空军战士-第16章
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rs； 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 command； 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 come unhooked； if a tail gunner or someone else failed to answer when the pilot called to him on the intercom； he might well have passed out from a lack of oxygen or frozen because his electric plug had come 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 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
