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  • Commando No. 5685 - Fly Fast, Skipper! (25 Sep 2023)

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    Commando No. 5685 - Fly Fast, Skipper! [25 Sep 2023]

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    34 views68 pages

    Commando No. 5685 - Fly Fast, Skipper! (25 Sep 2023)

    Uploaded by

    Alin Constantin

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
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    j_ COMPLETE 63-PAGE Foie Naxos WAR IN THE Py) +4 Somme iN i : ik RORY EAA tods! AND ADVENTORE 1941-45, Parada suascane To Oris EVERY 2 WEEKS! OLN Oy © DON'T MISS A SINGLE COPY EVER! © PRINT AND DIGITAL COPIES AVAILABLE! RDER. Hg edb Ud Deo Srey) call ey *Direct Debit offer for new customers only. £39 every 3 months. F on tate Meek 1 Rin adedeeaton ar eiatrasecigk cdg anae al Wa] time of going to print. Offers subject to change. Se IN AUGUST OF 1942, THE JAPANESE ITHREW THEIR ARMED FORCES, INTO A TWO-PRONGED ATTACK TO CAPTURE PORT MORESBY IN NEW GUINEA. THE FIRST WAS THE OVERLAND ATTACK ACROSS THE OWEN-STANLEY RANGES. LANDINGS, TOJO! GUILLE GALEOTE COVER GUILLE ss ee THE SECOND ASSAULT WAS AT A PLACE CALLED MILNE BAY WHERE THEY MET A DETERMINED AUSTRALIAN FORCE. AND ABOVE THEM, IN THE SKY, FLEW THE RAAF. THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE HAD SUPERIOR MACHINES, BUT THEY COULD SCRAP. THIS STORY, HOWEVER, STARTS OVER THE DESERT OF NORTH AFRICA WITH TWO RAAF PILOTS FLYING PATROL IN JANUARY 1942, MUST BE ON BREAK, TRAINING, FLIGHT LEADER DICK THOMPSON AND FLYING f° OFFICER RUSTY POWER WERE ACCOMPLISHED PILOTS. WITH TWO KILLS EACH. THE PAIR HAD SPOKEN TOO SOON FOR A GROUP OF GERMAN FIGHTERS SOON APPEARED ON THE HORIZON. PROBABLY HEARD AUSSIE’S FINEST WERE UP. TODAY. ACHTUNG, AIRCRAFT ‘SPOTTED! THE AUSTRALIANS DIDN'T HAVE IT ALL THEIR OWN WAY AS ANOTHER GERMAN FIGHTER TOOK THE PLACE OF THE FALLEN ONE. DICK AND RUSTY GOT THE TWO BATTERED AIRCRAFT BACK TO THE DESERT STRIP SUCCESSFULLY. WHEN THEY CLIMBED OUT, THEY FOUND SQUADRON LEADER JOHN FREDERICKS WAITING. DICK COULD TELL SOMETHING WAS UP AND WHEN HE. ASKED, HE HAD HIS ANSWER. UKE You BLOKES HAD SOME TROUBLE. JusT A DIFFERENCE (OF OPINION WITH ‘SOME JERRIES, THREE OF US ARE EADED BACK TO AUSTRALIA. PUTTING A NEW SQUADRON TOGETHER TO MEET THE JAPANESE THREAT. BY JULY 1942, THEIR SQUADRON WAS TRAINED UP AND READY TO GO. ALL THEY WERE MISSING WAS THEIR NEW PLANES — P-40s, LIKE IN THE DESERT. BUT EVEN NOW THEY WERE ARRIVING. SECOND LOT TODAY, ae eee : SURE LOOK GOOD. BETTER THAN THE CRATES }; aa WE WERE TRAINING IN. SQUADRON LEADER WANTS KEEP TO SEE YOU. IT To WORD IS WE’RE ‘YOURSELF. FLYING OUT. IPL BE TOO LATE. THE