空军战士-第22章

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　of　bat。〃　He　had　flown　25　missions　when　McGovernflew　with　him。　It　was　his　tent　that　Rounds；　with　McGovern　on　board；　hadtorn　in　half　with　his　jeep；　but　Surbeck　never　mentioned　it　to　McGovern。
Surbeck　let　McGovern　do　quite　a　bit　of　the　flying　from　his　co…pilot’s　seat；　sometimes　half　the　mission。　The　experience　taught　McGovern　〃moreabout　what　it　’s　like　to　have　all　that　gear　on　and　to　go　to　25；000　feetin　sub…zero　temperatures　and　stay　in　formation　and　get　shot　at　and　all　theother　things　that　go　with　bat　missions。〃　Surbeck　〃brought　me　along。〃
McGovern’s　first　mission　was　November　11；　1944　—　Armistice　Day。　Thenight　before　he　checked　and　saw　his　name　on　the　assignment　sheet。　The　morningbegan　for　him　when　the　operations　sergeant　came　into　his　tent　at　4：00　A。M。to　wake　him。　On　his　first　five　missions；　Rounds　and　Adams　could　stay　inthe　sack；　as　they　were　not　going。　McGovern　went　to　the　mess　hall　for　a　powderedegg　breakfast。　Then　he　climbed　into　a　truck　for　the　drive　to　the　group’s　operations　room　for　the　briefing。　At　the　door；　an　MP　examined　his　identificationand　checked　his　name　on　the　assignment　sheet；　then　opened　the　door　so　McGovernand　those　from　his　truck　could　enter。
Inside；　the　300　or　so　crew　sat　on　planks　placed　over　cinder　blocks。When　a　staff　officer　announced　that　they　were　all　present　and　accountedfor；　the　door　was　locked。　The　Group　mander　by　the　Fall　of　1944　was　Col。William　Snowden。　He　was　in　his　mid…forties；　a　〃grandfather〃　figure　to　thepilots　and　crews。　He　had　gray　hair　but　a　manding　presence。　McGovern　saidhe　had　〃the　total　confidence　of　everyone　in　our　group。　A　good　man　and　agood　leader。　Just　the　way　he　moved　around；　he　was　reassuring　without　beingcondescending。〃
When　Colonel　Snowden　strode　in；　everyone　stood　at　attention。　Snowdenclimbed　onto
the　platform；　put　the　men　at　ease；　and　after　saying　good　morning　motionedto　a　member　of　his　staff　to　pull　a　draw　string。　Behind　the　curtain　was　alarge　map　of　southern　and　central　Europe。　The　pilots　and　crew　members　sawtheir　route　and　the　target　drawn　on　the　map　with　erasable　marks。　When　itwas　Vienna；　or　Munich；　or　any　other　target　known　to　be　well　defended　byantiaircraft　guns；　or　if　it　was　four　or　more　hours　flying　time　from　Cerignola；a　dismal　groan　slowly　became　audible；　but　on　this　occasion　there　were　murmursof　approval　because　the　target　was　Linz；　Austria；　not　so　terribly　far　away；without　any　known　antiaircraft　batteries　to　fly　over；　and　not　so　well　protecteditself。　It　could　be　what　the　men　called　a　〃milk　run。〃　Later　in　the　war　Linzwould　bee　one　of　the　most　heavily　defended　targets　in　Europe。
Colonel　Snowden　got　the　men　to　quiet　down　and　gave　way　to　the　weatherofficer；　who　described　what　the　cloud　cover　and　winds　were　likely　to　belike　over　Linz。。　Then　he　went　over　conditions　on　the　route　and　what　to　expecton　the　way　home　and　what　it　would　be　like　over　Cerignola　when　they　got　back。Next　the　operations　officer　described　the　nature　of　the　marshaling　yardsthey　were　going　after　and　explained　that　the　mission　was　important　becausethe　Germans　were　moving　men　and　materiel　through　Linz　on　their　way　to　theItalian　front。　He　warned　the　pilots　and　bombardiers　to　make　every　possibleeffort　to　avoid　hitting　the　cultural　sites　and　educational　buildings。　Bythis　stage　of　the　war；　the　bombardiers　in　the　squadron　would　toggle　theirswitches　when　they　saw　the　lead　plane；　with　the　best　navigator　and　bombardier；drop　its　bombs。
Next　the　men　were　told　who　would　be　the　pilot　of　the　lead　plane。　Hewas　always　a　good　pilot。　Sometimes　he　was　a　major；　but　often　Colonel　Snowdenwould　lead　the　missions　—　when　that　happened；　the　men　would　again　mummertheir　approval。　The　briefing　would　conclude　with　the　group　chaplain　leadingthem　in　a　prayer。
Dismissal　came　from　Snowden；　but　only　after　he　had　the　men　〃hack〃　theirwatches。　They　would　pull　the　stems　of　their　watches　when　the　second　handreached　12。　Snowden　would　have　them　set　the　minute　and　hour　hands　to　correspondto　his；　then　count　to　ten　and　call　〃hack；〃　and　they　would　push　the　stemsback　in。　They　filed　out　of　the　briefing　room；　to　go　to　another　briefing—　one　for　pilots　and　co…pilots；　another　for　radio　operators；　another　fornavigators　and　bombardiers；　still　another　for　gunners。
