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s important becausethe Germans were moving men and materiel through Linz on their way to theItalian front。 He warned the pilots and bombardiers to make every possibleeffort to avoid hitting the cultural sites and educational buildings。 Bythis stage of the war； the bombardiers in the squadron would toggle theirswitches when they saw the lead plane； with the best navigator and bombardier；drop its bombs。
Next the men were told who would be the pilot of the lead plane。 Hewas always a good pilot。 Sometimes he was a major； but often Colonel Snowdenwould lead the missions — when that happened； the men would again mummertheir approval。 The briefing would conclude with the group chaplain leadingthem in a prayer。
Dismissal came from Snowden； but only after he had the men 〃hack〃 theirwatches。 They would pull the stems of their watches when the second handreached 12。 Snowden would have them set the minute and hour hands to correspondto his； then count to ten and call 〃hack；〃 and they would push the stemsback in。 They filed out of the briefing room； to go to another briefing— one for pilots and co…pilots； another for radio operators； another fornavigators and bombardiers； still another for gunners。
The men climbed into trucks for the ride to the storage sheds just offthe runway where their flying equipment and parachutes were located。 Eachcrew got out and dressed for the mission。 They were going up to 20；000 feetor even higher and it was going to be cold up there； between 20 and 50 degreesbelow zero Fahrenheit。 McGovern and the others pulled on heavy winter underwear。Next they put on long wool socks and a wool military uniform； slacks andshirts …… olive drab。 Then a leather jacket and leather trousers； both linedwith sheepskin； then sheepskin…lined heavy boots。 Big； heavy silk…linedleather gloves followed。 The sheepskin…lined helmet came down over the ears。Surbeck and McGovern wore Colt 。45 pistols in a shoulder holster； then puton backpacks containing their parachutes。 The other crew members pickedup their parachutes in chest packs； which they carried into the plane byhand。 They could snap them on if needed。 The parachute packers made theirstandard joke when giving them out； 〃If it doesn’t work； bring it backand I ’ll give you another。〃
Dressed； they walked to their plane on its hard stand。 Surbeck； acpaniedby the chief of the ground crew； walked around the B…24； checking it outvisually。 The navigator； bombardier； radioman； and gunners would check outtheir equipment。
Later； when the plane had gotten up to 10；000 feet； the pilots and crewput on their oxygen masks。 It covered the nose。 They plugged electric cordsfrom their electrically heated flight suits into an outlet on the plane— the four engines created the power for the electricity。 They could adjustthe heat； turning it down a little or up a bit as needed。 Below 15；000 feetthe crew took off their oxygen masks。 Surbeck and McGovern kept theirs onuntil they were down to 10；000 feet。 At that altitude； all the smokers littheir cigarettes。 The smoke was so thick it looked like there was a fire。
The bombs had been loaded during the night into the bomb bay by theground crew led by an ordnance officer。 They assembled the bombs by takingthe stabilizing fins； stored in a separate box； and screwing them on thebombs。 Using winches and tractors； the ground crews had hoisted the unwieldy；blunt…nosed 500 pound bombs into their racks。 They were inserted into theB…24's womb in a horizontal position and attached to the metal racks。 Theyhad a cardboard tag between the bomb and the nose fuse； and at the backend a wire…arming pin。 The tail gunner would crawl out on the cat walk overthe bomb bay door to pull the tag and then the pin。
Climbing into the B…24 with those big heavy boots and the layers ofclothes was always cumbersome； as the men waddled ponderously。 They carriedflak jackets； mandatory since Ploesti。 The crew members had difficulty gettingthemselves into and adjusted in their cramped positions； especially thenose turret and the tail gunner。 The belly turret gunner waited until theywere in the air before squeezing — with the help of the waist gunner— into his bubble。 Surbeck and McGovern settled into their seats； withtheir parachutes serving as a sort…of back rest。 The seats were encasedin cast iron。 The iron came up to the knees； then under the seat and upthe back。 It was there in the event that flak hit the plane on the bottomside so that； in McGovern ’s words； 〃the pilot and co…pilot would havesome chance of survival because somebody has to fly the airplane。 It wasn’t that they were worth more than anybody else on the crew； but if bothgot killed or badly injured； that plane is going to go down。〃