BUSH TELEGRAPH WORKS. THE TWO PILOTS FOUND FREDERICKS IN HIS OFFICE WAITING FOR THEM. ORDERS, GENTLEMEN. WE INLY, AN AIR-RAID SIREN SOUNDED, INTERRUPTING DICK MMID-SENTENCE. MINUTES LATER, DICK AND RUSTY WERE TAKING OFF IN THEIR NEW PLANES. Zoe eo if Nes a ‘OPEN THROTTLE ALL THE WAY, ‘SKIPPER. TWO PILOTS FLEW AN INTERCEPT COURSE AND FOUND NOTHING. Looks LIKE A FALSE "ALARM, DICK. YOU'RE TELLING ME, \ LET'S HEAD A TOTAL WASTE OF TIME. HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE MORE LUCK AT MILNE BAY. A FEW DAYS LATER, THE SQUADRON WAS SHIPPED OUT AND DICK GOT HIS FIRST GLIMPSE AT THEIR NEW HOME IN MILNE BAY. gx. , wg GRIEF. IT'S A FLAMIN’ GOAT DICK’S PLANE WAS THE FIRST TO TOUCH DOWN IN A SPRAY OF WATER AND MUD. CRIKEY! IPS NOT LIKE THE DESERT. 4 PLANE AFTER PLANE LANDED ON THE STRIP, MAKING IT MORE TREACHEROUS AFTER EACH Ort Sh THe CST ONE ae UNE eG DAR 8 aE +3! THIS IS. GOING TO BE DICEY. AS SOON AS PETE MORRIS’ PLANE TOUCHED THE MUDDY STRIP, THE WHEELS DUG IN AND IT TURNED CATASTROPHIC. STREWTH, DICK. THIS PLACE IS A DEATH TRAP! DICK FOUND FREDERICKS WATCHING THE CARNAGE FROM NEAR HIS PLANE. ‘A TERRIBLE HOWEVER, IF THE AUSTRALIAN PILOTS THOUGHT THE AIRSTRIP WAS BAD, THEY RUDE AWAKENING. DICK’S JAW DROPPED WHEN HE SAW THE CANVAS TENT. WHAT STOOD OUT WAS THE FACT THERE WAS NO MOSQUITO NETTING. AS THOUGH ON CUE, THE HEAVENS OPENED UP AND BUCKETS OF RAIN FELL THE NEXT MORNING, EVERYTHING WAS WET. pm BEGINNING TO MISS THE DESERT. FA SEE THE SIZE OF THOSE mosquitoes? THERE'S A ‘SERIOUSLY? VA MISSION v | Te ete SZeb al Gecunrencr anne NEARLY EVERY PILOT LOOKED WORSE THAN THE DAY BEFORE. BUT NOW THERE WAS WORK TO BE DONE IN THE NORTH OF NEW GUINEA. THE JAPANESE POSITIONS ARE TOWARDS THE NORTH COAST. THEY NEED TO BE BOMBED AND STRAFED. THAT “ISSUE FLIGHTS 5 WHICH TWILL LEAD. ANY JAPANESE AIR COVER, UNKNOWN. LET'S WORRY FROM THE STRIP DICK WAS THE FIRST TO TAXI ALONG THE QUAGMIRE THAT WAS THE TAXIWAY. STREWTHI THIS |S BE TERRIBLE. CAREFUL. BLUE FLIGHT, THIS IS BAD. DICK WAS LUCKY, BUT PILOT OFFICER PETE MORRIS DIDN’T SHARE HIS LUCK. WITH MORRIS’ PLANE OUT OF ACTION, ONLY FIVE WERE LEFT TO COMPLETE THE OPERATION, WHICH WAS NOT IDEAL. MORRIS. WE WERE LUCKY WE ONLY MORRIS ON A LOST ONE. CHARGE WHEN z WE GET BACK, DICK. HE WAS, DICK NEVER REPLIED. HE HAD |, HIS HANDS FULL GETTING UP. THE PLANES SOON REACHED THEIR TARGET AND WITHOUT JAPANESE AIR COVER THEY WERE ABLE TO COMMENCE THE ATTACK. FOLLOW ME, DICK. LET'S GIVE TOJO SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT. FREDERICKS PUT HIS PLANE INTO. A DIVE AND AT THE LAST MINUTE RELEASED THE BOMBS AND PULLED UP, PUTTING THEM ON TARGET. BANG ON TARGET! ‘THE REST OF THE FLIGHT BO/ THEY THEN ATTACKED