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Posted by Tom Kwiatkowski Sr. - 309C
on 11/5/2009, 3:53 pm
74.44.81.74
The Weather Officer forecasted that the target may be obscured by clouds, and a Pathfinder radar drop may be necessary. There were over 200 flak guns at this target and S-2 predicted intense, accurate and heavy (IAH) fire. This report was beginning to sound like a stuck needle on a phonograph. So was the report to expect to see numerous attacks by Me 109s, Fw 190s and perhaps some Me 262 jets. S-2 also advised that Hitler had issued orders that all Me 262s were to be converted into bombers, which was good news as far as we were concerned.
Phoney Express II has still not returned to service so we were flying Aircraft #189 again, in the #3 position in the Lead Box. Take off time was 0815.
The rendezvous over Stonora was completed safely, in spite of having the 445th Bomb Group come screaming through our formation, causing some very close calls. As we climbed out to the north over the Adriatic, we had to deviate around the cloud formations and were able to do so without any problems, except for stringing the formation out a little due to all the turns. We have continued to be fortunate in being assigned to forward positions in the formation, usually flying off the lead ship. With less gyrating around, it was much simpler to fly a close formation then in some of the "Tail-End Charlie" slots in the rear. After what seemed like an eternity, we turned on to the Initial Point (IP) and headed straight and level to the target. This was where the flak usually began in earnest, as if a conductor swung down his baton. Sure enough, a few bursts appeared off to the right of us. The altitude was right on the money and there were now many more bursts coming toward us. Being in the Lead Box had some advantages in that, by the time the gunners had zeroed in on the formation, we had already moved further downstream. However, it just didn't make sense that we could be lucky forever, so you just kept waiting for the unlucky one that had you name on it, and began to expect it. Right then, we took a hit in the nose turret again. We could hear the strike and see pieces of plexiglass coming back, striking the windshield.
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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