We are all nervous about flying our first mission & it is Al the way to Berlin! We gather up & head out across the North Sea, flying in total darkness is going to be tough getting used to. Everything is going sooth as we cross the coast, Almost immediately a 110 attacks out of nowhere and hits us in the Bomb Bay, No detonation! We thought this was going to be a short trip! The 110 comes around and hits us in the outboard Fuel tank on the starboard side! The leak is self sealed, thank goodness! In the very next zone another 110 attacks & hits us on the port wing this time hitting the # 2 Engine. The oil tank is ruptured causing a fire. We try the extinguisher, but it fails! The crew starts to prepare to bail out. A second & final attempt to extinguish the flames works!
We manage to aviod detection until we approach the target area & what a sight it was with searchlight darting into the darkness. We avoid fighters, searchlights & avoid the heavy flak to drop our bombs twenty percent on target. A 109 attacks us & the top gunner manages a couple of hits driving him off. We turn for home when a 110 comes out of the darkness! We are ripped with Walking hits! Now the St. Wing is hit, the inboard fuel tank is hit! It also self seals, we are lucky tonight! The Bomb Aimer is hit! Suffering a light wound! Also the port wing is hit, the wing root. He comes around again, but the tail gunner finally gets his bearings and destroys the attacking fighter! We slip away into the darkness.
We enter zone nine and another 110 attacks the tail gunner hits him driving him off without a shot landed against us. We again avoid detection and enter zone eight another 110 attacks! We are hit again in the tail, The autopilot mechanism device is hit, rendering it inoperable! The 110 swings around again, but is hit by the tail gunner, which is quickly becoming everyone's best friend! The 110 limps off & we head for home without further incident. Not bad for a first mission, we apprach home base & land without further difficulty.