By the time it was launched in 1961, Battle Picture Library already had two stablemates at Fleetway Publications - War Picture Library and Air Ace Picture Library. To avoid any conflicts with its sister magazines, Battle concentrated solely on stories based on land, although the authors and artists had plenty of scope when deciding on settings for their tales of action and adventure. Stories such as The Rats of Tobruk or Blood on the Sand pit our fighting men against their bitter enemies in the heat and dust of the desert while Dawn Attack or Shock Tactics see them fighting hand-to-hand in the European battlegrounds. The Hit The Dirt! collection features some of the finest stories ever to appear in the Battle Picture Library series, providing hours of entertainment for fans of fighting yarns whether they be revisiting the classic comic book series they remember from their youth, or whether they are going into Battle for the first time.