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t 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 commercial 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 combat 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 become 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 compasses 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。〃 ___________________
在战斗中学会飞翔（英文版）Learning to Fly in Combat（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 to dig in。 The bursts around them posed a threat to the airplane； as it had ten 500 pound bombs and over 2；000 gallons of 100 octane gas on board。 When the bombs dropped the plane jumped a few feet。 〃Everything improved when they went away；〃 Lt。 Vincent Fagan remembered。 〃The plane was 5；000 or 6；000 pounds lighter； we were leaving the flak instead of going into it and we could take evasive action — usually a diving turn towards the shortest escape route from the flak area。〃 ____________________ One didn’t always get out of the flak。 On his first mission； October 7； 1944； B…24 pilot J。I。 Merritt； in Liberty Belle； flew over Vienna to hit an oil refinery。 After dropping the bombs； he banked steeply to the left and headed toward the rally point and home。 Sgt。 Art Johnson； a waist gunner 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 was my third time in the vicinity of Vienna and I knew about where the flak began and ended。〃 Just then； there were four explosions in quick succession。 Johnson’s oxygen hose pulled apart； his gun was knocked out of his hand； and he hit the floor； hard。 Luckily his headset stayed connected and he heard Merritt ask； 〃Is everyone okay？〃 Johnson checked the tail gunner and the ball turret gunner； then pressed his mike。 〃Pilot from left waist — everyone okay back here。〃 But he added； 〃Number three engine throwing oil and smoke； number four dead； holes in flaps and wings。 Over。〃 Johnson later found out that the first burst had exploded directly in front 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； cut the interphone lines to the nose and also the oxygen lines。 The third burst ripped 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 and said to himself； 〃We’ve made this one；〃 when the bursts came。 One piece of shrapnel exploded through the flight deck。 Johnson and the other crew members 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 of stalling。 Then it began dropping。 Gasoline streamed from the riddled wing tanks； filling the plane with the reek of the fuel。 Only one engine was still working； and that one hardly was。 The plane had dropped from 25；000 feet to 12；000 and was still going down。 Merritt managed to get up some speed and cross into Yugoslavia。 Down to 2；000 feet and almost out of fuel； he called out over the intercom； 〃Bail out and good luck！〃 Johnson recalled that the right waist gunner was the first out； followed by the tail gunner and the ball turret gunner。 〃I was alone in back。 I faced the front of the ship and put my head between my knees and out I went。 The slipstream caught me and I went end for end。 By the time I had slowed down a bit I had pulled my rip cord。 One long pull。 I was jerked straight up and down as the silk billowed open and I breathed a prayer of thanks。〃 Johnson and the others； including Merritt and the co…pilot； landed more or less intact。 They were picked up by partisans who managed to get them back to Italy； but not until November 26。 Lt。 Glenn Rendahl； a co…pilot from Hollywood； California； with the 514th Squadron； said that on his first mission； the flak 〃exceeded whatever we expected。〃 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 used it to find the railroad and dropped his bombs。 The twenty…seven planes following did also。 But because of the clouds； no observation of results could be made。 ________________ 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 were closing and the aircraft’s speed was increasing。 〃The going…home sight of the Alps in the early afternoon was far more beautiful than the morning one。〃 The radiomen tuned to the Armed Services Radio station in Foggia and over the intercom the crew listened to the latest hit records。 Both danger and the crew’s stamina diminished on the home…bound run and 〃our elation and silliness increased。〃 Everyone was 〃tired； hungry and thirsty；〃 as their breakfast and coffee had been hours ago。 Finally Pepin could see Cerignola and his plane circled the field。 Then； and on later missions； 〃My favorite sight and sound was hearing the tires touch the steel mat on landing and seeing the props come to a halt。〃 After nine hours of 〃gruelin