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alt。〃 After nine hours of 〃grueling； horrendous；nerve…wracking flying； the mission was over。〃
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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 ontheir last missions before going home。 A fighter escort joined them 〃andwe were bouncing gaily along in the blue〃 when dead ahead a thick； coal…blackcloud appeared。 〃Take a good look at it； fellows；〃 the veteran bombardiercalled over the inter； 〃because it ’s flak and you’ll be seeing plentyof it from now on。〃 Hammer was appalled to see the squadron of B…24's aheadfly directly into the stuff。 Fools； he thought。 Why don ’t they just flyaround it？ He saw two planes get hit and start down。 Shortly after； 〃wewere 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 holean inch long and a quarter…inch wide made by shrapnel。 After what seemedan eternity that in fact had lasted for less than ten minutes； the bombswere away and Hammer’s plane turned for home。 〃We were bat veteransnow。〃
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Radio operator Sgt。 Howard Goodner flew his first mission in October；1944。 His plane was a B…24 flown by Lt。 Richard Farrington； his squadronwas the 787th； a part of the 466th Bomb Group； Eighth Air Force。 Low cloudscovered the airfield and when Farrington got his craft off the ground； hecould not see。 Flying blind as he climbed； relying on his instruments； followinghis heading； Farrington was quickly covered with sweat。 Up； up； up he went；until he got above the clouds。 No amount of practice could have preparedthe pilot and crew for what they encountered — B…24's； glittering likemica； were popping up out of the clouds over here； over there； everywhere。They formed up and straightened out for the target。 Farrington called outover the inter； 〃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 perated the flak。 〃Mary； Mother of God；〃one crew member mumbled into the inter。 〃Mary； Mother of God； get meout of this。〃 Farrington took them right into it。 Jarring detonations eruptedaround them。 The plane bumped and shuddered。 But it kept flying straightand level； until the bombs were released。 Farrington banked； got away fromthe flak； and headed home。 Sergeant Goodner reached into his jacket pocketfor the Tootsie Roll he carried with him。 It was frozen solid。 When theplane landed； Goodner had his first mission behind him。
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On November 18； McGovern was Surbeck’s co…pilot on another milk run。The target was the German airfield near Vicenza； Austria。 The weather wasfair and the bombing was visual。 Over 50 per cent of the bombs fell in thetarget area causing extensive damage to the installation。 Flak was lightand generally inaccurate。 No German fighters were seen。 The group returnedto Cerignola without casualties。
McGovern flew again the next day and it was no milk run。 The targetwas a refinery near Vienna。 Because of cloud cover； the lead plane usedits Mickey and no results were seen； but dropping bombs by radar insteadof visually meant few of them hit what they wanted to hit and the damagewas minimal。 Flak was intense but inaccurate and all planes returned tobase。
On November 20； on McGovern ’s final mission as a co…pilot； the targetwas factories at Zlin； Czechoslovakia。 It was a secondary； or alternative；target； but the original objective had been obscured by clouds； so the leadpilot took the group to Zlin。 There the weather was clear and the bombingwas done visually； with excellent results。 Best of all； there was no flakover 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； 〃waitingfor 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 veteranpilots talk and ask his own questions。 It was shop talk。 From almost everyone of the discussions he would absorb information。 The topics were theB…24's； the crews； the Germans。 What rpm at what altitude？ Why was thisgauge or that instruments malfunctioning？ Is there any way to stay straightand level over the target and still avoid the flak？ How long can an enginebe on fire before it detonates the gas tank？ What can you do when a bombgets stuck in the bomb bay？ How does the plane fly with only three enginesoperating？ 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 missionswere about the absolute limit。 They left the pilot and his crew haggard；worn； jumpy； frazzled and spent。 But each one of the attacks counted towardthe thirty…five missions that； when pleted； would allow McGovern to returnto the States。 When he had time to write to Eleanor； McGovern noted thenumber in his letter — number five after the mission to Zlin。
〃I worried； as any wife would；〃 Eleanor said three decades later。 〃Iwould feel a stab of fear whenever someone knocked at the door or the telephonerang。 The first thing I would do when I got a letter from George was toscan through it for a number — the number of missions pleted。 Thatwas the first thing I wanted to know。 Then I’d go back to read the letter。〃
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On December 16； radio operator Sgt。 Mel TenHaken flew his first mission；against a refinery at Brux； Czechoslovakia。 Because the crew were new； thepilot； Lieutenant Cord； was a veteran ofthirty…one missions。 TenHaken ’s regular pilot flew as co…pilot that day。 There was another newer； aphotographer on his seventeenth mission。 Theirs would be one of the lasttwo planes on the bomb run and his photos would be among the official recordsof 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 placeat one time。〃 He thought that 〃obviously Rosie the riveter back home hadbeen very busy。〃 The bombers were at 25；000 feet； just below the 26；000…footceiling 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 setthe fuses for the shells to explode。 The chaff was in packets； each onewrapped and tied with a plain brown band； each one crimped to open in thewind and allow the foil to drift down in individual pieces。 Most veteransthought the chaff didn’t do much if any good； but they tossed them outof the plane with great gusto anyway。
When his plane got to the initial point and turned； then straightenedfor the bomb run； TenHaken saw 〃numerous little puffs ahead forming a blackcloud shaped like an elongated shoe box。〃 The leader of his squadron wasflying through it。 Those behind were about to enter the German box。 It wastime to pull the flak jackets on。 These were for the crew； whose membersdid not have the cast iron protection the pilot and co…pilot did。 The jacketsconsisted of irregularly shaped metal plates stitched between two sheetsof 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 betweentheir 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 beforeletting the next one go； but in the midst of the flak he seldom got pasttwo or three。 Then the plane to his right got hit。 〃A flak explosion atits number three engine had blown the right wing from the body。 The scenewas inprehensible — the wing tumbled over and down； and the fuselagewas nosing into a dive。〃 There were no parachutes。 〃The bam…bam…bams andpoof…poof…poofs were exploding everywhere； it was inconceivable to fly throughthis unscathed。〃
The bomber lurched。 Have we been hit？ TenHaken wondered。 Through theinter； he heard the bombardier say； 〃Bombs away。〃 （〃The most beautifulwords in the English language；〃 according to one pilot）。 Then the bombardiercontinued； 〃Now let ’s get the hell out of here。〃 After a pause； he cameon the inter again to say； 〃I wasn ’t supposed to add that last part。〃
Lieutenant Cord banked the plane into a steep dive to the right。 TenHakenthought； thank you； God。 Cord came on the inter to ask each crew memberto report any damage。 None。 When they were out of the flak； TenHaken liftedhis oxygen mask and shouted above the engine noise to the photographer；〃You’ve been through seventeen of these now。 Was this flak typical； lighter；worse； or what？〃 The photographer grinned and shouted