AGAIN, bray) Bo AS a THEIR FIRST RAID HAD BEEN A TOTAL SUCCESS. WHEN THE FLIGHT REGROUPED IT WAS APPARENT. THAT NOT ALL THE PLANES HAD ESCAPED DAMAGE, FOUR, LOOKS LIKE YOU GOT HIT HARD. CAN YOU MAKE IT BACK? SUDDENLY OUT OF NOWHERE APPEARED THREE JAPANESE ZEROS, THEY FELL ON. ‘THE AUSTRALIANS LIKE WOLVES ON SHEEP. THE FORMATION BROKE UP IMMEDIATELY UNDER, ‘THE FIERCE ONSLAUGHT. ROUNDS STRUCK AUSTRALIAN AIRCRAFT, BUT NONE MORE THAN CLANCY'S WHICH STARTED TO FALL FROM THE SKY. THIS Is WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU FLY ASLEEP, AUSTRALIAN. // © DICK REALISED THAT THE ZERO WAS A MUCH NIMBLER FIGHTER THAN THE KITTYHAWK. THOSE THINGS CAN TURN TIGHT. FLIGHT, WATCH THE TURNS. THE ZEROS EASILY OUTMANOEUVRED THE KITTYHAWKS AND FREDERICKS MADE THE MISTAKE OF TRYING TO DOGFIGHT WITH ONE. IT WAS A MISTAKE THAT FREDERICKS WOULDN'T REPEAT. HIS CANOPY JAMMED SHUT, THE BURNING KITTYHAWK PLUNGED INTO THE JUNGLE. y EVERYONE GET TO TREETOP LEVEL AND FLY LIKE BLAZES. WHAT REMAINED OF BLUE FLIGHT FOLLOWED DICK TO THE DECK, THROTTLES WIDE. NOT LONG AFTER THEY OUTRAN THE JAPANESE PLANES, ANOTHER PROBLEM AROSE IN THE FORM OF MECHANICAL ISSUES WITH FLIGHT SERGEANT TIM MILLER’S KITTYHAWK. BLUE LEADER, PM HAVING MECHANICAL, TROUBLES. | THINK A JOJO BULLET MIGHT \" HAVE HIT SOMETHING y PORTANT. THE FLIGHT SLOWED DOWN BUT EVEN THEN, THE ISSUE WITH. MILLER’S PLANE GREW WORSE. HECK, IT?S REALLY SHAKING Now. SUDDENLY, WHATEVER IT WAS. BROKE AND MILLER’S P-40 PLUNGED INTO THE JUNGLE. ‘our FIRST MISSION AND WE'VE LOST THREE ‘MEN, INCLUDING OUR CO. THE AUSTRALIAN FLIGHT ARRIVED BACK AT THEIR BASE WITH THREE PLANES. WELL, THAT THE SKIPPER GOT ANYTHING INTO A DOGFIGHT. WITH A ZERO. THOSE JAPANESE PLANES ARE TIGHT ‘TURNING. ONLY THING |. CAN THINK OF IS TO GET ABOVE THEM AND HIT THEM FAST. won’ Hi \d 5S] DICK TOOK OVER THE SQUADRON WHILE THEY WAITED FOR A NEW COMMANDER. TWO DAYS LATER, HE ARRIVED WHILE DICK WAS GETTING READY FOR A MISSION. GET ALL THE PILOTS, TOGETHER. WE'VE GOT A MISSION. SOON THE PILOTS OF THE SQUADRON WERE GATHERED AND BEING BRIEFED FOR THEIR NEXT MISSION. SQUADRON WILL ATTACK THE GROUND TARGETS. BLUE SQUADRON, UNDER \ RUSTY, WILL'PROVIDE ‘COVER. THEY WILL HAVE A, PATROL UP, SO BE CAREFUL. DOGFIGHT THE ZEROS. HIT AND " RUN. USE OUR SPEED TO OUR THaPs Se NOT HOW TO FIGHT THE ENEMY, FLIGHT THE SQUADRON’S NEW CO HAD ARRIVED. SQUADRON LEADER JACK PETERS MOVED TO STAND IN FRONT OF THE WHEN. SOMEONE, PILOTS AND MADE HIS ADDRESS. YOU MEET NEEDS TO TELL eS THE ENEMY, HIT ~ { HIM THERE ARE NO HIM HEAD-ON. ‘GENTLEMEN IN THAT IS HOW A THIS WAR. GENTLEMAN FIGHTS. I WILL LEAD THE AIR-COVER FLIGHT. WELL ENGAGE THEM LIKE WE DID THE JERRIES IN NORTH, AFRICA, PM DICK THOMPSON, SIR. BLUE