The　men　climbed　into　trucks　for　the　ride　to　the　storage　sheds　just　offthe　runway　where　their　flying　equipment　and　parachutes　were　located。　Eachcrew　got　out　and　dressed　for　the　mission。　They　were　going　up　to　20；000　feetor　even　higher　and　it　was　going　to　be　cold　up　there；　between　20　and　50　degreesbelow　zero　Fahrenheit。　McGovern　and　the　others　pulled　on　heavy　winter　underwear。Next　they　put　on　long　wool　socks　and　a　wool　military　uniform；　slacks　andshirts　……　olive　drab。　Then　a　leather　jacket　and　leather　trousers；　both　linedwith　sheepskin；　then　sheepskin…lined　heavy　boots。　Big；　heavy　silk…linedleather　gloves　followed。　The　sheepskin…lined　helmet　came　down　over　the　ears。Surbeck　and　McGovern　wore　Colt　。45　pistols　in　a　shoulder　holster；　then　puton　backpacks　containing　their　parachutes。　The　other　crew　members　pickedup　their　parachutes　in　chest　packs；　which　they　carried　into　the　plane　byhand。　They　could　snap　them　on　if　needed。　The　parachute　packers　made　theirstandard　joke　when　giving　them　out；　〃If　it　doesn’t　work；　bring　it　backand　I　’ll　give　you　another。〃
Dressed；　they　walked　to　their　plane　on　its　hard　stand。　Surbeck；　acpaniedby　the　chief　of　the　ground　crew；　walked　around　the　B…24；　checking　it　outvisually。　The　navigator；　bombardier；　radioman；　and　gunners　would　check　outtheir　equipment。
Later；　when　the　plane　had　gotten　up　to　10；000　feet；　the　pilots　and　crewput　on　their　oxygen　masks。　It　covered　the　nose。　They　plugged　electric　cordsfrom　their　electrically　heated　flight　suits　into　an　outlet　on　the　plane—　the　four　engines　created　the　power　for　the　electricity。　They　could　adjustthe　heat；　turning　it　down　a　little　or　up　a　bit　as　needed。　Below　15；000　feetthe　crew　took　off　their　oxygen　masks。　Surbeck　and　McGovern　kept　theirs　onuntil　they　were　down　to　10；000　feet。　At　that　altitude；　all　the　smokers　littheir　cigarettes。　The　smoke　was　so　thick　it　looked　like　there　was　a　fire。
The　bombs　had　been　loaded　during　the　night　into　the　bomb　bay　by　theground　crew　led　by　an　ordnance　officer。　They　assembled　the　bombs　by　takingthe　stabilizing　fins；　stored　in　a　separate　box；　and　screwing　them　on　thebombs。　Using　winches　and　tractors；　the　ground　crews　had　hoisted　the　unwieldy；blunt…nosed　500　pound　bombs　into　their　racks。　They　were　inserted　into　theB…24's　womb　in　a　horizontal　position　and　attached　to　the　metal　racks。　Theyhad　a　cardboard　tag　between　the　bomb　and　the　nose　fuse；　and　at　the　backend　a　wire…arming　pin。　The　tail　gunner　would　crawl　out　on　the　cat　walk　overthe　bomb　bay　door　to　pull　the　tag　and　then　the　pin。
Climbing　into　the　B…24　with　those　big　heavy　boots　and　the　layers　ofclothes　was　always　cumbersome；　as　the　men　waddled　ponderously。　They　carriedflak　jackets；　mandatory　since　Ploesti。　The　crew　members　had　difficulty　gettingthemselves　into　and　adjusted　in　their　cramped　positions；　especially　thenose　turret　and　the　tail　gunner。　The　belly　turret　gunner　waited　until　theywere　in　the　air　before　squeezing　　—　with　the　help　of　the　waist　gunner—　into　his　bubble。　Surbeck　and　McGovern　settled　into　their　seats；　withtheir　parachutes　serving　as　a　sort…of　back　rest。　The　seats　were　encasedin　cast　iron。　The　iron　came　up　to　the　knees；　then　under　the　seat　and　upthe　back。　It　was　there　in　the　event　that　flak　hit　the　plane　on　the　bottomside　so　that；　in　McGovern　’s　words；　〃the　pilot　and　co…pilot　would　havesome　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　bothgot　killed　or　badly　injured；　that　plane　is　going　to　go　down。〃
The　moment　Surbeck　got　into　the　plane；　went　to　his　seat；　and　put　onhis　earphones　and　mike　　—　attached　to　his　helmet　—　he　was；　in　McGovern’s　words；　〃totally　in　mand；　of　the　officers　and　sergeants。〃　McGovernalready　knew　that；　but　watching　Captain　Surbeck　go　through　his　routine　reinforcedthe　point。　McGovern　explained；　〃It　had　to　be　that　way　because　the　pilotwas　the　only　one　with　his　hands　on　the　controls　that　determined　where　theplane　was　going　to　go　and　how　it　was　going　to　be　flown。〃　Of　course　he　hadhelp；　especially　from　the　navigator