91福利社

The Master Bomber鈥檚 voice is clearer now saying 鈥淏omb the red and green TIs, the marking is good鈥�, as we slowly, oh so slowly advance towards that huge dome of fire. Exploding anti-aircraft shells sparkle in clusters like iron fillings dropped in a flame, just at our level but still a little ahead. The fires below begin to reflect a glow on the under side of the aircraft and other Lancasters come into view like little black toys silhouetted over the fires of the target. 鈥淏ombaimer to Pilot, starting the run up now, we鈥檙e a bit to port, Right-Right鈥� 鈥淩oger Bombaimer, over to you鈥� 鈥淩oger, Bombdoors open skipper鈥� My left hand drops to the lever and selects, Bombdoors open 鈥淩oger, Bombdoors open鈥� A slight change of trim as the two massive doors under the aircraft open, fluttering into the slip stream and a tremble comes up through the controls. Everything has to be very steady now, keep the heading and airspeed correct. Airspeed steady at 175, heading 071 degrees, steady, steady. A sudden change will upset the Bombsight and we will miss the target. 鈥淩ight Right鈥� says the Bombaimer and I respond with a slight pressure on the starboard rudder pedal and the direction indicator swings slowly through two degrees. 鈥淪teady鈥� responds the Bombaimer. I hold it at 073 degrees, brilliant flashes in the target area as bombs burst sending out concentric ripples in the fires below. The tension mounts everybody seem to be holding their breath...CRUMP..CRUMP.. two shells burst near enough to be heard above the roar of the engines and the aircraft jumps. Steady, check airspeed, check the heading, OK. 鈥淟eft-left鈥� calls the bombaimer, 鈥淪teady-steady鈥�, as the red and green TIs slowly creep up the wire on his bombsight. Flashes from exploding shells seem to be all around us now, the Bombaimers instructions become more frequent, 鈥渞ight鈥�.steady鈥︹�eft-left鈥︹�teady鈥︹�teady鈥�.s.t.e.a.d.y鈥�..s..t..e..a..d..y - BOMBS GONE!!! 鈥滵onk鈥�.Donk鈥�.Donk鈥�. go the bombs as they are released from their hooks and the aircraft rears up as its massive six ton load drops away. Trim nose down to keep the airspeed steady, check the heading, keep her steady now for a long , oh so long, two minutes, while the flak bursts seem to be getting closer and closer, until the photo flash goes off and the camera takes a picture of where our bombs would strike. Then 鈥淏OMB DOORS CLOSED鈥� from the Bombaimer. 鈥淏omb doors closed鈥� I reply as my left hand pulls up the lever and my right hand pushes the control column forward to build up speed while the Flight Engineer pushes the throttles forward. You can sense the massive release of tension in the crew as the engine鈥檚 roar takes on a higher note and the airspeed builds up to get away from the target area and out of the flak as fast as possible.

Check the crew, 鈥淧ilot to crew, everybody OK? Rear Gunner?鈥� 鈥淩ear Gunner OK Skip鈥� 鈥淢id Upper鈥� 鈥淢id Upper OK Skipper鈥� and so on. 鈥淩ight chaps, everybody鈥檚 OK , let鈥檚 go home鈥�

