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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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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 refiner