Slim! Gus! Rick! Come back! You can't desert in the face of the enemy! Don't force me to shoot you! 
G.I. Combat #223 is an issue of the series G.I. Combat (Volume 1) with a cover date of November, 1980.
Synopsis for Haunted Tank: "The Breaking Point!"
Appearing in Haunted Tank: "The Breaking Point!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- German Artillery soldiers
- German pilot (Dies)
- German Infantry soldiers
Other Characters:
- American Infantry soldiers
- American paratroopers
- American pilot
Locations:
- Vosges Mountains, France
Items:
- M1911 pistol
Vehicles:
- The Haunted Tank
- German Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer tank
- German Panzerkampfwagen III
- German Panzerkampfwagen V Panther
- German Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter aircraft
- American Douglas C-47 Skytrain
- German Volkswagen Kübelwagen car
Synopsis for OSS: "Death is a Handful of Pennies"
Appearing in OSS: "Death is a Handful of Pennies"
Featured Characters:
- Agent "Daniel"
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- Colonel Feldner
- German Infantry soldiers
Other Characters:
- Heloise
- R.A.F. Wing Commander Forsythe
- French Maquis soldiers
Locations:
- Valios, France
Items:
- Parachute
- Super radio magnetic pennies
Vehicles:
- British de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito plane
- German staff car
Synopsis for "Winged Warrior"
Appearing in "Winged Warrior"
Featured Characters:
- Private Lester
- Unnamed Infantry sergeant
Villains:
- Japanese Infantry soldiers
Other Characters:
- American Infantry colonel
- American Signal Corps soldiers
Locations:
- Unnamed Island, Pacific Ocean
Items:
- Peanut, the carrier pigeon
Vehicles:
- American GMC CCKW truck
Synopsis for Haunted Tank: "Stand-Off on the Sahara!"
Appearing in Haunted Tank: "Stand-Off on the Sahara!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- Field Marshall Erwin Rommel
- German Artillery soldiers
- German Infantry soldiers
Other Characters:
- American Artillery captain "Skipper"
- American radio operator
Locations:
- El Hammet, Africa
Items:
- Flare gun
- German light howitzer cannon
Vehicles:
- The Haunted Tank
- German Panzerkampfwagen II tank
- German Panzerkampfwagen IV tank
- German Maultier half-track truck
Synopsis for "The Other Side of War"
Appearing in "The Other Side of War"
Featured Characters:
- Private Johnny Bryans
Supporting Characters:
- American Marine sergeant
Villains:
- Viet Cong soldier (Dies)
Other Characters:
- American Marines
- American Huey crew (All die)
Locations:
- Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
Items:
- Claymore mines
- M26 grenade
- Canteen
Vehicles:
- American Bell UH-1 "Huey" transport helicopter
- American Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bomber
Synopsis for Haunted Tank: "Traitor Tank"
The Haunted Tank slowly rolls through the dense fog towards a group of G.I.s known as "Dog" Company, who have been pinned down and trapped by the Germans. Unknown to the G.I.s, the Haunted Tank is a decoy, loaded with explosives, followed by three German Panzers. The German commander warns Jeb that their tank is booby-trapped, and if he so much as cries out to warn anyone they will be blown to bits by remote control. Jeb is powerless, caught between saving himself and his crew, and the G.I.s ahead of them. The ghost of General J.E.B. Stuart appears before him out of the fog, but offers him little help. His ancestor tells him that it's a command decision, and he's in command.
Jeb thinks back to how they managed to get into this mess. It all started with a letter the Rick received - a "Dear John" letter informing him that his girlfriend back home has found someone else closer and wants to break up. Rick had went into town, but in his grief picked a fight with a couple of MPs. Rick is arrested for disorderly conduct. The Haunted Tank has been given new orders for their patrol, and Jeb arrives just as the MPs are escorting Rick to their jeep. Jeb explains that he needs Rick for their patrol, and without thinking of the consequences punches the first MP in the jaw. Rick follows, taking out the second MP holding him. Jeb and Rick run off before anything else can happen. Back on board the tank, Rick apologizes for getting Jeb into trouble, but Jeb tells him not to worry about it. They'll deal with the court-martial later.
