In war, it's every man for himself! I want to live, lieutenant! 
G.I. Combat #211 is an issue of the series G.I. Combat (Volume 1) with a cover date of January, 1979.
Synopsis for Haunted Tank: "A Nice Day for Killing"
Rick, Slim, and Gus are returning from a short stop to fill their water cans from a nearby river when they are fired upon by their own commander, Lt. Jeb Stuart, and the Haunted Tank. Slim yells at Jeb to cut it out, thinking it was a prank, but the three men quickly realize something is wrong and dart for cover. Unfortunately, they are cut off from safety and forced to fight for their lives. Unknown to the men, Jeb is being held at gunpoint by two German soldiers inside the tank forcing him to fire upon his own men!
Earlier that day, three miles to the west, the American combat engineers are constructing a pontoon bridge across a river ahead of the infantry's arrival. The engineers are attacked from the woods by German infantry determined to stop the American advance. Many of the engineers constructing the bridge are killed, and the others take cover and radio for help. A few miles away, Jeb and the Haunted Tank are having some trouble themselves with two German armored cars. Jeb orders Slim to step on the gas, plowing right through the two cars. They quickly spin around and fire, destroying both cars. Now in the clear, Jeb is visited by the ghost of General J.E.B. Stuart, who warns him that before the day is through he will be the final link in a chain that will save them all. The others hear him talking, but as usual only Jeb can see the ghost.
Jeb orders the tank to a halt and tells the others to fill up the cans from the stream while he checks the treads for damage. As soon as the three are gone, the tank is surrounded by German infantry, who take Jeb prisoner. Two Germans order Jeb back into his tank, climbing in after him, while the others head off in the direction of the stream towards Rick, Slim and Gus. The German lieutenant inside the tank tells Jeb that they will use the tank to destroy the bridge and the engineers, and that if Jeb doesn't do exactly what he says he and his friends will die instantly.
Trying to avoid being killed by the gunfire from their own tank, the three head back into the woods. Jeb stops firing in order to drive the tank in closer to them. They find the shell of a destroyed Panzer tank at the edge of the woods and take cover behind it. As the tank approaches the woods, General Stuart's ghost appears again. One of the Germans hear's Jeb talking to the General and believes that one of the tank crew has boarded the tank. He comes up topside, detracted enough for Jeb to grab his rifle and knock him off the tank. Gus sees the German fall from the tank and realizes what is happening. Jeb quickly turns in and shoots the German lieutenant before he can fire. The other German soldiers return from the woods, and Jeb and the others surprise them with gunfire. With the Germans taken care of, Jeb orders the others aboard and they speed off to help the trapped engineers at the bridge.
A half hour later, the Haunted Tank finally arrives at the incomplete bridge. Jeb orders Slim full speed onto the bridge to the other side. The engineers try to signal for them to stop, but the tank continues on and falls into the middle gap where the bridge is incomplete. Now stuck in the water and mud, the tank is an easy target for the attacking Germans. But as the Germans move in with their Panzerfaust for a final blow, they are surprised by the appearance of Sgt. Rock and Easy Company! Climbing over the Haunted Tank, they are able to cross the bridge and advance on the attacking Germans. Driving off the enemy, the engineers promise to free the muddled Haunted Tank from the river.
Appearing in Haunted Tank: "A Nice Day for Killing"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- German Army
- German Infantry lieutenant
Other Characters:
- Easy Company
- U.S. Army
- American Infantry lieutenant
Locations:
Items:
- Water jerricans
- Pontoon bridge
Vehicles:
- The Haunted Tank
- Panzerkampfwagen IV
- Leichter Panzerspähwagen Sd. Kfz. 222 Armored Car
Synopsis for "You Can't Sink an Island"
The U.D.T. (Underwater Demolitions Team) are being briefed on their next mission. The U.S. Naval fleet are preparing an attack on the Japanese stronghold on Volcano Island, but with the north side of the island a 800 foot cliff they are forced to play into the enemy's hand by attacking the beach from the south. The U.D.T.'s job is to clear the underwater booby traps in three hours before the assault troops get hung up on them and massacred by the Japanese guns.
