I refereed (I hate the term "Game Master". It sounds so pompous!) superhero role-playing games (paper-and-dice ones) for many years, starting in 1981. The Hero System™ is still my favorite, even though it's very hard to find players these days.

The text below was originally an MSWord 6.0 document. It had footnotes and lots of interesting little format tricks to help clarify certain ideas. Most of this nifty stuff "evaporated" when I converted it to an HTML document, so I have edited it (perhaps for the hundredth time) to try to keep it coherent. If something doesn't make sense, please email me (cut and paste the offending section) and ask for an explaination. If I have time (and I hope to) I'll explain (but don't hold your breath).

I did a lot of research for this, and there's probably a few trade-marked references that I forgot to identify as such. Copy at your own risk. Large corporations have a very poor sense of humor, and the resources to ensure others fail to "get it" either.

In the midst of this maelstrom, the first comic book superheroes came to life, many of whom are still popular today. Most of these heroes and their adventures from 1938 to 1945 were influenced by the greatest event of the time, World War Two. Histories of comic books call these years the "Golden Age".

The Golden Age is an excellent setting for superhero roleplay. During the forties far more adults read comic books than children did. In the Servicemen's PX, comic book sales outnumbered the combined sales of Life, Reader's Digest, and the Saturday Evening Post by a margin of ten to one! By the end of World War Two, comics outsold every other type of magazine in the world.

This popularity tells us something important. Few people thought of superheroes as over-muscular adolescent jerks in silly costumes. In fact, the Golden Age Superhero was the symbol and protector of everything Good, Just, God-fearing, and American. He (occasionally, she) was respected and held forth as a role model.
 

Mom: "Have you children finished your homework?"
Kids: "Awww, do we have to?"
Mom: "What would Superman think of someone who doesn't do his homework?"
Kids: "Oh, all right!"

In the real  world, comic book publishers often kept their four-color heroes stateside, foiling fifth-columnists and Axis supervillains, or promoting War Bond sales. The reason for this is that although "Stupendous-Man" might be able to turn a tank battalion into scrap metal in only three panels, the real heroes, the American soldiers, might take months or even years to defeat the Axis.

Not that the heroes didn't try to enlist, but they were either "too valuable on the home front" or had the simple bad luck to be assigned to a stateside (non-combat) unit such as a supply depot or a training base. Other storylines suggestted that the Axis nations possessed magic devices that gave them mental control over superheroes who strayed into Axis territory. In the Superman™ storyline, Clark Kent tried to enlist, but accidentally read the eye chart in the next room with his X-ray vision, thus failing his eye exam ("Sorry, pal, but you're Four-F. You really do need those glasses, don't you?")

The tone set by the comics emphasized how important the collective support provided by the ordinary folks at home was -- not just moral support, but real, practical support such as conserving precious war resources (rationed items), supporting a scrap drive, working part- or full-time in a defense related job, buying War Bonds, donating time and/or money to the Red Cross or USO, entertaining servicemen, or even just paying your taxes on time ("YOUR taxes will beat the Axis!")

This is your opportunity to play the part of a Golden Age superhero. Give Nazi spies a justly deserved thrashing! Demonstrate your Superior American Morality by refusing to kill them!  Conserve precious gas and rubber by hand-delivering them to the (always grateful) police! And above all – don't forget! BUY BONDS!
 

Those of you who don’t regularly watch AMC  or whose parents/grandparents haven't told you all about life in the forties might want to know a few things before your character begins play. This section gives details about "the Draft", Technology, and Life in the Forties. The last section is a timeline of the events leading up to America’s involvement in the war.

The Draft :
To a young man in the 1940s, the second-most riveting fact in his life was the Draft (three guesses what the first-most riveting fact was, and the first two don't count!). Beginning in October 1940, all men between the ages of 21 and 35 were required to register for the Draft. A man's age and Draft classification determined his odds of being called up. Also, a man could get a deferment if he was the sole means of support to his family or if he was a student.

Most draftees were sent into the Army. Sometimes, a potential draftee might discover "his number was up" (for instance, a sympathetic Draft Board member might tell him). If he didn’t want to go into the Army, he would try to enlist in the branch of service he preferred. If he did this before official notification arrived, he could ignore the notice, since he was already in the service.

Women were exempt from the Draft, but were allowed to enlist if they wanted to. Initially, every service had its own "Auxiliary Women’s Corps". Later, each of these "auxiliary services" was incorporated into its associated service. Women weren’t assigned to combat specialties. Although Army nurses might find themselves near the front lines, the main reason to allow women to enlist was to free up able-bodied men for combat duties. Welcome to the Forties.

During the war, the age groups selected from gradually expanded to include ages 18 to 63. A list of the possible draft classifications are given below, with a brief description of each one.
 

• 1A - Fit for general military service. Most fell into this category. This indicates a man suitable for any position in the military.

 
• 1B - Fit for limited military service. Someone who has a slight physical problem might fall into this category. Qualifiers might be slightly bad vision or a slightly game leg. This just means he won't be given a combat position. He still might be given a cook's hat and a rifle and sent to a war zone as a support troop.

 
• 1C - Member of the Armed Forces. Self Explanatory. If they’ve got you, they’ve got you.

 
• 2A - Deferred for critical civilian position. Policemen, Firemen, and Defense workers fell into this category. They were exempt from the Draft, with one exception. Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, the Mayor of New York, was a member of the New York Draft board. He ensured that New York policemen and firemen were not given this exemption.

 
• 3A - Deferred due to dependents. Many thought this classification protected them from the draft, but they were wrong. As the war stretched on, 3As were called up as 1As and 1Bs began to run out.

 
• 4A - Prior service in the Armed Forces. Anyone who had retired or been discharged from the service was in this category. They weren't Drafted, but could be recalled to active duty if needed.

 
• 4B - Deferred by law. Government officials were exempt from the draft. Judges, Mayors, Congressmen, etc., were exempt, and so were high level government appointees. This is different from 2A, in that the person is a government official, not just an employee.

 
• 4C - Alien. Perversely, foreigners living in the US couldn’t enlist, but could be drafted. Enemy aliens were either detained or deported.

As of February 19, 1942, executive order 9066 dictated that American residents of Japanese descent be interned as enemy aliens. The fact that many of these "aliens" were American citizens was considered irrelevant until the war had nearly ended.
 

• 4D - Minister. Men of the cloth could be Drafted, but only into the Chaplain's Corps.

