空军战士-第27章

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They　formed　up　and　straightened　out　for　the　target。　Farrington　called　out　over　the　intercom；　〃This　is　it；　boys。　We’re　on　our　way　to　the　war。〃　　Ahead　shells　were　bursting　all　over　the　sky；　sending　out　shards　of　shrapnel。　The　lead　squadron　of　B…24's　penetrated　the　flak。　〃Mary；　Mother　of　God；〃　one　crew　member　mumbled　into　the　intercom。　〃Mary；　Mother　of　God；　get　me　out　of　this。〃　Farrington　took　them　right　into　it。　Jarring　detonations　erupted　around　them。　The　plane　bumped　and　shuddered。　But　it　kept　flying　straight　and　level；　until　the　bombs　were　released。　Farrington　banked；　got　away　from　the　flak；　and　headed　home。　Sergeant　Goodner　reached　into　his　jacket　pocket　for　the　Tootsie　Roll　he　carried　with　him。　It　was　frozen　solid。　When　the　plane　landed；　Goodner　had　his　first　mission　behind　him。　　_____________________________　　On　November　18；　McGovern　was　Surbeck’s　co…pilot　on　another　milk　run。　The　target　was　the　German　airfield　near　Vicenza；　Austria。　The　weather　was　fair　and　the　bombing　was　visual。　Over　50　per　cent　of　the　bombs　fell　in　the　target　area　causing　extensive　damage　to　the　installation。　Flak　was　light　and　generally　inaccurate。　No　German　fighters　were　seen。　The　group　returned　to　Cerignola　without　casualties。　　McGovern　flew　again　the　next　day　and　it　was　no　milk　run。　The　target　was　a　refinery　near　Vienna。　Because　of　cloud　cover；　the　lead　plane　used　its　Mickey　and　no　results　were　seen；　but　dropping　bombs　by　radar　instead　of　visually　meant　few　of　them　hit　what　they　wanted　to　hit　and　the　damage　was　minimal。　Flak　was　intense　but　inaccurate　and　all　planes　returned　to　base。　　On　November　20；　on　McGovern’s　final　mission　as　a　co…pilot；　the　target　was　factories　at　Zlin；　Czechoslovakia。　It　was　a　secondary；　or　alternative；　target；　but　the　original　objective　had　been　obscured　by　clouds；　so　the　lead　pilot　took　the　group　to　Zlin。　There　the　weather　was　clear　and　the　bombing　was　done　visually；　with　excellent　results。　Best　of　all；　there　was　no　flak　over　Zlin。　All　planes　returned　safely。　　After　debriefing；　McGovern　would　meet　with　Rounds；　Adams；　and　his　crew。　They　fired　questions　at　him　about　what　it　was　like；　most　of　all　the　flak。　〃They　were　filled　with　questions　every　day；〃　McGovern　recalled；　〃waiting　for　me　when　I　came　back。〃　　Once　the　session　was　over；　McGovern　would　steer　his　way　into　the　officer’s　club　for　a　Coca…Cola　or　a　beer。　There　he　would　listen　to　the　veteran　pilots　talk　and　ask　his　own　questions。　It　was　shop　talk。　From　almost　every　one　of　the　discussions　he　would　absorb　information。　The　topics　were　the　B…24's；　the　crews；　the　Germans。　What　rpm　at　what　altitude？　Why　was　this　gauge　or　that　instruments　malfunctioning？　Is　there　any　way　to　stay　straight　and　level　over　the　target　and　still　avoid　the　flak？　How　long　can　an　engine　be　on　fire　before　it　detonates　the　gas　tank？　What　can　you　do　when　a　bomb　gets　stuck　in　the　bomb　bay？　How　does　the　plane　fly　with　only　three　engines　operating？　With　two？　When　the　hydraulic　system　has　leaked　or　been　shot　out；　how　do　you　get　the　wheels　down？　　McGovern　had　flown　four　missions　on　four　days。　These　consecutive　missions　were　about　the　absolute　limit。　They　left　the　pilot　and　his　crew　haggard；　worn；　jumpy；　frazzled　and　spent。　But　each　one　of　the　attacks　counted　toward　the　thirty…five　missions　that；　when　completed；　would　allow　McGovern　to　return　to　the　States。　When　he　had　time　to　write　to　Eleanor；　McGovern　noted　the　number　in　his　letter　—　number　five　after　the　mission　to　Zlin。　　〃I　worried；　as　any　wife　would；〃　Eleanor　said　three　decades　later。　〃I　would　feel　a　stab　of　fear　whenever　someone　knocked　at　the　door　or　the　telephone　rang。　