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pg.64

going on.Priority was given first to Mascot 37. One engine feathered, hydraulic system shot out, running out of gas, unable to turn except with engines, no flaps and two wounded aboard - one with both legs broken the other with one leg broken. In addition his bomb bay doors were stuck open. We intended to bring him down so that he could effect a wheels up landing on the runway but the 21st Bomber Commandwanted him to keep circling in the hope that the weather would lift.It usually does about 9 a.m., this time it didn't. By the time they allowed us to take him it was too late - he didn't have enough [[strikethrough]] xxxx [[/strikethrough]] gas to effect a decent run. The pilot refused to bail out because it was impossible to put a chute on the wounded men. He decided to ditch. We alerted Air Sea Rescueand the navy and other ships around the island were advised to watch for the airplane. The blip disappeared about 1/2 mile west of the island. We later learned that the ditching was so successful that everyone, including the wounded were saved. The plane floated for hours and finally a surface craft towed it toward the beach. Meanwhile the other bombers were running out of gas. Visibility was very bad but we wanted to try a pass. The 21st Bomber Command was unwilling to stick its neck out. It seems there are too many people around here giving order.Oh, for the time when we were unknown. We vectored the other three planes over the island where the crews bailed out. We later learned that of the four crews all but three men were rescued