Time and Time Again

1) “It’s the pens again.” Lt. Col. Maxwell spoke. “If you have forgotten that means the submarine base where repairs are made and new equipment is installed. This time it will be different, there will be 4 more groups so the armada will have between 105 max to 100 min. There will be 4 bombing runs, A high altitude, 2 side at minimum height, and 2 groups coming in low about 500 feet. Purdy will lead high and O’Conner and Bardot at the left and right. Richards will lead the two groups at low level. For the Richards crew your Pilot has been promoted he is a Major. Now that means Shays plane will be the wingman. For just a minute let’s talk about the bombs, the high group will have high explosive contact types, the other two flights will have incendiaries’, the lower will have a new type deep penetration. These are supposed to stop the use of the pens at least for a while. Strike report will be in code and should contain what you saw hitting the target, you should not see any results of the penetration bombs. Take off will be staggered so you will be at your plane at 0700. There will be escort service by spitfires and P51’s this should keep the 109’s away from your bombing group but beware the antiaircraft is accurate and there are plenty of guns protecting this site. Mess is now open.” We sat very still and quiet until Mick broke the spell. “Let’s eat, this is going to be a milk run, at least I hope so. Anyway we need to take care of the inner man.” Mick uttered these while getting up grabbing a tray. He proceeded to load up on all the eggs and toast. “Milk run, there is no such animal? You must be thinking of your farm. With 190’s and 109’s aiming at your ass.” This was from Ben. “And don’t forget the A’A’ guns, every one of the gunners believes he’s an Annie Oakley.” This wisdom came from Andy. Preflight was the same old same old, the only difference was we all lined up and saluted our new Major and each shook his hand. Everything else was the same. The takeoff was a lot better than yesterday shorter runway and lighter load as we did not need the extra gas. This run would be 5 hours top maybe shorter if the other formations kept to the plan and complied to take off and assembly formula. We assembled and lost about 15 minutes due to a late arrival of tail end charley, we were on our way. It was not too long when I started to hear some disturbing sounds on the radio. The most often was ‘am hit’ or ‘we can’t make the return’, these words meant that the run into the target was being defended, after all the U-Boat was the first line of offense. Since my job was to be a gunner in the waist and Mick would take over the chores of the platform I just listened. We were 15 minutes out from the pens when the first fighters found us. The 109’s came in from 12 o’clock guns blazing and going side to side up and down right on top of these were our P-51’s. Individual fights broke out all around us and like a passing parade the scene faded. “Here comes two at 9o’clock low.” “Another at 12o’clock high with all guns firing.” “Watch out for the tail, one coming in from below. There’s a high one at 6oclock even.” The niceties were left out, no screaming just the facts, so beware. I was manning the port gun. What did I think about when the enemy planes attacked? I always had fear unadulterated fear. Am I going to get it today? (‘It’ is being killed). Or worse yet a wound that will cripple me for life, losing a leg or arm. Then when you see the guns firing from the attacking plane you can hardly breathe. You know that you would like to hide but there is no place to hide, no fox holes in the sky, all of a sudden you are angry and start to fire your .50 Caliber as you were taught short bursts and be aware of the planes around you don’t shot them down. I heard myself describing the flight of the enemy fighters. Suddenly the fighter broke off and you are left with a feeling of relief. Only realizing the ground guns would commence and more terror as the shells would be bursting very close. “RO to Pilot: The fighters have broken off. Out:” I immediately went to the proper protocol of intercom calling. The ACK-ACK came on heavy and pretty accurate we took a near miss on engine 4 which started running rough until the Pilot feathered the prop. The ‘bombs away’ was given by the Bombardier, we chandel to the port and started home. The fighters reappear and were present for the next 20 or 30 minutes, some of the bullets came through the fuselage and this was scary, these shells ricochet you hear the first, then hear it two or three times before it is spent. So for the last half hour we were the targets. This wasn’t the first time or the last time. 2)