《空军战士》第31章

r　Surbeck　and　McGovern；　the　guns　ontheir　Liberator　tested　okay。
After　an　hour　or　so；　Surbeck’s　plane　had　bee　a　part　of　the　formation。It　was　a　squadron　box　of　seven　aircraft。　There　were　two　three…plane　echelons。The　lead　plane　had　a　wingman　just　behind　and　on　either　side。　Surbeck　wasone　of　those　on　the　wing　of　the　leader。　The　second　echelon　was　forty　feetbelow　and　forty　feet　back　of　the　lead　echelon。　The　seventh　aircraft；　knownas　〃Tail　End　Charlie；〃　was　behind　the　second　echelon。　Flying　the　wing；　evenfor　Surbeck；　was　more　difficult　than　being　in　the　lead；　but　easier　thanflying　Tail　End　Charlie。　As　the　last　plane　in　the　squadron；　Tail　End　Charliewas　the　most　vulnerable　if　German　fighters　attacked；　and　it　was　the　hardestposition　to　hold。　Usually　new　pilots　and　crews　got　that　assignment。　On　thewing；　Surbeck　wanted　to　stay　close　to　the　plane　he　was　flying　on　so　as　tomake　as　small　and　infrequent　power　changes　as　possible；　to　save　the　enginesand　save　fuel。　Pilot　Lt。　John　Smith；　said　that　〃in　due　course　flying　formationbecame　a　reflex　like　driving　a　car。〃　The　group　consisted　of　four　squadrons；the　lead　box；　the　high　box；　the　low　box　and　the　middle　box。
More　climbing；　to　20；000　and　eventually　25；000　feet　over　the　Adriatic。Then　off　for　the　target。　When　the　group　got　to　the　initial　point　it　turned。But　clouds　had　moved　in　over　Linz　and　the　lead　pilot　decided　to　abort。　Heturned；　so　did　the　others；　and　returned　to　base；　still　fully　loaded　withthe　bombs。
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McGovern’s　first　mission　went　better　than　that　of　Lt。　David　Gandin；a　navigator　in　a　B…24。　In　his　war　diary；　Gandin　reported　that　when　his　Liberator；called　the　Snafu；　was　over　the　target　a　piece　of　flak　came　through　the　cockpitwindow。　The　pilot；　Lt。　Bill　Marsh；　lost　the　top　of　his　head。　The　co…pilot；Lt。　Hilary　Bevins；　was　on　his　first　mission。　He　called　to　his　radio　man；who　came　to　the　cockpit　wearing　a　walkaround　oxygen　bottle　〃and　removedMarsh　from　the　pilot’s　seat。　Bevins　couldn　’t　stand　it　with　Marsh　in　theseat　and　all　the　blood　flowing　around。
〃Bevins　moved　over　to　the　pilot　’s　seat　and　kept　in　the　formation　untilit　headed　off。
All　the　passes　were　out；　so　Bevins　flew　the　opposite　direction　ofthe　setting　sun。　All　the　men　were　freezing　because　of　the　hole　in　the　topof　the　cockpit。　The　engineer　was　sick　to　his　stomach　from　all　the　blood。Bevins’　eyeball　was　scratched　and　Marsh’s　blood　was　frozen　on　his　hands。〃
When　darkness　descended；　Blevin　’s　flew　opposite　the　North　Star。　FinallySnafu　got　back　to　base —　but　Bevins　had　never　made　a　night　landing　before。〃As　he　came　in；　he　banked　too　far　to　the　left　and　knocked　off　the　left　landinggear；　bounced　over　and　did　the　same　to　the　right　one；　the　ship　crash…landedand　caught　on　fire。
〃Thank　God　all　got　out　okay；　though　Bevins　wouldn　’t　leave　till　theytook　Marsh’s　body　out　also。　The　plane　burned　to　a　crisp。〃
Learning　to　Fly　in　bat（2）
On　November　17；　McGovern　flew　his　second　mission　as　Surbeck　’s　co…pilot。The
