Oral History Interview with Eugene R. Cronin, February 1, 1972 Page: 4
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Cronin
4
remember it was the very latest type of plane. Its
speed was some five to ten miles faster than we were
used to traveling. One of the interesting things that
the crew noticed occurred when we were coming back from
a raid over Vienna. We were a new crew, and when we got
into Italy they took our new airplane away from us and
gave us a piece of junk. We were on one of our first
trips, and we were in this old airplane, and we had a
near air-to-air collision somewhere over the Adriatic,
I believe it was. When we nearly had this collision
we had to make an evasive left turn, and we lost altitude.
I remember looking and seeing this other craft making a
right turn, and as we pulled out, we were pulling out
close to a squadron below us, and one of the aircraft
flying alone behind this squadron passed us and going
just fast enough--I'd say ten or fifteen miles per hour.
We looked over and 2,700, I think, was the number, and
a couple of us screamed over the intercom, "Look what's
passing us!" It was the aircraft that we had taken
overseas. It was on three engines. We were on three
engines at the time, too, but it was kind of interesting.
I'm sure it is of no historical value, though.
Well, in a way perhaps it is. Why did they switch airplanes
on you when you got to Italy?
In the Army it's all seniority. We were a new crew, andMarcello:
Cronin:
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Marcello, Ronald E. & Cronin, Eugene R. Oral History Interview with Eugene R. Cronin, February 1, 1972, book, February 1, 1972; Denton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1529237/m1/6/?q=%22~1%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Oral History Program.