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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 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 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。〃
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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 inter； 〃Bail out and good luck！〃
mpanel（1）；
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。
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On his first mission； navigator Pepin of the 741st saw a lot of flak；