Jump, Damn It, Jump! by Edward F. Logan Jr

Author:Edward F. Logan, Jr.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: McFarland
Published: 2018-08-23T16:00:00+00:00

Unflinching Devotion to Duty

That day, March 9, 1945, was a day of compounding hardships for Jim Cook, our tail gunner, and he went above and beyond the call of duty. Because I had asked that the two tail guns and a supply of ammunition be retained on board, Cook felt that he should constantly be at his position in the tail manning his guns. He wanted to be at his station to protect us all if necessary.

This was not my intention. Actually, I had relayed word back to Jim to be available in the waist area or the radio room, and that it was not necessary to station himself in the tail gunner’s compartment continually, but only to be ready to be there if we were attacked. My logic for this was that if we were attacked as a straggler—which is what we were—before bailout time, he could easily scamper from the waist/radio room area to the tail guns and return fire. I also realized that the heating components in his clothing would not be operative and that he would be subjected to extreme cold if he stayed back in his tail gun compartment.

Despite all of this, and unbeknownst to me, that is where he was from the time we pulled out of our spin until the time all the enlisted crew were told to leave the airplane. During this time, Jim sustained frostbite to his toes, feet, and hands. For his unselfish devotion, dedication, and courage under extreme duress, Jim was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. It was a well-deserved citation.

Joe and the rest of the crew worked rapidly, and as the weight of the airplane diminished, I was able to use less nose-up elevator trim tab, which substantially reduced our descent rate and still retained a good airspeed, slightly above stall speed for our weight. This very much improved our prospects. My innermost feelings about surviving were improving, and I was ready to accept the challenge of accomplishing what lay ahead.

When we were hit, I had a fleeting thought of trying to make it to Switzerland, but that was too far for this damaged airplane to fly. At that time, I had asked our navigator for a heading to southern central Slovenia. Jim responded quickly with a south- southwest course, and we were on our way to a safer place over which to bail out. I continued formulating my plan. I expected to lose the number four engine at any moment, so the rest of the flight would have to be planned and executed with only one engine—number three. I roughly calculated that I could stretch our powered glide, at its present altitude of about 22,000 feet, about seventy-five or eighty miles, perhaps even farther. With some additional luck and answered prayers, I might possibly keep Je Reviens in the air long enough to fly considerably farther south of the Sava River and have my crew bail out in an even more suitable location.

To summarize our situation so far: We had been hit by antiaircraft fire at the instant of our “bombs away” time—1403.

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