Evening star., 1942-08-09
Training Americas
Bonbsight Experts

Regular Army pilot. and take turns IN
the front cockpit going through all the
operations with the bombsight without
dropping any bombs
Keeping Score.
Today he's going to drop his nrst
bombs. The first 10 shots are free" and
don't count for or against him. After
that, every shot he makes goes on his
record. Each hit is charted and the re-
suits sent to a room, where 20 soldier
statisticians work out each cadets score.
The bombs are in two racks on either
side Of the cabin. above narrow doors in
the bottom of the plane. They are prac-
tice bombs, resembling the demolition
type, but made of thin sheet steel shells
filled with s5 pounds of sand and three
pound can Of black powder to make an
explosion for observation.
AS we head out over the desert to .
place where a regular bull's-eye target
has been marked out on the ground, with
concentric rings 100 feet apart, Azad
bends over the bomb sight making his
wind, drift, temperature and other FAC
tors, which have to be referred to COM
plicated charts and set on the sight
If bombs fell straight down, 1t would
be simple. You could Just wait until
you are on top OF the target and let the
bomb CO. But the planes several-hun-
dred-mile- hour momentum is i'm
parted to the bomb, giving 1t long
forward curve as 1t falls, 50 that you
have to release it far ahead Of the target.
The Norden bomb sight correctly set
for the many factors and accurately
pointed at the target. let's the bomb 90
by an electric connection at just the
right moment for 1t to hit squArely.
We have moved into the seat beside
the pilot now. There is q clatter and
gust of wind in the cabin behind US ~
Azad and his lieutenant instructor, In
the cockpit Just beyond our feet, pull
the handle that opens up the bomb-oay
doors. Through them. you can see tho
ground scudding along mile below.
Far ahead, the target shows up on the
desert floor.
Through the interphone system Axad
and the pilot exchange checks that the
plane is ION course and level" Then:
Ready to bomb!"
"Bombs Away!"
Suddenly there is chatter behind.
You snap around, but all you see is one
empty rack. One Of the bombs Ii gone.
If you crane your neck adroitly, you can
see It through the bay. plummeting
earthward.
Bombs away!" the bombardier calls
to let the pilot know that he now can
alter the planes steady course.
One. Two. Three. -Four. Five. The
seconds tick by. Suddenly, through the
bomb bay. the target shows up on ths
ground below. And q small pun oi
smoke. The bomb has hit.
Every one cranes to see how close Il
has landed. It is Asad's first, and
big moment. The bomb hit nearly iat<
the first ring outside the bulls-eye. on
hundred feet. A good shot for . BE-
ginner.
We fly q few miles away, bank, and
come back at the target again. Thil
time he doesn't get his settings ADJUSTED
soon enough, doesn't release the bomb
and phones the pilot, DRY run"
Once more we turn and try It again
The second bomb hits the 200-foot ring
Hes good on course" the pilot com
ments, "but he's aiming over or tot
short-not synchronixing."
, Back and forth we fly for IN hour
with intermittent hits and dry runs
until he has dropped i've bombs. NJ
bulls eyes, but all creditable shots.
Then we swing back toward the tield
The dark young man, smiling but shak
ing his head with dissatisfaction, climbs
Y back through the cockpit into the cabi,
! and fastens his safety belt for the land
= ing.
t Back at the field, Azad starts for tn
= operations room to fill out his first re
. port, on the Army's standard 12-C form
Report Of Bombing Mission" as lonl
5 and detailed as an income tax blank
which is filled out after all bombing
flights, real and practice.
: In nine weeks. II all goes well, he1
! graduate, . bombardier second neuten'
ant in the United States Army Air Force
/ with salary of s225 month plus liv.
, ing allowance, and all set to drop real
hnrnhe