On the deck of the naval destroyer, the frogmen pass the restless troops of the first assault wave before boarding their inflatable raft. Using the cover of night, they paddle towards the beach. But three miles in they are caught up in the pull of the riptide and thrown from their raft. Helplessly, the frogmen and whirled underwater by the unbreakable grip of the current. When it finally loosens, they discover that the riptide has swept them miles away from the beach to the north side of the island. Only three of the frogmen have survived. Their leader, Big Red, orders his remaining men to begin climbing the steep cliff. They reach the top, but are discovered by a Japanese sentry who is quickly taken care off. There is no way they can reach the booby traps before the American assault begins, so a new plan is hatched. The frogmen find their way to the rim of the volcano, while extinct still is emitting smoke and heat. Big Red orders the others to set their explosives for 5 minutes and drop them into the crater. They then leg it out of the area.
As dawn breaks, the first assault wave is blocked by the underwater booby traps and whipped by the oncoming fire of the enemy gunners. And then, the volcano explodes! The Japanese soldiers run for safety as the molten lava begins to pour down the sides of the volcano, burning everything it comes in contact with. With the enemy guns silent, the U.S. Marines are able to land safely onto the island. Perched high atop the volcano, the three frogmen wave to the soldiers.
Appearing in "You Can't Sink an Island"
Featured Characters:
- Underwater Demolitions Team (U.D.T.)
- Big Red
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- American Navy captain
- American Infantry soldiers
Locations:
- Volcano Island
Items:
- Explosives
- Inflatable raft
Vehicles:
- American Navy destroyer
- Inflatable Assault boat
Synopsis for OSS: "No Roof Over Fortress Europe"
The voice of Radio Free Europe pierces the darkness of slavery across the continent. At the secret London office of O.S.S., Control is briefing his agents, known only as "Philip" and "Ann" that the Nazis have developed a new jamming device to put Radio Free Europe off the airs and stop the transmission of secret messages. He orders them to parachute into Holland and stop the jamming by any means necessary.
One week later, on the canals of Holland, the Dutch Underground are being annihilated by the German forces in the city. Their boats are being targeted, their men shot in the streets. The Nazi commander of the forces in Holland, Emil Horst, known as the "Protector" of Holland, is suspicious of any unusual movement of people or vehicles, believing them to be of the Underground spreading secret messages. He orders his men to stop at a fish stall near the canal after seeing a couple of men running past. He takes on of the fish and slits it open to reveal a hidden Underground newspaper inside. He orders anyone carrying a fish in the city arrested. A nun, carrying a fish in her market bag is stopped, but Horst finds no newspaper inside. In the back of a nearby junk shop, Philip and Ann learn that Horst had discovered their fish scheme and switch to Plan B.
After several days of intensive searching, Horst and his men are unable to find any more means of delivering secret messages. Horst orders everyone to begin searching outside the city. His convoy come across a group of windmills, but have already searched them and found nothing. Horst looks into the sky, noticing an unusual amount of kites being flown by the dutch children, many of them breaking free and floating away. Suspicious, he follows on until it lands, finding an Underground newspaper printed on both sides of the kite. With their second plan discovered, Philip and Ann go to Plan C.
