GET ABOVE THE CLOUDS
The C-47 climbs quickly and suddenly breaks above the clouds.
The countryside clears and the crewmen scan for Allied planes or anything familiar.
Gwynn, nervous and frustrated, notices they are low on fuel from their altitude changes. He fears more and more that they are lost.
Impulsively, he flicks the red warning light on, relying on gut feeling. They must be near a drop zone.
The paratroopers are getting ready to jump when Weatherhead calls out in surprise.
"That's not possible, " Gwynn says but is cut off by a sudden storm of flak. The sky erupts in white flashes and booms.
The C-47 knocks about violently. Gwynn veers sharply to the left and then quickly pulls the plane's nose up to escape the bombardment.
One hit would take them out of the air, he thinks. Should he turn the jump light on? If he does, the paratroopers could have a fighting chance on the ground.
Gwynn, however, has no idea where they are. The paratroopers could land on top of a German position. They would be easily killed or taken prisoner.
A close burst explodes just in front of the C-47, shattering a side window and throwing the co-pilot out of his seat. Gwynn barely holds on to the controls. After gaining his balance, he reaches out towards the jump switch...
Cautiously, the American reaches to his grenade belt, then readies to throw an Mk II grenade.
Then the Germans fire and a stabbing pain sears Turnbull's shoulder. In the same breath, Turnbull flips the grenade forward.
