A B-17’s Way Back Home

• James O'Rourke, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2022

The Runway
The B-17 and other planes were loaded and ready with bombs. There were 40 B-17 and 30 spitfires. They were loaded with ammo, bombs and ready to fight. All of the crew were getting in the planes. It was time to take off.
Their target was 40,000 kilometres away. James, Harry, Zeal, Jack, Maggie, Jude, John, Jay, Ben, Liam, Luck, Ranger, Bot, Clay and Bener have boarded the plane. The engines had started. The clickety clack comes from the plane. The plane struck the runway and took off. 50mph, 100mph, 150mph, 200mph, 250mph, 300mph, 350mph, 400mph. Take off. James is the pilot.
One hour later, they were at 7000 metres above Earth's ground level. It was a big drop.

Flak Zone
Five hours later, “We are in the flak firing zone! Flak zone coming!” yelled Maggie the co-pilot.
"Warning! B-17 has been hit by two very heavy flak! One engine and its elevator. Engine 3 is done, it has stopped! The plane has been shot! We are ok but I am not sure about the bombs though. B-17 30 just got hit by flak and lost its tail. It's going down. The crew have bailed out. The plane is crashing to the ground. I has hit a farm." Maggie continued.
"The flak warning. We have ten fighters stopped in fighter planes. Luke, the tail gunner, had started shooting. 1 of them are down. Its tail had been shot. The same of 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. 3 just got shot on the wing and fell off and went down.

Harry the top gunner and had been the front gunner. Plane 10 shot bullets at 2 engines. Engines 3 and 2 they slowing down to a stop. Plane 10 is still shooting. Harry had shot the pilot. There was abundant shooting. A plane is heading straight to B-17. 1 crashed into the tail of the b-17. It’s only holding on by 4 pines. 20 other b-17 have just been shot down.

Bombs away
The target is spot on! Let’s head home. The fighters are back. Engine is ablaze. 10 more B-17 just got shot down. Flak zone is coming back. We got hit by flak on the tail. 2 pines got 100. We were in the middle of the flak engine. Number 4s fire went out. 1 more hit and it’s done. Engine 1 got hit 8 times by flak and it stopped. B-17 ran out of fuel. 7 planes are left.
Five hours later, the runway is in sight and in line. I slammed brakes and touch down. 8 planes made it, 7 B-17’s and 1 spitfire.