That was until our lead navigator lost his bearings and took us home over Frankfurt. Then suddenly the sky turned black with flak. CRUMP! CRUMP! CRUMP! And WHAM. One burst caught Willie just behind me in the nose and in front of Bob, our co-pilot. It caved in Willie's skin so violently I couldn't get out of the nose.
I was trapped.
Now that was ok in many planes, but not B-26 Marauders. Our old B-dash-crash had a nose wheel that left much to be desired in terms of strength and durability. And the Bombardier NEVER took off or landed in the nose. He got into the nose after takeoff and left it before landing. But on this mission I would have to stay in the nose on landing. A prospect I didn't exactly enjoy.
A little Air Corps ditty kept running through my mind which went "we will get out the hose and wash out the nose cus were coming in for a new bombardier" I could feel cold rivulets of sweat running down my spine as we approached our field at Florennes.
I got on the intercom, "Paul hold off the nose wheel". Paul assured me that he would. I had fantasies of hitting nose wheel first, having it collapse and then they would have to scrape me out of the nose with a spoon.
"Hold off the nose wheel Paul" I said with just a mild note of pleading in my voice. "Not to worry Art" …Paul said. "I'll come in nose wheel high. You'll be ok".
Now Florennes was in sight. Paul dropped some flaps and lowered the gear. I could hear the engines being throttled back as Paul started his straight in approach. Sweat was now forming on my forehead and running down around my goggles. The runway was coming up fast….."HOLD OFF THE DAMN NOSE WHEEL" I blurted into the intercom.
Paul flared hard and we touched down nose high, but with barely a squeal of the gear as he greased Willie onto the blacktop. We rushed down the runway, nose pointing to the sky. I could feel Paul holding that nose wheel off until we had lost much of our forward speed. Then at the last moment he gently let the nose wheel settle as he and Bob braked Willie to a stop.
Paul, Bob and I disagree on what happened next. They say that after they got
me out of the nose I bent down and kissed the ground. I deny it. In fact there
is very little truth to that allegation. Practically none. Well, maybe a little
truth to it after all. But only a little.
Copyright © 2002 Art Kramer and Coastal Computers, Inc.