The doors got stuck
The plane, piloted by Captain Frederick “Fred” C. Eaton Jr., ran into trouble when its crew attempted to open the bomb bay doors. The doors got stuck and Eaton was forced to circle the huge Japanese freighter that was their target. On the second pass they managed to drop the bombs, but by then they had fired on Japanese fighter planes and anti-aircraft batteries.
The doors got stuck
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They were shot at
A skirmish ensued, with the Flying Fortress claiming three out of a dozen enemy combatants. However, its port wing was then punctured by an anti-aircraft round. Luckily the flak didn’t explode, but by now the plane was leaking fuel and would be forced into a crash landing.
They were shot at
