RadiotransmissionfromMajorGraff!yellsAlexeiovertheradio.

Ipickupmyradio,and

therestofusdo,justasweweretoldtodointraining.Rightafterhesaysthis,wealllisten

closelytotheradiotransmission.Allairforceunits,beadvised,theenemyhasplantedhidden

weaponsgroundsthatareholdinganti-aircraftandantitankartillery,pleaseusecautionover

theseareas.ThesedangeroussitesaremorecommonlysightedintheBerlinarea.Oncethe

radiotransmissionended,therewasapanicamongourcompany.Wewerehalfwaythrough

Berlin,anditwasinthedarkofnight,wecouldnotseeanyofthebasesdownbelow.

Tommy,thenewpilotyellsWhatifweareflyingoverabasenow?Allofusthought

aboutthethreatposed,asthatthoughthunginourminds.

Charlie,theshyonecalmlytellseveryoneGuys,dontworry,wewillbealright,likeall

theothertimes.Atthatmoment,ablindingspotlightlaiditsbeamonus,severalmorecameto

theexactspot,theairraidsirenroaredbelowus.Wehadbeenflyingoveranairbase,andthe

basewasnowonhighalert.Wepushedourplanestofullflyingforce,andtriedtoevadethe

spotlights.Butalas,theyweretrackingus.Then,thedeafeningfireofantiaircraftgunssounded,

andthebulletswedgedthemselvesinmyengine,theengineburstintoflamesandoilbeganto

sprayupfromtheblock.Ithenrealizedsomethingterriblywrong,Myleftwingwasnolonger

attachedtotheplane.Itriedtopullbacktheyoke,therudderandtheverticalstabilizerwere

rippedoffbyahighexplosiveround.Iwaslosingaltitude,andwildlyspinningthroughtheair.I

pickeduptheradioandscreamedMayday,mayday,thisisAlphaSixgoingdown!Lordhelp

me!Therewasaloudnoiseofmetalcrashing,andeverythingwentblack.

Iwokeupinthemiddleofahayfield,withmyplanecompletelydemolished.Theengine

waswildlysmoking,thetailwasrippedoff.IpickedupthesilencedM1911pistolfromthe
holsterandcontinuedtowardstheforest.Suddenly,aterrifyingroaremergedfromthedead

silence.Atthatmoment,Iknewwhatitwas,ItwasaTigerII(TigerAusf),Germanysmostfeared

tank,ithadbeenknownforitsdevastatingpoweragainsttheAllies.Ithasbeenknowntowipe

outwholebattalionsofAlliedShermansandCenturiontanks.Idartedtoalargelogofafallen

tree.IremaineddeadsilentastheGermansoldiersrantowardsthewreckofmyplane,

Iheardthevoiceofaraspysoldier,Damnpigs,howdaretheyflyoverourbase?We

haveourdefensesreadyfortheirarrival,andtheywillbecrushedunderfoot.LonglivetheNazi

empire!Ilistenedtotheradiocommunicationsasthesoldierstoodjust2feetawayfromthe

loginwhichIhid.MeinFuhrer,zepilotisdead,hisbodyisnowheretobefound.Amessage

relayedback3secondslater,

good,anairassaultwouldbedevastating.Returntothebaseandgetsomerest

comrade.Thetankturnedits68tonbodyaroundandcontinuedbacktothebase,asitrolled

back,itfeltasanearthquakewasinprogress.10minutespassed,notasoundwastobeheard,

emergingfromthelog,Ipokedmyheadfromthelog,itwasclear,exceptforthemassivetracks

thatwereleftbythetank.Ifigured,Iwouldneedtofindawaytogetoutofthearea,quickly.I

followedthetracksofthetank,slowlytrudgingthroughtheforest,makingsuretherewereno

landminesleftbytheNazis.Afteratenminutetrek,IfoundthemassiveNazicontrolledairbase.

ItwaspossiblythegreatestsightIveeverseen,ourairbaseswerelarge,butnotaslargeasthis

one.Fw-190sandMesserschmittbomberswereseenlinedup,readyforbattleinamoments

notice.Therewerehugegunpodsthatfacedthesky,withsoldiersstillscanningtheskyforthe

restofoursquadron.Idartedintothebunker,whereitseemedtobequiet,tooquiet.Ilooked

intothemesshall,whereamassivegermansoldierstood,cleaningthemesskitsoftheothers

whohadgoneonpatrol.Atthatmoment,Itrippedonthelegofoneofthebeds,Ifellontothe

floorwithaloudthud,
 Whozder?saidthesoldier,Isawhimdrawamassivebowieknifefromhisholster,I

tookthem1911frommyholster.Ipreparedtofireattheman,Ashecameintheroom,Ipulled

thetrigger,click,Ihadforgottentheclipofammunitionintheairplane!Forgotyourammoyou

stupiddog?Hechargedstraightatme,thesilverbladeaimingatmythroat.Ibracedmyselfand

sawmylifeflashbeforemyeyes.

Iheardasilencedgunshot,thegermansoldierstoppeddeadinhistracks,hefelltothe

floorandtookhislastbreath,beforefallingfacefirstatmyfeet.ItwasCharlie,hisgundrawn,he

hadcrashedandsavedme.Charlie?Whatareyoudoinghere?Ithoughtthateveryonewas

flyingaway.

Notquite.Igotshotdown,Isawyouenterthebunker,andIrememberedtobringextraammo

fromtheaircraftcarrier.Youforgotyourammoclip?hesaidasheheldoutaclipofammo.

ThanksCharlie,yousavedmybutt,whenwegetbackhome,Illbuyyouamugok?"Thedoor

opened,andtheshoutsofagermansoldieremergedfromthekitchen.

