rom 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； 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