Star Spangled War Stories #49

This September 1956 DC war anthology crackles with underwater tension, as a U.S. Navy diver — marked "USN" on his helmet — grapples with a mine bearing Japanese rising-sun markings while an imposing warship looms and fires in the background. The cover, rendered by Jerry Grandenetti, captures that churning, surf-swept drama with real kinetic energy. Inside, Robert Kanigher and Russ Heath deliver "Pay Load!" alongside additional tales of combat action across multiple fighting fronts — and this issue even includes entry details for a Giant $5,000 Prize Contest.