 
• 4E - Conscientious objector. . Less than 1% of all potential draftees fell into this category. Public opinion of conscientious objectors depended on their reasons for objecting. Some objected to killing on moral grounds but were willing to serve in noncombat positions (medic, for example). These objectors were held in less respect than combat troops, but were considered "OK", if somewhat idealistic.

Others were against war but would serve in a non-military capacity. Patriotic pacifists could and did serve as medical guinea pigs. These objectors were considered to be a little "strange".

About 6,000 men objected to war so strongly that they refused to serve in any capacity. Public consensus about this group is reflected by their treatment. They were jailed.

One conscientious objector of this type was the cell-mate of Louis Lepke, the boss of "Murder, Incorporated". At first Lepke didn’t realize what his cell-mate was in for. When he finally understood, he exclaimed: "You mean, they put you in here for not killing?!?"
 

• 4F - Physically, Mentally, or Morally unfit for military service. Those in this category were judged to be physically handicapped, mentally ill, or too immoral to serve in the military.

The local draft board members had quite a bit of freedom to "award" the 4F classification. They could classify a man 4-F if he were handicapped. They could also classify "mental incompetents", convicted felons, or homosexuals 4-F as well. If a draft board member disliked someone, they might classify him 4F out of spite.

The 4F classification carried quite a stigma. If a man classified as 4F didn’t have an obvious physical handicap, people often concluded that he was a coward or even worse.

Telephone service was quite different from today. American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T) was a legal monopoly. Even the phones in your house belonged to AT&T. Only phone company personnell could install or service phones. The phones themselves were wired directly into the wall, instead of plugging into a jack.

Many areas didn't have direct dialing at all. This required an operator to connect callers. Other areas had "party lines" where all the phones were connected simultaneously. You turned a hand crank on the side of the phone and rang all the phones on the line. Each household was assigned a specific pattern of long and short rings, and you’d turn the phone crank accordingly to produce the pattern. Everyone’s phone would ring, but only the person you were calling was supposed to answer, although nosey neighbors were known to indulge their curiosity at times.

A long distance call always required operator assistance. To make a long distance call, you asked the local operator to connect you to the Long Distance Operator. Once you had the Long Distance operator on the line, you told her  who you wanted to call, and the address(es) they were likely to be found at. Then you'd hang up. The operator would call you back when she finally got your call put through, a process which could take an hour or longer.

Another means of rapid communication was the Telegram. A telegram guaranteed same-day service (even on Sundays) at a premium price (about 5 cents a word). During the war, sending personal telegrams fell out of common usage. This was partly because people didn’t want to tie up a valuable wartime resource. Another, more grim reason most folks didn’t like telegrams was that the military routinely informed next-of-kin by telegram when their loved ones in uniform were killed or missing in action. Many people genuinely feared the arrival of a Western Union courier (see the movie "The Best Years Of Our Lives" for a good example of this.)

The only radio communication in common civilian use was shortwave (Ham) radio. Thousands of youngsters built their own shortwave sets and got licences to operate them. Ham radio had the same sort of exotic appeal that "surfing the net" does today. [Editor's note: This is a dated reference. The current equivalent is running your own Internet Service Provider. For now.]

The primary source of information during the Forties was the printed word. In larger towns, newspapers printed two daily editions, in the morning and the evening. If a fast-breaking story was developing, a newspaper printed "extra" editions, with update material ("Extra! Extra! Read all about it!"). Add to this the incredible numbers of magazines, books, and pamphlets being printed, and you begin to understand the pride Americans had in being the most literate nation on the face of the Earth (well, one of the most literate, anyway!). Most homes boasted a fairly extensive library, even if it was only a book-case full of old schoolbooks.

Radio was the only commonly-used broadcast medium during the war. Radio had the same importance that TV does today, providing news, sports, education, and entertainment to all but the most remote areas. A radio cost anywhere from about $15 for a basic model up to almost $700.00 for a deluxe console radio with a built in shortwave receiver. When you realize that nearly every household had one or more radios, its importance becomes apparent.

The BBC had begun broadcasting television on an irregular basis before the war. In America, television sets were being sold in large metropolitan areas like Chicago and New York City, but this was in advance of any regular broadcasts . When the war began, all TV broadcasts were halted for the duration since television components were vital wartime materials (there were fewer than 20,000 sets in any case). Plans for regular TV broadcasts in the US were postponed for the duration.

While automobiles were priced within the reach of most people, many in rural areas still relied on horse-drawn vehicles for daily transportation. In towns and cities, horses were only used by mounted police, street sweepers and milk delivery wagons. With the outbreak of war, many patriotic citizens put their car in the garage and resorted to horse-drawn transportation when practical.

Automobiles weren’t very powerful by todays’ standards. Most cars’ top speed was between 55 and 65 miles per hour . The fastest road cars were limousines powered by eight, twelve, or even sixteen huge cylinders. These massive engines produced, at most, a rather modest (by today’s standards) 120 horsepower, but were capable of propelling their heavy vehicles to 90-100 MPH. Gas mileage hovered around 15 MPG, except for tiny cars like the American Bantam (The American-manufactured version of the Austin Seven, it averaged 30 mpg, and was smaller than a Geo Metro.) Highways existed, but outside the Northeastern regions they varied from occasionally decent stretches of two-lane blacktop to dirt tracks hardly better than the untrammeled sod to either side of the right-of-way. Between towns, average (safe) speeds were considerably less than the cars were capable of.

The train was the preferred mode of travel during the Forties. Prices were very competitive with the only other alternative, the airplane. Comfort levels were high, even in "coach" class. A coast-to-coast trip could take up to 6 or 7 days. An express train  took about 3 days to cross the continent and was equipped with cars manufactured by the Pullman company. Pullman car seats converted into bunk beds for overnight (sleeper) service. A few cars on each long distance train had private compartments roughly equivalent to a small hotel room. These were often used by the well-heeled traveller.

The extremely wealthy bought or leased private rail cars. For a hefty fee, the rich person’s private car was hitched to the end of a train and placed on a siding at the destination for use as a temporary residence. This practice halted when the war began. Many private cars were mothballed for the duration or loaned to the government as VIP transportation.

