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HE SEAS THAT SURROUND BRITAIN ARE A T NATURAL DEFENCE…AND ALSO A WEAKNESS. A COUNTRY AT WAR NEEDS SUPPLIES AND IN THE DAYS OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR THE GREATEST AMOUNT CAME BY SEA, ACROSS THE ATLANTIC FROM AMERICA. THE STRUGGLE THAT RAGED TO KEEP THIS LIFELINE OPEN WAS CALLED “THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC,” BY PRIME MINISTER WINSTON CHURCHILL. THE THREAT POSED BY THE GIANT FOCKE-WULF 200 AIRCRAFT ALSO EARNED THESE CONDORS A GRIM NICKNAME FROM CHURCHILL...“THE SCOURGE OF THE ATLANTIC.”

STORY MAC MACDONALD ART CARLOS PINO COVER CARLOS PINO

4 SO WHAT MADE THIS LONG RANGE RECONNAISSANCE AND ANTI-SHIPPING BOMBER SUCH A FEARFUL ADVERSARY? ITS RANGE FOR A START. IT COULD STAY IN THE AIR FOR UP TO FOURTEEN HOURS, SCOURING THE SEAS FOR MORE THAN TWO THOUSAND MILES.

THE FIVE MAN CREW HAD 4,360 POUNDS OF BOMBS AT THEIR DISPOSAL, PLUS ONE 20mm CANNON AND FOUR 13mm MACHINE GUNS TO TURN ON THEIR ENEMIES. A WINGSPAN OF MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED FEET AND A LENGTH OF SEVENTY-FIVE PLUS CAST A FEARSOME SHADOW. A TOP SPEED OF MORE THAN 200mph WAS PRETTY GOOD FOR THOSE DAYS.

THE CONDORS OFTEN WORKED IN TANDEM WITH THE LURKING U-BOAT WOLF PACKS WHICH SANK AND CRIPPLED MANY ALLIED SHIPS IN THE GRIM DAYS OF 1941 WHEN BRITAIN WAS FIGHTING FOR SURVIVAL. A KILLER GRIP WAS TIGHTENING WITH PRESSURE COMING FROM THE SKY AND THE SEA.

RUNNING TRUE. CONTACT IN THIRTY SECONDS AND COUNTING...ANOTHER KILL COMING UP!

5 AT THIS DARK, DARK HOUR FOR BRITAIN, THE U-BOATS PROLONGED THEIR TIME ON PATROL BY BEING REFUELLED AND RESUPPLIED BY “MILK COWS”, THEIR NAME FOR THE SUBMARINES ADAPTED FOR THIS TASK.

KEEP YOUR EYES WIDE OPEN. THERE ARE NO REPORTS OF ENEMY AIRCRAFT IN THIS SECTOR, BUT WE CAN NEVER BE TOO CAREFUL.

ON THIS MISTY DAWN A THIRD KILLER CRAFT HOVE INTO VIEW TO PICK UP STORES. HOVERING ABOVE IT WAS A PILOT ACTING AS ITS FAR-SEEING EYES IN A FOCKE-ACHGELIS 330 ROTARY WINGED KITE ATTACHED TO THE SUBMARINE.

NOT A BAD DAY FOR THIS. WITH SUCH LIMITED VISIBILITY ANY ENEMY SHIP OR AIRCRAFT SNOOPING AROUND WOULD BE LUCKY TO SPOT US.

6 A LOOK-OUT ON THE CRAFT BEING RESUPPLIED SUDDENLY TENSED AND LOWERED HIS BINOCULARS TO REPORT TO THE OFFICER OF THE WATCH.

THERE’S AN AIRCRAFT UP THERE, SIR, I SAW IT FOR SECOND.

A WARNING WAS RADIOED TO THE APPROACHING U-BOAT AND RELAYED

BY TELEPHONE LINK TO THE PILOT OF THE ENGINELESS GLIDER WHICH WAS TETHERED TO THE CRAFT BELOW BY A STEEL CABLE. THE SPEED OF THE U-BOAT AND ITS WIND-MILLING WINGS KEPT IT AIRBORNE.