鈥淣avigator to Pilot, turn onto 297 Compass鈥� 鈥淩oger Navigator 297 Compass, airspeed 195鈥� 鈥淩oger Skip, airspeed 195, I鈥檒l give you the time to the next turning point in a minute鈥� 鈥淩oger, Navigator鈥�. There鈥檚 comfort in the steady drone of the engines now and quite an elated feeling at having survived another target and we鈥檙e on our way home. Suddenly the Mid Upper shouts 鈥淔IGHTER鈥� I slam on full left rudder, control column forward and hard to port, his guns begin to chatter and instantly the plane is shaken by a series of dull thumps. What a strange noise鈥� WE鈥橵E BEEN HIT! A brilliant yellow-orange light fills the cockpit.
鈥� Starboard Outer鈥檚 on fire Skipper鈥� shouts the Engineer, 鈥淭here鈥檚 a bloody great flame going past the Tailplane鈥� Shouts the Mid Upper. 鈥淥K chaps, settle down,- Pilot to Engineer, feather the Starboard Outer and push the fire extinguisher鈥�. 鈥淥K Skip -----------Fire鈥檚 still burning Skip鈥濃��... 鈥淪hit!鈥� Thoughts rush through my mind as I continue to throw the aircraft about in a corkscrew to avoid the fighters. We must be a choice target now, lit up in the night sky like a flaming comet and if we don鈥檛 get this fire out we have HAD IT! 鈥淓ngineer to Pilot, it looks like a fuel fire, ----if we turn off the fuel to the Starboard side we might be able to starve it but it will mean feathering the Starboard inner engine as well鈥� 鈥� OK engineer try that!鈥� 鈥淧ilot to Crew, anybody hurt?鈥� 鈥淩ear Gunner, OK Skip but my turret鈥檚 U.S.鈥� 鈥淢id Upper鈥檚 OK but so is mine.鈥� 鈥淥K Gunners keep your eyes skinned for that bloody fighter and just give me directions to avoid it鈥� 鈥淥K Skipper鈥�. 鈥淪pecial OK鈥� 鈥淣avigator OK鈥� 鈥淲ireless OK Skip鈥� 鈥淏ombaimer OK Skipper鈥� 鈥淕ood show chaps -------What the hell is happening Engineer? 鈥淪tarboard Inner鈥檚 feathered Skipper!鈥� 鈥淪o has the bloody Port inner, I鈥檝e only got one engine left!!鈥� The Engineer looks puzzled and runs his eyes over the controls and instruments and I think I catch a glimpse of a shrug of his shoulders.
Is it getting darker?-------------- I think it is!----------- 鈥淭he fire鈥檚 going out Skip!!!!鈥� 鈥淭hank God for that, Engineer, I think I can stop corkscrewing now, Pilot to Gunners, shout as soon as you spot a fighter, and tell me which direction to corkscrew!鈥� 鈥淩ear OK Skip鈥� 鈥淢id Upper OK鈥�.

We鈥檝e lost a lot of height over that and we are now down to 10000ft and all on our own well below the bomber stream and won鈥檛 be able to maintain that on just one engine. My left leg is aching with the pressure required to keep the aircraft straight against the uneven thrust of the one outboard engine. I become conscious of the sweat on my back and a dryness in my mouth and a growing determination to get this lot back. Please God, I don鈥檛 want to end up in a prison camp. 鈥淧ilot to Engineer, as soon as the fire has cooled down we will have a go at starting up the Starboard Inner, meanwhile let鈥檚 see if we can get this Port Inner wound up, we鈥檙e losing too much height like this.鈥� 鈥淥K Skipper鈥�. 鈥淧ilot to Navigator let me have a new heading for home as soon as you can, we are down to 10000ft now so there will probably be a different wind, you will have to take a guess on where we are now鈥�. 鈥淣avigator to Pilot, hold onto 297 Compass while I work something out鈥� 鈥淩oger Navigator鈥�. 鈥淓ngineer to Pilot, starting up Port Inner now鈥�. 鈥淩oger Engineer鈥�. The big propeller by my left hand window slowly begins to turn as it becomes unfeathered, a couple of blue flashes from the exhaust and she winds up to 1200 revs to warm up before opening up to cruising power. Everything appears OK and I get the thumbs up from the Engineer. Another hurdle over!

鈥淓ngineer to Pilot, we seem to be losing a lot of fuel from number one Starboard tank, I think it must have been holed. I鈥檓 switching all engines to that tank鈥� 鈥淥K Engineer, have we lost much?鈥� 鈥淭hree or four hundred gallons I鈥檇 guess鈥� 鈥淐hrist! we鈥檇 better start leaning out or we shall never get back, I don鈥檛 fancy a swim in the North Sea after all this鈥�. 鈥淥K Skipper I think we can have a go at starting up the Starboard Inner now鈥� 鈥淥K turn on the fuel to that side but if the fire starts up again shut it down straight away鈥� 鈥淩oger鈥�. Everybody has their fingers crossed as the propeller out of the right hand window begins to turn and the engine slowly comes to life and as she comes up to cruising power a blessed relief is given to my left leg as the thrust becomes more even and I can trim it out. Another blessed relief is enjoyed by all when the Starboard Outer remains dark.