Another fruitless search by the Nazis comes up with nothing, until Horst nearly runs over a group of citizens who are unable to move out of the way fast enough because of their wooden clogs. He stops one of the citizens, and finds a newspaper hidden within the clog. Furious, he orders his men to search day and night until the culprits are found. After a relentless manhunt, the Nazis discover the secret printing press and storm the junk shop, taking Philip and Ann prisoner. The two are brought before Emil Horst, who demands to see their last edition of the newspaper before they are paraded out to the firing squad. The headline reads "The Protector Dies At Midnight". Horst is furious, and shots at the paper in a fit of rage. In the confusion, Philip attacks his guard, wrenching the man's rifle from his hands and throwing himself out the window. Philip and Ann run out into the countryside, chased by the Germans. They are picked up by members of the Underground, who heard the shooting and came to investigate. They speed down the road, but are pursued by Germans in a half-track. The Germans fire on the car, hitting one of the tires. The car spins out of control, hitting the edge and barrels over the side of a cliff into the ocean below. But as the car, which was carrying the next issue of the Underground newspaper, slams into the water below, in unloads its entire stash of newspapers into the air. The windmills catch hold of the edition, blowing them across the countryside and into the town. While the Germans try to shoot down the newspapers, Philip and Ann slip away to safety and to continue their mission to print more. As one newspaper touches the ground, you can see the headline: "Nazis Can't Put a Roof Over Their Fortress Europe"!
Appearing in OSS: "No Roof Over Fortress Europe"
Featured Characters:
- Philip
- Ann
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Emil Horst
- German Infantry sergeant
Other Characters:
- Dutch Underground agents
Locations:
Items:
- fish
- newspapers
- kites
- wooden clogs
Vehicles:
- Fishing boat
- German 1939 Horch Type 930 staff car
- German Maultier half-track
Synopsis for Haunted Tank: "Tank in a Fishbowl"
Two miles inland from the seaport of Rjeka, Yugoslavia, Jeb Stuart and his Haunted Tank are visited by the ghost of General J.E.B. Stuart, who delivers a cryptic message that not everything in war goes by the textbook. The Haunted Tank is in the middle of a battle to help the Rangers blast a path into a Nazi prison camp for Tito's Partisans to escape, and Jeb is unable to pay the General any mind at the moment. The Rangers climb aboard the tank as it barrels through the German soldiers, allowing time for the prisoners to escape. With their job now done, the Tank with the Rangers aboard head away to escape in the direction of the Rjeka wharf, where the Landing Craft will rendezvous with them to take them to safety. As the Haunted Tank reaches the wharf, the American LCT is ambushed by a German destroyer and sunk. With their means of escape now gone, Jeb orders Slim to turn the tank around, but their are pinned on the dock by a German Panzer from behind. The Rangers jump off as Slim spins the turret around quickly and blasts the Panzer before it can get a killing blow, sending in blazing into the water below. Then, an American sub, who had picked up the LCT's S.O.S. before it sunk, surfaces at the dock to help the Rangers and the Haunted Tank out of their jam. As the Rangers board the sub, its crew work to lash the Haunted Tank to the top of its deck. As they are finishing, the German destroyer appears again and begins to fire onto the sub. With the tank now fixed to their deck, the sub dives deep into the water below.
Just as Rick and his men begin to get comfortable within, an exploding depth charge released by the destroyer shakes the sub from nearby. The enemy ship is running silent, and the sub is unable to pick up their location. However, the destroyer knows exactly where the sub is and continues to release depth charges at them. With the sub's deck gun smashed and their armory out of torpedoes, they are unable to fight back. Rick suggests they use the Haunted Tank's armor-piercing shells to attack, and Jeb tells the sub's captain to get them to their tank before they surface. The four are equipped with breathing gear and head for the escape hatch, flooding it first before opening it up and swimming out to the deck of the sub. With depth charges exploding around them, the four swim to their tank and into their positions. Above the surface, the destroyer releases a new volley of depth charges just as its captain spots the sub beginning to break the surface of the water. With the water-proof coverings cut away from the their guns, the Haunted Tank opens fire onto the destroyer as soon as they are above water. Their armor-piercing shells bore into the side of the ship and ignite the fuel and ammo into a thunderous explosion. As they watch the destroyer sink, the ghost of General J.E.B. Stuart reappears. Jeb waves to his ancestor. He was right... there is no textbook mission when it comes to war!