BUT IS IT OURS OR AN ENGLANDER? CAN YOU SEE ANYTHING FROM UP THERE?

JA, BUT NO CAUSE FOR ALARM. IT’S ONE OF OURS...

A CONDOR.

7 BUT RELIEF TURNED TO SHOCK AND FEAR AS A PLUMMETING BOMB EXPLODED ON THE BOW OF THE U-BOAT TAKING ON SUPPLIES WITH A CATACLYSMIC CLATTER.

THE LUFTWAFFE HAVE ATTACKED US!

MEIN GOTT!

FUEL AND AMMUNITION DETONATED AS OTHER BOMBS STRUCK. TORPEDOES INTENDED TO SINK BRITISH SHIPS TORE THE INNARDS OUT OF THE TWO CRAFT WHEN THEY EXPLODED IN THEIR TUBES AND STORAGE RACKS.

AAGH!

AARGH!

8 THERE WAS NOTHING THE SHOCKED WITNESSES ON THE THIRD SUBMARINE COULD DO BUT REEL IN THE ROTARY WINGED KITE AND ITS BADLY-SHAKEN PILOT THEN MAKE THEMSELVES SCARCE. ARE YOU CERTAIN THAT WAS A CONDOR?

OF COURSE I AM! AND I’M SURE THOSE TWO BOATS WERE BOMBED BY OUR OWN COUNTRYMEN!

LATER THAT DAY A CONDOR DIPPED IN LOW TO LAND ON THE AIRFIELD IN OCCUPIED FRANCE THAT WAS ITS BASE. THE CREW BEGAN TO RELAX AFTER FOURTEEN GRUELLING HOURS IN THE AIR AND WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO SOME LEAVE.

AND NOT BEFORE TIME, FRANZ. I’M GOING TO SLEEP FOR HOURS AND THEN WE CAN GO TO TOWN!

HERE WE ARE, ALMOST DOWN.

9 INSTEAD OF WORDS OF WELCOME, HOWEVER, THEY WERE MET BY AN ANGRY BLAST FROM THEIR SUPERIOR OFFICER, A MAJOR NORMALLY KNOWN FOR HIS GOOD HUMOUR AND LENIENT APPROACH TO DISCIPLINE. YOU CAN FORGET ANY LEAVE UNTIL WE FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED OUT THERE! TWO U-BOATS SUNK...

WHAT U-BOATS, HERR MAJOR? WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

EACH OF THE CREW WAS GRILLED SEPARATELY, BUT IT WAS THE PILOT WHO WAS SUBJECTED TO THE LENGTHIEST INTERROGATION BY HIS C.O.

YOU WERE IN THAT SECTOR AND DID DROP BOMBS?

JA, BUT AT THE TAIL-END OF AN ENEMY CONVOY. WE HIT NOTHING AND ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE DROVE US AWAY. WE NEVER SPOTTED EVEN ONE U-BOAT.

10 ONE FACT WAS CLEAR. TWO U-BOATS AND ALL THEIR CREW HAD BEEN LOST TO A BOMBING ATTACK. THE NAVAL OFFICERS IN CHARGE OF THE ENQUIRY WERE NOT CONVINCED BY THE EVIDENCE PRESENTED BY THE LUFTWAFFE. I AM SURE THESE ARROGANT FLYBOYS ARE COVERING UP. WE HARDLY NEED THEM OUT AT SEA ANYWAY.

JA, OUR SKIPPERS CAN PICK OUT TARGETS FOR THEMSELVES WITHOUT THESE AIRCRAFT.

THE WAR OF WORDS AMONG THE OFFICER CLASS BECAME BARE-FIST BEDLAM WHEN AIRCREW AND SAILORS OF THE THIRD REICH SERVING IN THE SAME AREA THE CONDORS OPERATED FROM FELL OUT OVER THE RECENT EVENTS. YOU’RE MORE DANGEROUS THAN CHURCHILL’S NAVY!

NEIN, THAT’S A LIE...

AAGH!

WHO NEEDS LA RESISTANCE? LET THEM KILL EACH OTHER.