Mission Six: Broken Ace

Johnny Cloud's next few missions are non-stop. A good sleep is rare.

This saga starts with a scramble. A division of Tiger tanks has launched an offensive, and Cloud’s flight is called to respond, double quick.

Cloud laments that he is constantly in the air – he looks to his Big Brother and bewails: “We spend as much time up here now – as you do.”

The Happy Braves hit the tanks. The firefight is fierce, and several Mustangs are lost. Cloud nails a Tiger and pulls up to confront a swarm of Me-109s diving out of the sun. Cloud meets them head-on and unloads on the first bandit. The leader blows up causing a chain reaction that collects two more in the fury. CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! Cloud downs another before the dogfight is over, but his Mustang is thrashed, and his flight is badly mauled. They limp back to base, exhausted.

The scrambles continue, day and night. The CO sees that Cloud is exhausted and stops him from volunteering for additional patrols. He threatens to ground the Navajo ace if he does not rest.

In the predawn black, Cloud’s sleep is interrupted. Another scramble! Cloud hastens his men to get ready. Every minute of delay cost lives! This time, the flight intercepts German bombers roaring towards the sleeping cities. The Happy Braves attack, and several bombers are destroyed, but as the Mustangs regroup, a second wave forms overhead and begins raining explosives on them. Cloud is frantic to retake the offensive when suddenly his men shake him awake.

It was all a nightmare!

Afterwards, Cloud drifts in and out of a fitful sleep, when suddenly he hears the alarm again: “scramble, scramble.” He rushes to wake his men, frantic as before, but again they shake him awake.

Another nightmare!

The next day, Cloud overshoots the runway on takeoff and folds his P-51 into a tree. The flight surgeon grounds him and orders him to rest. 

Cloud is demoralized. He watches his flight take off without him and bemoans to his Big Brother that he is a Broken Ace.

Image Credit:

AAMOW#87 (October 1961): Story Art: I. Novick; Writer: R. Kanigher.

Johnny Cloud TM DC Comics