True Comics #32

During the 1942 North African invasion, an aging, patched-up cargo ship called the "Contessa" is tasked with delivering vital ammunition, bombs, and fuel twelve miles up the treacherous Sebou River to support Allied forces—a mission so critical that Captain John must scramble to crew his vessel with volunteer seamen rounded up from a Norfolk jail. Battered by U-boat scares, uncharted sandbars, sniper fire, and her own leaky seams, the "Contessa" and her determined crew fight their way upriver in a desperate race against time to reach the airfield before the invasion falters.

Young Philip Hawco shares his remarkable recovery from infantile paralysis, tracing how modern medical science and the generosity of the American people have transformed what was once a devastating epidemic into a treatable condition. Through his personal journey from immobility to active service in the Army, this story illustrates the life-changing work of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis and the power of collective action against disease.

Two R.A.F. pilots—one Canadian, one Australian—bail out over Nazi-occupied Libya and face an almost impossible journey: 500 miles across the Sahara Desert with nothing but emergency rations, a compass, and their wits. Footsore, hungry, and constantly evading enemy patrols, they must navigate the merciless Quattara Depression and the perils of war-torn North Africa to reach British lines. This is the true story of survival, ingenuity, and determination against overwhelming odds.

Commanding Officer "Big Robbie" and his PT boat crew race to intercept five Japanese destroyers heading through the South Pacific, engaging in a desperate torpedo duel against opponents far larger than their nimble craft. When searchlights pin down Robbie's boat and enemy salvos close in, the crew must outrun the Japanese fleet to safety—all while nursing damaged engines and a critical hull breach that only their speed keeps from flooding the boat. It's a nail-biting account of how these small, fast attack boats earned their reputation as the Navy's answer to overwhelming odds.