The airplane was the fastest form of travel. Most civilian transports cruised at a little less than 200 MPH. The fastest military combat planes were capable of about twice that, but actual speeds in combat were much lower, usually between 75 and 200 MPH. The Douglas DC-3 was the premier airliner of the day. Previous airliners carried only 10 or 12 passengers in a cramped fuselage barely six feet in diameter. The DC-3 carried 21 or more passengers in a fuselage 10 feet in diameter. Some airlines even provided overnight service, with aircraft modified by the Pullman company. It was the first airliner to provide passengers with hot in-flight meals. It could make a transcontinental flight in only 13 hours - 5 hours better than previous airliners. Without a doubt it was the first truly efficient passenger airliner. Operating costs were so low that airlines didn't need federal subsidies (airmail contracts) to stay in the black, only passengers.

The greatest medical breakthrough of the Forties was the discovery of antibiotics. During World War I, the majority of casualties were from disease and infection. The advent of antibiotics meant that if your wounds weren’t immediately fatal, you were probably going to live. In WW II, American Army troops were issued 10 doses of sulfa (a sulfur-based antiseptic) as part of their standard kit (7 pills and 3 packets of powder). This nearly ended when servicemen discovered how to cure many "social diseases" by taking one dose a day for ten days. The threat of court-martial only slightly curtailed this practice. Some commanders resorted to only issuing sulfa packets prior to an attack to prevent their "frivolous" use. Penicillin was  administered by medics only, by injection.

Life in the Forties:
World War II launched America from economic depression into near-instantaneous prosperity. The Federal budget rose from $9 billion to $98 billion by the war's end. The gross national product more than doubled. The war created over 17 million jobs. Military manpower rose from 300,000 in 1939 to 1.5 million in 1941, to 12-13 million in the later years of the war. Losing one in eleven Americans to the Armed Forces combined with the increased labor demand, creating a manpower shortage.

The US population was just under 150 million in 1940. The labor force was about 56 million of this total. By the war’s end, the labor force had increased to 66 million. From 1941 to 1944, the jobless rate dropped by 90%, from 8 million to 800,000. Hiring Women, Blacks, and the handicapped alleviated much of the labor shortfall.

The minimum wage in 1940 was about 40 cents an hour, amounting to just over $800 a year. The median income was about $2,000 a year. Typical annual earnings are listed below:
 
 

Labor unions were common and strong during the Forties. Management/Labor relations weren’t any better then than they are today. At the beginning of the war, labor leaders took a "no strike pledge" for the duration. For the most part, they stood by their word. When a strike did occur, it made national headlines. Few strikes lasted very long. Since our soldiers’ lives depended on the output of the factories at home, it was considered unpatriotic to strike. One rather interesting strike situation was the railroad walkout of December, 1944. When the workers went on strike, the government went to the railroad personnel and told them: "You are now a Colonel in the Army. If the trains don't run on time, we're going to court martial you." The trains ran on time.

As US industry went to war, consumer products took a back seat to military production. Automobile production halted as assembly lines changed over to tank, artillery and aircraft production. Home appliances vanished as even sewing machine companies began producing war materials. Household utensils, tools, even nails became scarce as metals joined the war effort.
The war in the Pacific eliminated most of our rubber supplies, resulting in shortages of tires, raincoats, and rubber boots. New silk from the orient disappeared. What remained was needed to make parachutes, not stockings. The rubber and silk could have been replaced by synthetics, but German U-boats prevented many shipments from reaching the East coast. Women dealt with the lack of silk and nylon stockings by using leg makeup (they even painted a "seam" along the back of their legs to complete the illusion). An interesting effect of the rubber shortage was government pressure on swimsuit manufacturers to design and promote two-piece (almost-but-not-quite-a-bikini) swimsuits, since they used less cloth and rubber.

Shortages (and the government's solution for them, rationing) affected nearly every aspect of American life. Consumers answered this solution with a new problem, the Black Market.

The Office of Price Administration (OPA) administered the rationing program. The OPA determined what items or categories of items were essential and in short enough supply to require rationing. Strict price controls were placed on items which, though plentiful, were still essential to the war effort. These price controls were used not only to control consumption, but also to keep wartime perceptions from artificially inflating the prices of nonessentials. Some items which were rationed were: rubber, automobiles, typewriters, sugar, bicycles, gasoline, farm machinery, fuel oil, coffee, oil and coal stoves, shoes, canned foods (especially canned meats), firewood, canned milk, and soft cheese.

Perhaps the worst "calamity" to hit consumers was gas and tire rationing. The national speed limit was lowered to 35 MPH to conserve these vital resources, and a ban on "pleasure driving" was enacted ("Is this trip really necessary?") Rubber shortages caused a freeze on tire sales and a ban on recaps. If you owned more than 5 tires, you had to turn the extras in at a service station. If you didn't, you were hoarding! Horse drawn carts and wagons regained popularity for newspaper, dairy and other product delivery. OPA agents scoured the countryside looking for "pleasure drivers" to confiscate their ration books.

Automobile owners were issued a ration sticker and card. The driver carried the card and affixed the sticker to the windshield. These were shown monthly to receive the appropriate ration coupon book. The coupons were dated and color-coded to limit use on a weekly basis. The colors changed monthly to discourage hoarding and would-be counterfeiters. There were six categories of gas stamps. A brief description of each follows.

A-Card: Lowest priority card issued. Authorizes 3-5 gallons per week.

B-Card: User is essential to the war effort. Authorizes 6-10 gallons per week.

C-Card: User is very essential to the war effort. Authorizes 12-20 gallons per week. Doctors were invariably given this level of card.

X-Card: Highest priority card issued. Allows unlimited gasoline. Congressmen and ministers were given this card.

T-Card: Trucker essential to war effort and allowed unlimited gasoline usage. Delivery men and mass transit operators were routinely given this card.

E-card: This card stood for "Emergency Use--Unlimited Gasoline". It was issued to policemen, firemen, and ambulance drivers. In a superhero campaign, heroes sponsored by the government would qualify for this card.

Some items weren't officially rationed, but might as well have been. Food was sold in stores on both a price and point system. The government issued books of coupons worth points (blue for canned goods, red for meat, fish, and dairy products). These were used along with cash to purchase products. To purchase an item, you had to have sufficient points and cash to pay for it. Beef, pork and fish were high-point items, while poultry required fewer points. The design of the coupons was periodically changed to prevent counterfeiting and hoarding.

The result of all the above was an increase in disposable income coupled with a lack of things to buy. Some people simply socked their money away in banks or bought War Bonds. Others spent their money any way they could, including the Black Market.

