Saturday, January 27, 2007

Hurd's Bombardier: page 72


Lieutenant Garl E. Schultz from Detroit, Mich. is the squadron's chief bombardier. This means that he is in the lead ship of the first flight of three bombers in his squadron and so is the first man over the target. He flew in this position in the first American heavy bomber raid over Rouen. In this series of portraits, Peter Hurd, like a Renaisssance painter, has included background details relative to his subjects' professions. For instance, in front of Lieut. Schultz with just a corner showing, is his bombsight, the delicate instrument with which he lays bombs exactly on the target from altitudes as high as 30,000 ft. Beyond him are the white clouds and greenish-blues skies found at his usual working altitudes.

Lieut. Schultz is not wearing heavy flying clothes in his Plexiglas nose as this part of the bomber is well heated. He may keep his warm suit near him for use in emergencies, in case gun fire damages or breakdown interferes with plane's heating equipment. To his right is a machine gun, somethines used by himself, at other times by a gunner on enemy fighters attacking the "Yankee Doodle" head-on.

Life February 15, 1943

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