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Posted by Tom Kwiatkowski Sr. - 309C
on 10/30/2009, 1:51 pm
74.44.81.74
It continues to amaze me that more ships were not hit by flak when it was as intense as this flak was and we were flying so close together. The word Flak was derived from the first letters of three German words. (from the German Flieger abwehr kanone, aircraft defense cannon). The shells were either 88-mm, 105-mm, or 128-mm in diameter, 18" to 24" long, and were made of cast steel or iron which is hard and brittle. The shells were filled with explosives which, when first detonated, produced dense, black smoke. The smoke then usually formed into three smoke rings. As the shell exploded, the brittle cast steel or iron was broken up into all sorts of irregular shapes and sizes from the size of a pea to a grapefruit, which was thrown out into all directions at tremendous velocity. The detonator, or fuse, was pre-set, automatically or manually, so as to explode at a certain altitude. Said altitude had been determined by either radar or manual sighting. The newer guns were operated by radar automatically and were awesome. The radar computed the altitude, set the fuse, aimed the gun and fired it. The gun "tracked" or followed the aircraft down the Bomb Run as it moved along at a constant altitude and airspeed.
Another B-24 took a direct hit in the outer half of the right wing between the #3 and #4 engines. The piece broke off with the #3 still attached and fluttered off with the engine still running. The plane itself immediately went into a violent spin to the right, as the nose dropped and pointed straight down. No chutes were observed.
We were able to get a good bomb strike on the target again, with many aircraft on the ground being destroyed. This seemed to explain again why we were not being attacked very often by German aircraft. S-2 advised that the Germans were critically short of fuel.
The trip back was uneventful. After debriefing, it was time for evening chow. After eating we went back to our tents. It was a very satisfying feeling to be able to relax, and realize how fortunate we were to have survived to this point. We reflected on the twenty less fortunate men who didn't make it back to their tents today. We felt badly for them and their families, but it had seemed we had reached a point where we realized we could not dwell on it and let it affect us.
We had just been given the welcome news that we were finally going to Capri early the following morning. Everyone was really excited about this, and we began packing immediately.
TO BE CONTINUED
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SOURCE: MEMORIES OF WAR AND PEACE BY ROBERT J. "BOB" GILLMAN. USED WITH PERMISSION.
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