National Comics #7 (1941)

The Dictators of Europe, having laid waste to all the fruitful land and productive cities there, decide to feed their enslaved populations by looting the United States of its crops and natural resources. Massive waves of bombers are hurled into American airspace, but are repelled by U.S. fighter planes. The European forces withdraw, and an enormous industrial project is undertaken. Fifty giant submarine-tanks, each carrying 1000 soldiers, are swiftly constructed, and when they are complete, the second invasion wave begins. These monstrous machines march undetected across the entire Atlantic Ocean, approaching America. Uncle Sam and Buddy Smith just happen to be out in a rowboat, fishing, off the coast of Long Island, when several hundred dead fish float to the surface all around them. Unc dives into the ocean to investigate, spots one of the giant submarine-transports, returns to the rowboat, and propels it to shore with amazing speed, passing at least one speedboat along the way. Sam sends Buddy to alert the Coast Guard, and addresses all the fishermen of Montauk Point, about fifty of them, rallying them to arm themselves and embark, in dories and fishing smacks, to the defense of their town. A wave of European warplanes meets severe ground-based antiaircraft cannonfire, but it's all a distraction, as the behemoth amphibious tanks wade ashore, and their troops emerge. Uncle Sam and his volunteers rig up some deep-sea diving suits and get into the ocean. As they approach the tanks they are spotted, and European marines with oxygen masks are deployed. Uncle Sam smacks them about, and the Montauk fishermen join in. Sam leaves the melee to enter one of the tank-subs, then returns in fifteen minutes and gives the all-clear signal. The volunteers commandeer this sub-tank, and ram it thru a formation of the other giant vessels. Uncle Sam swims free, lifts one sub-tank free of the ocean floor, and stands it on one end, at least briefly. Soon U.S. submarines arrive and pitch in to the sub-surface combat, while U.S. fighter planes do the same to the air battle above. U.S. Infantry and heavy bombers arrive. The tide of battle turns against the invaders. Uncle Sam takes down one last enemy dive bomber, hand to hand, captures both crewmen, and throws away the plane. The next day, the Fishermen of Montauk are awarded medals for valor, at a special ceremony, with all of the captured enemy troops in attendance. One spokesman emerges from the P.O.W.s, to denounce their dictators, and vows that if they ever return to their country, they will restore democracy there. Uncle Sam accepts this, and tells them they're free to go home.