I am processing another interview currently. I translated one story told by Esko Tervo, Dornier Do 17 gunner/radio operator from Finnish Air Force. A little preview what kidn of material is coming. Fast, unedited, uncorrected rough translation.
Esko Tervo and the last flight of a Dornier 17
It was like any normal trip. Kind of nervous skies. 11th june 1944. Ruskies started coming over the Rajajoki-river (border river) and it wasn't very good flying weather. We were ordered to bomb from 400 meters altitude. Target was tank columns in the road. Intelligence said there was 30 kilometers long tank column coming. So we sent up everything that could carry a bomb. Six Dorniers took up. One returned without going to the target.
We were hit after Kivennapa, as there was no clear front lines. Some forces were making counter attack, some were retreating, some were in reserve and didn't just had a clue. We were hit into fuel tank. The cockpit walls broke quite fast and burning gasoline started pouring inside. Most likely it was a 40mm AA gun but I am not sure. If it had been 20mm then there would have so much shooting that all wouldn't have hit, and we would have seen the tracers.
So, happened that I was in the underside gunner's position. Guys jumped from the top hatch - and the wall of fire turned upwards so I couldn't anymore go there. We tried to open the bottom hatch with the bombardier but it was stuck. He pulled the forced release level while I was jumping on the hatch. So I just dropped out of the plane when the bottom gondole came off.
But the bombardier didn't follow. Could be that the open bottom hatch turned the wall of fire downwards - and he was burned. Burning gasoline pouring in - no much chances… And the plane came down in a ball of fire.
I still had enough senses left to extinguys the fires from me and then opened the chute. And then I thought that I might not die now after all.
It seems that the plane turned into climb when the pilot jumped. While hanging in the chute I watched how one of the guys was lower and the plane turned upside down and went down. I wondered why the guy is twisting in the chute, flexing his legs. Did his chute have a hole? No - the neighbours were shooting a lot from downwards, and he was hit at his ass.
When we landed, there were long whitewoods and we both ended hanging at with, in our chutes. I managed to get down and helped the other guy off the tree. I took him in my back and started running. I ran as long as I could and when I couldn't continue anymore I crawled under a whitewood and dragged the other guy into hiding as well. I then tried to bandage him tearing pieces of my shirt, but he said "no, dont tear the shirt, it is army's property."
So we took some breath and listened what is happening. Then we heard strange sounding talking. Ruskies! Peeked out. They were walking in a long line, searching. Passed us without noticing. But something was strange at them. And they were Finns after all, just Swedish talking. They took us to the first aid station behind our lines, and I called my unit I'm ok, and started getting my way back to base.
I wasn't hurt, just face was burned.
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