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Surbeck and McGovern wore Colt 。45 pistols in a shoulder holster； then put
on backpacks containing their parachutes。 The other crew members picked
up their parachutes in chest packs； which they carried into the plane by
hand。 They could snap them on if needed。 The parachute packers made their
standard joke when giving them out； 〃If it doesn’t work； bring it back
and I ’ll give you another。〃
Dressed； they walked to their plane on its hard stand。 Surbeck； acpanied
by the chief of the ground crew； walked around the B…24； checking it out
visually。 The navigator； bombardier； radioman； and gunners would check out
their equipment。
Later； when the plane had gotten up to 10；000 feet； the pilots and crew
put on their oxygen masks。 It covered the nose。 They plugged electric cords
from their electrically heated flight suits into an outlet on the plane
— the four engines created the power for the electricity。 They could adjust
the heat； turning it down a little or up a bit as needed。 Below 15；000 feet
the crew took off their oxygen masks。 Surbeck and McGovern kept theirs on
until they were down to 10；000 feet。 At that altitude； all the smokers lit
their 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 the
ground crew led by an ordnance officer。 They assembled the bombs by taking
the stabilizing fins； stored in a separate box； and screwing them on the
bombs。 Using winches and tractors； the ground crews had hoisted the unwieldy；
blunt…nosed 500 pound bombs into their racks。 They were inserted into the
B…24's womb in a horizontal position and attached to the metal racks。 They
had a cardboard tag between the bomb and the nose fuse； and at the back
end a wire…arming pin。 The tail gunner would crawl out on the cat walk over
the bomb bay door to pull the tag and then the pin。
Climbing into the B…24 with those big heavy boots and the layers of
clothes was always cumbersome； as the men waddled ponderously。 They carried
flak jackets； mandatory since Ploesti。 The crew members had difficulty getting
themselves into and adjusted in their cramped positions； especially the
nose turret and the tail gunner。 The belly turret gunner waited until they
were in the air before squeezing — with the help of the waist gunner
— into his bubble。 Surbeck and McGovern settled into their seats； with
their parachutes serving as a sort…of back rest。 The seats were encased
in cast iron。 The iron came up to the knees； then under the seat and up
the back。 It was there in the event that flak hit the plane on the bottom
side so that； in McGovern ’s words； 〃the pilot and co…pilot would have
some 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 both
got killed or badly injured； that plane is going to go down。〃
The moment Surbeck got into the plane； went to his seat； and put on
his earphones and mike — attached to his helmet — he was； in McGovern
’s words； 〃totally in mand； of the officers and sergeants。〃 McGovern
already knew that； but watching Captain Surbeck go through his routine reinforced
the point。 McGovern explained； 〃It had to be that way because the pilot
was the only one with his hands on the controls that determined where the
plane was going to go and how it was going to be flown。〃 Of course he had
help； especially from the navigator and bombardier； the radio operator and
the 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 sure
that nobody ’s oxygen hose had e unhooked； if a tail gunner or someone
else failed to answer when the pilot called to him on the inter； he might
well have passed out from a lack of oxygen or frozen because his electric
plug 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。 It
was called the 〃putt…putt〃 and gave a boost to the batteries。 Engine number
three； the one nearest McGovern； started first。 It powered the generators
which helped start the other engines。 When all were operating； Surbeck did
a 〃run up；〃 checking on each engine ’s performance； magnetos； temperature
and pressure checks of fuel； oil and hydraulic systems。 When a flare went
up planes began to move out of their hard stands over the taxiway and onto
the runway； looking like elephants getting ready for a circus parade。 Surbeck
called 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 and
ahead of others — there were 28 in the group； seven in each squadron。 The
454th 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。 Setting
the 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 plane
vibrated as every nut and bolt； every rivet and tube rattled and shook。
Twenty or at most thirty seconds after the plane ahead of him began
to roll down the runway； Surbeck released the brakes。 A modern air traffic
controller； or a pilot of a mercial airliner； would be appalled at the
