor". Since then, the worldwide meaning of Panzer is tank, which is technically correct.. Two years later, we were transferred from the Panzer I to the Panzer IV, much sturdier steel that Germany can create, they said to us.

We were taught how to operate the vehicle. My driver said it was like driving a car, but on tracks. My gunner and loader never get along for some reason. I couldn’t even speak to them, even if I have the authority to do so. Thus, these phrases hit my mind always.

The military academy felt like home to me. I always find myself often doing maintenance work as well as fun, happy chats with my best friend, who is actually the driver.

But, war was declared three years later. German forces attacked Poland, and word on the street is that Joseph Stalin, the Bolshevik head of state, also helped the German forces, and both had one piece of Polish territory.

The military academy had stopped by September 3, 1939, after the British and French condemned our country attacking Poland. Fortunately, I understood English (thanks to my girlfriend back in Hamburg who was a traveller and a bilingual), and the radio I had (fortunately it was not stolen by the Nazi party when censorship began to happen) showed me that they really declared war. Here was the message:

⁵This is the speech of Neville Chamberlain, Prime Minister of the British Empire from 1937-1940. Chamberlain declares war following the Invasion of Poland two days earlier."This morning the British Ambassador in Berlin handed the German Government a final note stating that, unless we heard from them by 11 o'clock that they were prepared at once to withdraw their troops from Poland, a state of war would exist between us.

I have to tell you now that no such undertaking has been received, and that consequently this country is at war with Germany.

You can imagine what a bitter blow it is to me that all my long struggle to win peace has failed. Yet I cannot believe that there is anything more or anything different that I could have done and that would have been more successful.

Up to the very last it would have been quite possible to have arranged a peaceful and honorable settlement between Germany and Poland, but Hitler would not have it. He had evidently made up his mind to attack Poland whatever happened, and although He now says he put forward reasonable proposals which were rejected by 
the Poles, that is not a true statement. The proposals were never shown to the Poles, nor to us, and, although they were announced in a German broadcast on Thursday night, Hitler did not wait to hear comments on them, but ordered his troops to cross the Polish frontier. His action shows convincingly that there is no chance of expecting that this man will ever give up his practice of using force to gain his will. He can only be stopped by force.

We and France are today, in fulfillment of our obligations, going to the aid of Poland, who is so bravely resisting this wicked and unprovoked attack on her people. We have a clear conscience. We have done all that any country could do to establish peace. The situation in which no word given by Germany's ruler could be trusted and no people or country could feel themselves safe has become intolerable. And now that we have resolved to finish it, I know that you will all play your part with calmness and courage.

At such a moment as this the assurances of support that we have received from the Empire are a source of profound encouragement to us.

The Government have made plans under which it will be possible to carry on the work of the nation in the days of stress and strain that may be ahead. But these plans need your help. You may be taking your part in the fighting services or as a volunteer in one of the branches of Civil Defense. If so you will report for duty in accordance with the instructions you have received. You may be engaged in work essential to the prosecution of war for the maintenance of the life of the people - in factories, in transport, in public utility concerns, or in the supply of other necessaries of life. If so, it is of vital importance that you should carry on with your jobs.

Now may God bless you all. May He defend the right. It is the evil things that we shall be fighting against - brute force, bad faith, injustice, oppression and persecution - and against them I am certain that the right will prevail."

I told to myself, Dear God. I know I shouldn’t be concerned or sad about the British declaring war on us, but to be honest, it may not be worth the effort. But then again, she and Poland are partners, so it’s either do or die from us.

The 4^th Company and all platoons are now ready to mobilize. The plans are that the 1^st to 3^rd platoons are to support the Polish occupation, and we 4^th to 6^th platoons stand by for orders.

My name is Julius Wagner, Kommandant⁶Commanderof Panzer IV 451. The war has begun, and I hope I bring myself and these friends home.