The Black Market, alias "Mr. Black", thrived during the war. It delivered items that might otherwise be difficult to acquire, at a high price, often double the legitimate value. Many saw "Mr. Black" as a harmless means of getting around government rationing. It was easy to rationalize such a purchase: "My shoes have a hole in them, and my work keeps me on my feet a lot.", "I needed a new pair of nylons for my date last night.", "My boss was coming for dinner and I wanted to give him steak."; etc.
Because of the ready market for such items, shipments of rare or rationed items were often hijacked to accommodate the demand. Counterfeit gasoline stickers and ration coupons increased throughout the war. Government records show that 15% of all "C" gasoline coupons and stickers were counterfeit. Many citizens saw nothing wrong with the Black Market, viewing it in the same light as exceeding the speed limit by 5 MPH or failing to report a cash transaction on your income tax. Of course, the Black Market was illegal.

Profits from Black Market operations led to more harmful criminal activities. A new type of cattle rustler appeared. He drove trucks of stolen cattle to be butchered and sold on the Black Market; a short stop at a nearby feedlot and suddenly a few cattle were missing. Trucks laden with rare items were commonly hijacked. Often, the driver was killed. The law tried to break up the Black Markets, but public sympathy often supported them. Hoarding was illegal. If you had a surplus of rationed items, you were guilty.

Sports and Entertainment:
More money meant more spending. Nightclubs appeared everywhere and made record profits. Restaurants had large numbers of customers because they were able to get more meat and dairy products. Theaters and sports became more important. Distractions from the war were very popular.

Radio shows enjoyed widespread popularity. Favorites were The Shadow, Gangbusters, Fibber McGee and Molly, and The Jack Benny Show. By the end of the war, that list included The Fred Allen Show (opposite The Jack Benny Show), One Man's Family, Queen for a Day, The Red Skelton Show, The Green Hornet, Superman, and The Inner Sanctum.

Popular movies and plays were The Wizard of Oz, The Road to Singapore, Citizen Kane, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Going My Way, Harvey, Bambi, This is the Army (starring Ronald Reagan), Oklahoma, On the Town, Casablanca, and Fantasia.

The 1940 Olympics (scheduled in England) and the 1944 Olympics (scheduled in Tokyo) were both, of course, cancelled. Other sports affected by the war included horse racing and auto racing. Banned for the duration, horse racing was considered nonessential to the war effort. Auto racing used too many rationed items.

Always popular before, baseball became THE national sport during the war. Sentries routinely used baseball trivia questions to identify US troops. This wasn't always successful: General Omar Bradley missed such a question at the Battle of the Bulge. The World Series was the high point of the Year.

Boxing was also popular. In 1940, Jack Dempsey retired from the ring. Joe Louis was the American Heavyweight Champion from 1937 to 1949. Although he was drafted into the Army in January, 1942, he never saw combat. He served throughout the war as a sergeant giving boxing demonstrations for the troops. In 1945, Rocky Grazians ("Rocky Graziano") was named "Boxer of the Year".

Lifestyles and morals:
The Forties weren’t just a different time and place, but a completely different culture. All kinds of relationships were different by todays standards.

Men were the providers and a woman’s place was in the home. At least that was the way things were supposed to work. In actuality, men did dominate society in general, but there were exceptions. There were female executives, but they were usually employed in "women’s" business, such as a lingerie manufacurer. If the business wasn’t one traditionally assigned to women, the female executive was very likely the owner.

Females sometimes had jobs that weren’t traditionally male, such as reporters or pilots. This was so unusual that people were actually surprised to learn of the "girl reporter" or "girl pilot" (she was a "Girl-something" even if she was middle-aged). Because the stereotypical female was scatterbrained and easily frightened, some men were unable to imagine that a female might actually be any good at a non-traditional profession. Female superheroes would likely find that their male team-mates will often ignore or downplay her ideas, but this is offset by the tendency of male villains to underestimate her ability and intelligence ("Ignore the skirt, get the guy in the cape!")

Racial relations ranged from homicidal (Nazis and the KKK) to tolerant. In fact, a minority character would be surprised to be treated as a complete equal by a white character. The standard for "the good guys" was to treat minority friends with a somewhat patronizing, but friendly attitude, as if he were a little brother. Most people during the forties had at least some amount of prejudice towards minorities, but this did not always result in overtly hostile behavior. Archie Bunker from "All in the Family" is a good illustration of this attitude.

Players are encouraged to exceed this standard, but fully modern standards of acceptance would be worth a psychological limitation, such as "Unusual lack of prejudice" or perhaps "Distinctive features", since his behavior would be considered "eccentric" by the standards of the day. Outright prejudice on the part of player characters should be cleared with the other players and me. Heroes of the Forties were on the cutting edge of tolerance. The only reason a player character might be allowed start out with serious prejudices is if he were going to undergo a radical change of heart, as part of the drama of the campaign.

Nearly everyone was fairly patriotic. People showed respect for the flag, stood up when the national anthem was played, and took it personally if anyone fell far short of this standard. "Unpatriotic" was a vile insult, and no hero would suffer an insult to his patriotism silently.

Clothing styles were very conservative. Unless a man were actually performing manual labor, he nearly always wore slacks, a shirt, and a tie. Shoes were oxfords, but some wore loafers for casual wear. Women were expected to wear dresses. An unusual woman might wear slacks, but usually only if her social position allowed her to "buck the trend" with impunity (as with Marlene Dietrich) or if she were employed in a defence-related job such as a riveter.

Living Expenses:
The Forties' dollar had about ten times the purchasing power of today's dollar. Some things were relatively more expensive, usually because the technology was new. Cars are the main exception to this rule, prices having outstripped inflation considerably over the last 30 years. This is mainly due to the addition of things like stereo systems, safety and emissions equipment, etc. Prices for common items are listed below.
 
 

Item	Price
House, Middle Class	$5,500
Luxury Car (Cadillac, Lincoln, Packard, or other  Limousine)	$5,000
Family Car, Deluxe model	$1,000
Family Car, Standard model	$800
Used Car (it runs)	$20 and up (the more up you go, the better it runs!)
Electric Shaver	$12.50
Leather Jacket	$7.00 to $10.00
Silk Hose	$0.6 to $1.00/pair
Women's Fur Coats	$69.50
Vacuum Cleaner	$59.95
Electric Percolator	$5.95
Radio	$14.95 to $695.00
Dry Cleaning (one suit or other outfit)	$0.29 to $0.79
Full Car Checkup	$4.95 to $9.50
Gasoline (per gallon)	$0.10
Oil Change (includes cost of 5 quarts oil)	$0.95
Salon Permanent	$4.00

 

Note: many of the events listed in this section actually happened.

