Claude Lavon Rains
Saturday May 18, 1991
I am going to begin in 1937 so that you can understand the state of the nation – economy, military preparedness, etc.
Franklin D. Roosevelt was President and the nation was in a depression. He created jobs by forming the civil conservation corps, or better known as the tree army. They made $30/month and lived as military in tents & barracks. The Works Project Administration (WPA) in the towns gave a man 4 days of work a week – he received $1 a day. Farmers were paid for soil conservation, terracing, contour plowing and cover crops.
The military was small, unimproved, and supplied with antique weapons from World War I. The Americans were isolationists and believed that the war in Europe could not reach us.
I worked the first year out of high school for $1 a day for 10 hours work. In September of 1938, I hitchhiked to Sul Ross State Teachers College and with the help of Mr. Bankhead, former Superintendent of Del Rio schools, I found a night job and he got me into the boy’s Co-Op and signed my note for tuition and I was off and running.
I majored in Animal Husbandry but during the second year they started Civil Pilot Training into the curriculum and I started flying in the second class offered.
The peace time draft had begun for single men 21 years old. To avoid the draft, I applied for Aviation Cadet Training and was accepted.
They called me to begin training in August, 1941, at Cal Aero Academy, Ontario, California. Cal Aero was civilian financed and run by directors of the academy. They were under contract to train pilots for the Army. The Corp of cadets was under regular Army commissioned officers.
When we arrived at Cal Aero, we were met outside the main entrance by the upper classmen. They welcomed us to C.A., carried our bags inside the gate and immediately dropped them at our feet and all hell came pouring down. Stand up straight – hand straight down by side – take deep breath – stick out your chest – suck in your stomach – tuck in your chin………..
Hazing was constant for six weeks; you walked with body rigid – to turn a corner, you stop, raised both arms to shoulder level, looked under each wing, put them down and then made the turn. We ate a square meal 3 times a day. A square meal was – sit on the front half of the chair, feet flat on floor, 90 degree angle at the knees, back straight. With fork in right hand, you would lift your food from the plate, straight up to level with mouth and then a 90 degree movement to the mouth.
Our primary training was ground school and flying a bi-winged open cockpit Steerman, a simple, good, flying plane but a WW I design. Our next plane was a basic trainer with a radio and with glass canopy overhead and we began to feel like we were pilots.
On Sunday, December 7, 1941, I was relaxing in the cadet day room, listening to the music of the big bands when it stopped and they announced Pearl Harbor was under attack by the Japs. We became a very somber bunch of cadets. Our duties increased to include guard duty; our flying time increased.
When war was declared, most of our Navy lay on the bottom of Pearl Harbor and our small fleet of B-17s and fighters at Hickam Field lay burning on the tarmac. One Major, leading a squadron of 10 B-17s from the West coast got the message that the Japs were attacking Pearl Harbor. His planes had guns but no bombs and no ammunition. His comment was, “What a hell of a way to fly into war.”. He changed his course and landed on a remote island.
The B-17, which I later flew in combat, was returned to the states for modification. I did not have a gun in the tail and most all that were able to get airborne, the Japs knew how to fly directly at the tail section and most of them went down.
Well, we graduated from single engine flying and were transferred to Victorville, California, for advanced flying. We were the first class to train in twin engine at Victorville. The plane was modern and new. It would take off at 120mph, cruise at 120 and land at 120. You had to fly the plane every minute – there was no room for mistakes.
We graduated in May of 1942, and were commissioned 2nd Lieutenants in the Army Air Corp.
Our next base was Sebring, Florida – another new base. Here we were assigned to B-17 bombers as Co-Pilots. Our first Pilots were 1st Lieutenants and Captains. Most of them had been instructors in the Training Command and their experience was limited to single engine trainers and they had some problems with 4 engine planes. The Co-Pilots in my class had very little problem flying the multi-engine planes. The significance of this you will see later.
Our next base was Boise, Idaho. The training was routine flight training and we began picking up more of the crew. The Bombardier and Navigator were assigned and our training changed to Navigator prompted bombing runs.
Early one A.M. we got a big surprise. We were called to an assembly. My classmates and I were made airplane Commanders and a group of newly commissioned 2nd Lieutenants were assigned as Co-Pilots. The significance of our training I mentioned, was, a change in attitude that you had to have several years of training to handle 4 engine aircraft. By having two full groups on the field, we could double our use of the plane we had to train in. We had been commissioned about 6 months and we got a break – we were promoted to 1st Lieutenant as Airplane Commanders.
We were transferred again to Walla Walla, Washington where we got the rest of our crew. A complete crew was ten men; Pilot, Co-Pilot, Eng Gunner (upper turret?), Navigator, Bombardier, Radio Operator, 2 Waist Gunners, Ball Turret Gunner (underbelly), and Tail Gunner. It is easy to see how the B-17 was called a Flying Fortress; 10-50 caliber and carrying 10-500 lb. Bombs. We were in Walla Walla for about 3 months.
Our next base was Rapid City, South Dakota. This was our last and final phase of training. We were still flying two groups with only enough planes for one group. Pilot training was exceeding production of bombers.
When training was over, the older pilots took the planes and prepared to go overseas. My class was sent one crew to every squadron in the West Training Command. My crew went to Biggs Field , El Paso. Our job was to fly with the new crews that were in training. Orders were published that our crews were to be kept intact. A pilot in a training crew had to be operated on for appendicitis. An assistant operations officer was assigned to replace him but two days later the order was rescinded and I was made Pilot of this crew and was back in training again, going back through all the phases again. I was disgusted they disobeyed a published order and made me the escape goat.
At Rapid City, I picked up and trained the crew I went overseas with but I was a replacement crew and not going with my own group.
