commfree_4257_teaser

1

944 HAD BEEN A GOOD YEAR FOR THE WESTERN ALLIES, WITH THE NORMANDY LANDINGS PAVING THE WAY FOR THE LIBERATION OF FRANCE AND BELGIUM. HOWEVER, IN MID-DECEMBER, FOLLOWING A SECRET BUILD-UP OF TROOPS AND ARMOUR, THE GERMANS LAUNCHED A MAJOR OFFENSIVE IN THE ARDENNES REGION.

ONWARDS!

STORY FERG HANDLEY THEIR BLITZKREIG TACTICS TOOK THE OPPOSITION COMPLETELY BY SURPRISE AS THEY SMASHED THEIR WAY WEST. ENTIRE REGIMENTS WERE SURROUNDED AND TAKEN PRISONER AND, WITH THE WINTER WEATHER GROUNDING AIRCRAFT, THE SITUATION GREW INCREASINGLY DESPERATE FOR THE REELING AMERICAN FORCES.

ART GARIJO COVER IAN KENNEDY

4 THE GERMAN ADVANCES CREATED A MASSIVE SALIENT, WHICH BECAME KNOWN AS “THE BULGE”. ON ITS SOUTHERN EDGE A PLATOON OF AMERICAN INFANTRY WERE DUG IN AT THE EDGE OF SOME WOODS. AS THE TROOPS SHIVERED IN THEIR FOXHOLES THEIR COMMANDER, LIEUTENANT STEVE ROBBINS, WAS UNDER PRESSURE FROM HIS SENIOR N.C.O.s TO PULL OUT. YOU KNOW, SIR. IF THE KRAUTS MOUNT A SERIOUS ATTACK, WE WON’T STAND A CHANCE.

I KNOW, SERGEANT. BUT H.Q. HAVE ORDERED US TO HOLD. THAT’S WHAT WE’RE GOING TO DO.

ROBBINS THEN MENTIONED REPORTS OF GERMAN INFILTRATORS, WHO WERE CARRYING OUT ACTS OF SABOTAGE BEHIND THE LINES, MANY OF THEM DISGUISED IN AMERICAN UNIFORMS. LIKE I’VE ALWAYS SAID, SIR. NEVER TRUST A SQUAREHEAD.

YEAH, SO MAKE SURE THE MEN ARE ON THEIR GUARD, DELANEY. IF ANYONE COMES THIS WAY THEY’RE TO BE QUESTIONED. EVEN IF THEY’RE A FIVE STAR GENERAL.

5 SERGEANT FRANK DELANEY WAS A VETERAN OF THE DRIVE THROUGH FRANCE, BUT HIS SQUAD WERE ALL YOUNG ROOKIES. AS HE MADE HIS WAY BACK HE REFLECTED THAT THEY WERE MAINLY CITY BOYS, NOT USED TO THE CURRENT TERRAIN.

NONE OF THEM HAVE FIRED A RIFLE IN ACTION BEFORE, NEITHER. MAN, I JUST HOPE I CAN GET THEM THROUGH THIS.

WHEN HE REACHED THEIR FOXHOLES DELANEY PASSED ON ROBBINS’ INSTRUCTIONS. WHEN HE WAS FINISHED, PRIVATE DWAYNE HANSEN, A NINETEENYEAR-OLD WHO HAD ONLY BEEN WITH THE UNIT FOR A FORTNIGHT, SPOKE UP, SAYING HE HAD A BAD FEELING THAT SOMETHING WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN.

HOW DO YOU MEAN, HANSEN?

CAN’T SAY FOR SURE, SARGE, BUT IT’S TOO QUIET. THERE AIN’T EVEN ANY BIRD NOISES.

THE COMMENT DREW DERISION FROM THE REST OF THE SQUAD, ESPECIALLY THE TWO NEW YORKERS, PRIVATES JIMMY MEARS AND JOE KEOGH. IT’S COLD ENOUGH TO FREEZE GASOLINE, HANSEN. NO WONDER THE BIRDS AIN’T SOUNDING OFF!

KEOGH’S RIGHT, YOU DUMB HICK.

6 DELANEY SETTLED THE SQUAD DOWN, AWARE THAT HANSEN, A BACKWOODS BOY FROM MARYLAND, WAS ALWAYS GETTING TEASED

BY THE OTHERS BECAUSE OF HIS RUSTIC BACKGROUND.

YEAH, HE’S BEEN TAKING FLAK EVER SINCE HE ARRIVED. A PITY, ’COS HE’S GOT THE MAKINGS OF A GOOD SOLDIER.

MOMENTS LATER THERE CAME A SERIES OF SHRILL SCREECHES. MORTAR SHELLS BEGAN LANDING AMONG THE POSITIONS.

HOLY COW!

INCOMING! TAKE COVER!

7 THE G.I.s DIVED INTO THEIR FOXHOLES AND SHELTERED AS THE EXPLOSIONS TORE UP THE SURROUNDING GROUND. AS THE BARRAGE LIFTED, WHITE-CLAD SHAPES BEGAN ADVANCING THROUGH THE DARKNESS. VORWARTS, ANNIHILATE THE AMIS!

JAWOHL, HERR HAUPTMANN!

THE SPEED OF THE ASSAULT CAUGHT THE AMERICANS

BY SURPRISE AND LOSSES QUICKLY MOUNTED.

CONNORS, GET THAT B.A.R. INTO ACTION . . .

AARGH!

UNGH!

8 HERE AND THERE SERGEANTS MANAGED TO RALLY THEIR SQUADS. THEN HALF-TRACKS SPED INTO SIGHT, THEIR MACHINE-GUNNERS BLAZING AWAY.

DIE, VERDAMMT SCHWEIN!

REALISING THEY COULDN’T HOLD, LIEUTENANT ROBBINS FINALLY GAVE THE ORDER TO RETREAT. THE GERMANS CONTINUED TO PRESS FURTHER, MORE LIVES WERE LOST IN THE CONFUSION. FALL BACK! MOVE IT . . . AARGH!

AAARGH!

No. 4255

£1.35

No. 4258

£1.35

No. 4256

£1.35

www.commandomag.com CONTACT DETAILS By post: Commando, D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd, 2 Albert Square Dundee DD1 9QJ

email: editor@commandomag.com phone: 01382 223131

PROMOTIONS promotions@dcthomson.co.uk

SUBSCRIPTIONS subscriptions@dcthomson.co.uk SYNDICATION syndication@dcthomson.co.uk CIRCULATION circulation@dcthomson.co.uk

For advertising please contact:

Jack Daly 020 7400 1069 jdaly@dcthomson.co.uk Sophie DeVault 0161 606 1350 sdevault@dcthomson.co.uk LICENSING start.licensing@btinternet.com

COMPETITION RULES Employees of D.C Thomson and their families are not eligible for prizes. The Editor's decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

Printed and Published in Great Britain by D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd., 185 Fleet Street, London EC4A 2HS. © D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd., 2009