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129,111
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in: Dick Giordano/Executive Editor, Joe Kubert/Cover Artist, Gaspar Saladino/Cover Artist,
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G.I. Combat Vol 1 240

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"The Demon Tank": Adolf Hitler is informed by his men that the military is losing men on all fronts and in staggering numbers; their manpower is depleted. Hitler chases them out due to a meeting with Professor Lenz. Lenz, who is on life-support since being injured during an allied bombing raid

G.I. Combat #240 is an issue of the series G.I. Combat (Volume 1) with a cover date of April, 1982.

Synopsis for "The Demon Tank"

Adolf Hitler is informed by his men that the military is losing men on all fronts and in staggering numbers; their manpower is depleted. Hitler chases them out due to a meeting with Professor Lenz. Lenz, who is on life-support since being injured during an allied bombing raid, brings with him four prototype robotic soldier and promises to construct an army if Hitler provides the funding and labor. Hitler promises both if the robotic soldiers prove their effectiveness in battle and sends them to southern France. Meanwhile, in southern France Jeb Stuart meets with O.S.S.'s Control for an assignment: a spy (assisting Professor Lenz) has information, Jeb must meet him in the cemetery at Le Feur and bring the information back. Jeb and his team move out and are soon warned of impending danger by the ghost of J.E.B. Stuart. They soon fight a German Panzer which sinks in some nearby quicksand. They proceed to the cemetery where the spy has died but has the information (a number coded message) on him. Jeb takes the information and heads back only to encounter a second tank - this one operated by the four robotic soldiers. Unable to destroy (or even halt) them through explosions, the crew abandon their now damaged tank and run on foot. They roll fuel-filled barrels at the tank and ignite the fuel via gunfire but again the robots are immune. The men dive into a deep river and the robots follow unharmed. The men run to (and across) the quicksand field. The robots give chase and soon sink and are presumably trapped. The men return the message to Control who translates it as a warning about robotic soldiers and dismisses it as fantasy until Jeb tells him their story. Meanwhile Adolf Hitler destroys Professor Lenz's life support systems, thereby killing him, in retaliation for the robots' failure.

Appearing in "The Demon Tank"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

  • Unknown

Locations:

Items:

  • Unknown

Vehicles:


Synopsis for "Hero Without Glory"

Vehicle #002918374 is assembled in Detroit, Michigan and tells its own story of how it was constantly insulted by its various occupants and ignored throughout its various duties until one day the soldiers riding on it were ambushed by enemy soldiers. The soldiers bailed out and the driver, shortly thereafter, parks and joins them. The truck's emergency brake fails and it rolls backwards stopping in front of the soldiers giving them cover and taking the brunt of the attack in which it is destroyed beyond repair. But the pieces were collected and shipped back to America where they were used in Mechanics' School as training aides.

Appearing in "Hero Without Glory"

Featured Characters:

  • Vehicle #002918374 (Single appearance; dies)

Supporting Characters:

  • Various Unnamed Soldiers and Technicians

Antagonists:

  • Various Nazi Soldiers

Other Characters:

  • None

Locations:

Items:

  • None

Vehicles:

  • Vehicle #002918374 (Single appearance; dies)

Synopsis for "Highway in the Sky"

November 14, 1940. The Germans have built, in occupied France along the northern coast, a "knickebein" transmitter designed to guide German pilots directly to bombing targets in England enabling them to perform devasting raids in complete darkness. O.S.S. agent Paul Woods is being released from a London hospital and is collected by fellow agent Allan and taken to meet Control. Control introduces them to "Lark" an agent in Germany who has helped inform Control of the knickebein transmitter and its numerous defenses. He tells the assembled team of their technological countermeasures, the sidewinders - missiles capable of navigating the obstacles and destroying the tower. He then tells them of the forthcoming raid to launch the missiles from planes and "Lark" is returned before her absence is missed. Once she's gone, Control informs the others that Lark is, in fact, a double-agent and that he made up that story so she will tell the Germans and, hopefully, draw away their plane defenses to strike at the supposed airplane invaders. That, plus other measures, should enable Paul and Allan to destroy the towers themselves. Control then gets Paul aside and offers a contingency plan if Paul is willing. Paul and Allan make their way to the coast, defeating opposition along the way, but Allan is killed and Paul is captured and brought to the tower where Lark awaits him. She reveals that she is a double-agent but Paul already knows. When he is clubbed by a soldier they discover his metallic scalp, a result of his recent surgery. Paul reveals that his metal plate also acts as an antenna which is guiding an allied bomber plane to his location. The plane succeeds in targeting the tower and it is immediately destroyed. Control laments Paul's sacrifice.

Appearing in "Highway in the Sky"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

  • None

Antagonists:

  • Nazi Military
    • "Lark" (Double Agent) (Dies)
    • Unnamed soldiers

Other Characters:

  • None

Locations:

  • London, England
    • O.S.S.'s London Headquarters
    • St. Bartholomew's Hospital
  • France
    • Unnamed location 5 miles inland from the northern coast

Items:

  • Silver Loop Antenna Head-Plate

Vehicles:

  • Submarine
  • B-17

Synopsis for "Soldier by the Book"

Army soldier-in-training Platt complains to his colleague, Wilbur, about Drill Sgt. Mack Hummel's "by the book" attitude but Wilbur cites Hummel's success record. Later all three are stationed in Guadalcanal where Hummel continues critizing men for not following precise regulation. During a recon mission, Hummel is shot in the leg and his squad is captured by Japanese soldiers. Wilbur has to carry Hummel and Platt comments that the manual can't help Hummel now. But reinforcements soon arrive and rescue the soldiers when it is revealed that, while being carried, Hummel had been ripping up pages from the manual and dropping them like breadcrumbs leading help to their location. Hummel gets the last word in by referencing procedures from the manual.

Appearing in "Soldier by the Book"

Featured Characters:

  • Sgt. Mack Hummel (Single appearance)
  • Harry Platt (Single appearance)
  • Wilbur (Single appearance)

Supporting Characters:

  • Various unnamed soldiers

Antagonists:

  • Japanese Soldiers

Other Characters:

  • None

Locations:

Items:

  • None

Vehicles:

  • None

Synopsis for "I'll Be Back-- Or Dead!"

The crew of the Haunted Tank is caught by an enemy tank but manages to destroy it, though all but Jeb are wounded. Jeb patches them up and orders them to stay put while he goes for help. However he is soon captured by German soldiers who, in an effort to make him talk, shoot him in the leg. Shortly afterwards a German tank arrives and rescues Jeb who discovers that his crew is manning it. They heard the shots, killed the enemy crew, and took their tank.

Appearing in "I'll Be Back-- Or Dead!"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

  • None

Antagonists:

  • Various Nazi Soldiers

Other Characters:

  • None

Locations:

Items:

  • None

Vehicles:

Notes

  • The issue contains a one-page "Famous Fighting Outfits" story entitled "5 Campaigns To Victory (Part 3)" written by M.B. (likely editor Murray Boltinoff).
  • In "The Demon Tank" Professor Lenz's robots are described as 400 pounds each, contain thermal memory banks which will "propel them inexorably at the enemy," infra-red optics, and special plastic mold armor impervious to explosions, fire and water.
  • A note in the letter column explains the decision to slightly reduce the number of pages within the book as a means to avoid having to increase the price. Further, editor Murray Boltinoff provides a one-column description of other countries' military drafts versus America and England's volunteer military.



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