Aviation History - January 2016

14 AH January 2016

Terror at

12,000 Feet

AFTER THEIR B-24 WAS CRIPPLED

BY FLAK, THE CREWMEN SPOTTED

A MESSERSCHMITT JET FIGHTER

STALKING THEIR LIBERATOR

BY JOHN L. CHASE

I

n January 1945, I was

the copilot aboard a

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approach to Tunis,

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across the Atlantic and

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Maine. Tunis was our last

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to Lecce, Italy.

Our crew had trained

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spent more than a year in

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The remainder of our crew

consisted of six enlisted men:

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Jason Alexander, a married

father who, as the old man

of the crew, was naturally

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a truly diverse crew, from

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bardier, Lou Rosenman, the

son of a rabbi.

In Lecce we were relieved

of our new plane and bussed

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away, where we joined the

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Bombardment Group. For

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with experienced crews.

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covered by overcast, the lead

bombardier attempted to

aviators

diverse team Copilot John

Chase (standing at right), with

the original crew of his B-24J.