~A tilde  at the beginning of a paragraph indicates an "embellished" account of historical events.
 
• Entirely fictional events are bulleted, like this paragraph.

• Dr. John Watson solves his first case as a consulting detective. Fearing that his prospects for employment in the medical community might be threatened by such an unusual hobby, he invents and gives the credit to the fictional character of Sherlock Holmes. Public demand for this "consulting detective" prompts the Doctor to hire a fading Shakespearian actor, Reginald Kinkaid, to portray Holmes in the flesh. The fictionalized accounts of their adventures are published in The Strand magazine by Aurther Conan Doyle.

Scientist Nicole Tesla Experiments with wireless power transmission. His main base of operations is located in Nebraska, in the geographical center of the United States.

1901:

• June 22: "The Great Aurora of 1901" occurs. At precisely 12:05 PM, Greenwitch Mean Time, the entire sky is illuminated by a brilliant flashing display lasting about 10 seconds. Observed around the world, there seems to be no aftereffects other than dazzled eyesight. Scientists explain this event as a very unusual, worldwide manifestation of the "Aurora Borealis".
• Nicole Tesla suspends his experiments when his power transmission equipment melts during the "Great Aurora". He moves to New York, where he experiments with wireless fluorescent lighting.

• Jun 23: Chinese warlord Wang Fu Manchu discovers the "Elixir Of Life", an alchemical formula that restores the recipient to youthful health and vigor. He subsequently changes his name to Dr. Fu Manchu.

Jun.: A mysterious celestial object streaks down and explodes over Tunguska Siberia, knocking down trees in a fifty-mile radius. The resultant tremors are recorded worldwide, but are misidentified as earthquakes. Czar Nicholas dismisses the reports from Siberia as the hysterical ravings of superstitious natives. A scientific investigation team is not dispatched until the mid-1930s.

1914:

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, sets off a series of events which culminate in the "Great War" (WW I).

1917:

The US Enters the war on the side of the Allies.

The Russian Empire withdraws from the Great War when revolution breaks out.

1918:

November 11: The Armistice ending WW I is signed. Under its terms, Germany is held financially responsible for the entire
war. Allied troops occupy the west bank of the Rhine.

World records set for powered flight: 150+ MPH, 30,000+ feet altitude.

1920:

Prohibition takes effect in the US. The Volstead act makes it illegal to manufacture or import alcoholic beverage  in the US and its territories. Criminal gangs, formerly fragmented and ineffectual, organize and cooperate to meet the undiminished demand for alcohol. The biggest profits are realized by importing established brands from outside the US.

The Bolsheviks win the Russian Civil War. Allied occupation troops in Russia mostly withdrawn.

The parachute with rip-cord is invented. Previous parachutes held the canopy in a rigid cannister that is attached to the vehicle. Jumping out pulled the 'chute from the cannister, at some risk of becoming entangled with the stricken vehicle. The new parachute design allows an airman to fall free of danger before opening his ‘chute.

The first commercial radio broadcasts begin.

1921:

War reparations payments deplete the German treasury. To pay Wiemar Republic employees, more money is printed. Runaway inflation strikes Germany.

1922:

The Ku Klux Klan experiences revival and growth.

Eugenics legislation passes in the state of Virginia allowing the sterilization of the "mentally defective", "idiots", habitual criminals, and the deformed, when such deformation is "hereditary and harmful to society". Many other states pass similar laws. These laws are sporadically enforced, mainly to control undesirable elements. The ill-understood definition of "hereditary and harmful to society" is usually interpreted to mean anyone the local "upstanding" citizens don’t want hanging around.

1923:

The Teapot Dome scandal rocks the Harding administration.

The Nazi putsch in Munich fails.

King Tut's Tomb is opened.

1924:

Calvin Coolidge is elected president of the US.

Aviators Day and Stewart attempt an unrefueled East-West Atlantic crossing. Their plane is discovered intact in Nova Scotia. A pair of footprints leading from the plane end abruptly 40 yards away. The pilots are never found.

1925:

The Nazi "SS" is formed.

Edale, Derbyshire, England is terrorized by many evidences of a werewolf.

1926:

Leon Trotski is expelled from the Politburo.

New Jersey: Dr. Goddard fires the first liquid-fueled rocket. It lands in, and sets fire to, his aunt’s carrot patch.
 

• Dr. Fu Manchu threatens to destroy US military bases unless he is paid $100,000 in gold. The State Department dismisses the threat as the rantings of a lunatic.

~Shortly afterwards, lightning starts a massive explosion at the US Naval ammunition dump at Lake Denmark, New Jersey, resulting in 30 missing and presumed dead and $85 million in damages. Survivors claim that a huge airship appeared over the ammo dump moments before the explosion.

• Dr. Fu Manchu threatens to destroy the League of Nations headquarters building. He is foiled when the League receives an anonymous tip revealing the location of the bomb.

The World is electrified when Charles A. Lindbergh flies non-stop between NYC and Paris, the first solo non-stop crossing of any ocean.

• A team of agents assembled by League of Nations member states attempts to track down and arrest Dr. Fu Manchu for terrorist acts. They manage to infiltrate his secret base on the peak of Mount Vesuvious and board his airship. During the ensuing scuffle, Dr. Fu Manchu apparently falls to his death.

First television experiments begin. The most promising method at this time is a mechanical system.

Teletypes are invented, going into general use almost immediately, mostly by news services.

The first sound movie is released. The Jazz Singer, while only containing a few sound segments, is a great hit.

Herbert Hoover is elected President of the US.

1929:

Oct. 24: The great stock market crash -- Stock values plummet. The Great Depression begins.

~Peter Kurten, the infamous "Vampire of Dusselldorf" (a serial killer and child molester) terrorizes the city. Police efforts to capture Kurten interferes with Dusseldorf's criminal gang operations. The gangs organize to capture, try and kill Kurten in a "court of criminals". Kurten’s body is discovered in front of Dusseldorf Police Headquarters with its head severed and a wooden stake driven through it's heart.

1930:

Scores die and 300 are stricken by a poisonous fog in Belgium. An airship is seen leaving the area by several of the survivors.

