空军战士-第24节
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The number two engine quit。 The engineer repeated that he was trying
to transfer the gasoline flow。 He could not。
〃We ’re losing altitude and control；〃 Cord yelled。 〃We ’re at sixteen
thousand； a couple seconds back； we were at eighteen。〃 He added； 〃Stand
by to bail if necessary。〃
Then number four engine quit。 Then number one。 There was a long moment
of quiet； only the sound of the wind that buffeted the plane about in the
glide。 Then 〃the terrible clanging of the bail…out bell crashed the quiet。〃
Everyone got out okay； landed safely； and became POWs。 For TenHaken；
the co…pilot； and the rest of the crew； it was their first mission。 It was
number thirty…two for Lieutenant Cord。 For the photographer； number seventeen。
For all of them； it was the last。
〃Anon〃 made up words to sing to the tune of 〃As Time Goes By〃：
You must remember this
The flak can’t always miss
Somebody’s gotta die。
The odds are always too damned high
As flak goes by。 。 。
It’s still the same old story
The Eighth gets all the glory
While we’re the ones who die。
The odds are always too damned high
As flak goes by。
Learning to Fly in bat（3）
Once in the fall of 1944 McGovern went up in a practice run； with only
his co…pilot； Bill Rounds and his navigator； Sam Adams； along。 McGovern
was upset with Rounds because while McGovern was flying co…pilot with Surbeck；
Rounds used his free time to go into Cerignola to find a girl。 He contracted
VD and had to be treated with sulfa powder。 McGovern was about ready to
kick him off the plane。 But on this practice mission； which was done primarily
to give the co…pilots who had not yet been flying some experience； Rounds
did most of the flying。 〃He took that plane as if he’d been doing this
all his life；〃 McGovern said。 〃I think I could’ve done as well； but I couldn
’t have done any better and I had a lot of practice。〃 Rounds just tucked
into position and held it there。 That night； the pilot of the lead plane；
a captain； came to McGovern in the officer’s club to say； 〃You know； George；
you ’ve got one hell of a valuable co…pilot。 He flies the best formation
of any co…pilot I ’ve seen。 That guy is tremendous — you better hold onto
him with both hands。〃 Right then； McGovern decided to forget about Rounds
’s VD。 He figured he had better let the man do what he wanted on his off
hours。
___________________________
Lt。 Donald Currier was a part of one of the first B…24 squadrons of
the Fifteenth Air Force to arrive in Italy and thus flew his first mission
in January； 1944； one of the first of his group。 It was two days after his
squadron had arrived in Italy。 The target was the railroad yards in Perugia；
just off the Tiber River； in support of the ground troops。 But when the
bombers arrived； it was snowing。 Landmarks were obscured。 The lead navigator；
having no radar （which only came nine months later）； was unable to see anything
but clouds。 Currier was the navigator flying in the B…24 on the wing of
the lead plane。 〃I looked desperately for something I could see and recognize；〃
he recalled； but he saw nothing。
The lead plan opened his bomb bays。 The bombardier in Currier ’s plane
followed the leader。 He put his finger on the toggle switch。 When the leader
dropped his bombs； he and the other bombardiers did the same。 Currier saw
the bombs fall in open countryside。 He saw some bursts of flak on one side
and far away and thought； I don ’t know why the Germans bothered。 We certainly
didn’t do them any harm。 He and the pilot and crew resolved 〃we would go
again and again until we got it right。〃
Currier would go on to make a career in the Air Force。 Looking back
four decades； he said that in his experience 〃it seems incredible that we
would be flying a bat mission with so little training or experience。〃
But that was how badly the Fifteenth needed pilots and crews in January
1944。 It was because of that need that the AAF instituted the policy of
requiring just…arrived pilots to fly as co…pilots for five missions before
