Age of Aces » War Novels http://www.ageofaces.net The Best in Air-War Fiction Fri, 08 May 2026 10:00:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.1 en hourly 1 “The Sky’s The Limit” by Ralph Oppenheim http://www.ageofaces.net/2025/03/the-skys-the-limit-by-ralph-oppenheim/ http://www.ageofaces.net/2025/03/the-skys-the-limit-by-ralph-oppenheim/#comments Fri, 14 Mar 2025 11:00:43 +0000 David http://www.ageofaces.net/?p=13315 “LET’S GO!” Once more, The Three Mosquitoes familiar battle cry rings out over the western front and the three khaki Spads take to the air, each sporting the famous Mosquito insignia. In the cockpits sat three warriors who were known wherever men flew as the greatest and most hell raising trio of aces ever to blaze their way through overwhelming odds—always in front was Kirby, their impetuous young leader. Flanking him on either side were the mild-eyed and corpulent Shorty Carn, and lanky Travis, the eldest and wisest Mosquito.

We’re back with the second of three tales of Ralph Oppenheim’s Three Mosquitoes we’re featuring this March for Mosquito Month! This one is epic! The “Flying Dutchman” and his Circus have been overwhelming the Allied squadrons up and down the Western Front with their sheer numbers. Needless to say Kirby wants to take out the “Flying Dutchman”—Kellar—and put an end to his Circus. They go up again each other several times with alternating fortunes and develop a mutual admiration and respect for one another. Unfortunately, the Western Front is not big enough for both Aces.

From the April 1928 issue of War Novels!

They were known as the “Three Mosquitoes” Kirby, Carn, and Travis—and they were famous all over the Western Front as the most daring three-plane combination that ever flew over the Boche lines and engaged the enemy planes in deadly combat. Kirby, the leader, was after Kellar, the German ace called the “Flying Dutchman”—and here is the story of what happened—one of the most thrilling and exciting flying yarns ever written! Zoom into her, gang!

And check back next Friday when the inseparable trio will be back with another exciting adventure!

]]> http://www.ageofaces.net/2025/03/the-skys-the-limit-by-ralph-oppenheim/feed/ 0 “Square—Hell!” by O.B. Myers http://www.ageofaces.net/2023/10/square%e2%80%94hell-by-o-b-myers/ http://www.ageofaces.net/2023/10/square%e2%80%94hell-by-o-b-myers/#comments Fri, 06 Oct 2023 10:00:35 +0000 David http://www.ageofaces.net/?p=12010 THIS week we have a story from the pen of a prolific pulp author O.B. Myers! Myers was a pilot himself, flying with the 147th Aero Squadron and carrying two credited victories and awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

This time, Mr. Myers gives us a tale of the supposed chivalry among enemy pilots in “Square—Hell!” from the pages of the June 1929 number of War Novels!

“Give them both guns in the guts”—that was the flight commander’s treatment for disabled enemy flyers. But air warfare to Larry Fowler was still a game, to be played according to certain rules of sportsmanship.

]]> http://www.ageofaces.net/2023/10/square%e2%80%94hell-by-o-b-myers/feed/ 0 “The Flying Spider” by Ralph Oppenheim http://www.ageofaces.net/2021/03/the-flying-spider-by-ralph-oppenheim/ http://www.ageofaces.net/2021/03/the-flying-spider-by-ralph-oppenheim/#comments Fri, 19 Mar 2021 11:00:18 +0000 David http://www.ageofaces.net/?p=10023 THROUGH the dark night sky, streaking swiftly with their Hisso engines thundering, is the greatest trio of aces on the Western Front—the famous and inseparable “Three Mosquitoes,” the mightiest flying combination that had ever blazed its way through overwhelming odds and laughed to tell of it! Flying in a V formation—at point was Captain Kirby, impetuous young leader of the great trio; on his right was little Lieutenant “Shorty” Carn, the mild-eyed, corpulent little Mosquito and lanky Lieutenant Travis, eldest and wisest of the Mosquitoes on his left!

We’re back with the third and final of three Ralph Oppenheim’s Three Mosquitoes stories we’re featuring this March for Mosquito Month! And this one’s a doozy! Who had not heard of that grim nickname—”The Spider”? It was the nickname of Germany’s most notorious spy—the plague and dread of the Allied powers. The whole Allied intelligence system was after this man, but they had never been able to catch him; he seemed to bear a charmed life. Kirby and his comrades had heard many rumors of his wild, hairbreadth escapades, but they had not known how truly deadly he was! And now the Three Mosquitoes found themselves caught in The Spider’s web! From the pages of the June 15th, 1929 issue of War Novels it’s Ralph Oppenheim’s “The Flying Spider!”

Here it is, gang—the greatest flying yarn of the year! Kirby, Travis and Carn, that famous trio of war birds, thought they were going to have a rest. They flew that important visiting Limey, Colonel Haley-Shaw, to England—and then all hell busted loose, for they had landed in the web of the infamous and powerful “Spider.”

