Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-02-22


might have been in his teens.
ITS almost impossible for a
snapper to see a bomber at
night, and vice versa, even In
clear moonlight. So they don't
trouble us much. It's the 'fiaks'
and 'ack-acks' that give us the
most hell" ("Flak," a German
word. is the British flier's argot
for light anti-aircraft fire, and
"ack-ack" a phonetic coined
from the noise made by explod-
ing high explosive shells desig-
mated heavy air artillery
But a burst" continued Lees,
has to he within a few yards of
=ship=te= do any]reaf damage.
A bomber takes an amazing
amount Of chewing up before
being put out of commission.
THE searchlights bother you
most" asserted Henderson. AT
1900 feet they'll light up the
interior of your plane like a sit
ting room. The worst of that IL
you can't see your target through
the glare, so we take what we
call 'evasive action - fly off
again out of the central pool and
come back at a different ANGLE"
DEPENDS ON WEATHER
'Ts II difficult to locate q fac
tory or rail station, or other
single target once a bomber is
over a German city,"
Depends largely on weather
conditions said Howard. "Once
over the objective city, we orient
our maps and look for land
marks, usually river or water.
1t may take as much a. an hour
and a half Of flying around be-
fore we locate the target :. E.
That's the main difference be-
tween German bombers and ours.
Like that night we went over
Bernberg," added Sergeant jack
son, I'VE left England about
dusk and arrived southwest Of
Berlin after midnight. We
cruised around for a full hour,
then took three runs before
dropping our bombs right
through the top of the plant.
You could see the place disin-
tegrate in crumbling mass"
Day bombing is highly haz-
attended by attacks from
Georman fighters and anti-aircraft
at the same time.
BRIDGEHEAD ATTACK
1.-THE worst time / ever had"
unused Sopwith. was the after
noon we were sent over to bomb
some bridgehesds at Maastricht,
Belgium. Thirty-six of us went
and only 18 came back. We
were carrying two 250's and IL
40's, and flying at about 1000
feet. The 'Flaks' were fierce and
just gnawed chunks out of our
Kites like a mouse nibbling
cheese. But the 'snappers' were
worse. They hummed around
like hornets.
AT low elevations, like 1000
feet" said Sopwith, "a British
Blenheim bomber has equal
speed for the light fighters. built
as these are for fast flying at
higher. rarified heights. So the
favorite 'evasive tactic when at
tackled In to come down low
and 'high-tair home. or scuttle
for the nearest cloud"
HUNT FOR CLOUD
I'VE got three MES (Messer-
tchmittsl on our tail one day."
observed Sergt Roy, 80 we hus-
tied for the nearest cioud-iike
hiding on feather bed. But
one chap was smart. He got
under the cloud and waited for
us TO come out on the other
side. Fortunately, our pilot saw
him In time and ducked right
back in again-a game OF hide
and seek"
The hides" won,
Not all Of II was hilarity and
laughter. The boys told many a
tale about mates lost in
swirlinG flames. though most of
them. they thought. disappeared in
the North Sea. Invariably they
added. God rest his soul"
Now A little while in Canada.
and soon the clarion call 10 go
home and back 10 the hazards of
ferrying more destruction - kids
with high hope in their eyes.
trapped by disaster. Lads caught
in maelstrom centuries in the
making. Boys of a lost genera
ton" "
Tomorrow: How they fight val
anflv IN afnr,1 fha Naxt ale harIn~