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s regular pilot flew as co…pilot that day。 There was another newer； a
photographer on his seventeenth mission。 Theirs would be one of the last
two planes on the bomb run and his photos would be among the official records
of the raid ’s effect。
When the Group formed up and headed toward the target； TenHaken saw
〃a seemingly endless line of planes。 I had never seen this many in one place
at one time。〃 He thought that 〃obviously Rosie the riveter back home had
been very busy。〃 The bombers were at 25；000 feet； just below the 26；000…foot
ceiling for the craft。
On his B…24； TenHaken was in charge of the haff； what he had called
〃Christmas tree tinsel〃 back home。 Its purpose was to confuse German radar；
which otherwise would lock onto the group and know what altitude to set
the fuses for the shells to explode。 The chaff was in packets； each one
wrapped and tied with a plain brown band； each one crimped to open in the
wind and allow the foil to drift down in individual pieces。 Most veterans
thought the chaff didn’t do much if any good； but they tossed them out
of the plane with great gusto anyway。
When his plane got to the initial point and turned； then straightened
for the bomb run； TenHaken saw 〃numerous little puffs ahead forming a black
cloud shaped like an elongated shoe box。〃 The leader of his squadron was
flying through it。 Those behind were about to enter the German box。 It was
time to pull the flak jackets on。 These were for the crew； whose members
did not have the cast iron protection the pilot and co…pilot did。 The jackets
consisted of irregularly shaped metal plates stitched between two sheets
of canvas to form a vest。 To TenHaken； 〃their purpose seemed primitive；
identical to that of suits of armor。〃 They weighed about twenty pounds each。
Most veterans decided early on not to wear them； but to put them between
their seats and their butts； thus protecting the most important part。
Over the target； with flak bursting from the shells all around his plane；
TenHaken started dropping the chaff packets through one of the waist windows。
After dropping one； he tried to count to ten as he had been told before
letting the next one go； but in the midst of the flak he seldom got past
two or three。 Then the plane to his right got hit。 〃A flak explosion at
its number three engine had blown the right wing from the body。 The scene
was inprehensible — the wing tumbled over and down； and the fuselage
was nosing into a dive。〃 There were no parachutes。 〃The bam…bam…bams and
poof…poof…poofs were exploding everywhere； it was inconceivable to fly through
this unscathed。〃
The bomber lurched。 Have we been hit？ TenHaken wondered。 Through the
inter； he heard the bombardier say； 〃Bombs away。〃 （〃The most beautiful
words in the English language；〃 according to one pilot）。 Then the bombardier
continued； 〃Now let ’s get the hell out of here。〃 After a pause； he came
on the inter again to say； 〃I wasn ’t supposed to add that last part。〃
Lieutenant Cord banked the plane into a steep dive to the right。 TenHaken
thought； thank you； God。 Cord came on the inter to ask each crew member
to report any damage。 None。 When they were out of the flak； TenHaken lifted
his oxygen mask and shouted above the engine noise to the photographer；
〃You’ve been through seventeen of these now。 Was this flak typical； lighter；
worse； or what？〃 The photographer grinned and shouted back； 〃It wasn’t
light。 Each mission seems to get worse； but I can ’t believe they could
get more up here than they did。〃
Over the inter； Cord asked； 〃Flight engineer back there？〃 He wanted
to know what the trouble was with the gas gauges。 Number three engine sputtered
and quit。 〃Get something to three；〃 Cord ordered。
〃I’m trying；〃 the engineer answered。 〃I’m trying。〃
Cord realized what had happened。 On the inter he said； 〃The bastards
hit our gas lines over the target。 They ’ve just vibrated loose。〃
The number two engine quit。 The engineer repeated that he was trying
to transfer the gasoline flow。 He could not。
〃We ’re losing altitude and control；〃 Cord yelled。 〃We ’re at sixteen
thousand； a couple seconds back； we were at eighteen。〃 He added； 〃Stand
by to bail if necessary。〃
Then number four engine quit。 Then number one。 There was a long moment
of quiet； only the sound of the wind that buffeted the plane about in the
glide。 Then 〃the terrible clanging of the bail…out bell crashed the quiet。〃
Everyone got out okay； landed safely； and became POWs。 For TenHaken；
the co…pilot； and the rest of the crew； it was their first mission。 It was
number thirty…two for Lieutenant Cord。 For the photographer； number seventeen。
For all of them； it was the last。
〃Anon〃 made up words to sing to the tune of 〃As Time Goes By〃：
You must remember this
The flak can’t always miss
Somebody’s gotta die。
The odds are always too damned high
As flak goes by。 。 。
It’s still the same old story
The Eighth gets all the glory
While we’re the ones who die。
The odds are always too damned high
As flak goes by。
Learning to Fly in bat（3）
Once in the fall of 1944 McGovern went up in a practice run； with only
his co…pilot； Bill Rounds and his navigator； Sam Adams； along。 McGovern
was upset with Rounds because while McGovern was flying co…pilot with Surbeck；
Rounds used his free time to go into Cerignola to find a girl。 He contracted
VD and had to be treated with sulfa powder。 McGovern was about ready to
kick him off the plane。 But on this practice mission； which was done primarily
to give the co…pilots who had not yet been flying some experience； Rounds
did most of the flying。 〃He took that plane as if he’d been doing this
all his life；〃 McGovern said。 〃I think I could’ve done as well； but I couldn
’t have done any better and I had a lot of practice。〃 Rounds just tucked
into position and held it there。 That night； the pilot of the lead plane；
a captain； came to McGovern in the officer’s club to say； 〃You know； George；
you ’ve got one hell of a valuable co…pilot。 He flies the best formation
of any co…pilot I ’ve seen。 That guy is tremendous — you better hold onto
him with both hands。〃 Right then； McGovern decided to forget about Rounds
’s VD。 He figured he had better let the man do what he wanted on his off
hours。
___________________________
Lt。 Donald Currier was a part of one of the first B…24 squadrons of
the Fifteenth Air Force to arrive in Italy and thus flew his first mission
in January； 1944； one of the first of his group。 It was two days after his
squadron had arrived in Italy。 The target was the railroad yards in Perugia；
just off the Tiber River； in support of the ground troops。 But when the
bombers arrived； it was snowing。 Landmarks were obscured。 The lead navigator；
having no radar （which only came nine months later）； was unable to see anything
but clouds。 Currier was the navigator flying in the B…24 on the wing of
the lead plane。 〃I looked desperately for something I could see and recognize；〃
he recalled；