• Dr Fu Manchu, apparently having survived a fall from 10,000 feet, sends a telegram to the League of Nations, claiming credit for the gas attack and vowing further acts of revenge.

Jan 1: New York’s Empire State Building is completed. The 102-story building is the tallest in the world at 1,485 feet.

(Up through January of 1931, no superpowered beings are in evidence anywhere on Earth.)

• Feb: The Wraith, a "masked mystery man" with the rumored ability to render himself invisible, begins a one-man campaign of terror against gansters in Chicago. FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover publicly deplores the Wraith’s vigilantism, but issues secret orders to the Chicago bureau not to interfere unless the Wraith harms innocents.

 
• Other "mystery men" surface at this time, on one side of the law or the other. Oddly, the general public is thrilled by the mystery men, elevating them to celebrity status without regard to the legality of their deeds. Magazines and comic books celebrate their deeds and misdeeds, often creating wholly fictional accounts of their exploits.

Mar 3: The "Star Spangled Banner" is officially declared the US national anthem.

Sept 18: Japan begins conquest of China by occupying Mukden, Manchuria.

Oct 25: The George Washington Bridge opens, the first to span the Hudson river, joining New York and New Jersey.

Nov 21: The movie Frankenstein premiers.

1932:

Feb 4: The Winter Olympics are held at Lake Placid, New York.

May 3: Gangster Al Capone is convicted of tax evasion. He is sentenced to serve 10 years in prison.
 

~Jun 30: The US Navy airship, Los Angeles enters a 12-month program of refurbishment under the direction of Major T. "Tex" Jones, a reserve aviation engineer on loan from the Army. Major Jones holds radical views regarding air power, but is friends with several high-ranking officials in both the Navy and Army aviation programs.

Sep 15: Japan forms the Manchurian puppet state called Manchukuo.

Nov 9: Franklin D. Roosevelt defeats Herbert Hoover and is elected the 32nd president of the US. His vice president is John N. Garner.

Dec 22: The movie The Mummy premiers.

• The tramp steamship SS Josephine sets sail from New York harbor. Aboard the Josephine is producer and entrepreneur James Denham and a full movie production crew.

Jan 30: Adolf Hitler is elected Chancellor of Germany.

• Feb 1: Dr. Clark Savage opens the "Golden Opportunity Psychiatric Institute" in upstate New York. This well-funded non-profit organization provides rehabilitation for a variety of mental disorders, boasting a remarkably high success rate.

 
• Feb 15: A masked mystery man foils an assassination attempt on FDR.

• Mar 15: The refurbishment of US Navy airship, Los Angeles is completed 3 months ahead of schedule. The Los Angeles has been completely dismantled and reassembled according to Major Jones’ specifications.

• The modifications include: diesel engines rather than gasoline engines, minimizing the threat of fire; Ducted propellers with thrust vectoring, granting more precise maneuvering for launching and docking maneuvers; better streamlining for speed and economy; and greater lifting capacity, allowing 12 fighters to be carried, rather than six.

• The Los Angeles immediately sets a new transcontinental record by crossing the US from San Francisco to Washington, DC nonstop in only 12½ hours, averaging 200 miles per hour. After appearing over the nation’s capitol, the Los Angeles embarks on a planned four-week shakedown over the Atlantic.

Mar 24: The German Reichstag grants Hitler dictatorial power.

Mar 27: Japan quits the League of Nations.

• Apr 1: The SS Josephine returns to New York. James Denham claims to have discovered the "Eighth Wonder of the World". The unveiling of this wonder is scheduled for the 28th of April, at Denham’s new night club in Manhattan.

~Apr 4: The Navy dirigible USS Akron crashes and sinks off the New Jersey coast in a storm. Due to the timely arrival of the Los Angeles, losses are limited to 16 crew members. Among the lost is Rear Admiral Moffett, Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics.

~The excellent performance of the Los Angeles in rescuing downed Navy Airmen during a storm prompts the Navy to modify its remaining airships, the USS Macon and the USS Shenandoah, as funding permits.

• Apr 28: King Kong, the "Eighth Wonder of the World", escapes from James Denham’s Manhattan nightgclub. During his brief rampage, the giant ape kills or injures 27 people, kidnaps an actress, wrecks an elevated train filled with passengers, and is finally killed when it plummets from the top of the Empire State building.

Dec 5: Prohibition is repealed with the passing of the 21st Amendment.

Walt Disney Studios releases the short subject: The Three Little Pigs.

1934:

May 23: The infamous bank robbers, Bonnie and Clyde are gunned down in a police ambush.

Jun 30: "The Night of the Long Knives": Hitler’s SS assasinates 150 rival NAZI SA (Brown Shirts) members, including Ernst Roehm and other rivals.

July 6: Gangster John Dillinger is gunned down by Federal agents in Chicago.

Aug 2: German president Hindenberg dies. Hitler has himself proclaimed President and Chancellor, assuming the title Reichsführer.

1935:

~Feb 12: The Navy dirigible, USS Macon undergoes modification at the newly-renamed Moffett Field, south of San Francisco.

Oct 3: Italy invades Ethiopia.

1936:

• Feb 17: Dr. Clark Savage II, aka "Doc’ Savage", is deputized as an auxiliary New York State policeman. He purchases the 86th floor of the Empire State building as his base of operations.

Aug. 1: The opening ceremonies of the Olympics are held in Berlin. The US wins the most gold medals, but Germany wins the most medals overall.

~Rumors fly that Germany’s high medal count is due to the use of "eugenic treatments" on the German team. Medical science recognizes the possibility of using medical technology to enhance an athlete’s performance, but inspectors at the Olympics find no clear evidence of wrongdoing by the Germans.

Oct 9: Boulder Dam (renamed Hoover Dam in 1937) is completed in Nevada. It stands 726 feet tall.

• Oct 31: Dr. Fu Manchu holds Boulder Dam hostage. He threatens to destroy the dam with his "radio-force-ray" if not paid $1,000,000. Heroes intervene, saving the dam, but Fu Manchu escapes.

Nov. 18: Germany and Italy recognize the Franco regime in Spain while France and the U.S.S.R. support the Spanish Republican government.

1937:

~Mar 15: The Creator of the Cthulhu mythos, writer Howard Phillips Lovecraft, disappears. Witnesses report his abduction by gibbering, unnamable, vicious, unspeakable horrors.