Whodidzis?comeoutyouallieddog!Ifiredashot,hedroppeddead.Charlieopenedthe

armscloset,findinganmp40andastg-44.Hethrewarifletome,andweheadedoutofthe

bunker.Hidingunderthecoverofdarkness,wesnuckintoahangar,wherewefoundtwoplanes

thattheNazishavesalvagedfromapreviousraidatanalliedairbase.Asweclimbedintothem,

theairraidsirenroared.Aboomingvoicesoundedontheradio

Allsoldiersonhighalert!Twopilotsthathavebeenpresumeddeadarenowroaming

thebase,lastsightedathangar128b!CharlieandIcheckedtheflaps,andwestartedthe

engines.AgroupofGermansoldiersburstthroughthefrontofthehangarandfiredtheir

weaponsattheplanes,theenginesoftheplanescametolife,CharlieandIpushedourplanesto

fullpowerandwetookofffromtherunway,butthefireofantiaircraftgunsfollowed,anda
shrapnelshellhitCharliesengineblock.ImhitIcannotcontinue,Jaegerheadbacktothebase,

dontlookback!Charlieturnedbacktowardsthebaseandtookaimatthemunitions

department,buthisplanecaughtfire,inaballoffirehefellintotheforest,endingwithan

explosion,hedidnothitthemunitionsdepartment.Iflewontowardsthebase,revengeboiling

inmyblood.Ishouldhavediedbackthere,Charlieshouldhavebeenabletogohome.Ilanded

myplaneandheadedtothebunker,wheretherestofthemenwereseated,playingcardsatthe

table.Allofthemgotup,andstoodatattention.

Jaeger,wethoughtthatyoudiedbackthere.saidKiril,theRussianpilotwhowe

recruited.WheresCharlie?Tommyasked,didnthegodownwithyou?IsadlysaidHewas

K.I.A.KirilrespondedWhathappened?SoItoldthemeverythingthathappenedatthebase,

howhesavedme,howhewasshotdown,andtriedtotargetamunitionstorageareaashis

planefelltohisdoom.Then,asharpraidsirensounded.Weweregoingtobattle,theyhadfound

atankbaseandwarehouse,itwasnearbywhereIhadbeenshotdown,andtheywerenowona

missiontodestroyit.ButtheneededateamtoflyaLincolnMk1bombertothesiteofthe

airbasetodisabledefensesbeforetheliberation.Okboys,getready,wearegoingtowork.

Aftermyteamsuitedup,theairfieldwaschaotic,sailorsrunningtotheirnavalstations,and

pilotsrunningtotheirbombers.WesawtheLincolnbomberstationedatthelargesthangar,we

alldashedfortheplane.KirilandTommyranthegunneryequipmentandthebomb-bay.Iran

thecockpitandtheflightoftheplane.Theloadershadfinishedputtingtheammunitioninthe

gunsandthebombsinthebomb-bay.Wetaxiedthemassiveplanedowntherunway,turnedthe

planetowardsthesea.Wewaitedforalltheotherbomberstocometothetakeoffpoint.Then,

thecontrollersfromtheviewingportgavetheok,andthentheairmengavethesignalfor

takeoff,wepushedtheenginestofullpower.

 Theenginespushedtheplaneforward,slowlygainingspeed.Theotherbombers

followed,andsoonwewereairborne,flyingthroughoutthesky,andIsawoutofthecornerof

myeye,thebaseinwhichIescaped,whereCharliedied.Ishiftedtheplanesdirectiontowards

thebaseandfranticradiotransmissionsechoedfromtheradio.ColonelGraffscreamedJaeger

Borodin,turnyourplanearound,thatisadangerousarea!Doyoureadme?Whatareyou

doing?IcalmlyrespondedI'mfinishingwhatCharliestarted.ActivatingtheWEP(War

EmergencyPower)throttleonouraircraftweflewtothebase,theairraidsirenscreamedbelow

us,andantiaircraftshellsonceagainbombardedouraircraft.Alexeisaidaprayer,hesteadied

thebombview,whereshouldwedropsir?Ilookedthroughthebombview,layingeyesonthe

munitionsdepartment,andCharliesplane,stilllyingafewhundredfeetaway.Theangerboiled

inme,withprecisionandconcentration,Isteadiedthebombview.Droptheload.Themassive

5000kgbombswhistled,astheybegantheirrapiddescenttotheirtarget.Afewmomentslater,a

hugeexplosionhappenedbelowtheplane.Thebaseburstintoflames,andexplodedinaballof

light.Weregroupedwiththebomberformation,weweregreetedwithcheersandcompliments,

theotherbomberpilotsprasingusforouraction.Aftertheattackwasconductedonthetank

warhouse,wereturnedtotheairfieldwhereweweresummonedbyGraff,ourteamhadbad

feelingsaboutbeingreleasedfromtheairforce,fornotobeyingorders.Graffinvitedusin,Well

guys,itwasgoodworkingwithyouall.Isaid,aswewalkedintoGraffsoffice.ColonelGraff

stoodathisdesk,hisfacestraight,andhisbeadyeyesglaringatus.Gentlemen,foryourheroic

service,Iwouldliketoawardyouwiththesemedalsforheroism.Thankyouforyourservice.We

walkedoutoftheroom,smiling,andweknewwehadavengedCharlie.AlexeiandTommy

excitedlyputthemedalsovertheirnecks.Later,wefinallyputhimtorestatafuneral

processiononthebase.Aheadstonewaslaidattheendoftherunway,withmanytheretopay
respects.Iwenttotheconcessionstand,andboughtamugofbeer.Ididnottakeasip,Iwalked

towardsCharliesgrave,HerestoaheroIsaidasIputthebeerdownonthedirtmound.