War Birds #2

Major Dave Myers leads a dangerous high-altitude chase across MiG Alley in this 1952 air combat tale by Major Brooks. When mysterious Communist jets repeatedly outclimb and outmaneuver his squadron—striking from above and vanishing into the thin atmosphere—Myers devises an audacious plan to get above them himself, stripping his own fighter down to near-weightlessness for maximum altitude. His hunt for answers takes a breathtaking turn when he spots a downed enemy plane on a remote beach, leading him into enemy territory on a mission that could finally unlock the secret of those elusive high-altitude MiGs.

Second Lieutenant Bill Harley arrives at a Korean air base confident in his carnival stunt-flying heritage, but Major Goodman quickly teaches him that solo heroics get pilots killed—teamwork is what matters in the real fight. When Harley breaks formation one too many times chasing MiGs, his recklessness costs his wingman Casey dearly, forcing Harley to attempt a desperate rescue that puts them both in mortal danger. Outnumbered and running on fumes, Harley finally learns what true flying demands.

Carrier pilot Buzz Bennett spots enemy tanks during a Korean strike, but when his flight circles back for another attack run, the targets have vanished—hidden beneath a culvert by clever enemy tactics. When a photo-reconnaissance mission draws MiG interceptors, Buzz and his squadron must dive to "angels zero," flying mere feet above the ground to flush out the concealed armor and finish the job. It's a harrowing low-level assault that tests both nerve and fuel reserves.

Fighter pilot Fred Merson has little respect for the B-29 bomber crews he calls "Box-Car Boys," but his contempt evaporates fast when a surprise enemy offensive puts both their lives on the line over Korea. Forced to abandon his crippled fighter, Merson finds himself aboard a B-29 piloted by Ruggerio—one of the very men he'd just been arguing with—as they race to complete a desperate bombing run that could stop a Red Army breakthrough. With enemy fighters closing in and the mission hanging by a thread, Merson discovers that the bomber crews he'd dismissed as amateurs might just be the toughest pilots in the sky.