Appearing in Haunted Tank: "Tank in a Fishbowl"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- German Infantry soldiers
- German Navy soldiers
Other Characters:
- American Rangers
- Tito's Partisans
- American submariners
Locations:
- Rjeka, Yugoslavia
Items:
- Personal oxygen tanks
Vehicles:
- The Haunted Tank
- American Landing craft (LCT)
- German Naval destroyer
- American Naval submarine
- Panzerkampfwagen IV
Synopsis for Women at War: "A Luger for Lisa"
In a small house in Greenvale, Ohio, two gold stars hang from the window. Lisa Anderson had lost two loved ones in the war - her father, who was killed by a Zero at Pearl Harbor, and her younger brother, who died at the hands of the Japanese on Guadalcanal. Lisa had just been married in 1944 to a young soldier named Ted Ashton, but soon after their honeymoon Ted left to fight in Europe. Lisa had received letters regularly from England, censored by the military of course. Her hatred for the military, and to guns, grew with every passing day. To do her part in the war, Lisa joined the Red Cross as was shipped across to England just outside London to tend to the wounded returning back from the war. Lisa knows that her husband Ted is there in England, training for D-Day, but can't bear the thought of losing him and having to hang a third gold star in her window back home.
One day, while returning back to the hospital on bicycle from a nearby village, Lisa hear the explosion from a grenade go off in the woods. Believing that German paratroopers have started their invasion of England, she ducks for cover just as she is spotted. They open fire on her, and she takes off on foot into the woods. Trying to escape in the darkness, she runs head on into a German soldier. They struggle, and Lisa is able to wrench a pistol from the man's belt. He aims the gun at the man's chest, but is unable to pull the trigger. Then, as the light of the moon passes through the trees, she discovers that the German soldier is in fact her husband Ted, who explains that he is with a special undercover unit trained to drop behind enemy lines secretly. Realizing that she had nearly shot her own husband, she tells him of her hatred of guns. Ted promises that once the war is over, there won't be as much as a water pistol allowed in their home.
Appearing in Women at War: "A Luger for Lisa"
Featured Characters:
- Lisa Anderson
Supporting Characters:
- Private Ted Ashton
Antagonists:
- German paratroopers
Other Characters:
- Red Cross nurses
- British Children evacuees
Locations:
- Greenvale, Ohio, United States of America
- London, England
Items:
- Luger pistol
Vehicles:
- Bicycle
Synopsis for "The Steel Storm-Troopers"
Deep behind enemy lines, an American squad is attacked by a German sentry hidden in the trees. A well-aimed shot brings him down, but upon finding the body the men are amazing to discover that the sentry wasn't human but a robot disguised perfectly to look like a man. The lieutenant in charge, Sam Kyle, radios back their findings to headquarters and are ordered to seek and destroy the source of the robots and bring back data for evaluation.
For hours, the squad penetrates deeper and deeper into enemy territory until they come across a blockhouse with a radio transmitter on the roof. Fixing bayonets, the lieutenant orders his men to advance quietly. Trying to take out the guards without noise, one private stabs a German soldier with his bayonet, only to find that they are robots too! Their cover blown, the men open fire. Their bullets tear the robots apart. Storming the blockhouse, they use grenades to blast a hole in the wall to enter. They find themselves under heavy attack from a foe that won;t easily die. Lt Kyle turns his attention to the huge generator nearby and destroys it with his machine gun. The robots drop to the floor powerless, but they fight shredded the machines to pieces leaving them nothing of value to bring back to headquarters. Then, they hear a voice pleading for help from the next room. Inside, they find Private Fred Benson, an American prisoner being held captive after his patrol was wiped out by the robots. Lt. Kyle radios back to headquarters, telling them of their findings and of Private Benson, only to be informed that there is no Pvt. Fred Benson listed on any Division roster. Lt. Kyle swings around with his machine gun, firing into Benson just as the boy is about to lob a grenade in their direction. Benson explodes, revealing that he too was a robot all along. Benson had been created to destroy anyone trying to steal the Germans secrets, and now he will be the evidence supplying the data for evaluation!
