· RUEL SK

The fight
55
The SEEDS crew
A flight of FW -190s had closed on the low-left squadron, raining hell at point~blank
range, In a few seconds, they transfonned the two ships composing the low-left element
into burning twins.
Second Lieutenants Andrew G. Seeds and Michael 1. Luongo began to have trouble
controlling Steady Hedy. When the frrst engine erupted in flames, the copilot hit the
propeller feathering button, moved mixture control to "IDLE CUT -OFF," closed the
throttle, turned the ignition switch to "OFF," and finally turned the fuel supply to "dead
engine OFF" at the main selector valve.
A second engine was crippled and fires spread quickly on both wings, the fuel cells
threatening to explode at any moment. When the pilots tried the controls, they found them
loose, almost unresponsive. They knew that the flames were doing their destructive job,
consuming everything in range, from the aluminum skin to the structure itself. The airfoil
could break in midair without any warning.
As things quickly deteriorated from bad to worse, the young skipper felt a gripping
fear and near panic as his mind anticipated a ghastly future. But there was no time to
waste. The crew had to be called and given the order to bailout. The copilot tried the
intercom while the pilot hit the bailout bell. Emergency alarm bells rang in the nose turret,
navigator-bombardier's compartment, rear fuselage compartment, and tail gun turret.
Suddenly the wings blew up. Needing no further explanation about the status of the
ship, the crewmen scrambled to get their chutes on. Struggle for dear life ended when the
wingless fuselage nosed down and fell to earth. The men were thrown to the ceiling. Hard
as they tried, they were unable to overcome the force pinning them. Then, slowly, the
fuselage flipped on its back and started to barrel. The nose and tail turrets fell off the metal
rings on which they were mounted.
The crew was in the middle of a maelstrom of pieces of equipment, ammunition
boxes, spent cases, and bags. Happy those who had been killed instantly. It was only a
matter of time until what was left of their B-24 would slam into the ground. Some resigned
themselves to the fact that their time had run out. Others did not give up the struggles to
escape their rotating coffm, the escape hatches were so close and life was outside. Death
caught them all when the fuselage exploded.