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"Introducing - the Haunted Tank!": This story is reprinted from G.I. Combat #87.

DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #12 is an issue of the series DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest (Volume 1) with a cover date of August, 1981. It was published on May 7, 1981.

Synopsis for "Introducing - the Haunted Tank!"

This story is reprinted from G.I. Combat #87.

An American M-3 tank, nicknamed the "Jeb Stuart" after the famous Confederate cavalry leader, is being hurled towards a deep ravine during a battle with a much larger and more powerful German Tiger tank. They topple into the ravine, the concussion knocking the four soldiers within unconscious. But as the Tiger looms over them from the top of the ravine, ready to give the final death blow, the American tank's turret mysteriously traverses and fires at point-blank rage into the Tiger. The Tiger is destroyed.

Haunted Tank 002

The Haunted Tank's first appearance

Shortly after, the crew of the "Jeb Stuart" - their leader Jeb Stuart Smith, the gunner Rick, his assistant Arch, and the driver Slim - regain consciousness. As they bring their tank back out of the ravine, they are stunned and confused as to how they survived the battle, and as to who could have fired the shot that destroyed the Tiger. Nevertheless, they continue on towards their mission to silence the enemy 88s that have been pounding the infantry nearby. Jeb ponders the idea of a "guardian angel" that's helping them, and remembers back to his childhood of idolizing his namesake, Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart. He would play cavalry with his best friends the Halsey cousins, Rick, Slim and Arch, and even back then he had always felt that someone was watching over him. When the war broke out, the four friends had enlisted together, underneath the great statue of his hero J.E.B. Stuart that stood in the center of their town. When the four had arrived in France are were given their first tank - an M-3 Stuart - Jeb named it after his hero and for the first time felt that he was fulfilling a destiny that had been laid out for him.

The "Jeb Stuart" continues on towards Sector Y-4 where it meets up with a squadron of American tanks, all M26 Pershings which tower over the little Stuart tank. The crews of the bigger tanks make fun of the "Jeb Stuart", and both Rick and Arch get angry and want to fight it out with the loudmouths. The commander of the squadron orders Jeb to take his tank to the rear, lacking confidence that the little M-3 can stand up to a German 88. Before the squadron can reach their targets, they are attacked by German planes from above. The tanks are easy targets for the German planes and are quickly destroyed, all except the "Jeb Stuart" in the far rear. As the planes ready for another pass to finish the job, Jeb opens fire with his machine gun. They are no match for the planes and are unable to get enough elevation on their turret to take a good shot at them. However, the planes fly over them without attacking, disappearing into the sky. Jeb is perplexed as to why they were spared, but his confusion is short-lived when he hears the German 88s open fire on their location. The "Jeb Stuart" is able to avoid the shells, and Jeb orders Slim to take the tank over the edge of a steep embankment and into the nearby shallow river. The German 88s watch as the little tank tumbles over the embankment, and believe them to be finished. They cease their attack.

Miraculously, the "Jeb Stuart" lands in the river right-side up and undamaged. Meanwhile, the Germans turn their attention onto the American infantry. Jeb orders his tank full speed out of the river and towards the battle before the infantry can be destroyed, hoping to surprise the Germans. They enter the nearby town, but are quickly spotted by one of the German tanks. The "Jeb Stuart" barrels through the walls of the buildings, hoping that the Tiger tank will be too big to crash through to follow. They then sneak up behind the other Germans and open fire. They are able to destroy two of the enemy tanks, but are then pinned in an alleyway between two Tigers. As the enemy open fire, Slim quickly turns the tank into the wall and crashes through. The enemy shots miss their tank and they end up destroying each other in the crossfire. With one Tiger tank left, Jeb orders Slim to take their little tank up a pile of rubble and debris and are able to climb onto the roof of a nearby building. With the advantage of the "high ground", they wait until the Tiger is beneath them and open fire, destroying the final enemy tank.

With the town free of occupation and the infantry safe, the American soldiers are amused to find the little M-3 sitting on the roof of a building waiting for their arrival. Jeb ponders their luck in the battle, and hears the sound of disembodied laughter all around him. He knows that the ghost of his idol J.E.B. Stuart is looking over them and keeping them safe, and hopes that one day maybe the others will be able to hear him as well.

Appearing in "Introducing - the Haunted Tank!"

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Other Characters:

  • U.S. Army
  • American Recruitment officer (Flashback only)

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Vehicles:

  • The Haunted Tank (First appearance)
  • Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B (Destroyed)
  • American M23 Pershing tanks (Destroyed)
  • German Junkers Ju 87 ground-attack aircraft


Synopsis for "Easy's First Tiger"

This story is reprinted from Our Army at War #244.

Appearing in "Easy's First Tiger"

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Supporting Characters

  • Fred (Dies)

Villains:

  • Afrika Korps

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Vehicles:

  • M4 Sherman
  • Tiger I

Synopsis for "Mission: Dead End"

This story is reprinted from G.I. Combat #159.

Appearing in "Mission: Dead End"

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Synopsis for "Battle Ghost"

This story is reprinted from G.I. Combat #160.

Appearing in "Battle Ghost"

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Synopsis for "The Day of the Goth"

This story is reprinted from G.I. Combat #161.

Appearing in "The Day of the Goth"

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Synopsis for "Another Time Another Place"

This story is reprinted from Our Army at War #240.

Appearing in "Another Time Another Place"

Characters:

  • United Earth Armed Forces
    • Mac
    • Luke
    • Chang

Locations:

  • Easy Fox

Synopsis for "The Final Victor!"

This story is reprinted from G.I. Combat #162.

Appearing in "The Final Victor!"

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Links and References

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