The moment Surbeck got into the plane； went to his seat； and put onhis earphones and mike — attached to his helmet — he was； in McGovern’s words； 〃totally in mand； of the officers and sergeants。〃 McGovernalready knew that； but watching Captain Surbeck go through his routine reinforcedthe point。 McGovern explained； 〃It had to be that way because the pilotwas the only one with his hands on the controls that determined where theplane was going to go and how it was going to be flown。〃 Of course he hadhelp； especially from the navigator and bombardier； the radio operator andthe flight engineers； 〃but the request for their help came from Surbeck。〃It was his job to check on the crew； frequently。 He needed to make surethat nobody ’s oxygen hose had e unhooked； if a tail gunner or someoneelse failed to answer when the pilot called to him on the inter； he mightwell have passed out from a lack of oxygen or frozen because his electricplug had e out； without ever noticing that his hose or wire was unhooked。These and other things Surbeck did as a matter of routine； McGovern noted。
To get the engines started； Surbeck would signal to the flight engineer；who would start the single…cylinder gasoline…powered unit on the B…24。 Itwas called the 〃putt…putt〃 and gave a boost to the batteries。 Engine numberthree； the one nearest McGovern； started first。 It powered the generatorswhich helped start the other engines。 When all were operating； Surbeck dida 〃run up；〃 checking on each engine ’s performance； magos； temperatureand pressure checks of fuel； oil and hydraulic systems。 When a flare wentup planes began to move out of their hard stands over the taxiway and ontothe runway； looking like elephants getting ready for a circus parade。 Surbeckcalled out the final checklist to McGovern：
〃Booster pumps〃 — 〃On〃
〃Mixture〃 — 〃Auto rich〃
〃Props〃 — 〃Full high〃
〃Superchargers〃 — 〃Set〃
〃Half flaps〃 — 〃Set〃
and so on。
Surbeck lined his plane up on the taxi strip； behind some planes andahead of others — there were 28 in the group； seven in each squadron。 The454th Bomb Group was on the other side of the runway； parallel to the 455th；so that the planes from each group could take off side by side。 Settingthe brakes； Surbeck pushed the throttle to get the engines running at maximum。When his turn to take off arrived； the roar was almost deafening。 The planevibrated as every nut and bolt； every rivet and tube rattled and shook。
Twenty or at most thirty seconds after the plane ahead of him beganto roll down the runway； Surbeck released the brakes。 A modern air trafficcontroller； or a pilot of a mercial airliner； would be appalled at thesight； but for the bomber pilots of World War II that was how close to eachother they were。 Down the strip Surbeck started rolling； picking up speeduntil he reached 160 mph。 He had his flaps set at 20 degrees； brought theengines to maximum power； and at the end of the runway he pulled the noseoff the ground and became airborne。 With the bomb load； the full tanks offuel； the weight of the crew and their equipment； including the 。50 calibermachine guns and ammunition for them； Surbeck had to fight to gain altitude。It seemed to McGovern that he would not get the plane above tree…top altitude；but he did。 Barely； but he did。 Once the plane was in the air； even if onlyjust； McGovern as co…pilot had the task of raising the landing gear andbringing up the flaps。
Surbeck circled； as did all the other pilots； their planes looking ratherlike hawks over a marsh。 And he climbed。 The gunners tested their guns。They were Browning M…2 。50 caliber machine guns。 Each gun had about 150working parts and the men had been required to strip and reassemble it blindfoldedwearing gloves。 The guns weighed sixty…four pounds and fired 800 roundsof ammunition per minute at a range of 600 yards。 Sgt。 Louie Hansen； a tailgunner in the 743rd Squadron； once discovered that both his guns were jammed— the cocking levers had been put in backward after the guns had been cleanedfrom the previous mission。 He described what he did。 〃There was only spacein the turret to get one hand through to a gun。 I did one with my righthand； the other with my left。 Sweat started to trickle down my back； mygoggles steamed over which made no difference as there was no way to seewhat I was doing。 The intense cold made me afraid to remove my gloves。 ButI got the job done and； as most bat crew members know； one can sweatat 50 degrees below。〃 Fortunately for Surbeck and McGovern； the guns ontheir Liberator tested okay。
After an hour or so； Surbec