~May 6: The dirigible Hindenberg explodes on arrival at Lakehurst, New Jersey. Thanks to the timely arrival of several mystery-men, 61 people are rescued from the flaming wreckage.

~May 27: The Golden Gate Bridge opens, linking San Francisco to Marin county to the north. Dr. FU Manchu attempts to hold the bridge hostage, but once again is thwarted by mystery-men. Fu Manchu is captured, but escapes before being brought to trial.

Jul. 4: The first successful helicopter, the FW-61, designed by Heinrich Focke, is demonstrated by Hanna Reitsch at Bremen.

Nov. 29: Britain and France trade colonies to Germany for peace.

Dec 6: German scientist, Werner von Braun, begins testing the A-3 rocket at Peenemünde, Germany, leading to the development of the A-4 (known as the V-2). Plans are laid for a multi-stage version, the A-10, capable of reaching the US.

Dec 12: Japanese air attack sinks the US gunboat Panay in Chinese waters. Japan apologises.

1938:

Mar 13: Germany annexes Austria.

~June: The first truly super-powered superhero appears in New York. Starman claims to be an orphan from another planet. His ability to leap an eighth of a mile, lift heavy objects, and incredible resistance to damage lends credence to this claim.

Oct 30 : A spacecraft lands at Grovers Mill, New Jersey. The hostile occupants terrorize the countryside for eight hours until the arrival of several heroes (Starman, Doc Savage, Darkman, and Speed Demon.) The heroes quickly "persuade" the aliens to depart, earning national recognition.

• Speed Demon boasts that the heroes are a "regular Justice Fraternity." The name sticks, and the heroes decide to form a team (the first ever to include known metahumans). Doc Savage donates office space on the 86th floor of the Empire State Building for the use of this "Justice Fraternity."

~Dec 8: Germany's first aircraft carriers, the Graf Zeppelin and Peter Strasser are launched. The airship Luxembourg begins its around-the-world flight.

Feb. 18: The Golden Gate International Exposition opens in San Francisco.

Mar 15: Germany Occupies the Czech territories of Bohemia and Moravia without opposition.

Mar 26: Poland refuses to cede the Danzig Corridor to the Germans.

Mar 31: Britain and France guarantee Poland's integrity.

Apr. 1: The Spanish Civil War Ends. The US recognizes Franco's government.

Apr. 30: The New York World's Fair Opens with the theme "the World of Tomorrow". Attendance tops 500,000. 22 nations participate in showing off their technological prowess. Notable by its absence is Nazi Germany.

First Large-scale demonstration of electronic television takes place at the exposition.

• Several American meta-humans make their public debut as "superheroes" at the event.

• US Navy boasts that only four airships are required to guarantee US security. Two new airships are constructed, to supplement the USS Macon and the USS Shenandoah. The new ships are the USS Baltimore and the USS Oakland. The Oakland is subsequently renamed USS Moffet (in honor of the late Chief of Aeronautics).

• May 7: Dr. Fu Manchu attempts to destroy Washington, DC, with a "Radium Bomb", but is thwarted by the Justice Fraternity. Dr. Clark Savage suffers severe radium poisoning when he disarms the bomb.

~Sep. 1: Germany invades Poland. Poland's only known metahuman hero, Polska, is killed by an SS assassination squad equipped with compact shoulder-fired recoilless rifles scant hours after the invasion begins.

Sep. 5: Roosevelt declares the US neutral.

Sep. 17: Russia invades Eastern Poland.

Sep. 24: The US starts the Cash and Carry program, permitting trade with warring nations so long as they pay cash and provide their own transportation.

Sep. 27: Warsaw surrenders and the war ends in Poland. The Polish resistance gains a new hero when Davro, a notorious super gangster, uses his criminal organization to harass the Germans, stealing everything from sausages to tanks and turning over much of the booty to the resistance.

Sep 28: The German/Russian alliance divides Poland. Davro ceases operations in German-occupied Poland after the town of Dessa is razed in reprisal for his raids.

• Millionaire Philanthropist and hero Doc Savage announces his retirement from the Justice Fraternity due to health problems. Starman is declared the new leader. Starman announces that tryouts will be held in January to select Doc Savage’s replacement.

• Sep 29: President Roosevelt announces the establishment of the "Dr. Clark Savage" award. The award is presented to American civilians who have done a great service to their country, and is the highest non-military award. "Doc" Savage is the first recipient.

~Oct 24: The USS Los Angeles is retired from service. An anonymous benefactor purchases it and donates the airship to the Justice Fraternity for use as a mobile headquarters. Doc Savage denies he is the benefactor.

Dec. 17: The German battleship Graf Spee is scuttled off Montevideo after a battle with three British battle cruisers.

1940:

• Jan: The Justice Fraternity holds tryouts to select Doc Savage’s replacement. Of nearly one hundred applicants, only four are deemed powerful enough to be considered seriously.

• Femme Vitale is deemed unsuitable due to her unladylike costume (she wears pants!)

• Cowgirl is rejected on the grounds that her appearance is too grotesque.

• Captain Miracle is accepted as a probationary member. Starman expresses doubts as to whether the Fraternity needs another "strong man", but is overruled by the other members.

 
• Inferno, the first female to be admitted to the group, is also selected as a probationary member on the condition that her costume be modified to a more "modest" design.

 
• The Justice Fraternity now includes at least one female member. The Justice Fraternity members vote to change the name of the group to the Sentinels of Justice, a more gender-neutral term.

• Several British supers debut in defense of their capitol. A new hero, British Lion, distinguishes himself by single-handedly evacuating the occupants of a burning Salvation Army mission, suffering terrible burns in the process.

Apr. 9: The Germans occupy Denmark without meeting resistance, and invade Norway.

May 5: Norway's King Haakon VII escapes to England.

May 10: The Germans invade Belgium, Holland, and Luxembourg, ending the period called the "phoney war", a period of relative inactivity against Germany by Britain and France.

May 11: The British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, resigns and is replaced by Winston Churchill.

May 13: Igor Sikorsky secretly makes the first US helicopter free flight with his VS-300 at Stratford, Connecticut. Top speed is only 65 miles per hour.

May 15: Holland surrenders and the Dutch Queen escapes to England.

May 28: The Belgian army surrenders and King Leopold III remains, a German prisoner.

Jun. 4: The Germans occupy Dunkirk following a British evacuation of 338,000 men.

