In the fall of 1942, the first year of the war was ending. For young men in Bloomville (Ohio) Township High School's senior class, school was the last opportunity to be free before graduation, adult responsibility, and manhood. For them and many other young men across the nation, war was about to become a reality, including J. Emerson Krieger. Life was about to turn in a new, dramatic, and uncharted direction. No Man's Sky, by author R.C. Cline, narrates the story of Krieger, a combat flier in World War II. An aerial gunner, he protected his crew and plane with a Browning M-2 machine gun while flying twenty-nine perilous missions over the embattled skies of Germany. Through diaries, letters, photos, and personal records, this memoir chronicles Krieger's service as a waist gunner, the youngest man in his crew. Offering insight into the challenges of war and combat during World War II, No Man's Sky shares the story of Staff Sergeant Krieger and what life was like six miles in the sky in a B-17 bomber. It pays tribute to all of the men and women who have served our country. No Man's Sky The Story of a B-17 Waist Gunner Who Flew 29 Times Over the Reich. By R. C. Cline AuthorHouse Copyright © 2015 R. C. Cline All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4969-2896-2 Contents Preface, vii, Prologue What's past is prologue, xv, Chapter 1 A Day in the Life of a Combat Flier, 1, Chapter 2 Mission Number 3 to Cologne, Germany, 10, Chapter 3 Bloomville, Ohio, 27, Chapter 4 Basic Training and the Flexible Gunnery School, 37, Chapter 5 This Blessed Plot of Earth and Sky — "Bromedome.", 61, Chapter 6 London, England, December 1944., 74, Chapter 7 The 490th Bombardment Group — Crew 136 of the 849th Bomb Squadron., 88, Chapter 8 The Plane was an instrument of death., 101, Chapter 9 High Altitude Clothing and Equipment., 114, Chapter 10 The First Mission of J. Emerson Krieger — "I am keeping a book.", 120, Chapter 11 The Flight Log of Rene Devoucoux, First Pilot — and the Missions of Cox, Hesseltine and Krieger., 135, Chapter 12 Forming and Formations., 144, Chapter 13 Missions to Bielefeld and Durben, Germany., 154, Chapter 14 "Keep 'em flying" — the Mission of the Ground Crew., 165, Chapter 15 Bombs and the Targets., 176, Chapter 16 "Little Friends" and the Air Medal., 193, Chapter 17 Mission to Kassel, Germany and the 'Naviguesser.', 206, Chapter 18 Missions to Chemnitz and Dulmen, Germany and the Weather., 215, Chapter 19 Rough Ride from Dresden-Chemnitz, Germany — "Lucky to be alive.", 230, Chapter 20 The Lost Mission to Wesel, Germany., 248, Chapter 21 Mission to Munich, Germany and the Bombardier., 252, Chapter 22 "Over the Hump" with Missions to Kassel and Dortmund, Germany., 265, Chapter 23 Changing the First Pilot, an Organized Crew — Mission to Varel, Germany., 270, Chapter 24 Missions to Hamburg and Brandenburg, Germany and the Science of War., 287, Chapter 25 The Air Battle over Parchim Airfield — "the second pass.", 304, Chapter 26 Tactics in the Air., 332, Chapter 27 Missions to Bomb German Airfields and Flak., 341, Chapter 28 Battle causalities, the odds of survival and the damage assessment., 352, Chapter 29 Bombing Royan, France and Franklin D. Roosevelt., 366, Chapter 30 The Flak Shack and Winding Down the War., 372, Chapter 31 The Odyssey, the Fun and the Tribute., 383, Chapter 32 Victory In Europe., 390, Epilogue "They all went out ...", 409, Dénouement. After the War., 413, The fate of "Little Miss Dottie.", 421, The legacy of four members of Crew 136, 426, CHAPTER 1 A day in the life of combat Crew 136 started early in the predawn hours. AROUND THE CLOCK, 24 -7. The ground crews had completed its maintenance, retrofits and repairs on planes throughout the night. Nighttime is for sleep, a time for rejuvenation of tired minds and weary bodies; but for American combat fliers, the wake-up call always came in the early morning hours of a mission. Teams of Mechanics had worked around the clock to repair, service and ready aircraft for the day's new mission. The idea of "long ranged, daylight, precision bombing. " was a team concept. Instrument and communication specialists calibrated flight instruments and checked radios; Mechanics patched flak holes and leaks, fueled bombers, loaded bombs, installed retro-fits, tuned engines and check and rechecked every system of a B-17 bomber. No detail was to small to ignore. System checks and rechecks were necessary before sending crews and planes into battle. 0 DARK THIRTY. The teletypes clicked cryptic messages to Group Commanders at air bases across East Anglia. Strategic Orders from VIIIth Bomber Command at 8th Air Force Headquarters in Pinetree listed targets and objectives for each Bombardment Group. Air Group Planning and Intelligent Officers at the 490th Bombardment Group had prepared aerial maps, photographs and coordinated for Group's Squadrons who would bomb specific objectives in Germany. Supply,