空军战士-第26章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


members　was　that　〃the　flak　was　so　thick　you　could　walk　on　it。〃　McGovern　〃often　wondered　if　that’s　the　way　hell　looks。〃　　Another　pilot；　Lt。　Robert　Reichard；　recalled　that　〃the　barrage　was　so　intense　that　the　daylight　disappeared　and　it　was　as　if　someone　had　cut　out　the　sun。〃　The　B…24's　had　nowhere　to　hide　and　with　the　ground　25；000　feet　below；　there　was　no　place　to　dig　in。　The　bursts　around　them　posed　a　threat　to　the　airplane；　as　it　had　ten　500　pound　bombs　and　over　2；000　gallons　of　100　octane　gas　on　board。　　When　the　bombs　dropped　the　plane　jumped　a　few　feet。　〃Everything　improved　when　they　went　away；〃　Lt。　Vincent　Fagan　remembered。　〃The　plane　was　5；000　or　6；000　pounds　lighter；　we　were　leaving　the　flak　instead　of　going　into　it　and　we　could　take　evasive　action　—　usually　a　diving　turn　towards　the　shortest　escape　route　from　the　flak　area。〃　　____________________　　One　didn’t　always　get　out　of　the　flak。　On　his　first　mission；　October　7；　1944；　B…24　pilot　J。I。　Merritt；　in　Liberty　Belle；　flew　over　Vienna　to　hit　an　oil　refinery。　After　dropping　the　bombs；　he　banked　steeply　to　the　left　and　headed　toward　the　rally　point　and　home。　Sgt。　Art　Johnson；　a　waist　gunner　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　was　my　third　time　in　the　vicinity　of　Vienna　and　I　knew　about　where　the　flak　began　and　ended。〃　Just　then；　there　were　four　explosions　in　quick　succession。　　Johnson’s　oxygen　hose　pulled　apart；　his　gun　was　knocked　out　of　his　hand；　and　he　hit　the　floor；　hard。　Luckily　his　headset　stayed　connected　and　he　heard　Merritt　ask；　〃Is　everyone　okay？〃　Johnson　checked　the　tail　gunner　and　the　ball　turret　gunner；　then　pressed　his　mike。　〃Pilot　from　left　waist　—　everyone　okay　back　here。〃　But　he　added；　〃Number　three　engine　throwing　oil　and　smoke；　number　four　dead；　holes　in　flaps　and　wings。　Over。〃　　Johnson　later　found　out　that　the　first　burst　had　exploded　directly　in　front　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；　cut　the　interphone　lines　to　the　nose　and　also　the　oxygen　lines。　The　third　burst　ripped　up　the　underside　of　the　right　wing　and　exploded　in　number　four　engine。　The　gunner　in　the　top　turret；　Sgt。　Nick　Corbo；　had　just　breathed　easy　and　said　to　himself；　〃We’ve　made　this　one；〃　when　the　bursts　came。　One　piece　of　shrapnel　exploded　through　the　flight　deck。　Johnson　and　the　other　crew　members　began　throwing　everything　that　was　loose　out　of　the　plane。　Ammunition；　guns；　flak　suits；　anything　and　everything　that　was　loose　except　themselves。　Merritt　fought　the　wheel　as　the　plane　heaved　and　slowed　to　the　brink　of　stalling。　Then　it　began　dropping。　Gasoline　streamed　from　the　riddled　wing　tanks；　filling　the　plane　with　the　reek　of　the　fuel。　Only　one　engine　was　still　working；　and　that　one　hardly　was。　The　plane　had　dropped　from　25；000　feet　to　12；000　and　was　still　going　down。　Merritt　managed　to　get　up　some　speed　and　cross　into　Yugoslavia。　Down　to　2；000　feet　and　almost　out　of　fuel；　he　called　out　over　the　intercom；　〃Bail　out　and　good　luck！〃　　Johnson　recalled　that　the　right　waist　gunner　was　the　first　out；　followed　by　the　tail　gunner　and　the　ball　turret　gunner。　〃I　was　alone　in　back。　I　faced　the　front　of　the　ship　and　put　my　head　between　my　knees　and　out　I　went。　The　slipstream　caught　me　and　I　went　end　for　end。　By　the　time　I　had　slowed　down　a　bit　I　had　pulled　my　rip　cord。　One　long　pull。　I　was　jerked　straight　up　and　down　as　the　silk　billowed　open　and　I　breathed　a　prayer　of　thanks。〃　　Johnson　and　the　others；　including　Merritt　and　the　co…pilot；　landed　more　or　less　intact。　