Mission Five: Top - Gun Ace Part 2

We left our hero Johnny Cloud in the middle of a wild dogfight!

To recap: Cloud's flight attacked a gaggle of Fw-190s. Just as Cloud and Tex peel off to engage the Huns, a brash new pilot Kid Cole jumped into the fray.

Cole's exuberance caused him to make a critical mistake, as two Fw-190s dodge his assault and get on his tail. They hammer Cole’s Mustang. Cloud swings in behind the two bandits, but a third one catches his tail. 

In this critical moment, Cloud sees an apparition of Mack reminding him to not lose a man first time out. Here is where we pick up the action ...

Cloud continues his attack and destroys the two Fw-190s on Cole’s six, then he loops his P-51 to blast the third one that was behind him. WHAAM! BLAAM!

But Cole is finished and rapidly losing altitude. Cloud flies to his wing and coaches him. The pair is pounded by flak, as they head for the channel. Barely past the shoreline, Cole bellies into the surf. 

His Mustang begins to sink with Cole trapped inside – his canopy is jammed shut.

Cloud tangles with a fourth Fw-190 as Cole’s plane nearly disappears. Cloud half-loops and downs the bandit, but the fight is not over! 

A German patrol boat zooms towards Cole’s Mustang. Cloud dives at the boat with guns blazing. The boat explodes but not before ripping the wings off Cloud’s P-51 with its flak guns. CRAACK!

Cloud parachutes out and swims to rescue Cole. He is desperate to not lose the newest member of his flight. Mack's words echo in his mind.

Cloud breaks open the canopy with the heel of his pistol, and a delirious Cole exclaims: “An Ace isn’t a pilot that just knocks down five enemy ships!” The newbie is completely won over.

Image Credit:

AAMOW#86 (August 1961): Art: I. Novick; Writer: R. Kanigher.

Johnny Cloud TM DC Comics