Hello Art:

The last of the crew enters the aircraft through one of the portals and closes the trapdoor as he enters the craft.

The atmosphere was colder than usual and the tension could be cut with a knife. As all the crew went to their positions in the aircraft--the shudder and noise from all the engines on the craft, made the crew feel as if their brains were being shaken from side to side as their ears were being pounded with all the noise.

After the Captain has done his checking over the aircraftt, and with his crew, he pushes the levers forward and the bomber begines to slowly roll and gather speed.

Soon the aircraft is gathering speed making the crew feel like they were on a Rollercoaster ride back in their home towns. As the aircraft lifted off of the runway, the crew has sinking feelings in their bellies at they rose rapidly into the daytime sky.

The crew had just setteled themselves into their own private thoughts when all of a sudden, the rear gunner is shouting over the radio that there are 6 meatballs coming in from 12 O'Clock high.

Your aircraft shudders as two meatballs come screaming past your craft and you see the winking of lights coming from the two craft and you feel some of the impacts from the rounds coming in at your bomber.

In the meantime--you also hear the chatter of several of your crafts .50 Cal MGs firing at the enemy. You hear a sudden yell as the Right Waist gunner shouts that he has just shotdown his 3rd meatball--and the first in this fight.

The meatball spirals down with his engine on fire and thick oily smoke trailing behind. The craft goes into a rapid twisting spin as it gains on the fast coming terra firma. You all watch and do not see a parachute when the craft plunges into the ground with a terrific explosion.

By that time, the rear gunner also shouts in victory, as he has just shotdown his 2nd aircraft. A thrid meatball comes in and gets in much too close and his wingtip touches the bombers wingtip and that causes him to lose control of his craft and he does a spehrical roll downwards untill you see that craft explode.

By that time, the meatballs have had enough and they turn tail for home.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

__________________
Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.