Merced Army Flying School - Yearbook (Merced, CA)

Page 35 text:

- ,ff ' .K :M-'fr': ,Tifs1s'w srsssr Q V MV HIlMHHHIlIlH lHHININE The whole sfrilring power of lhe Air Forces, insofar as deslrucfive power is concerned, is carried af lhe fips of fhe Bombardier's fingers. lsolaled and alone in fhe glassed-in greenhouse righ+ in +he very nose of lhe powerful bomber, if is his duly fo direcl his plane fo fhe proper poinf above his largef and release his bombs wifh such splii- second fiming as io insure fheir finding 'lheir mark. For much of +he plane's flighf fhe bombardier is merely a passenger, bu+ as ihe plane nears i+s obieclive ii is in his hands, and his alone, fhai +he success of The mission res'rs. Aided by ihe lines? inslrumenfs for precision bombing owned by any nafion in fhe world, fhe bombardier musf malre allowances for such 'lhings as plane speed, heighi, air lemperalure, weigh? of ihe bombs, wind and cross drills and o+her facfors. He sefs fhese facls info his bombsighf, which is in essence a calculafing machine, and al fhe righf momenf releases his bombs. Before he reaches 'rhaf largef, however, fhe bombardier spends fwelve crowded weeks learning fhe fundamenials and fhe fine poinis of his desfruclive frade. The bcmbardier is selecied 'For his faslr a+ fhe Classificalion Seclion of +he Air Forces. He is selecled because

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Wit f ' 1. . 2 gf ggggi KZ g, , . exft' f' ' , Top Row, Left: Gentlemen with swords once settled their quarrels at dawn. But these gentlemen, aviation cadets in the Training Center, work out with foils in order to develop cat-like quickness and dexterity which will be valuable to them in settling scores in air combat. Center: After a long flight. Right: Cross-country preparation. Middle Row. Left: Back to the barracks after a hard day's work in the air. Center: British cadets fold Old Glory at Retreat. Right: Advanced navigation trainer. Bottom Row, Left: A sextet of aviation cadets in the air as they are determinedly making a broadiump on the obstacle course used in the physical training program. When the full story of this war is written, there will be a special chapter devoted to the hours of scientific study, the subsequent hours of manpower, prespiration and drudgery now being expended to toughen our combat fliers for the fight. Men were not made to fly at rarefied altitudes of 30,000 feet, nor were they built to be wrenched in the air at speeds of 500 miles an hour. But our enemies are doing it. We must. And the rugged physical conditioning program in the Training Center is the successful answer to how we can. The keystone in the training program is the development of those muscles and nerves most used in combat flying. Center: Sky Bound. Right: Advanced Trainers. Lett: Like a man from Mars with a death ray generator in his hands, this Army Air Forces photographer draws a bead as squadrons of planes roar across the cloud banks. Anywhere he may point his finder he will catch the growing flights of aviation cadets doing precision formation flying. M l My KW, - it 1' 4 ' E5 fail Q f CQQ, X jffilc

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H WW X ' 7 Shown ihrough ihe iwo racks of bombs is a bombardier cadei waving an all-clear lo fhe ground crew as he goes up +o fhe nose. Bombardier fraining. HUllHHHIlIlHS he has shown marked abiliiy ai' manual dexferiiy so ihai he can 1-wisi knobs wifhoul' fumbling, muscle conirol so +ha+ his adiuslmenls are always precise, serial reaciion so fha? he can apply daia in orderly sequence, and a calm lemperamenf so he won'i gel' raHled easily. Once he has been selecfed 'For his rigorous fask fhe embryo bom- bardier is senl' 'lo one of fhe large bombardier schools, where he is firsl' inlroduced info 'lhe 'theory of bombing. He aH'ends classes and discovers fhe infricasies of wha+ makes bombs fall as ihey do. He learns fhe composifion of bombs, iheir various reacfions fo differenf condiiions and siluafions. Above all, he spends many hours praciicing on fhe bomb frainer, a plalform some I2 'Feef above +he ground which simulafes aciual bombing condilions. Over and over again he works ouf ihe various problems +ha+ are connecled wifh his infricale arf, learning io lurn dials, slraining his eyes, learning fo coordinaie mind and body so +ha+ his movemenis will be swiff, sure and above all, accurafe. As iime goes on he finds lhal' he is acquiring fhe sure fiming and accuraie adiusimeni' necessary fo make of him a 'Finished bombardier. He learns in classroom aboui such +hings as probable error, fhe reason behind pafiern bombing, learns how 'io calculafe wind driff and olher such problems. As he grows more proficieni he works our advanced problems in- volving all fhese faclors on his iraining plaiform, so ihaf by +he fime he is ready fo +ake fo fhe air for his praclice frips he has a clear idea of iusi whai' problems he will 'Face and wha? his responsibiliiy is. When fhe lime comes for him io make his praciice bombings he is carried in a modern 'fasf bomber. He bombs al' day and he bombs af night He lives and fhinks bombing. The pracfice bombs are loaded wifh black powder insfead of high explosive and when fhese defonafe fhe bombardier can see iusi' how 'far he missed his fargei. He ge+ praciice bombing from all angles and under all kinds of condifions. He learns io bomb from high alfifude when his bombs are released fhree miles before he reaches his obieciive, and he learns io bomb from low aliifudes when his bombs crash righf on iop of his obiecfive. He is schooled in fhe use of fhe Norden and Sperry bombsighfs, our mosf vifal milifary secref. Af fhe end of nine weeks he makes his record runs, lhe 'Final examinaiion for a bombardier which defermines wheiher he is a firsl, second or ihird class bombardier. If he graduaies as a firsi' class bombardier his posifion will probably be in 'ihe nose of +he leading plane in his 'ilighi' so fhai he can help ihe following bombardiers in fhe proper releasing of iheir bombs. During his lasl' lhree weeks of lraining lhe bombardier is in fhe air almosf consianily, bombing on +he pracfice range under all fypes of combai condilions. He learns how fo release his bombs af very low alfifudes when he can'+ use his sighf, buf musl rely on his own sighi and iudgmenig he also learns 'ro bomb from so high fhaf he has fo use oxygen 'io enable him fo breafhe. He learns how fo check his lnsfrucfor af fhe blackboard explaining diagram illusfrafing lhe fall of Where fo fhis lrip? The cadefs check fhe mission schedule 'io gel +he bomb as avialion cadels look on. +heir desiinaiion and fargei for fhe flighf. - 'VM'