Appearing in "The Steel Storm-Troopers"
Featured Characters:
- Lieutenant Sam Kyle
- American Infantry sergeant
Supporting Characters:
- Private Fred Benson
Antagonists:
- German sentries
- German Infantry robots
Other Characters:
- American Infantry corporal
- American Infantry soldiers
Locations:
Items:
- Greasegun
- Radio transmitter
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Haunted Tank: "The Red Red Road to Rome"
On a stretch of Italian coast known as Anzio, the 45th and 3rd Infantry Divisions storm ashore as the enemy forces fire into them with fury. Under the merciless hail of fire, Lt. Jeb Stuart and the Haunted Tank rolls off an LCT and into the battle just as the landing craft is destroyed. The tank takes the lead, bursting through the German's defenses and opening a hole for the American forces to enter. As the tank rolls by, many of the soldiers wonder why they call it the "Haunted Tank".
Now past the beach and the German defenses, the ghost of General J.E.B. Stuart appears to warn Jeb to be wary of one of his own men. Then, a German artillery team attacks the tank from the flank, surprising Jeb and his crew. The swing around and destroy the German 88. With the cannon out of action, the road to Rome is clear for the Infantry to advance. Inside the Haunted Tank, crew member Gus prays for the men they had to kill. Slim and Rick hear Jeb once again talking to the ghost topside, and begin to wonder if their friends' sanity is at stake.
The road to Rome winds through countless hills, each topped with a waiting foe. One by one, each hill has to be taken. But on one hill stands a convent being used to shelter war orphans. The nuns inside are being held captive by a German force, who are using the high ground to wait and ambush the approaching Infantry. They open fire into the American forces, pinning them down below. Not far away, the Haunted Tank picks up their distress call, warning them of the civilians inside. Jeb orders Slim to head that way full speed. On their way, they pass the field medics and ambulances taking away the wounded and dead from the battle. Knowing the odds are against them, Jeb orders the tank to halt and wait until dark. Gus, worried about the children inside the convent, decides to scout ahead alone to find a way in without risking the civilians. Jeb gives him twenty minutes, then they attack.
As Gus approaches the convent, he spots a figure sneaking around in the darkness. Raising his gun to fire, he stops himself just in time when he discovers that the figure is just a young boy loose from the convent. His time up, the Haunted Tank approaches from the rear. Fearing that they may attack and kill the boy, Gus fires before realizing that it's his friends. Jeb realizes that if the boy could get out unnoticed, then they can get in. Leaving the tank behind, the crew move through the cover of darkness to an underground tunnel leading into the convent. But the surprise is on them, and the Germans are waiting at the end of the tunnel. The enemy turn on their flashlights to blind the crew, but Jeb attacks to knock out the lights before anyone can get their bearings. Their attack starts to bring down the roof of the tunnel, assisting them to defeat the Germans and continue down the path towards the convent. Jeb and the others burst through a hidden trap door in the floor and surprise the Germans inside, killing them all and freeing the nuns and their children. As the crew leave the thankful nuns, Jeb realizes that the General's warning was about Gus - a man of God with a quick temper and trigger finger. Jeb decides he should keep a close eye on him from now on.
Appearing in Haunted Tank: "The Red Red Road to Rome"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- German Infantry lieutenant
- German Infantry soldiers
Other Characters:
- American Infantry soldiers
- American Field medics
- Sister Maria
- Italian Choir boys
Locations:
- Anzio, Italy
Items:
- German 88 FLAk cannon
- flashlights
Vehicles:
- The Haunted Tank
- American Landing craft (LCT)
- American Navy Destroyers
Notes
- The inside front cover contains an "All About Tanks" Combat Album profile for the Char B Tank, a French heavy tank manufactured before World War II that inspired the design of both the American M3 and the British Churchill tanks, with art by Sam Glanzman.
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)