鈥淧ilot to Crew, OK chaps we鈥檝e now got three engines again which should get us home alright, if we are careful with the fuel. We are 10000ft, well below the Bomber stream and we can鈥檛 afford the fuel to climb up and anyway we鈥檙e not really sure where we are. All the
guns are out of action and it looks as though we have lost all our hydraulics, so keep your eyes skinned for fighters. 鈥淩ear Gunner to Pilot, my eyes are smarting and I鈥檓 soaked in bloody petrol鈥�. 鈥淧ilot to Rear Gunner, I think that some of the fuel we lost has been sucked into your turret, hang in there as long as you can鈥�. 鈥淥K Skipper鈥�. 鈥淣avigator to Pilot, I can鈥檛 get a fix on anything and I鈥檓 not sure exactly where we are so hang on to 297 until we can get a fix鈥� 鈥淧ilot to Navigator Roger 297 it is鈥�. 鈥淧ilot to Engineer, let鈥檚 reduce the power to zero boost and 2000 revs 鈥�. 鈥淥K Skip鈥� 鈥� That should give us about 160 at this height鈥� the engine notes become softer and return to the steady drone as the Engineer adjusts the pitch controls to synchronize the remaining three engines. All appears quiet and very black outside as the airspeed settles to 160. 鈥淣avigator to Pilot, at this speed, it should be just over the hour to the coast鈥�. 鈥� Roger Navigator, it鈥檚 going to be a bloody long hour鈥� 鈥淧ilot to crew, did you hear that chaps, keep your eyes open and your fingers crossed鈥� Onward we drone long minute after minute through the darkness with every body deep in their own thoughts, nerves stretched to breaking point. The Engineer over my right shoulder is busy with his glow worm of a torch and his fuel log working out the consumption, the Navigator busy trying to get his Gee set to work and give us a fix to find out where we are and the gunners manually winding their turrets from side to side to search the inky black sky for any signs of enemy fighters. 鈥淧ilot to Special, are your sets still working?鈥� 鈥淪pecial, yes Skipper but there鈥檚 not much going on locally, we seem to be on our own鈥� OK Special, let鈥檚 hope it stays that way鈥�. 鈥淧ilot to Bombaimer can you see the ground?鈥� 鈥� Nothing worth while Skipper, I鈥檝e been trying to get a fix on something but so far, no good鈥�. 鈥淥K Bombaimer, keep looking鈥� On and on we fly though the night on the heading of 297, heading for the coast of mainland Europe, but which part? Any minute we could fly into a heavily defended area, be coned in searchlights and be the sole target for all the flak, heavy and light, at this level. 鈥淓ngineer to Pilot, we鈥檝e used up all the fuel in number one starboard tank now and switched to Number one port. We seemed to have enough fuel for just over an hour and a half at these settings鈥� 鈥淩oger Engineer, Navigator, would you like to take a guess at our ETA for Base?鈥� 鈥淣avigator to Pilot my guess is about one hour fifty鈥� 鈥淩oger Navigator, that seems a bit tight鈥�.

