This discussion is Beehive CEO's - monthly column as found on the last page of Americas Network magazine. They have been printing his letters for nearly 20 years. This column will remain posted till he writes the next one. The Last Word..                                                December 2000 The War - an event 2.5 years after Pearl Harbor. The major heavy Bomber in Europe was the Boeing B-17-G. Out the door price was $250,000. Four 1,850 hp supercharged engines. Ten man crew. The Pilot was generally a Captain. Co-pilot, Navigator and Bombardier were Lieutenants. One enlisted radio operator. Five others manned machine guns located in the Top Turret; Bottom Ball Turret; Left Waist; Right Waist; and the Tail. The two nose machine guns gave the Bombardier some retaliation against head on attacks favored by the German FW-190 and Me-109 fighter aircraft. Statistically, Americans in the European Bomber Command had a greater casualty rate than any other branch of service on either side. The average for most of 1943 and 1944 was a 25% loss. Take Utah resident, former USAF Lt. Col. Robert (Bud) Clay. Lives down the road. After two years training and 16 missions into Germany, due to experience, and losses and new replacements, Bud worked his way from tail end Charlie, where all the new guys were first placed in the formation - up to be leader of the normally 18 plane formations. Depending on how far and the gas load, up to 3 tons of bombs in each plane was hauled from England to wreck havoc on Germany. For all of 1943, the Bombers had no fighter escort into Germany. Mission 17 On May 24th, 1944, Bud's Bombardier was on a visual run to drop bombs on Berlin. It was a comfort to see those new P-51s providing escort. They could keep German fighters at bay. Then the left inboard engine (with over 200 hours) packed up and quit. Bud dropped out of his lead, After bombs away, he turned 180 degrees crossing back over Berlin. Going home. The rest of the planes went another 10 miles to the meet point where they assembled and turned for their formation flight back to England. By the time Bud got to the Coast, He figured he had it made. He could see the sky above full of returning B-17's. A P-51 escort dipped a wing and headed home. Then another over 200 hour engine packed up and quit. Not enough oil pressure to feather the prop. A wind milling prop is a drag. Two hundred hours was supposed to be a mandatory engine change. He called for a course to Sweden. As they passed over Helgaland he could see in the clouds, black puffs of flack from German radar controlled flack guns. A close hit took out Bud's right inboard engine. The remaining single engine (outboard left) was cranked up to full power with 44 inches of manifold pressure. Only inboard engines provided essential accessory things like vacuum for instruments to function. Bud knew water landings were deadly. Few survived. Slow descent from 12,000 feet using only needle, ball and airspeed. No gyros. The magnetic compass was (typically) not really steady. He just put the yoke where he figured it should be. Keep the needle centered which kept the plane right side up. Both pilots left feet holding the rudder with corresponding wheel control to compensate for the engine way out there on the left side that wanted to turn him right. Jump! They had long ago tossed everything overboard. Machine guns, the new self erecting bombsight, ammo, anything not nailed down - got pitched. Breaking out at 5,000 feet found ice on the windshield. There was only water ahead. Tail said land behind. Turn around. Once established over land, Bud ordered his crew to bail out. When it didn't happen the Navigator and Bombardier went back and found the crew standing around the door. It would not open. One of the Officers hauled back and kicked the door. Off it flew. Out they went. Lt Hatten went aft to make sure all got out OK. Bud said it was safer for him to crash land than let go of control - and try to get out of - what would then be an incontrollable B-17. Hatten said he was going along for the ride. Six miles later a fair sized open field was found. Circle. Try to hit as close to the start as possible. Wing tip hit a hill edge first. Belly impact. Slide. Rotate. Stop. Tail next to the nose. Good landing. Quiet. Birds chirping. Hatten's face bloodied from hitting the right window frame as each pilot had their heads out their respective windows to see for the landing. Bud was still all hyped up with his only thought to destroy the wreckage before the Germans got it. He went to get the Spiked Incendiary's of which each B-17 had three. Take it off the wall. Jam it down as hard as possible over the gas tank so the sharp spike would penetrate and then it would go off and cause an explosion and fire that should do the job. There were no incendiaries. Now what? Still on mental auto-pilot, Bud got the flare pistol and two flares and opened the gas tank. Big hole. He stood 8 feet away and aimed for the hole. Flare bounced off the wing. He reloaded and pointed the flare directly into the gas tank. No bang! Just a 3 foot flame. Not enough air in the tank to allow an explosion. Forget it! Tried. Bad day. Bud then took Hatten to a nearby farmhouse and tried to get a guy to assist in medical help. The man replied in perfect English, "I speak English, you are in Denmark - I am sorry, but can't help you, as the Germans will kill me if I do". His wife bustled out of the house, took them inside and was tending to Hatten's wounds when a German with burp gun came into the house. He commenced yelling. The man then said to Bud that "this German is going to kill you if you don't drop your pistol". It was only then Bud realized he had jammed the empty flare pistol into his front belt. Slowly, one finger and thumb lifted - and dropped it to the floor. Captain Clay and his crew of 9 were interned that May 24th. They were rescued from a POW camp in southern Germany one year later. (That is another story). Eight are still alive. The people of the island of Als in Denmark finally found Bud two years ago. They mailed him a wonderful photograph of his plane in the field. There is a picture of the young girl in her wedding dress from one of the chutes kept from the Germans. They want to have a thank-you party for the entire crew that can come - on May 24th next year. When 82 year old Bud takes off for Denmark - he wonders who will Shepard the children he watches over twice a day, as a volunteer crossing guard. When Art Brothers isn't impeding traffic flow in the desert, he operates Beehive Telephone Co. (Wendover, Utah) Copyright 2000 by A. W. Brothers and Americas Network magazine. All rights reserved. © 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 Beehive Telephone Co.