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Chapter 8: “Struck by Its Resemblance to a Railroad Timetable”
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PartIII 228 C H A P T E R 8 “StruckbyItsResemblanceto aRailroadTimetable” A tabouteighto’clockoneeveningatthebeginningofDecember,the air-raidalarmsuddenlywentoffalloverblacked-outClarkField. Another practice alert! Reacting quickly, the 19th Bomb Group’s B-17andB-18crewsranfromtheirsquadronoperationsareasto meetthetrucksrushingtocollectthemandpiledinforthequick triptotheirwaitingaircraftontheflightline. AfterCapt.BillMcDonaldandhisnavigator,2dLtFrancisCappelletti, hadclimbedintotheir93dSquadronB-17Dandtakentheirpositions, theynotedthatallthecrewmemberswereonboard,readyfortakeoff, exceptforthecrewchief,M.Sgt.RichardOlsen.Asthepreciousminutes tickedby,McDonaldandhiscrewwonderedwhathadhappenedto Olsen.The93dhadbeenpracticingalertsdayandnightsinceNovember 28andhehadneverbeenlatetoonebefore.Thecrewsofthe93d’sother sevenshipshadalreadystartedtheirenginesandtaxiedouttotheirtakeoff positions,thenturnedofftheirmotors,followingthealertprocedure. Finally,atabout8:20,Olsencamerunningtowardtheship,wavinghis armsandshouting,“Getthechocksfromoutofthewheels,comeon,get thoseenginesturned!Rollthatplaneout,comeon,let’sgetgoing!”Then McDonaldpointedouttohiscrewchief—whoappearedslightlyinebriated —thatthealertwasoverandthathedidnothavetogetsoexcited. Therewasamomentofsilence.ThenOlsendecidedthatthewholeaffair wasnotover.Tomakesure,heaskedtheflightengineeriftheshipwas fully gassed. Intimidated by the tough crew chief, the flight engineer replied truthfully that there were only fifteen hundred gallons aboard. Ashort,stocky,slightlybaldfellow,Olsenusuallywentaroundthebase withatoughlookinhiseye,asthoughhewereallsettofighttheworld. Neverdressedinanythingbutcoverallswiththesleevesrolledup,hespent ch8 4/2/03,1:05PM 228 Chapter8 229 most of his working hours around the plane. Olsen immediately went intoarambling,cursingrage,stimulatedbytheeffectofyetanotherofhis well-knownalcoholicoverindulgences,hisonlyknownweakness.“Why inthehellwastherenotseventeenhundredgallonsinthewingtanks?” heshoutedattheengineer.“Whydidyounotseetoitthattheshipwas gassedupimmediatelyuponlanding?Whatinthehellwereyoudoingin themeantime,puttinginsomesacktime?” Theengineer,ameekmanwhowasmuchtoooldtobeservingas flightengineer,answeredfeeblythathecouldnotgetthegastruck. “HowmuchdoyouwannabetIcangetthatdamngastruckright now?”Olsenthundered.“Whenthisplanegetsintotheair,everything mustbeinperfectshape,everynutandbolttightened.Thepilotmust knowthattheplanewillnotfailhim.Yououghttobeproudofthisship, ithasgonethroughmoretroublethananyothershipinthegroupandit stillisheretotakeit.Whenit’sintheair,she’stheQueenoftheSkies!”he roared. McDonaldandtheothersdidnotinterferewithOlsen’stiradeagainst thehaplessengineer.Hewaswellknownforhisdevotionto40-3074,his onlyapparentinterestinlifeoutsideofthegrape.Ithadbeenthelastof the19thGroup’stwenty-sixB-17stoarriveatClark,occasionedbythe needforanenginechangeinDarwinaftertwofailedonthewayfrom PortMoresby.1 Theintroductionofpracticealertshadgivenrisetokeencompetition withineach19thGroupsquadronforspeediestexecutionoftakeoff preparations.Invariably,thebombardierwouldbethelastmantoreach theaircraft—hehadtogobythe19thGroupvaulttopickupthesecret Nordenbombsight.Inthe30thSquadron,thecontestonedaywasfor fastestbombloadingandreportingintooperations.ThecrewofOlympic divingmedallistFrankKurtzwonthatparticularsquadronevent.2 Theonlyflightoperationsbeingconductedbythe19thGroupwere dailyreconnaissancemissionstothenorthbyasingleB-17.Inresponse to...