Evening star., 1944-04-09
Noyes
Continued From First Page.)


what we want because we've got
plenty of guns and a lot of eager
beaver boys just itching for a
scrap"
1t was a good fight talk. I kept
remembering it then. though, be-
cause the Thunderbolts and Light
nings escorting us to the target had
met enemy fighters on the way and
at that moment were battling it
out-miles away So now the
gauntlet was being thrown down so
far as we were concerned by the
great formations of bomberS alone
and there was not a man in our
ship-Or in any Of our ships-Who
did not know that the LuftWaffe was
bound to take the dare.
Ship Among Veterans.
Our plane, Little Joe Jr., piloted
by 1t. Mike Meyer of Crivitz, Wis,
led the third box of our group. We
were in good company. On our
right wing and slightly behind us,
STEADY as rock in the No. 2 posi-
ton, was Big Operator, Well-scarred
veteran of many battles like the one
which lay ahead; Big Operator
which had flown 33. consecutive mis-
slons without once having to turn
back before the job was done. The
No. ship in the same position on
our left was another good teammate
in a fight. We could see the face
of the man behind the waist gun
grim in his helmet and oxygen
mask. The whole airplane seemed
to bristle, challenging the sky around
us. Painted on its nose was a re-
cumbent girl and the name-Well
call it Mary.
Three ships in similar v forma-
ton behind it completed our box.
Six such boxes flying in two attack
units made the group. Off to the
right and lower down another large
formation was moving in on the
target. 1t was to be a little ahead
OF us. Out in front was still an
other group approaching the target
We banked left at about 10000
feet and squared away for the smok
! ing town. The Alps stretching oNt
to the south shimmered snow white
in the sunlight. Our earphones
cracked and the gunner's voice
came over the roar of the motors:
Here come two fighters taking off
on an airfleld in the valley below
Sees Ship Break in Two.
We were watching the formation
ahead, which was now in the flax
Suddenly one bomber sheered of
from the formation. Something was
on fire in one Of its wings-a motor
or fuel tank. 1t went into a spin
1t was long way off, but we coulC
see it quite clearly 1t made five OF
six turns, then it broke in two just
back Of the center of the fuselage
The pieces fell. We watched fol
parachutes but could not see any.
A few seconds later the antiair.
craft fire came up at US. Black
bursts, yellow at the core, filled the
sky ahead and red balls of fire
f1oated earthWard. The formation
roared on through the smoke.
The earphones cracked: Fighters
! fighters coming in"
Streaking out of nowhere, the tiny
IplaneS attacked the group in front
of US. There probably were moi
more than five or six of them but
they looked like a swarm of hornets
as they darted through their owr
flax around the tight packed for
nation. 1t held its course and 36C
guns fought back, bullet for bullet
with interest.
All at once where there had beer
a fighter there was a brilliant rec
fash from which the ship emerged
lspinning and burning 1t dropped
fast out of our line of vision.
We were on the bombing run then
Our bomb bay doors were open. TIL,
air around us was full of flax burst
but Mike, sitting as quietly as ;
man in BARRIERS chair, held Little
Joe absolutely steady and the for
nation bored its way through.
Bombs away and we broke ava,
fast. We banked sharp left Will,
the bomb bay doors were still clos
ing and in a few seconds we fount
Yourselves out of the flax.
Describes Rocket Planes.
Then Mikes voice very sharl
came over the earphones.
Pilot to nose gunner; for God
Isake what about those planes compl
in at 10 o'clock. Let them have it.
Two Junkers 88s were approach
ing from the left and slightly below
us. 1t was hard to judge distances
in the air but I should say they were
about 500 yards away when Mix,
spoke. A second later Little Jot
shuddered slightly and the muffiec
clatter of our forward guns coulc
be heard. At that instant there
came streaks Of fame from under