target　was　marshaling　yards　in　Gyor；　Hungary。　Over　the　target　the　flakbegan。　It　was　heavy　and　aurate。　Sticking　tight　to　the　formation；　his　planeand　the　others　could　achieve　a　better　bomb　pattern　but　it　also　made　a　concentratedtarget　for　the　flak　gunners。　〃It　was　just　solid　black　except　for　flashesof　red　where　shells　were　exploding；〃　McGovern　remembered。　The　Germans　wereusing　a　box…type　defense。　Each　of　the　88s　fired　into　an　area　as　the　bombersapproached；　the　shells　traveling　faster　than　the　speed　of　sound　and　setto　explode　at　the　group　’s　altitude。　〃They　just　boxed　it。〃　The　boxes　were2；000　feet　deep　and　2；000　feet　wide；　sometimes　more。　The　German　antiaircraftunits　employed　almost　a　million　personnel　and　operated　over　50；000　guns；most　of　them　the　dreaded　88s。　The　shells　were　time…fused　to　explode　at　20；000feet；　or　above　or　below　that　altitude　aording　to　the　flight　pattern。　Asthe　shells　exploded；　sending　out　hundreds　of　pieces　of　steel　shrapnel　thathad　a　killing　zone　radius　of　some　thirty　feet；　the　bombers　flew　into　them。〃Well　they　had　filled　that　box；〃　McGovern　said。　A　standard　expression　fromSurbeck　or　crew　members　was　that　〃the　flak　was　so　thick　you　could　walk　onit。〃　McGovern　〃often　wondered　if　that　’s　the　way　hell　looks。〃
Another　pilot；　Lt。　Robert　Reichard；　recalled　that　〃the　barrage　was　sointense　that　the　daylight　disappeared　and　it　was　as　if　someone　had　cut　outthe　sun。〃　The　B…24"s　had　nowhere　to　hide　and　with　the　ground　25；000　feetbelow；　there　was　no　place　to　dig　in。　The　bursts　around　them　posed　a　threatto　the　airplane；　as　it　had　ten　500　pound　bombs　and　over　2；000　gallons　of100　octane　gas　on　board。
When　the　bombs　dropped　the　plane　jumped　a　few　feet。　〃Everything　improvedwhen　they　went　away；〃　Lt。　Vincent　Fagan　remembered。　〃The　plane　was　5；000or　6；000　pounds　lighter；　we　were　leaving　the　flak　instead　of　going　intoit　and　we　could　take　evasive　action　—　usually　a　diving　turn　towards　theshortest　escape　route　from　the　flak　area。〃
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One　didn’t　always　get　out　of　the　flak。　On　his　first　mission；　October7；　1944；　B…24　pilot　J。I。　Merritt；　in　Liberty　Belle；　flew　over　Vienna　tohit　an　oil　refinery。　After　dropping　the　bombs；　he　banked　steeply　to　theleft　and　headed　toward　the　rally　point　and　home。　Sgt。　Art　Johnson；　a　waistgunner　and　assistant　engineer；　was　on　his　twenty…sixth　mission。　He　recalled；〃We　had　flown　through　the　worst　of　the　flak。　I　sighed　a　bit；　for　this　wasmy　third　time　in　the　vicinity　of　Vienna　and　I　knew　about　where　the　flakbegan　and　ended。〃　Just　then；　there　were　four　explosions　in　quick　suession。
Johnson　’s　oxygen　hose　pulled　apart；　his　gun　was　knocked　out　of　hishand；　and　he　hit　the　floor；　hard。　Luckily　his　headset　stayed　connected　andhe　heard　Merritt　ask；　〃Is　everyone　okay？〃　Johnson　checked　the　tail　gunnerand　the　ball　turret　gunner；　then　pressed　his　mike。　〃Pilot　from　left　waist—　everyone　okay　back　here。〃　But　he　added；　〃Number　three　engine　throwingoil　and　smoke；　number　four　dead；　holes　in　flaps　and　wings。　Over。〃
Johnson　later　found　out　that　the　first　burst　had　exploded　directly　infront　of　the　plane　and　the　force　of　it　took　the　top　off　the　nose　turret。The　second　burst　came　through　and　cut　the　nose　wheel　and　tire　in　two；　cutthe　interphone　lines　to　the　nose　and　also　the　oxyge