Combat

The Combat pinball machine, manufactured by Glickman Industries between 1942 and 1944, is a wartime-era conversion of Exhibit's 1940 'Leader.' Initially Glickman performed the conversion for the operator -- adding a new backglass and bumpers and repainting the cabinet -- before switching to a conversion-kit-only model by mid-1943. The earliest known reference to this conversion dates to March 1942, during World War II, a time when pinball manufacturing faced material shortages and the industry itself faced scrutiny in some cities due to its association with gambling.

Play on Combat features a flipperless layout typical of early 1940s EM pinball. Players would have relied on skillfully nudging the cabinet to guide the steel ball past bumpers and targets, since the design predates the 1947 invention of the flipper.

Notably, very little is known about Combat's design, art, or theme, suggesting a straightforward, no-frills conversion intended for quick and inexpensive availability to operators rather than showpiece appeal. As such, enthusiasts will be drawn to its historical significance as an example of wartime pinball production.