Captain Harry R. Ankeny's Combat Diary
Page 28
took just 7 hrs. and 30 minutes and we were all plenty
tired when we landed. The American soldiers at the
field were sure glad to see us and gave us a real wel-
come. Never saw so many flares shot in the air before.
We immediately ate supper and then half of us were to fly
down to a field near the Black Sea so our airplanes would
be dispersed. At the last minute they decided against it
because of bad weather, We stayed up in the hospital
area about a mile from the field. I never saw a field
so well protected with guns. In the early part of
the evening the Russians started warming up the guns
and it looked like the 4th of July around the field for
an hour or so. The Russians guarding the field looked
very rugged but a little old. I imagine all the young
blood was up on the front lines. To each of our planes
was assigned a U.S. Army crew Chief and a very young
Russian mechanic. Sure was good sleeping that night.
7th August, 1944.
Some of the boys went on a mission this morning into
east Germany (600 miles from the Russian base) where
the bombers hit the 2nd largest oil refinery in Europe.
Johnny Pugh shot down a ME109 with 50 rounds of ammunition
with his new K-14 sight. That day those of us who were not
on the mission just wandered around. I got a shave from a
Russian woman barber (cold water and a bit rough). Then
we traded some of our English money to them for some of
theirs. That evening we had a steak and ice cream in a
little club on the field the Russians operated and it was
darn good, but expensive. Some of the boys have vodka
which cost $16.00 per bottle. They really have a terrific
inflation in Russia. Saw a few Russian women who were work-
ing in the fields and younger girls with rifles over their
shoulders-- was convinced the Russians meant business in
this war. Only saw the one little village so I could hardly
form an opinion just how the average Russian lives, We were
in the heart of the farm land which was populated with
peasants and naturally they didn't have much more than a
sod house and livestock wandering around.
Aug. 8, 1944.
Took off early for the second leg of our shuttle
mission. our primary target was an airfield just outside
of Ploesti, Rumania where the bombers were to drop their
load. My engine didn't round any too good warming up but
I was convinced I would take off. Running down the very
bumpy rough field my engine started to miss and for a
Copyright © 1996, Harry R. Ankeny