We left Lincoln, Nebraska, with a new plane. The first leg was to land in Goose Bay, Labrador. On the ground we were told to eat, get to bed and get some rest because we would be called to take off 30 minutes after call.
I called my 18 year old Navigator into my room and told him that we were going to be over water for 6 to 8 hours and if we were going to get there, he would have to do it by celestial navigation and I would follow his headings.
All night long he kept taking fixes on the stars and giving me slight changes. About daylight he had me make a 90 degree turn to the left. He had done a landfall of deliberately heading to the right of the base up to his E.T.A. at that spot. I made my turn and in a few minutes I picked up the radio range from Reykjavík, Iceland, and I complimented him and told him to take a nap – I can make it from here.
From Iceland, we flew to ?????, Wales. We delivered the planes and were assigned to a replacement depot where we stayed for about a week.
Orders came one A.M. assigning us to the 463rd Bomb Group, Foggia Main, Italy. The 15th Air Force had bombed and destroyed the Ploestri Oil Fields. This was one of the heaviest fortified targets in that area and one of Germany’s last storage of oil. The losses to the 15th A.F. were heavy and we were one of many crews sent to fill the losses.
I don’t remember the date, but the day after we arrived at the 463rd, we were called out at 3:30 a.m., had breakfast, got our equipment together and went to briefing at 4:30 and were briefed on our target for the day.
Our take off time was set for 6 a.m.. All radio transmissions were blacked out. A few minutes before 6 the tower fired a yellow flare. This was a signal to start your engines and check them. Then next a red flare was fired and we started to taxi down a long taxi strip in the order of take off. When all were lined up and waiting, a green flare was fired and the lead planes rolled onto the runway and took off. Each of the 40 planes rolled down the runway at about a minute apart. It is hard to describe the way we got the formation together. The lead plane would climb in a wide circle to the left at reduced power. The next would turn in a smaller circle to overtake the leader. Each plane after that made the circle smaller to overtake the formation. If you were in the last flight you would fly with full throttle and when you cleared the ground you would drop your wing and make a sharp turn to the left to cut inside and catch the formation. It was a beautiful sight to see these big birds get into formation. Each squadron formed a Pandora box of 3 flights, three planes to the flight and one flying low and to the rear of the formation, better known as Tail End Charlie. Each group had four squadrons of ten planes. The squadrons formed a Pandora’s box like the squadron but flew a little wider out.
To give you an idea of the B-17s in the 15th Air Force, there were 10 Groups of 40 planes. Besides the B-17s there were a few groups of B-24s. They flew shorter missions and lower altitude.
There were P51 fighters who flew fighter cover for us. The pilots were the first all black air force group. They were great pilots and we depended on them and they never left us hanging.
The 15th Air Force was in the air and I was in the fight. I cannot remember the target we were assigned that day but we held our formation and headed straight up the Adriatic and once over land we headed for S. Austria. As we approached the target, anti-aircraft fire began. It was like watching a fourth of July fire works. Puffs of white smoke everywhere. When we approached the target, we went over a small town and then turned toward the target. At that point you set the plane on automatic pilot and the Bombardier picked up the target in the Norden bomb sight and was actually flying the plane until the bombs released. The little town I referred to was called the International Point and every group began their bomb run from this point to prevent dropping your bombs through the group flying at a lower altitude. From the IP to the target was best described as Flak Alley. The German anti-aircraft quickly established speed and direction and adjusted to attitude and for 3 minutes or more the sky was bumpy as shells exploded below and above you. When the bombardier yelled “Bombs away.”, the group made a quick turn and headed home. The fighter group had flown three flights that day and one group picked us up at the north end of the Adriatic and covered us as we penetrated enemy territory. Then another came in and gave us target cover and a third group came in and covered us as we withdrew.
I can remember several times when a B-17 was hit and couldn’t keep up with the group, the fighters would cover them until they got back over the Adriatic.
The black pilots were very good. They called us Truck Drivers. I remember one that flew formation with a crippled B-17 until the bomber started his landing then he folded up his wheels and flaps, went out about a mile, and buzzed that base so low he blew down some tents. He let us know he brought him home.
The description of the bombing mission was the same each day. The only thing that changed was the target. The more missions you went on the less spectacular the fireworks became. On three missions that I remember, shells exploded so close the shrapnel went through the skin of the plane but no vital parts were hit. Some times you would return with the plane well ventilated – small holes all over. The ground crew would start riveting small aluminum patches over the holes and get it ready for the next day.
On several missions we saw planes start smoking and leave the formation. It was up to the gunners to watch the plane and count the parachutes as they opened. Intelligence used this info to keep track of the number that should be POW.
In December we were given a mission to bomb the Pilsen Skoda Works at Brux Czechslovakia. This target was at a maximum range for our planes. Three times we tried to bomb it but due to head winds, etc., we would take an alternate target, bomb it and go back home.
On Christmas day, 1944, we were assigned the same target. It was cloudy over Italy but clear over North Adriatic and Czechslovakia. It was a cold day and no wind. This was the day that we would hit the target. The 463rd was the lead group in the 15th Air Force and I was flying on the Colonel’s wing in the 1st Flight. When we started our run all hell broke loose. Their first gun they fired had us in a ???? gun box and we were flying right into it. The lead ship was hit and went up almost out of the formation. He settled back in and finished the run. My plane had taken a hit in the H O engine and was smoking. The Co-Pilot cut the switch on it and tried to feather the prop but we had lost the oil pressure and it would not feather. I turned away from the formation and tried the fire extinguishers but kept burning. The fire was coming into the bomb bays and we couldn’t close the doors. I set the plane to fly straight and gave the order to bail out.
Original hand-written copy HERE