Bullets In The Bombers

Bullets in the Bombers The B-25 and the Lieutenants who never got promoted: During "WW2," there were a number of quick and dirty tests devised by various Officers to categorize winners and losers of various sorts. You might have your own pop quizzes or on-the-spot tests for screening witnesses or participants into or out of an investigation A Major stationed at Airdrome-on-the-river-Tyne in southeast England devised a simple test to decide whether he would ever think twice about promoting a subordinate. The bomber squadrons were taking bad hits on their flights over Germany. They would send a full squadron out at night, and only 50 percent would return the next morning. The Major would stand with his each new Lieutenant, awaiting the returning planes. As the first one touched down, he handed the Lt. a clipboard and tell him to draw a quick outline of each plane and indicate where he could see groups of bullet holes. After the last plane was down, the test began. "All right, now, son. Take this red pencil and show me just exactly where we should beef up the armor plate on each of those planes." The Major's eyes normally glazed over with the first drawing, as the green Lt. made large, red circles around the most obvious groups of bullet holes. For the Lieutenants he didn't like in the first place, he just walked away. For the few he thought might have a little promise in the distant future, with high-level, intensive training, he would slowly say: “No, son, (… followed by a very long … pause … )” then … “These are the planes that made it back! We're going to put more armor plate where there aren't any bullet holes. Think about it!!”