Some time later, the tank is attacked by a German fighter plane. Slim gives the tank full gas and heads for cover, while Rick and Gus try to nail the plane with their firepower. The plane turns to make another pass at them. Rick takes careful aim, pretending that the pilot of the plane is the man who stole his girl. He shoots the plane dead center, sending it spiraling down into the trees. They get out of the area as quick as possible in case the pilot was able to radio for help. But then, shells explode around them, releasing gas that knocks out Jeb and his crew.
Jeb and the others come to later to find themselves under siege by three Panzer tanks. Their commander informs them that the Haunted Tank is booby-trapped, and that they have been completely disarmed. Jeb follows the German commander's orders, buying time until their chance to strike back. Slim steers the Haunted Tank down the road, followed closely by the three Panzers, towards the position of "Dog" Company. Jeb desperately tries to think of a way out, and the General's ghost appears again to tell him that he's in command and it's his decision. Jeb then makes a split-second decision. Slim slams the tank into full reverse, sending it heading back at full speed towards the lead Panzer. The German commander can't fire onto the tank because of the explosives inside, and the Haunted Tank slams into the front of the lead Panzer. Upon contact, Jeb leaps onto the German's tank and attacks the Commander. He grabs the man's pistol and fires into the tank, killing the Panzer's crew. Slim, Rick and Gus quickly climb aboard the Panzer and take control before the other two Panzer's can react. Rick fires the cannon, taking out one of the Panzers. Unable to get their turret around in time, the final Panzer has moves up in position to destroy them. Then, the final Panzer explodes in a burst of flame and debris! Jeb is stunned when, as the smoke clears, he can see an American jeep from behind armed with a bazooka to save the day. The jeep pulls up next to him, and the two MPs that Jeb and Rick had fought with earlier get out and approach them. Jeb surrenders, but the MPs just laugh and tell them to forget it. After seeing how they fight, they can do more damage up front to the Germans than under arrest in the stockade. Besides, one of the MPs had recently gotten a "Dear John" letter himself, and knows how it can make a man crazy!
Appearing in Haunted Tank: "Traitor Tank"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- German Panzer commander (Dies)
- German Artillery soldiers (All die)
Other Characters:
- American Military police officer "Charles"
- American Infantry soldiers
- American Military Police
Locations:
Items:
- M1 bazooka
Vehicles:
- The Haunted Tank
- German Sturmpanzer IV tanks
- German Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter aircraft
- American Willys MB Jeep
Notes
- Page 45 contains a one page "Famous Fighting Outfits" profile on the 82nd Airborne Division, the "All-American 82nd", from their early days stationed out of Ft. Bragg, North Carolina through their relief by Canadian troops at the end of World War II. Written by Murray Boltinoff.
Trivia
- In this issues "Let's Make Tracks" letter page, there is a short true story of a soldier who couldn't hit any target who, when told to "go shoot himself", came back unharmed because "he missed again".
See Also
Recommended Reading
- World War II Recommended Reading
- Adventures in the Rifle Brigade (Volume 1)
- Adventures in the Rifle Brigade (Volume 2)
- All-American Men of War (Volume 1)
- All-Out War (Volume 1)
- Blackhawk (Volume 1)
- Blitzkrieg (Volume 1)
- Capt. Storm (Volume 1)
- Four-Star Battle Tales (Volume 1)
- G.I. Combat (Volume 1)
- Men of War (Volume 1)
- Military Comics (Volume 1)
- Our Army at War (Volume 1)
- Our Fighting Forces (Volume 1)
- Sgt. Rock (Volume 1)
- Sgt. Rock (Volume 2)
- Star-Spangled War Stories (Volume 1)
- Unknown Soldier (Volume 1)
- Weird War Tales (Volume 1)
Links and References
Look at how sad this is making Batman. You did this.