Library Reference Number: 092
Flying a Marauder on One Engine
I have mentioned in a previous article that the 2-engined B26 Marauder bomber was virtually impossible to keep in the air on one engine. However, on one operation from Pescara (Adriatic coast) on 25th August 1944, 12 aircraft of my Squadron (24 SAAF) set out to attack marshalling yards at Faenza in northern Italy. As usual the formation adopted was boxes of four and the target was to be bombed at around 10,000 feet. As was expected in this area, which was situated between Bologna and Ravenna, enemy flak was intensive and one aircraft in my box, piloted by Lt Sussman, received a direct hit on the port engine just as bombs had been released.
He immediately feathered the engine, which was on fire, and, of course, started to lose height fairly rapidly. He ordered all loose equipment to be thrown overboard, all 12 machine guns to be dismantled and thrown out through the empty bomb bay together with all ammunition.
Two of the escorting Spitfires covered the limping bomber against any attack (including relaying encouraging chit- chat) whilst all the time the aircraft steadily lost height. The pilot realised that he was not going to reach base at Pescara (300 miles away) and headed instead for a recently captured airfield at Falconara. On making the approach the pilot could not get the undercarriage lowered and, worst of all, the remaining engine caught fire. After a "belly landing" the aircraft went off the end of the runway but, miraculously, all 6 man crew escaped with a few bruises. They returned by gharry to Pescara where Lt Sussman received a special commendation in his log book and a big party in the Sgts Mess.
In my humble opinion, with hindsight, his courage and skill deserved at least a DFC. In researches made I have not found, or heard about, any Marauder having been flown about 150 miles on one engine and reached landing; all other crews, in a similar predicament, have bailed out having failed to keep the aircraft in the air. A few months later we found ourselves on a
Mysterious Trip to Yugoslavia
One morning in January 1945 my crew was rounded up to do a special trip for which only the pilots and navigator were briefed. On arrival at the airfield (lesi, near Ancona, on the Adriatic coast) a Jeep suddenly appeared and out stepped two "bods" with parachutes and satchels.
They climbed in, spoke briefly to our chief pilot, and then disappeared into the empty bomb bay. On trundling out for take-off my pilot called me into the cockpit to tell me, as Wireless Operator, that we were going to northern Yugoslavia and that there was to be total radio silence including absolutely no acknowledgement of incoming messages if any.
After about an hour or so, and at about 6000 feet, I heard the bomb bay opening and, glancing back, I saw the two "bods" jumping out. We then took in a series of evasive actions although there was no enemy activity and eventually landed back at Lesi without incident.
I never did find out who our passengers were but I later guessed that they were en route to helping Tito's partisans, perhaps part of the SOE or some such group. I was not permitted to log the trip so I could not recollect the exact date. l also discovered later that there had been other such forays made by one or other of the SAAF squadrons presumably because Lesi was a very convenient base for such activities.
Note of interest. One of the targets visited by my Squadron of B26 Marauders was a town in northern Yugoslavia where there was an important German factory. The town was CELJE and football fanatics following the current Scotland team will no doubt recall that Scotland visited Celje recently (October 2005) to play Slovenia.