Mission Two: Fighting Blind

Mission Two is filled with tense moments, plus a clever twist ... Let's get to it.

At the outset, Johnny Cloud vows to adopt Mack’s ethic to never lose a new man, even if he has to put his own life on the line. Cloud looks to his Big Brother to give him strength, and it is this resolve that sets the stage for the arrival of Lt. Tex Brown.

Tex is arrogant; he openly doubts Cloud’s fitness with snide remarks about bows and arrows. Cloud bears the scorn and gives Tex space to adjust to his new assignment.

The Happy Braves cross the channel to destroy a railroad line in Holland. Cloud urges his pilots to focus on the mission and not engage with enemy fighters unless necessary. They spot a puffing locomotive below, so Cloud orders his flight to file in behind his attack. As the Mustangs swoop low, guns blazing, the boxcars fold open, revealing anti-aircraft guns.

Through a hail of flak, the Happy Braves make their pass. The train is destroyed, but the fireball from Cloud’s bomb tosses his P-51 like tumbleweed in the wind. BLAM! He struggles to regain control when a Me-109 pins his tail. Tex angles in behind the bandit and gets his first kill.

Cloud worries that Tex discounted the bandit’s wingman. His suspicion was correct, as a second Me-109 sweeps in behind Tex and opens fire. His P-51 is mauled, and Tex smashes into the blades of a windmill in the field below.

Cloud downs the bandit, but it is too late to rescue Tex as his fuel is low. Cloud returns to base with his flight, but he is anguished for having lost a new man on his first time out.

That night, alone on the tarmac, Cloud looks to his Big Brother for redemption. His shame is heavy. He needs more than just cumulus cover this time.

Image Credit:

AAMOW#83 (February 1961); Art: I. Novick; Writer: R. Kanigher.

Johnny Cloud TM DC Comics.