taking up their own plane and crew； since the men had gone through the speeded…up
training program in 1944。 In 1945 the manders changed policy again； putting
new pilots and their crews into action as soon as they arrived in Italy。
And it was the casualty list that forced the manders of the bomb groups
to keep demanding more replacements。
Bombardier Lt Donald Kay arrived in Italy in May 1944 and was assigned
to the 783rd Squadron； 465th Bomb Group。 Of the three classmates in bombardier
school who came over with Kay and were close friends； two were killed in
the air and the other became a POW。 Overall； Kay recalled that of the seventeen
original crews that started the war with him； only six finished。
Sgt。 Anthony Picardi of the 455th Bomb Group’s 742nd Squadron （who
had visited his family’s village and met his grandmother） saw a B…24 crash
on the runway while trying to take off for a mission。 It blew up on impact。
Nine of the ten crew members were blown to bits。 But one had 〃his arms blown
off from the elbow down and his legs blown off from the knees down。 He was
actually crawling away from the inferno。 He was digging into the dirt with
the stubs of his elbows； trying to survive。 Right then and there； I realized
just how precious life is。 He crawled right up to us； looked us straight
in the eyes； and then closed his eyes forever。〃
mpanel（1）；
For McGovern； on his first five missions as Surbeck ’s co…pilot； things
were not so rough。 He saw some flak； went through it； and got out of it
safely。 The B…24 did not take one hit。 〃I felt rather secure after flying
those missions；〃 McGovern said。 I could observe all those things without
having the responsibility of handling the plane myself。 I picked up a lot
of touches。〃 This was not practice flying in Idaho。 This was Europe and
the formation was much bigger — sometimes 500 or 600 planes。 After pleting
his five missions as Surbeck’s co…pilot； McGovern said； 〃I felt fortable
to take that plane up with my own crew an He summed up what he had learned
from observing Surbeck： 〃I heard through the ear phones how he handled the
radio transmissions to the tower and to the lead plane。 I saw how he brought
the plane into formation； how slowly or swiftly he got that done； I watched
him to see what he was looking at and listened to the way he was handling
the crew — everything he said； I could hear through my earphones。 。 。
I saw how he flew formation in various positions； on the left side one day
and the next he might be in the middle； the next day on the right wing。
I could observe all those things without having the responsibility of handling
the plane myself。 I picked up a lot of touches。〃 This was not practice flying
in Idaho。 This was Europe and the formation was much bigger — sometimes
500 or 600 planes。 After pleting his five missions as Surbeck’s co…pilot；
McGovern said； 〃 I felt fortable to take that plane up with my own crew
and get it into formation and get off on a bat mission。〃
双重女间谍险些误大事
诺曼底登陆是第二次世界大战中具有转折意义的一役。但据英国解密的文件显
示，由于一位双重女间谍威胁要向纳粹德国告密，诺曼底登陆差点毁于一旦。
这位女间谍名叫纳萨莉·萨久依安。她出生于俄罗斯，后来加入法国籍。二战
爆发后，经一名记者介绍，德国情报部门相中了她。她被派往马德里。在那里，她
认识了一位美国朋友。这位朋友建议她为盟国效力，并帮她联系了英国使馆。本来
纳萨莉和纳粹德国的头目赫尔曼·戈林关系不错，哪知一踏上英伦三岛，纳萨莉就
背叛了纳粹德国，开始为英国“军情五处”效力。通过纳萨莉，英国人得到纳粹德
国的大量情报。
为爱犬之死 竟威胁翻脸纳萨莉乖戾的性格也让英国人大伤脑筋。在5 日解密
的这份文件中，英国情报官员称她是一个“喜怒无常和麻烦不断”的女人。最大麻
烦是她的一只爱犬。1943年，纳萨莉离开直布罗陀前往英国，被迫和她的爱犬分离。
因为按照英国的规定，为防止狂犬病，入境的动物必须有6 个月的隔离期。英国的
这种规定让她勃然大怒，她甚至威胁不再为英国人效力。虽然已经对纳萨莉的可信
度心存疑虑，但英国人还是认为，她具有不可替代的重要性。正是通过纳萨莉，盟
军才得以蒙骗纳粹德国。她给纳粹德国送去的情报是：盟军将在法国加来登陆。
1944年5 月17日，距诺曼底登陆还不到一个月，纳萨莉前往葡萄牙首都里斯本，
准备提取德国间谍机构给她提供的一个发报机。恰在那时，她知道了爱犬已死的消
息。纳萨莉当即大发雷霆。她对英国情报官员说，她将“破坏这件事（诺曼底登陆）”，
告诉德国人她原来提供的情报是假的。 盟军成功日 纳萨莉被炒时 纳萨莉最终
没有将威胁付诸实施，不过英国人再也不敢相信她了。德国电台随即被其他情报官
员接收。1945年6 月6 日，盟军在诺曼底登陆，欧洲第二战场开辟。在诺曼底登陆
的一个礼拜后，纳萨莉被德国老板辞退。
同英国人分道扬镳后，纳萨莉回到被解放的巴黎。她在1968年出版了回忆录。
在那里，她终老一生。
60年前最高军事机密
据英国《卫报》4 月24日报道，盟军诺曼底登陆可说敲响了纳粹元首希特勒的
丧钟，然而不为人知的是，在诺曼底登陆前一个多月，盟军士兵曾在英国海岸举行
过一次“诺曼底登陆大演习”，可是演习中却发生了“可怕的错误”，三艘美军舰
船被悄悄潜至的德国E 艇鱼雷击中，导致749 名美军士兵当场遇难。由于担心这场
突如其来的大灾
