Air

Jungle Wings

Issue Number: 5539

Flying Officer Joe Blake and his mates were feeling pretty confident when war came to Malaya in 1941. But, when their first-ever dogfight against mighty Mitsubishi A6M Zeros in their outclassed Brewster Buffalos came, the rookie Australian pilots paid a heavy price indeed. Joe, now the only survivor of his squadron, was tasked with training […]

Old Dogs

Issue Number: 5531

Known as Operation Folklore, the Air Ministry knew they had to box clever if they wanted to beat the invading Argentinians out of the Falkland Islands. Flying a Canberra under Chilean colours, they would recon the enemy without arousing suspicion. But when the pair operating the aircraft is a reckless, young RAF pilot and the […]

Night Witch

Issue Number: 5519

German soldiers feared the night. Their restless sleep was interrupted by a sound caught on the wind —like the flapping of wings or the knocking of flying broomsticks. Like ghosts, the Polikarpov Po-2 fighters of 588th Night Bomber Regimentswooped in to attack, destroying all that dared to be in their path. The Germans soon began […]

Night Drop

Issue Number: 5512

Out of the Dakota and into the dark night jumped Peter Warren, a lieutenant of the Royal Navy. A sharp crack and his parachute opened, gently lowering him towards the barren wastes of the South‑West African desert. The night was cool but Peter knew that when the sun rose, the desert sand would bake and […]

Escape from Java

Issue Number: 5511

Flight Sergeants Danny Blake and Greg Roberts had been in their Blenheim from the deserts of North Africa to the jungle dirt airstrips of Malaya. They were good at their jobs but the only thing that stood in their way was their skipper, Pilot Officer John Foden —a toff with little regard for his crew […]

Mosquito Ace

Issue Number: 5504

They told Harry ‘Kiwi’Dean to bomb the Nazi prison without hurting any prisoners —to let Paul Thierry, resistance leader, and his men escape. And he did. But there were too many Germans, tanks, and guns kicking around for Kiwi’s liking. So he went one better. Only an ace like Kiwi would have ever tried it. […]