One and a half hours of fuel and hour fifty to Base鈥︹�� it looks as though we should go for an alternative. Without hydraulics, no flaps, possibly no brakes and a chance of a dodgy undercarriage an emergency field seems to be the answer. 鈥淧ilot to Navigator, if we can get a fix on the coast we had better set a course for Woodbridge we might need their two mile runway鈥�. 鈥淥K skipper we should be getting near the coast in about ten minutes 鈥�. 鈥� Pilot to Bombaimer keep your eyes on the ground for some kind of fix鈥� 鈥淥K Skip鈥�. 鈥淓ngineer to Pilot, there鈥檚 some flak way over to starboard鈥� 鈥淩oger, might be the main stream鈥�. Minutes drag by with all eyes searching the darkness for some point of recognition. How long can our luck hold out. Where the hell is that coastline? It must be coming up soon! Can we slip out over the sea without being attacked by a fighter or run into defended area? 鈥淧ilot to Engineer, what鈥檚 the fuel state?鈥� 鈥淥K Skipper 鈥檚hould get us to Woodbridge鈥�. Where鈥檚 that coast line? I鈥檓 getting anxious now, check the heading for the hundredth time-- yes OK on 297 Compass. Perhaps we鈥檝e got a stronger headwind at this level. A crackle on the intercom, somebody switches on their mike. 鈥淏ombaimer to Pilot, I can see some water down to starboard鈥� 鈥淕ood show Bombaimer can you identify anything?鈥� 鈥淣o Skipper, it鈥檚 wide鈥�.. not just a river鈥︹�� hold on there鈥檚 another bit of coast coming up鈥�. it鈥檚 an island鈥�..it鈥檚 big鈥︹�hrist it鈥檚 Walcheron! We鈥檙e going to go right over it鈥�.

鈥淧ilot to crew, at least we know where we are chaps, Navigator let鈥檚 have a course and ETA for Woodbridge鈥� 鈥淥K Skipper 鈥�. Suddenly a hundred searchlights pierce the night sky forming what looks like an impenetrable fence of light. Now they start to move and sway
about and three or four move in our direction. One sweeps across towards us and a heave on
the controls into a diving turn to starboard and it sweeps past our port wing, hard over to port as another comes in from that direction鈥�. missed us, a steep climbing turn to the right and, dam! One catches us, like a moth in a flame, the whole cockpit is lit up with a brilliant blue-white light. Immediately five or six others join in and we are coned, a sitting target for all the guns on the island鈥︹�︹�︹��.. No guns fire! Not one! That could only mean that there are fighters in the vicinity and the searchlights are holding us as a sitting target for them. I鈥檝e got to get out of these lights. Another heave on the controls into a vicious diving steep turn to port down, down, then over to the right with the airspeed screaming and the altimeter going through eight thousand feet then hard over to the left again and a pull back on the control column into a climbing turn to the right and suddenly it鈥檚 dark again and we鈥檙e out of their clutches. Thank God that starboard wing, which must have been weakened by the fire, held on. The lights continue sweeping and searching as we weave our way through them anticipating their next move, diving and turning to avoid being caught again. I can see the edge of the island now just down on the port side. Nearly through and out to sea. Now what? All the searchlights have laid down their beams pointing straight out to sea along our route out. 鈥淧ilot to Gunners, look at the lights, they鈥檙e showing the fighters which way we are going, keep you eyes skinned for them鈥� 鈥淩eargunner OK Skip, Midupper OK Skip鈥� We鈥檙e now down to five thousand feet and keeping up a gentle corkscrew. 鈥淧ilot to Navigator, after that bit of excitement, have you got that heading?鈥� 鈥淣avigator to Pilot, Compass Course for Woodbridge is 280, and 44minutes to run. 鈥淩oger Navigator 280 Compass and 44 minutes鈥� 鈥淧ilot to Engineer, how鈥檚 the fuel?鈥� 鈥淓ngineer to Pilot, we鈥檝e got about 170 Gallons left, enough for about 68 minutes鈥� 鈥� OK That gives us a little in reserve, but not much鈥�. 鈥淧ilot to Crew, everybody OK? How鈥檚 the eyes Reargunner? 鈥淥K Skipper, a bit sore鈥� 鈥淕lad you were able to stick it out, not long now, but don鈥檛 relax too much they will still be after us, Midupper OK?鈥� 鈥淥K Skipper鈥� 鈥淏ombaimer OK? Good bit of map reading there鈥�. 鈥淏ombaimer OK Skip鈥� 鈥淧ilot to Wireless operator, call up Woodbridge and ask for an emergency landing, our ETA will be 0246hrs鈥�. 鈥淲ireless to Pilot, Roger ETA 0246hrs鈥�.

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