FLIGHT LEADER. THE P-FORTIES CAN'T MATCH THE ZEROS? MANOEUVRABILITY IN ‘A DOGFIGHT. THE PILOTS WHO HAD FOUGHT THE ZEROS ALREADY KNEW WHAT THEY WERE REALLY GOING UP AGAINST. DON’T HAVE THE NERVE, THOMPSON, PLL'SHOW YoU HOW ty IT’S DONE. THE FACT THAT PETERS WAS. QUESTIONING HIS COURAGE IRKED YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, SIR. DICK, BUT HE PRESSED HIS CASE. UNDERSTAND, Sit FREDERICKS — MAKE UP. YOUR MIND ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT TO BO, THOMPSON. PLL NOT HAVE COWARDS FLYING. ‘THE ARROGANT OFFICER WALKED OFF LEAVING DICK STUNNED BY HIS REFUSAL TO LISTEN. HE'S ‘ \ a GOING TO. Sh ff GET US KILLED, ISN'T HE? THEN MINUTES LATER, THE TWO FLIGHTS WERE TAKING OFF TO TAKE PART IN THEIR NEXT MISSION. WELL, WE'RE UP. NOW THE TARGET WAS A JAPANESE AIRFIELD ON THE NORTH COAST OF NEW GUINEA. WHEN THEY ARRIVED, THEY CAUGHT THE OCCUPIERS UNAWARE. ‘ Ne A Looks UKE WE CAUGHT THEM ‘ASLEEP. BONZAI THE AUSTRALIANS PRESSED HOME THEIR ADVANTAGE, DESTROYING MORE PLANES ON THE GROUND. NOT LONG AFTER RED FLIGHT STARTED THEIR ATTACK, THE JAPANESE STANDING PATROL APPEARED. NOW IT WAS TIME FOR BLUE FLIGHT TO ENGAGE. THIS IS BLUE LEADER, TALLY-HO, BANDITS. WITHIN MOMENTS, A ZERO LATCHED ONTO THE LEADER'S TAIL AND HE WASN'T ABLE TO SHAKE IT. / BUT DICK WAS TOO LATE AND THE SHATTERED P-40 CRASHED INTO THE JUNGLE. YOUR TAIL, BLUE TWO. oN L, Bl ‘Wo. SS, ONCE THEY HAD GAINED ENOUGH HEIGHT, THE AUSTRALIANS FLIPPED THEIR PLANES 3 OVER AND DIVED INTO THE ATTACK. HOWEVER, THE ZEROS MANAGED TO TURN THE TABLES ON THE AUSTRALIANS ONCE MORE AND TWO KITTYHAWKS WERE SHOT DOWN. ONE OF THEM WAS DICK’S. DICK BAILED OUT OF HIS PLANE. HIS PARACHUTE OPENED AND HE FLOATED DOWN TOWARDS THE GREEN JUNGLE BELOW. DICK MANAGED TO GET DOWN SAFELY, BUT SHORTLY AFTER, HIS BIGGEST FEAR WAS REALISED. WHEN THE SHOOTING STOPPED, FIVE AUSTRALIAN SOLDIERS EMERGED FROM THE JUNGLE. AM GLAD To SEE YOU. I'M DICK HARRIS. LET'S GET You HOME BEFORE ANYONE ELSE COMES SNIFFING ‘AROUND. JACK, HOPEFULLY VCAN RETURN THE FAVOUR SOME, Metcuanen| THE CHANCE IF THE RUMOUR IS Toso. IS GATHERING ANOTHER INVASION FLEET IN RABAUL. APPARENTLY, THE RUMOURS WERE TRUE BECAUSE THE FOLLOWING DAY AN INVASION FLEET LEFT RABAUL. SIR, A ScouT PLANE REPORTS A NOTIFY JAPANESE INVASION 7 ALL AIRSTRIPS. | FLEET IS HEADED THEM BEFORE IT GETS DARK. BY THE TIME THEY FOUND. THE CONVOY, THE JAPANESE WERE READY BECAUSE THEY HAD BEEN UNDER ATTACK. FROM PREVIOUS FLIGHTS OF AMERICAN AIRCRAFT. THERE THEY ARE AND THEY'VE ‘SPOTTED US. DICK WENT INTO THE ATTACK FIRST, HIS BOMB SCORING AHIT ON THE STERN OF A TROOP TRANSPORT. HOWEVER, THE AUSTRALIANS DIDN'T HAVE IT ALL THEIR OWN WAY. FLIGHT SERGEANT BLUEY WALLIS BECAME THE FIRST