Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-03-11

iiAid w TIC ilCiu
Henri, P MeLsmors. as the fortresses
climb, climb and climb until they
are silver specks in the sky and the
motors are just a soft hum suffer
the tortures of the damned. Long
after the big ships have disappeared
they stand there looking up at the
| sky, reluctant to return to work.
They finally do go on about their
| jobs but rot with great heart The
ground crews tinker with damaged
ships in the hangers The opera
tons men poke thumb tacks here
and there over big maps but they
keep looking at their watches, keep
their ears cooked for the roar OF
returning planes.
stayed with the ground crew OF
a fortress that had taken off on a
flight over Germany the other day.
They didn't do much while their
baby was gone. They all knew the
target, the time the ship should
reach 1t, the time it should swing
for home and the time it should
come laundering through the haze
to safety at the home base. The
flrst hour or so wasn't too bad. The
men knew their baby still had Spit
flre and Hurricane support. The
Fortresses always have umbrella
protection crossing the Channel but
once enemy land Is reached the
Spitfires and Hurricanes have to
! turn back because of limited range.
Then Fortresses must go it on their
own.
Always Have Escort"
| AS pilot told me, I'VE ALWAYS
have fighters with us. The Splits
and Hurrys take us to the enemy
and then the enemy fighters &C
company us to the target and bring
us back close to home when the
British fighters pick us up again.
No, It's never lonesome. We're never
alone"
Another hour passed and the
ground crew started Sweating IL
out Sweating it OUT is a most
common expression among flyers. It
means waiting for something and
suffering while waiting. They sweat
out transportation to q dance. They
sweat out promotion. They sweat
out betting. They sweat out letters
from the girl at home, mail from
the family.
An ordnance sergeant looked at
his watch. They should just about
De making the bomb rum" he said.
I hope they hit the Jerks right on
the nose"
They will" corporal said as he
haf-heartedly handled a wrench.
That bombardier can drop a thou
sand-pounder in your hip pocket"
Time went on. Seconds seemed
ike minutes and minutes like
hours The sergeant looked at his
watch for the thousandth time. I'VE
should be hearing them any minute
| now. Let's 60 out and take a look"
walked across the field to the
control tower and took a place on
the roof. 1t was packed with chaps
looking heavenward. The schedule
called for the Fortresses to be com.
ing home now. From far away there
came hum. The hum was grey in
intensity. Then the first Fortress
appeared. You can't miss a Fortress
with its big tail sticking up. II
swept down through the clouds.
leVeled of and put its wheels down
on the runway. Behind it CANA
others.
ls Land in Five Minutes.
In f1ve minutes 10 had landed.
Some didn't have a hole in them
Others had holes big enough to
drive COW through. Some didn't
come home. The crews tumbIed out
Nose gunners and ball-turret gun.
ners scrambled out through ankle
oeep machlne-gun castings. Wound
ed creWmen were lifted Into ambu-
iances. Pilots, sweat pouring down
thelr faces despite the sub-zero
weather at high attitudes, hoped
OUT looked for coffee and cigarettes
Inc Fortresses kept coming in. One
with It's motors, brakes and controls
gone, kept rolling until 1t finally
ended up in vegetable patch.
Those OF us on the ground asked
the stock question. How was it,p
We nearly always got the san.
answer. Not so bad. A pretty GOOD
show. We went In on time and Ia.
on time" ~ 'ei'
A half hour later all settled down
70 the routine of living again. wait
ing for orders for the next tsrgst
The ground crews started worki1,
on the damaged planes. Life xettle5
DOWN until the next day. That is
~neh another target will be an
nouhced and the boys will take to
NC ar again. Numerically, undra-
ma tically they will try to do the
pest job possible.
distributed by McNausbt svnd,,,t. Inc,
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