T
HE WAR WAS ALMOST OVER BUT THERE WERE STILL NAZIS ON THE LOOSE WHO HAD COMMITTED ATROCITIES. COMMANDOS LIKE LIEUTENANT ANDY ROOK WERE LEADING SMALL SNATCH SQUADS TO SCOOP UP THE MOST WANTED, THIS TIME FROM A FARMHOUSE IN SOUTHERN AUSTRIA.
THERE ARE NO LIGHTS SHOWING, BUT I WOULDN’T EXPECT THAT. TIME TO KNOCK ON THE DOOR THEN...HARD!
STORY MAC MACDONALD ART KEITH PAGE COVER KEITH PAGE
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SERGEANT TOM JORDAN, CORPORAL LEN LEIGH AND LANCE-CORPORAL BILL MASON HAD ALL SEEN ACTION WITH THEIR LIEUTENANT IN THE SAME COMMANDO UNIT DURING THE ADVANCE INTO GERMANY. THEY WERE A GOOD TEAM. NO OPPOSITION SO FAR BUT SPREAD OUT MORE. AND KEEP YOUR FINGERS ON THOSE TRIGGERS, LADS.
THE SHUTTERS OVER ONE WINDOW WERE SUDDENLY PARTED JUST ENOUGH FOR 9MM BULLETS FROM AN MP40 SUB-MACHINE GUN TO BLAST OUT. THERE IS SOMEBODY AT HOME! AND NOT TOO KEEN ON VISITORS EITHER!
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TOM WAS QUICK TO GIVE COVERING FIRE WITH HIS 9MM STEN.
SO MUCH SO THAT ANDY TOOK A HIT IN THE SHOULDER.
AAGH!
I’VE JUST BEEN CREASED. MAKE SURE NONE OF THE RATS GET AWAY!
WILL DO, SIR!
TAKING PRISONERS WAS A PRIORITY, BUT THE OTHER TWO COMMANDOS KNEW THAT WAS NOT ALWAYS AN OPTION WHEN DEALING WITH FANATICS. LEN READIED HIS .303 LEE ENFIELD RIFLE, BUT BILL WAS ALREADY DOING DAMAGE WITH HIS SIMILAR CALIBRE BREN MACHINE GUN. OVER TO YOU, MATE!
AAGH!
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AS OTHER OPPONENTS IN THE HOUSE FELL, THREE WERE PINNED DOWN BEHIND A KUBELWAGEN AT THE REAR OF THE BUILDING.
DRIVE THEM BACK!
AWKWARD BODS, THE LOT OF ‘EM!
TOM KNEW THE FIELD CAR’S EIGHT-GALLON PETROL TANK WAS SITUATED IN FRONT OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE SLUGS HE SLAMMED INTO IT LED TO THE EXPECTED EXPLOSION.
THERE MIGHT BE OTHERS, BUT CHECK THIS LOT FIRST BEFORE WE MOVE ON.
AAGH!
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THERE WERE, OFFICERS AT THAT, BUT THEIR MEN HAD BOUGHT TIME FOR THEM TO ESCAPE ON A GERMAN ARMY ISSUE ZUNDAPP MOTOR-BIKE, THE ONE ON THE PILLION BRANDISHING A 9MM LUGER PISTOL. HEAD STRAIGHT FOR THE RENDEZVOUS...STOP FOR NOTHING!
I DON’T INTEND TO, HERR STURMBANNFUHRER!
ANDY HAD SLAPPED A FIELD DRESSING ON HIS WOUND AND WAS RARING TO FIGHT AGAIN, BUT COULD DO LITTLE TO STOP THE FLEEING PAIR.
THEY CAUGHT ME COLD!
GET US OUT OF HERE, REINER!
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HIS MEN RALLIED TO ANDY WHEN HE ORDERED THEM BACK TO THEIR HIDDEN VEHICLES IN AN ATTEMPT TO CHASE THE FUGITIVES.
ARE YOU SURE YOU’RE OKAY, SIR? I WILL BE WHEN WE BRING THAT PAIR TO BOOK!
WHILE THE BRITISH UNKNOWINGLY WENT IN THE WRONG DIRECTION, THE GERMANS RODE FAST TO A REMOTE AIRFIELD JUST IN TIME TO SEE A JUNKERS 52 TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT TAKE OFF.
THEY ARE LEAVING, SIR...WITHOUT US! THE SCHWEIN DARE DO THIS TO ME?
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HOW DARE THEY LEAVE US IN THE LURCH! THEY WILL PAY DEARLY FOR THIS!
I AGREE, HERR STURMBANNFUHRER, BUT WE SHOULD GET AWAY FROM HERE BEFORE ANY MORE ENGLANDERS SHOW UP.
THE SENIOR OFFICER SAW SENSE, BUT WAS STILL IN A VERY FOUL TEMPER AS THE PAIR SOUGHT REFUGE WHEREVER THEY COULD FIND IT.
ANDY, HOSPITALISED FOR A FEW DAYS, WAS AWAITING THE WORD THAT HE COULD LEAVE WHEN TOM CAME VISITING.
GOOD TO SEE YOU, SERGEANT. HAVE YOU COME TO GET ME?
YES, SIR, BUT I THOUGHT YOU’D BE INTERESTED IN THIS FIRST.
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TOM HAD BROUGHT ALONG TWO IDENTITY CARD PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE NAZIS, ONE A MAJOR THE OTHER A CAPTAIN, WHO HAD SLIPPED AWAY FROM THE COMMANDO SQUAD. THE NAME ANDY HAD OVERHEAD HAD LED TO THIS. SO WHO ARE THEY?
GRAUN AND REINER, TWO NASTY S.S. TYPES BELIEVED TO BE ON THE RUN IN THIS REGION.
THE TWO NAZIS WERE WANTED ON SUSPICION OF COMMITTING BRUTAL WAR CRIMES AGAINST CIVILIANS IN POLAND AND FRANCE.
THEY’VE GONE TO GROUND SINCE WE TANGLED WITH ‘EM AND THERE’S NO TRACE TO GO ON.
I JUST HOPE THEY HAVEN’T SLIPPED AWAY COMPLETELY. I’D LIKE TO BRING THEM IN...DEAD OR ALIVE.