The temperature was minus 40 degrees Celsius when fighter planes shot out of the clouds, riddled the fuselage with machine-gun fire, and sent the bomber next to them into a deadly spin. Violent flak then followed as a hundred guns on the ground tried to bring them down. When they finally returned to the base, another enemy awaited them: homesickness, stifling boredom, relentless cold and more mud than they could imagine. Bert Ibelle was a 19-year-old freshman at Dartmouth when he enlisted in the Army Air Corps, flying dozens of bombing missions over German-occupied Europe and winning the Purple Heart. His buddy Fran Brighenti served as an infantry sniper on the other side of the world, fighting his way through the steamy jungles of the Philippines and the fiery hell of Okinawa. Their wars couldn't have been more different, nor could their outlooks on life. While the always exuberant Fran was a womanizer, Bert only had eyes for Red, the girl back home who was in love with another young man. This is their story a story that combines terror, humor, friendship, and a son's search for his elusive father.
Group
Books (first-hand)
Author
Ibelle, Bill
Title
Into the Infern
Details
English text, 30 photos. 192 pages.
State
new
Subtitle
The story of a B-17 gunner over Nazi-occupied Europe
