Jet Aces #2

When Moscow Molly's propaganda broadcasts help the enemy penetrate an American convoy's defenses, hothead pilot "Wild Man" Wilson takes the blame and gets reassigned—but his transport is shot down before he can leave the theater. Stranded and desperate, Wilson and a fellow survivor stumble onto Molly's hidden broadcast camp in the jungle, and the reckless pilot seizes the chance to silence the voice that's been demoralizing his squadron. Written by James Crouse, this high-octane tale delivers aerial combat, jungle intrigue, and a collision between two determined adversaries neither willing to back down.

Under the strict leadership of Tough Jake Harrigan, the bombardiers of the 53rd Light Bomber Wing have one standing order: come back empty—meaning every bomb gets dropped on target. When a green new bombardier aboard Harrigan's B-26 spots what appears to be American colors on a train below, he holds his fire, only to discover the enemy has pulled a deadly trick that leaves the squadron vulnerable to a massive red buildup. As a second bombing run begins, the inexperienced bombardier gets his chance to prove whether mercy or duty will carry the day.

Ensign Buzz Bennett, fresh from training at Pensacola, gets his first combat assignment aboard the carrier Bunker Hill during operations near the Korean coast, and as the strike launches he quickly learns the difference between practice runs and the real thing. When fellow pilot Rosen's jet fails on takeoff and crashes into the sea, Bennett realizes the stakes are far higher than his confident bravado suggested—but he's next in line to launch, and there's no turning back. Writer Arthur Howells captures the nervous energy of a young naval aviator about to see actual combat for the first time.

A bomber pilot haunted by the weight of command—and the loss of his crew over Kangu—refuses to fly again and faces court-martial, only to be broken down to private and reassigned to the infantry at Chosin. When fate forces him back into a damaged aircraft with a new crew counting on him, Captain Jim Porter must confront whether he can bear that burden once more, or if the responsibility will break him completely. Written with raw intensity, "Crack-Up" charts one man's descent into and out of the personal abyss that war demands.