The　first　thing　I　would　do　when　I　got　a　letter　from　George　was　to　scan　through　it　for　a　number　—　the　number　of　missions　completed。　That　was　the　first　thing　I　wanted　to　know。　Then　I’d　go　back　to　read　the　letter。〃　　___________________________　　On　December　16；　radio　operator　Sgt。　Mel　TenHaken　flew　his　first　mission；　against　a　refinery　at　Brux；　Czechoslovakia。　Because　the　crew　were　new；　the　pilot；　Lieutenant　Cord；　was　a　veteran　ofthirty…one　missions。　TenHaken’s　regular　pilot　flew　as　co…pilot　that　day。　There　was　another　newcomer；　a　photographer　on　his　seventeenth　mission。　Theirs　would　be　one　of　the　last　two　planes　on　the　bomb　run　and　his　photos　would　be　among　the　official　records　of　the　raid’s　effect。　　When　the　Group　formed　up　and　headed　toward　the　target；　TenHaken　saw　〃a　seemingly　endless　line　of　planes。　I　had　never　seen　this　many　in　one　place　at　one　time。〃　He　thought　that　〃obviously　Rosie　the　riveter　back　home　had　been　very　busy。〃　The　bombers　were　at　25；000　feet；　just　below　the　26；000…foot　ceiling　for　the　craft。　　On　his　B…24；　TenHaken　was　in　charge　of　the　haff；　what　he　had　called　〃Christmas　tree　tinsel〃　back　home。　Its　purpose　was　to　confuse　German　radar；　which　otherwise　would　lock　onto　the　group　and　know　what　altitude　to　set　the　fuses　for　the　shells　to　explode。　The　chaff　was　in　packets；　each　one　wrapped　and　tied　with　a　plain　brown　band；　each　one　crimped　to　open　in　the　wind　and　allow　the　foil　to　drift　down　in　individual　pieces。　Most　veterans　thought　the　chaff　didn’t　do　much　if　any　good；　but　they　tossed　them　out　of　the　plane　with　great　gusto　anyway。　　When　his　plane　got　to　the　initial　point　and　turned；　then　straightened　for　the　bomb　run；　TenHaken　saw　〃numerous　little　puffs　ahead　forming　a　black　cloud　shaped　like　an　elongated　shoe　box。〃　The　leader　of　his　squadron　was　flying　through　it。　Those　behind　were　about　to　enter　the　German　box。　It　was　time　to　pull　the　flak　jackets　on。　These　were　for　the　crew；　whose　members　did　not　have　the　cast　iron　protection　the　pilot　and　co…pilot　did。　The　jackets　consisted　of　irregularly　shaped　metal　plates　stitched　between　two　sheets　of　canvas　to　form　a　vest。　To　TenHaken；　〃their　purpose　seemed　primitive；　identical　to　that　of　suits　of　armor。〃　They　weighed　about　twenty　pounds　each。　Most　veterans　decided　early　on　not　to　wear　them；　but　to　put　them　between　their　seats　and　their　butts；　thus　protecting　the　most　important　part。　　Over　the　target；　with　flak　bursting　from　the　shells　all　around　his　plane；　TenHaken　started　dropping　the　chaff　packets　through　one　of　the　waist　windows。　After　dropping　one；　he　tried　to　count　to　ten　as　he　had　been　told　before　letting　the　next　one　go；　but　in　the　midst　of　the　flak　he　seldom　got　past　two　or　three。　Then　the　plane　to　his　right　got　hit。　〃A　flak　explosion　at　its　number　three　engine　had　blown　the　right　wing　from　the　body。　The　scene　was　incomprehensible　—　the　wing　tumbled　over　and　down；　and　the　fuselage　was　nosing　into　a　dive。〃　There　were　no　parachutes。　〃The　bam…bam…bams　and　poof…poof…poofs　were　exploding　everywhere；　it　was　inconceivable　to　fly　through　this　unscathed。〃　　The　bomber　lurched。　Have　we　been　hit？　TenHaken　wondered。　Through　the　intercom；　he　heard　the　bombardier　say；　〃Bombs　away。〃　（〃The　most　beautiful　words　in　the　English　language；〃　according　to　one　pilot）。　Then　the　bombardier　continued；　〃Now　let’s　get　the　hell　out　of　here。〃　After　a　pause；　he　came　on　the　intercom　again　to　say；　〃I　wasn’t　supposed　to　add　that　last　part。〃　　Lieutenant　Cord　banked　the　plane　into　a　steep　dive　to　the　right。　TenHaken　thought；　thank　you；　God。　Cord　came　on　the　intercom　to　ask　each　crew　member　to　report　any　damage。　None。　Whe