/lit/ - Literature

>>14626926
>not only was the sound even more intense, a gust of wind blew Patton’s kepi right off his head, only stopped by Eaker’s hand he reached out to catch it
>handing the kepi back to Patton, Eaker continued, “My apologies sir, you get used to it after a while. Anyway, as I was saying, may I present to you SAC’s newest toy, the B-29 Superfortress. Guaranteed to revolutionize aerial warfare as we know it.”
>Patton looked up at the Superfortress. He knew from the earlier briefings that it was big, but no amount of technical reports and photographs could have prepared him for encountering this silver behemoth in person
>”Well, I see that it’s bigger, but what’s ‘revolutionary’ about it?”
>”It’s not just bigger sir. It’s years ahead of anything the Germans or anyone else is fielding. It’s got a fully pressurized cabin, new and improved bombsights, analog computer fire control system-“
>”Analog what?”
>”A little complicated to explain but it’s basically the same thing the Navy puts in battleships, just smaller. With it, you can control four machine gun turrets with just two men remotely, which cuts down on crew size and increases firepower and accuracy. Not to mention it’s got nearly twice the range and three times the payload of the B-24 or the B-17. It can fly higher, faster, further, and drop more bombs more accurately. In every way, an improvement over its predecessors. Well, except the pricetag that is.”
>”Really? How bad?”
>”About $600,000 per aircraft, three times that of a B-17, which is already pretty bad. That’s not to mention development costs which are in the billions. But SAC sees it as a good investment and Richmond agrees.”
>Patton chuckled, “In the billions? Hell, we could probably pay off the whole Luftwaffe with that! Well, maybe not Goring.”
>”It might able to carry him though.”
>Patton was only able to hold his composure for a split second before bursting out in laughter
>”Ira, you are a funny man. I’ll give you that. So anyway, what’s the scoop? Why are they sending us this state-of-the-art metal monster? Richmond wouldn’t do it without reason.”
>”Well, you recall how you and Stilwell have been bitching back and forth about sharing the heavy bomber force?”
>”I’m still fighting with him over it right now. Vinegar Joe’s constantly trying to divert B-17s and B-24s for those goddamn strike packages in Poland and Czechoslovakia while I’m trying to organize the goddamn liberation of France!”
>”Well you won’t have to worry about that for much longer. SOCOM is planning something big in Poland in the coming weeks and they want round-the-clock airstrikes, SAC wants to test out their new pinnacle of human engineering, and Richmond wants to send a message to Stalin that he can give up on any notions of taking Eastern Europe for themselves.”
>a different but equally massive plane touched down on the runway with a thud