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ately for 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 accurate。 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 according 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 succession。
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 oxygen lines。 The third burstripped 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 andsaid to himself； 〃We’ve made this one；〃 when the bursts came。 One pieceof shrapnel exploded through the flight deck。 Johnson and the other crewmembers 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 ofstalling。 Then it began dropping。 Gasoline streamed from the riddled wingtanks； filling the plane with the reek of the fuel。 Only one engine wasstill working； and that one hardly was。 The plane had dropped from 25；000feet to 12；000 and was still going down。 Merritt managed to get up somespeed and cross into Yugoslavia。 Down to 2；000 feet and almost out of fuel；he called out over the inter； 〃Bail out and good luck！〃
Johnson recalled that the right waist gunner was the first out； followedby the tail gunner and the ball turret gunner。 〃I was alone in back。 I facedthe front of the ship and put my head between my knees and out I went。 Theslipstream caught me and I went end for end。 By the time I had slowed downa bit I had pulled my rip cord。 One long pull。 I was jerked straight upand down as the silk billowed open and I breathed a prayer of thanks。〃
Johnson and the others； including Merritt and the co…pilot； landed moreor less intact。 They were picked up by partisans who managed to get themback to Italy； but not until November 26。
Lt。 Glenn Rendahl； a co…pilot from Hollywood； California； with the 514thSquadron； said that on his first mission； the flak 〃exceeded whatever weexpected。〃 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 usedit to find the railroad and dropped his bombs。 The twenty…seven planes followingdid also。 But because of the clouds； no observation of results could bemade。
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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 wereclosing and the aircraft’s speed was increasing。 〃The going…home sightof the Alps in the early afternoon was far more beautiful than the morningone。〃 The radiomen tuned to the Armed Services Radio station in Foggia andover the inter the crew listened to the latest hit records。 Both dangerand the crew’s stamina diminished on the home…bound run and 〃our elationand silliness increased。〃 Everyone was 〃tired； hungry and thirsty；〃 as theirbreakfast and coffee had been hours ago。 Finally Pepin could see Cerignolaand his plane circled the field。 Then； and on later missions； 〃My favoritesight and sound was hearing the tires touch the steel mat on landing andseeing the props e to a halt。〃 After nine hours of 〃grueling； horrendous；nerve…wracking flying； the mission was over。〃
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