sight； but for the bomber pilots of World War II that was how close to each
other they were。 Down the strip Surbeck started rolling； picking up speed
until he reached 160 mph。 He had his flaps set at 20 degrees； brought the
engines to maximum power； and at the end of the runway he pulled the nose
off the ground and became airborne。 With the bomb load； the full tanks of
fuel； the weight of the crew and their equipment； including the 。50 caliber
machine 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 only
just； McGovern as co…pilot had the task of raising the landing gear and
bringing up the flaps。
Surbeck circled； as did all the other pilots； their planes looking rather
like 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 150
working parts and the men had been required to strip and reassemble it blindfolded
wearing gloves。 The guns weighed sixty…four pounds and fired 800 rounds
of ammunition per minute at a range of 600 yards。 Sgt。 Louie Hansen； a tail
gunner 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 cleaned
from the previous mission。 He described what he did。 〃There was only space
in the turret to get one hand through to a gun。 I did one with my right
hand； the other with my left。 Sweat started to trickle down my back； my
goggles steamed over which made no difference as there was no way to see
what I was doing。 The intense cold made me afraid to remove my gloves。 But
I got the job done and； as most bat crew members know； one can sweat
at 50 degrees below。〃 Fortunately for Surbeck and McGovern； the guns on
their 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 was
one of those on the wing of the leader。 The second echelon was forty feet
below and forty feet back of the lead echelon。 The seventh aircraft； known
as 〃Tail End Charlie；〃 was behind the second echelon。 Flying the wing； even
for Surbeck； was more difficult than being in the lead； but easier than
flying Tail End Charlie。 As the last plane in the squadron； Tail End Charlie
was the most vulnerable if German fighters attacked； and it was the hardest
position to hold。 Usually new pilots and crews got that assignment。 On the
wing； Surbeck wanted to stay close to the plane he was flying on so as to
make as small and infrequent power changes as possible； to save the engines
and save fuel。 Pilot Lt。 John Smith； said that 〃in due course flying formation
became 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。 He
turned； so did the others； and returned to base； still fully loaded with
the bombs。
________________________
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 cockpit
window。 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 removed
Marsh from the pilot’s seat。 Bevins couldn ’t stand it with Marsh in the
seat and all the blood flowing around。
〃Bevins moved over to the pilot ’s seat and kept in the formation until
it headed off。
All the passes were out； so Bevins flew the opposite direction of
the setting sun。 All the men were freezing because of the hole in the top
of 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。 Finally
Snafu 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 landing
gear； bounced over and did the same to the right one； the ship crash…landed
and caught on fire。
〃Thank God all got out okay； though Bevins wouldn ’t leave till they
took 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 flak
began。 It was heavy and accurate。 Sticking tight to the formation； his plane
and the others could achieve a better bomb pattern but it also made a concentrated
target for the flak gunners。 〃It was just solid black except for flashes
of red where shells were exploding；〃 McGovern remembered。 The Germans were
using a box…type defense。 Each of the 88s fired into an area as the bombers
approached； the shells traveling faster than the speed of sound and set
to explode at the group ’s altitude。 〃They just boxed it。〃 The boxes were
2；000 feet deep and 2；000 feet wide； sometimes more。 The German antiaircraft
units 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；000
feet； or above or below that altitude according to the flight pattern。 As
the shells exploded； sending out hundreds of pieces of steel shrapnel that
had a killing zone radius of some thirty feet； the bombers flew into them。
〃Well they had filled that box；〃 McGovern said。 A standard expression from
Surbeck or crew members was that 〃the flak was so thick you could walk on
it。〃 McGovern 〃often wondered if that ’s the way hell looks。〃
Another pilot； Lt。 Robert Reichard； recalled that 〃the barrage was so
intense that the daylight disappeared and it was as if someone had cut out
the sun。〃 The B…24's had nowhere to hide and with the ground 25；000 feet
below； there was no place t