They　were　picked　up　by　partisans　who　managed　to　get　them　back　to　Italy；　but　not　until　November　26。　　Lt。　Glenn　Rendahl；　a　co…pilot　from　Hollywood；　California；　with　the　514th　Squadron；　said　that　on　his　first　mission；　the　flak　〃exceeded　whatever　we　expected。〃　On　McGovern’s　second　mission　one　bomber　of　the　group　was　lost。　Again　there　were　clouds；　but　the　lead　bomber　had　the　Mickey　radar　and　used　it　to　find　the　railroad　and　dropped　his　bombs。　The　twenty…seven　planes　following　did　also。　But　because　of　the　clouds；　no　observation　of　results　could　be　made。　　________________　　On　his　first　mission；　navigator　Pepin　of　the　741st　saw　a　lot　of　flak；　saw　some　B…24's　get　hit；　but　his　plane　managed　to　drop　its　bombs　successfully。　He　felt　a　sense　of　joy　as　the　plane　headed　home。　The　bomb　bay　doors　were　closing　and　the　aircraft’s　speed　was　increasing。　〃The　going…home　sight　of　the　Alps　in　the　early　afternoon　was　far　more　beautiful　than　the　morning　one。〃　The　radiomen　tuned　to　the　Armed　Services　Radio　station　in　Foggia　and　over　the　intercom　the　crew　listened　to　the　latest　hit　records。　Both　danger　and　the　crew’s　stamina　diminished　on　the　home…bound　run　and　〃our　elation　and　silliness　increased。〃　Everyone　was　〃tired；　hungry　and　thirsty；〃　as　their　breakfast　and　coffee　had　been　hours　ago。　Finally　Pepin　could　see　Cerignola　and　his　plane　circled　the　field。　Then；　and　on　later　missions；　〃My　favorite　sight　and　sound　was　hearing　the　tires　touch　the　steel　mat　on　landing　and　seeing　the　props　come　to　a　halt。〃　After　nine　hours　of　〃grueling；　horrendous；　nerve…wracking　flying；　the　mission　was　over。〃　　________________________　　For　Sgt。　Robert　Hammer；　now　a　radio　operator　with　the　742nd　Squadron；　his　first　mission　was　in　late　September：　target；　the　airfield　outside　Munich。　Two　of　the　men　in　his　crew；　a　bombardier　and　a　flight　engineer；　were　on　their　last　missions　before　going　home。　A　fighter　escort　joined　them　〃and　we　were　bouncing　gaily　along　in　the　blue〃　when　dead　ahead　a　thick；　coal…black　cloud　appeared。　〃Take　a　good　look　at　it；　fellows；〃　the　veteran　bombardier　called　over　the　intercom；　〃because　it’s　flak　and　you’ll　be　seeing　plenty　of　it　from　now　on。〃　Hammer　was　appalled　to　see　the　squadron　of　B…24's　ahead　fly　directly　into　the　stuff。　Fools；　he　thought。　Why　don’t　they　just　fly　around　it？　He　saw　two　planes　get　hit　and　start　down。　Shortly　after；　〃we　were　heading　for　that　same　suicidal　cloud。〃　　The　plane　started　〃bucking　like　a　rodeo　bronco。〃　There　was　a　crack。　Hammer　looked　quizzically　at　the　veteran　engineer；　who　pointed　to　a　hole　an　inch　long　and　a　quarter…inch　wide　made　by　shrapnel。　After　what　seemed　an　eternity　that　in　fact　had　lasted　for　less　than　ten　minutes；　the　bombs　were　away　and　Hammer’s　plane　turned　for　home。　〃We　were　combat　veterans　now。〃　　__________________________　　Radio　operator　Sgt。　Howard　Goodner　flew　his　first　mission　in　October；　1944。　His　plane　was　a　B…24　flown　by　Lt。　Richard　Farrington；　his　squadron　was　the　787th；　a　part　of　the　466th　Bomb　Group；　Eighth　Air　Force。　Low　clouds　covered　the　airfield　and　when　Farrington　got　his　craft　off　the　ground；　he　could　not　see。　Flying　blind　as　he　climbed；　relying　on　his　instruments；　following　his　heading；　Farrington　was　quickly　covered　with　sweat。　Up；　up；　up　he　went；　until　he　got　above　the　clouds。　No　amount　of　practice　could　have　prepared　the　pilot　and　crew　for　what　they　encountered　—　B…24's；　glittering　like　mica；　were　popping　up　out　of　the　clouds　over　here；　over　there；　everywhere。　They　formed　up　and　straightened　out　for　the　target。　Farrington　called　out　over　the　intercom；　〃This　i