Aerial Missions

General McGaw and Hibbs either met or talked together every day. After some of those get-togethers, General McGaw would assign me to destroy the selected targets. On one occasion, the target was a haystack in a field. I felt like I was in the movies, but the haystack was easily destroyed. The general so told me that all the mission I fired were shot by the big guns, 155mm. this gave me a feeling of great power.

Another proposition the general came up with from time to time would be to use a fighter wing for bombing and strafing missions. General McGaw would give me an oral request to take back the wing’s headquarters. I would then drive back about 30 miles to where the pilots lived and had their headquarters. They were always exuberantly happy to see me. They craved action and knew that’s what I came for.

I would give them the day, time, coordinates, and say the center of the area will be marked by green smoke. I also told them to be careful if they saw a piper cub. That was me.

If the mission was scheduled for 1400, id be in the air ahead of time, and at 1355 id call for the green smoke. Then, exactly on time, here would come the fighters, staggered maybe 30 seconds apart. Each fighter had two bombs on the wings. They would come in, release the bombs and then strafe the area with machine gun fire. As each plane left the area they would pass by our little L-4 flapping their wings. It was their way of saying, “Hello” and “Good-bye”. The air currents set up by this flapping action would make our plane rattle and shake. Many times, I thought our pane would just fall to pieces, but it never did. We used this bombing, strafing technique four or five times. It probably was a great success.

Sarreguemines was where I could be found in between missions. At night, Sarreguemines was under a manmade moonlight. Arching lights across the sky made visibility very good. The city was very well guarded. The Germans got in on the act. They had an amplifying system to entertain us at night. For three or four nights, they played the good old American song, “I’ll Be Glad When You’re Dead, You Rascal You.” It was played over and over all night long. After that, they played sounds and noises of trains running on tracks, backing up and switching and coupling. It was so realistic, it got on my nerves. I’m sure that was what it was intended to do.

One time while on aerial observation I spotted a German Artillery battery. I adjusted fire and fired for effect. It appeared to be complete destruction. Then, I got the feeling I wanted to do more. I then called for 12 rounds of white phosphorus. Word came back over the radio, “Sorry, can’t fire. Its against the Geneva Conference.” Pause, then an Authoritative voice came over the air, “Shoot that mission as requested.” Out came the phosphorus. Mission accomplished.

Besides the nerve-wracking night sounds, the Germans had other tricks up their sleeves. This one started on day and lasted two or three days. Fox took off for observation. While airborne, the following radio transmission came into our plane. “Fox Fire Mission, mark coordinates _and_”. The foreign accent was a dead giveaway. I went on the air saying, “Fox, disregard the Fire Mission. Its an impostor.” From the guns came back, “No need to worry Brown, we knew it wasn’t you.”

It was a dull day, so I went on the air and said, “This is Fox. Where are you ‘other’ Fox?” Other Fox answered saying, “Right here.” We both had a good laugh. Imposter Fox stayed on the air a few more days and disappeared.

Fox taking off for observation. It was another one of those dull days. Everything looked so calm and peaceful. We climbed a little higher in the sky, maybe 2000 feet to be above the clouds. Then, the pilot turned the plane and headed back away from our lines. He said, “Look whats coming at us.” About a quarter of a mile from us and coming straight toward us, possibly at 200 mph, were two Messerschmitt’s, fighter planes out to get us. My pilot took us straight down, then tapered off at about 30 degrees. Only then did I have the courage to look back. When did, I saw that one of those Messerschmitt’s was right on our tail and had both machine guns open. The racers were coming straight at us. The pilot saw all this, too; whereupon he turned a weak blue white, like skim mile. He immediately took us into another dip to within 20 feet of the ground where we leveled of and circled a small patch of trees. Next time I look around the Messerschmitt’s had disappeared. They were gone, I was almost gone, and the pilot will have to speak for himself.

We got back to the air strip. For a while I couldn’t get out of the plane, I was scared stiff, and that’s a fact. Finally, I got out. My good old Kentucky jeep driver helped me to the jeep. We made the 20-mile trip back to headquarters by which time I had about half recovered.

I dismounted and walked to headquarters office. I knocked on the general’s door. He said, “Come in.” I walked in, saluted, and said loud and clear, “Sir, I quit!” The general responded, “You can quit. When you decide to come back, let me know.” I saluted, turned and walked out. I went to my room above the general’s office, got in bed and went to sleep. I stayed there two days. Then I returned to the general and told him I was ready to come back. He accepted my offer.

As reconnaissance officer for Division Artillery, it was my job to make sure that every time we moved forward things would be in good condition for the men to occupy. This meant that I had to get the German residents out of town and get quarters ready for American occupancy.

An example: The general told me to make ready a small town down the road apiece. Division Artillery Headquarters was to move to the town the next day. I took my survey crew and went into the town. All the courtyards were privacy fenced. Music and laughter issued from within. Seems they thought they were winning the war. We startled these people as we entered with our firearms in a ready position. It was not time at all before the Germans had all left town and were glad to get out unharmed. We spent the night there. Next day in came our troops for occupation. In this case, everybody had a bed to sleep in, running water, and indoor toilets. Just like being at home; for some, perhaps better. Throughout, that’s generally how the headquarters men of the artillery lived.