~British supers (and some sympathetic American ones) hold off the Luftwaffe, buying time for the evacuation to succeed.

Jun. 14: The Germans occupy Paris. The French Government moves to Bordeaux.

Jun. 16: Marshall Petain forms a new French government in order to negotiate an armistice with Germany.

Jun. 18: French general Charles de Gaulle forms the Free French Government in exile in London.

Jun. 22: The French/German armistice is signed in the same railway car that Germany signed it's surrender in WW I. After the signing ceremonies are concluded, the Germans blow up the rail car, obliterating this reminder of past failure. German troops occupy three-fifths of France.

• Dr. Fu Manchu congratulates Hitler on his victory via telegraph, and offers assistance against allied heroes.

Jun. 28: Congress passes the Alien Registration Act. All aliens age 14 and older must report for registration and fingerprinting. Government officials and their families are excepted. Over 5 million eventually register.

~A rider to the bill called the "Superpowers clause" requires all persons with metahuman characteristics to register as well. As passed, the rider requires fingerprints and Secret ID information only if the registrant is a convicted felon.

Jul. 16: Hitler orders preparations for Operation See Löwe (Sea Lion), the invasion of England. German air power begins to soften resistance to the invasion, starting the Battle of Britain.

June 30: Germans occupy England’s Channel Islands, Alderney, guernsey, Jersey, and Sark.

• British heroes attempting to evict German troops are shocked to discover that the Germans possess a mind control device powered by the "Spear of Destiny" . The device only seems to affect metahumans, and is completely ineffective against normal humans. This device’s area of effect seems to be limited to German-occupied territory.

Aug. 25: The British begin massive bombing attacks over Berlin.

Sep. 3: The US trades 50 WWI destroyers to Britain in exchange for Naval Bases in the Caribbean.

Sep. 27: The German/Italian/Japanese Axis is formed when these governments sign the Tripartite Pact.

~Oct. 12: Operation See Löwe is postponed to give the Lüftwaffe more time to "soften up" Britain.
 
• German Supers under the command of Doktor Zerstörer assault British "listening posts" in southern England, but are repulsed by British heroes.

• Command of Waffen Überkommando (Warfighting Super-Commandos) is transferred to Herr Doktor Quaal. Doktor Zerstörer is given command of Überwaffen Fabrik (a "superweapons" research and development facility)

Oct. 23: Hitler fails to convince Franco to let German troops cross Spain to attack British troops at Gibraltar.

Oct. 24: Hitler fails to convince the Vichy French government of the need to ally with Germany.

Oct. 28: Italian troops in Albania invade Greek Territory.
 

• Greek heroes Heracles and Marathon battle invading Italian supers.

Nov.: Roosevelt is re-elected, this time defeating Republican candidate Wendell L. Willkie. This time his Vice President is Henry A. Wallace.

1941:

Mar. 1: The lend-lease bill passes, giving Roosevelt the power to: "Sell, exchange, lend, lease, or otherwise dispose of defense materials to the government of any country whose defense the President deems vital to the defense of the United States."

• Mar 2: Dr. Quaal convinces Hitler to assign the Waffen Überkommando the task of infiltrating the US and preventing the effective use of American Supers against the Reich.

Apr. 5: Russia and Yugoslavia sign a pact.

Apr. 6: Germany invades Yugoslavia and Greece.

Apr. 10: Croatia wins independence.

Apr. 17: Yugoslavia surrenders to Germany.

Apr. 21: Greece surrenders to Germany.

Apr. 24: British troops leave Greece.

May 11: Rudolf Hess, the "Number Three Nazi", is captured parachuting into Scotland in an attempt to deal for peace between England and Germany.

May 20: Crete is occupied by the Germans.

May 24: The German battleship Bismarck sinks the British cruiser Hood.

May 27: British torpedo-bombers sink the Bismarck.

Jun. An Australian nurse, Sister Elizabeth Kenny, invents a successful treatment for Polio.

• Captain USA debuts as the first "superpatriot" metahuman.

July: FDR forms the office of the Coordinator of Information (COI) the predecessor of the OSS (and later, the CIA.)

• FDR directs the War Department to create an interservice agency to coordinate metahuman resources. The agency is initially called the Office of American Super Humans, or OASH (pronounced "wash"). The agency is later renamed Department of American Super Humans (DASH), mainly because the acronym sounds more dynamic.

• The Sentinels of Justice offer their services to the Department of American Super Humans. DASH accepts the offer, but changes the group’s name to Justice Patrol. DASH attempts to refuse to allow female members to join, but relents after the Justice Patrol appeals to the president.

~The ground breaking ceremony for the Pentagon building is held. The Pentagon is the largest office building in the world. Nazi agents attempt to put a time bomb in the Pentagon’s foundation, but are thwarted by heroes.

Jul. 16: The US occupies Iceland. Smolensk falls to Germany.

Aug. 14: Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt sign the Atlantic Charter. Both agree that if America becomes involved in the war, that they will concentrate on defeating Germany first.

Aug. 28: German troops occupy the Baltic states.

Sep. 19: Kiev falls to Nazis.

Oct: US troops stationed in the Pacific are placed on a heightened state of alert. Diplomatic tensions between Japan and the US are very high.

The threat from Japan is percieved being terrorist in nature. Precautions taken include positioning aircraft in neat, orderly rows to make it easier to protect them from sabotage. Over the next two months several skirmishes occur. Most are between US surface vessels and Japanese submarines. At least one Japanese sub is sunk during this time.

Oct. 16: The Russian Government flees to Kuibyshev. Odessa is occupied by Rumanian troops.

Oct. 24: The Germans occupy Kharkov.

(Start of campaign.)

~Nov. 15: Soviet troops, aided by soviet heroes, halt the Germans short of Moscow.

Dec 6: The War Department determines that the terrorist threat from Japan has passed. All units in the Pacific are ordered to stand down from alert status.

Dec. 7: Japan stages a successful surprise attack on the US Naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. 423 aircraft launched from six carriers attack in two waves, sinking 5 US battleships, 2 cruisers, 1 destroyer, several smaller craft, and
 severely damage 3 other battleships. Nearly all US aircraft are destroyed on the ground.

Only a handful of US aircraft manage to get airborne to repel the attack. At least one is shot down by US anti-aircraft fire.

• A third wave of bombers and a marine amphibious assault group is turned back by the timely arrival of American superheroes.

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