Mission Success Ch 16

The Mission

• Four airmen are tasked with a top-secret mission to bomb a power plant in Switzerland.
• The mission involves a deceptive plan to fool other crew members into believing the plane is experiencing oxygen problems, forcing them to drop out of formation.
• The crew members have rehearsed code phrases to maintain the illusion.

The Farewell

• The airmen share a final drink at the club, reflecting on their experiences and the impending mission.
• Bob, a pilot, expresses gratitude for their camaraderie and the opportunity to finally fulfill their ambitions.
• Luke, the bombardier, invokes a Longfellow quote: "If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody."
• The airmen express their love for the club, their home away from home.
• Luke calls his girlfriend, Winnie, who knows about the mission due to a conversation with Colonel Allen.
• Winnie encourages Luke, expressing her faith in his abilities.
• The airmen plan their departure, with Luke promising to write to Winnie once he is back in the States.

The Departure

• Luke reflects on Winnie's birthday present, a mysterious package he's not to open until after his tour is completed.
• Despite strict orders, Luke retrieves the package and places it close to his chest.
• The crew, including Luke, pretend to be surprised when Freiburg is announced as their target.
• Luke prepares the Norden bombsight with memorized data from Major Anderson.
• The crew experiences a delay due to the ground crew chief, who informs Luke about a hand drawn on the plane's nose.
• The hand is labeled "FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES," signifying the support from higher-ups.

The Flight

• The bomber group takes off without incident.
• The four-man crew engages in the pre-planned "oxygen problems" ruse, simulating a malfunction to justify dropping out of formation.
• Luke continues to approach the target, Colmar, which serves as a visual marker for them to deviate from the main mission.
• Luke exits the nose turret to commence the bomb run.

The Bomb Run

• Bob, the pilot, instructs Luke to prepare to jettison their bombs due to fuel constraints.
• Luke opens the bomb-bay doors, engaging the bombsight lever with his target in sight.
• Luke's bombsight is pre-programmed to release all the bombs at once, in a single cluster, unlike the usual timed releases.
• This action is crucial for the illusion of a fuel-saving maneuver while achieving damage.

The Target

• Luke faces difficulties locating a specific stand of pine trees shaped like a number "seven," as instructed by Major Anderson.
• Luke uses Winnie's birthday present as a source of encouragement, reminding himself of her unwavering faith.
• Luke eventually spots the distinctive pine tree formation and successfully aims the Norden bombsight at the power plant, located where the pine tree lines intersected.
• Luke releases the payload, securing a successful hit on the target.

The Aftermath

• Bob expresses his admiration for Luke, confirming that the power plant has been disabled.
• The mission highlights Luke's extraordinary skill in piloting and bombsight operation.