“Kiel took another battering from Flying Fortresses today, formation after formation of the big bombers roaring over the German port practically without opposition. Observers say the city was like "A sheet of flames" after the Forts had completed their task of destruction. Not a single bomb was wasted. Of the 22 ship sent by the 381st, six were from this squadron: Lts Klein, Sandman, Fridgen, Chason, Butler and Nason.
“Parachutes save lives, but today 2nd Lt Adam A. Mackow, of Newark, N.J., saved a parachute. When the B-17 ‘Hellcat’ approached Kiel, the chute of the navigator, 2nd Lt David E. Barer, of Brooklyn, N.Y., unexpectedly blossomed forth and bellied out in the nose section of the plane.
“Lt Mackow, bombardier, temporarily left his position and gathered the billowing chute in his arms. He then helped Lt Barer remove his chute and both prepared for ‘Hellcat's’ bomb run over the city. Later, when Lt Mackow had sent his bombs away with the rest of the strong Fortress formation, he tackled the job of re-packing Barer's chute.
“‘That same thing happened to me twice during my training days,’ said Mackow, ‘and I knew how to go about re-packing the chute. It was plenty cold but up there taking your nose in your hands it won't get frostbitten unless you touch metal. When my hands did began to get cold I put on silk gloves.’
“Relating how he carefully refolded the chute in the container, Lt Mackow said: ‘When I finally got it back in - after two hours work - it was packed well enough so that I would not be afraid to use it myself.’
“In addition to re-packing the chute at 20,000 ft and performing his ordinary duties as bombardier, Lt Mackow overhauled one of his .50 caliber machine guns before the trouble with the parachute began.
“’You can say I had a busy day,’ he said.”