CASUALTY OF THE DAY. aS / ALTHOUGH THE ATTACKS WERE SOMEWHAT SUCCESSFUL, THE INVASION CONVOY STEAMED ON. SPARKS, SEND TO MORESBY THAT WILL DO, SKIPPER. ‘THE FOLLOWING MORNING WHILE THE AUSTRALIAN INFANTRY WAS ENGAGED WITH THE JAPANESE LANDING, A NEW SQUADRON LEADER, BRIAN. USTER, ARRIVED TO’ TAKE OVER. Us LISTER WAS SHOCKED AT THE CONDITIONS: THE AUSTRALIANS WERE OPERATING IN AND WANTED ANSWERS, OVER 1S JOUR, AT THE COWANBER, wigs) (commano oFFicene \ STREWTH, WHAT IS THIS PLACE? PM BRIAN LUSTER, YOUR NEW CO, QUITE FRANKLY, | DON’T UKE WHAT I'SEE. STILL UNIMPRESSED, THE SQUADRON LEADER BROUGHT UP WHAT HAPPENED TO PETERS. | HEARD YOU ALL SHOWED COWARDICE AND LEFT HIM TO DIE. SIR. HE GOT HIMSELF KILLED WHEN HE WOULDN* LISTEN. YOU CAN'T DOGFIGH’ FIND OUT, SHALL WE? WE'RE GOING TO ATTACK THE JAPANESE BEACHHEADS. HERE WE GO AGAIN. ANOTHER ARROGANT BLUDGER. THE PILOTS GOT READY BUT AMONG THEM WERE TWO SCEPTICAL ONES. INCH BE THE Same } ( OF FLAMIN’ RESULT, DICK. GALAHS. WHEN THE AUSTRALIANS REACHED THE BEACHHEAD, THEY FOUND NO PLANES, ONLY THE ENEMY UNLOADING BARGES. [ 4 1D OHih vy 20 fie, 4 WHERE WERE YOUR A FAMOUS ZEROS, FLIGHT LEADER. THOMPSON? BACK, YOU BLOKES, SOON THE JAPANESE HAD CLOSED @ IN ON THE AIRSTRIP WHERE THEIR SQUADRON WAS BASED. STREWTH! WHAT A WAY TO FIGHT A WAR. ‘THE AUSTRALIANS FLEW DAY AND NIGHT TO HOLD BACK THE JAPANESE HORDE, STRAFING ALONG THE EDGE OF THE AIRSTRIP. Go AROUND AGAIN, RUSTY, AND DO A NORTH-SOUTH J CRIKEY! NOW THEY'RE THROWING MORTARS, us. aT WHILE THE AUSTRALIANS REARMED, THE JAPANESE COMMAND SENT IN AN AIR RAID TO PUT THE STRIP OUT OF ACTION. FLAMIN’ GALAHS! UNDER FIRE, THE AUSTI TOOK TO THE AIR ON THE ZEROS WERE WAITING FOR THE AUSTRALIANS AND CAME, STRAIGHT AT THEM. BUT THE KNOCK HEM OUT OF THE SKY. FAST, SKIPPER! HOWEVER, SQUADRON LEADER LISTER WAS HELL-BENT ON PROVING HIS POINT. AS A RESULT, BEFORE LONG HE FOUND HIMSELF FLYING A BURNING KITE. — AS LISTER FLOATED DOWN TOWARDS THE JUNGLE, BELOW, THE ZERO RESPONSIBLE FOR SHOOTING HIM DOWN CAME BACK ARGUND. ROTTEN BLUDGER. iow | HAVE YOU, AUSTRALIAN. JUST AS IT SEEMED ALL WAS LOST, AN ANGEL ZOOMED IN. EVEN THOUGH LISTER CAME Down ZG Cee Te re eee te wae” God Eric erie HAVING SEEN WHERE LISTER WENT DOWN, DICK LANDED IMMEDIATELY. ON HIS WAY TO THE EDGE OF THE AIR STRIP, HE RAN INTO CORPORAL JACK HARRIS. 4 \ WZ Wis F earn Ml My SKIPPER HAS BAILED ‘OUT. | NEED TO FIND HIM, YOU DON’T HAVE A SPARE ONE OF THOSE, THERE'S JAPANESE SOLDIERS OUT THERE EVERYWHERE, DICK. THEY°VE PROBABLY GOT HIM BY Now. AS THEY CREPT THROUGH THE JUNGLE, DICK HAD NEVER FELT MORE EXPOSED. IT SEEMED AS THOUGH THERE WAS AN ENEMY SOLDIER BEHIND EVERY TREE. Ar ANE | ZB

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