True Comics #20

Inspired by the legendary tactics of Rogers Rangers from America's colonial past, a new generation of U.S. soldiers undergoes rigorous commando training in England during World War II, learning to fight with stealth and precision like their historical forebears. When these Rangers join British and Canadian forces for a dangerous raid on the German-held port of Dieppe in August 1942, they face their first true test under fire, proving themselves worthy successors to the Rangers' proud tradition. This is the story of how these modern soldiers carry the fighting spirit of the frontier into one of the war's most perilous operations.

In twelfth-century England, William Marshall earns his reputation as the greatest jouster of the age when he faces down five opposing knights single-handedly at a tournament—even after a lance blow nearly blinds him. This non-fiction biography showcases how the armored knights of the Middle Ages were the era's supreme athletes, competing for gold and glory across the tournament circuit. King Henry himself witnesses Marshall's extraordinary skill and courage, a legacy the story connects to the valor of soldiers fighting for England in the present day.

Discover how pilots navigate safely through clouds and fog using invisible radio beams—a clever system that guides airplanes to landing fields by sound and signal. This explainer walks air-minded readers through the ingenious technology behind the beam's steady hum, the telltale letters that warn when a plane drifts off course, and the special markers that tell a pilot exactly how far away the airfield is. Learn how even in thick overcast weather, a pilot can make a blind landing by following these radio guideposts to the "cone of silence" that marks the field's edge.

Max Kholas, an ex-Russian soldier who came to America in 1905, finds himself working as a skilled mechanic at Westinghouse during World War II. When a mistake ordering a belt leads him to experiment with a new adhesive method, he develops an innovative cemented belt that proves stronger and more efficient than traditional approaches, turning a factory blunder into a wartime contribution that saves materials and labor.

Bounce, a Great Dane owned by the poet Alexander Pope in 18th-century England, proves his true calling is protecting his master when he must defend Pope against a sinister intruder posing as a trusted servant. As the valet's treachery unfolds on a fateful night, Bounce's loyalty becomes undeniable—and his reputation spreads far beyond Pope's household. This true account celebrates an extraordinary dog whose instinct for danger and devotion to his master earned him fame throughout the realm.

In the fall of 1941, Commander Waldron transforms a group of fresh pilots into Torpedo Squadron 8 through grueling training at Norfolk Naval Airport, building them into a disciplined fighting force despite equipment shortages and morale challenges. When the squadron is deployed to the Pacific in June 1942, they receive orders to attack Japanese naval forces near Midway Island—a mission that will test everything they've learned. Following a devastating assault that claims most of the squadron, including Commander Waldron himself, a single pilot must complete the attack alone, carrying out the skipper's final command to make every torpedo count.

During the North African campaign, a young Lieutenant assembles an elite unit of parachute-commandos trained to strike deep behind enemy lines with speed and precision—the Super Commandos. This action-packed account follows a daring raid on a heavily fortified Nazi airfield where six men must infiltrate 200 miles into hostile territory, plant explosives among German planes and ammunition, and vanish into the desert before the enemy can respond.

Grace Hamilton and Nina Babcock decide to pool their money and buy a small-town newspaper in Cedar Rapids, Michigan, but face an immediate setback when the bank holding their mortgage closes. Armed with just $240 and determination, the two women set out to keep their sixty-year-old publication, the Cedar Rapids Clipper, afloat—an old American custom revived by two ambitious newspaper publishers in 1932.

In "Lysander's Secret Belt," a wartime tale from True Comics #20, Jo learns how Lysander used a cleverly concealed message inside a belt to pass vital intelligence, while Sir John deciphers a hidden cipher embedded in a letter’s text—two quiet acts of courage that reveal how even the smallest objects could carry the weight of secrets during wartime.