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No.4380

£1.45

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Y DECEMBER 1944 THE MID-ATLANTIC OCEAN WAS PERILOUS B FOR GERMAN U-BOATS AS THE ALLIES HAD THE ABILITY TO TRACK SUBS WITH ADVANCED ASDIC SYSTEMS. TRY THAT FOR SIZE, JERRY!

ARGH!

STORY TOM HART ART REZZONICO COVER JANEK MATYSIAK

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4 FOR KAIGUN TAISA — THE JAPANESE TERM FOR A CAPTAIN — TAKASHI MIHITO OF THE JAPANESE IMPERIAL NAVY, THE WATERS AROUND GERMANY PROVIDED HIS MOST FORMIDABLE CHALLENGE.

ENEMY VESSEL DETECTED, SIR!

HE WAS A CUNNING COMMANDER, SNEAKING PAST ALLIED SHIPPING AND AIRCRAFT, BUT HIS TRAINING IN THE TOKETAI, THE JAPANESE NAVAL INTELLIGENCE, MADE HIM A DANGEROUS OPPONENT IN BATTLE. WE’LL LEAVE HER ALONE. SECRECY IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS ON THIS MISSION.

AYE, SIR.

IMBUED WITH AN IRON WILL TAKASHI WAS PREPARED TO SACRIFICE GLORY IN BATTLE FOR HIS MISSION’S SAKE. HIS ASSIGNMENT WAS A YANAGI, OR EXCHANGE, MISSION WITH GERMANY. THE SUBMARINE’S HOLDS WERE CRAMMED WITH VITAL WAR MATERIAL FOR GERMANY. SHE WOULD RETURN WITH NEW WEAPONS AND EXPERTISE FOR THE JAPANESE EMPIRE.

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5 AFTER AN ARDUOUS JOURNEY THE LONG RANGE MITSUBISHI C3 REACHED A GERMAN SUBMARINE PEN. GERMANY AT LAST. WE’VE FARED BETTER THAN THE OTHER MISSIONS SO FAR. I HOPE OUR LUCK HOLDS.

TAKASHI’S SUBMARINE, EQUIPPED WITH SEVERAL VAST CARGO HOLDS, WAS LOADED WITH TOP SECRET GERMAN WEAPONS.

MOVE IT, MEN! WE CAN’T AFFORD DELAYS!

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6 THE BRAINS BEHIND THEM — DR. HANS KESSEL, BRILLIANT SCIENTIST AND ARDENT NAZI — FOLLOWED.

WELCOME ABOARD, HERR DOKTOR!

HEIL HITLER! HEIL TO THE EMPEROR!

THE ARROGANT SCIENTIST GAVE TAKASHI AN EXTENSIVE LECTURE ON CARING FOR THE WEAPONS.

SEVERAL HOURS LATER LOADING WAS COMPLETE. VERY GOOD, SAILOR. BATTEN IT DOWN.

MY ARYAN WEAPONS WILL CHANGE THE COURSE OF THE WAR IN THE PACIFIC. MAKE SURE YOUR MEN ARE CAREFUL WITH THEM.

WE WILL TAKE EVERY PRECAUTION, DR. KESSEL.

AT ONCE, SIR.

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7 HIGH ABOVE THE BASE A FORMATION OF U.S.A.F. B17 BOMBERS MOVED IN FOR A DAYLIGHT RAID. TARGET APPROACHING. STANDBY, BOMBARDIER!

THOSE U-BOATS ARE SITTING DUCKS.

ON HEARING THE AIR RAID SIREN TAKASHI DID NOT HESITATE, THE SUBMARINE HAD TO SET SAIL AT ONCE. CAST OFF! ALL HANDS BELOW DECK!

BELOW DECK TEMPERS FRAYED AS KESSEL ANGRILY ADDRESSED TAKASHI. WAS THERE A HINT OF PANIC TOO IN HIS VOICE? WE CAN’T LEAVE NOW! OUR BEST CHANCE IS TO STAY IN THESE REINFORCED SUB PENS. LET THE LUFTWAFFE TAKE CARE OF THE YANKS.

I’M NOT GOING TO SIT STILL AND LET THEM BLOW US TO PIECES!

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8 THE JAPANESE CAPTAIN, MASTER OF HIS SHIP, PREVAILED. THE SUBMARINE AND HER U-BOAT ESCORT SLIPPED CLEAR AS THE BASE WAS PULVERISED BY HIGH EXPLOSIVES.

JUST IN TIME, CAPTAIN!

THE NAZI SCIENTIST MADE A RELUCTANT APOLOGY TO THE CAPTAIN.

ALL BOMBS GONE. LET’S HEAD BACK TO BASE!

ON THIS OCCASION YOU WERE RIGHT, CAPTAIN. THE LUFTWAFFE MUST HAVE BEEN DELAYED.

INDEED, DR KESSEL. LET’S CONCENTRATE ON COMPLETING OUR MISSION. LEAVE THE COMMAND DECISIONS TO ME.

THE CAPTAIN’S GRUFF REPLY REFLECTED HIS DISGUST AT HIS PASSENGER’S PANIC DURING THE AIR RAID.

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9 THE SUBMARINE CONVOY MOVED OUT INTO THE NORTH SEA, SWARMING WITH ALLIED NAVAL VESSELS, BUT SAFER THAN THE ENGLISH CHANNEL DEATH TRAP.

PREPARE TO DIVE!

THE AXIS SUBMARINES DID NOT ESCAPE ALLIED ATTENTION FOR LONG.

TWO CONTACTS, SIR!

ALL STOP. DIVE! DIVE! DIVE!

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10 TWO ROYAL NAVY TYPE J DESTROYERS DETECTED THE SUBMARINE CONVOY ON THEIR ASDIC SETS.

TWO CONTACTS DETECTED, SIR.

THE U-BOAT WAS THE FIRST CASUALTY. THE TWO DEPTH-CHARGES BREAKING HER APART.

MEIN GOTT! NEIN!

PREPARE TO FIRE DEPTH CHARGES.

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SABCA S47

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Between the wa rs, Belgium ha aircraft industri d one of the sm all Caproni concer es. However, they collaborated er European n to produce th with the Italia bomber/fighter e -bomber. The S4 S47. Single-engined, it was n a lig the rear cockpit 7 , another in th carried one 7.7mm machine ht sitting on top of e wing and a 20 gun in mm th e engine. An inter Hispano cannon bombs with ten nal bomb bay 10 kg ca bo rried tw mbs slu promise but th e German invas ng outside. The aircraft show o 50kg ion of 1940 pu ed t paid to the pr oject.

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Most people would think that

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nothing much happened in the peaceful village of Helmsbeath, situated on a remote island off Scotland’s North West coast. And most people would have been right to think that‌until the fateful day in late 1944 when Helmsbeath was invaded.

Invaded by the armed and dangerous crew of a Japanese C3 submarine and the crazed Nazi scientist who was with them!

Would the villagers survive this

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