]]> http://www.ageofaces.net/2021/03/the-flying-spider-by-ralph-oppenheim/feed/ 0 “Five Gobs” by C.M. Miller http://www.ageofaces.net/2020/07/five-gobs-by-c-m-miller/ http://www.ageofaces.net/2020/07/five-gobs-by-c-m-miller/#comments Fri, 24 Jul 2020 10:00:56 +0000 David http://www.ageofaces.net/?p=9320 THIS week we have a story from the pen of C.M. Miller! Miller is known to Age of Aces readers as the author behind Chinese Brady, an old war horse who’s fought in most every scrap there’s been. This time it’s a little something different than our usual aviation tale. Miller gives the story of five sailors in a launch separated from their boat trying desperately to get back. Only trouble is, a German Uboat is using them to get their at the U.S.S. Leichester too! From the pages of the July 1929 issue of War Novels, it’s “Five Gobs!”

Five gobs stranded in a motor boat didn’t amount to a tinker’s damn when that periscope sneaked up. The U.S.S. Leichester turned seaward and ran like the devil—leaving those five to play with a Heinie sub.

]]> http://www.ageofaces.net/2020/07/five-gobs-by-c-m-miller/feed/ 0 “Dreadnoughts of the Air” by Ralph Oppenheim http://www.ageofaces.net/2020/03/dreadnoughts-of-the-air-by-ralph-oppenheim/ http://www.ageofaces.net/2020/03/dreadnoughts-of-the-air-by-ralph-oppenheim/#comments Fri, 27 Mar 2020 11:00:54 +0000 David http://www.ageofaces.net/?p=9019 TO ROUND off Mosquito Month we have a non-Mosquitoes story from the pen of Ralph Oppenheim. Lt. Jim Edwards knew he was the worst flyer in the squadron. When the C.O. called him to his office he was sure he was going to be sent to Blois in disgrace—instead the C.O. offers him a mission that could mean spending the rest of the war in a German prisoner of war camp, but when push came to shove, it turns out Edwards could shove with the best of them! From the September 1928 issue of War Novels it’s “Dreadnoughts of the Air!”

Lieutenant Jim Edwards knew it was coming, though he did everything he could to stop it. Somehow, he just couldn’t catch on to this flying. He knew he was in disgrace, that from the C.O. down the men laughed at him. Jim Edwards faced Blois—and disgrace—dishonor. Then came the C.O.’s amazing suggestion, and Lieutenant Jim Edwards gritted his teeth—that would be worse than disgrace!

]]> http://www.ageofaces.net/2020/03/dreadnoughts-of-the-air-by-ralph-oppenheim/feed/ 0 “McClarnin Shoots a Natural” by Allan R. Bosworth http://www.ageofaces.net/2019/12/mcclarnin-shoots-a-natural-by-allan-r-bosworth/ http://www.ageofaces.net/2019/12/mcclarnin-shoots-a-natural-by-allan-r-bosworth/#comments Fri, 27 Dec 2019 11:00:05 +0000 David http://www.ageofaces.net/?p=8918 THIS week we have a story from the pen of the Navy’s own Allan R. Bosworth. Being a Navy man, Bosworth’s stories primarily dealt with the Navy. In this week’s story from the pages of War Novels, Bosworth gives us the story of some sailors who try to get a game of Craps in and get caught below deck when the ship is torpedoed by a German sub!

Stealthily the four men entered that water-tight storeroom and dogged down the door. Yet they soon found a fifth one among them, grimly smiling at their little game.

From the pages of the June 15th, 1929 issue of War Novels, it “McClarnin Shoots a Natural!”

]]> http://www.ageofaces.net/2019/12/mcclarnin-shoots-a-natural-by-allan-r-bosworth/feed/ 0 The Three Mosquitoes in “Early Birds” by Ralph Oppenheim http://www.ageofaces.net/2018/03/early-birds-by-ralph-oppenheim/ http://www.ageofaces.net/2018/03/early-birds-by-ralph-oppenheim/#comments Fri, 02 Mar 2018 11:00:59 +0000 David http://www.ageofaces.net/?p=7139 THROUGH the dark night sky, streaking swiftly with their Hisso engines thundering, is the greatest trio of aces on the Western Front—the famous and inseparable “Three Mosquitoes,” the mightiest flying combination that had ever blazed its way through overwhelming odds and laughed to tell of it! Flying in a V formation—at point was Captain Kirby, impetuous young leader of the great trio; on his right was little Lieutenant “Shorty” Carn, the mild-eyed, corpulent little Mosquito and lanky Lieutenant Travis, eldest and wisest of the Mosquitoes on his left!

Yes! The Three Mosquitoes—the unseasonably warm weather has brought the Mosquitoes out of hibernation to help get through the cold winter months, at Age of Aces dot net it’s our fourth annualMosquito Month! We’ll be featuring that wiley trio in three early tales from the Western Front. To start things off we have a tale featuring Travis from 1928. There are no secrets between The Three Mosquitoes—if that’s the case, then what’s Travis been doing on his early morning test runs? That’s what the impetuous Kirby and his pal Shorty want to find out. And they get more than a proverbial worm when they’re up with the “Early Birds.” From War Novels, October 1928—

These three fearless flyers had sworn never to have any secrets, never to do anything alone. Yet here was one of them sneaking off on mysterious before-dawn flights. Why? Where? The best yet of the gripping “Three Mosquitoes” yarns.

If you enjoyed this tale of our intrepid trio, check out some of the other stories of The Three Mosquitoes we have posted by clicking the Three Mosquitoes tag or check out one of the three volumes we’ve published on our books page! And come back next Friday or another exciting tale.

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