The Brilliant WW2 Bomber Design that Could Fly with a Thousand Holes

Under the haunting glow of a pale moon, the massive Vickers Wellington Bomber from the 75th Squadron ascended over the Zuider Zee on the Dutch shoreline, hastening homeward after a triumphant raid on Münster.

The crew’s euphoria, however, was abruptly broken as a sly German Bf 110-night fighter appeared from thin air beneath the British bomber.

The Luftwaffe predator rapidly closed the gap, unleashing a torrent of lethal cannon fire. The barrage pierced the fuel tank within the starboard wing, igniting a wild blaze that threatened to consume the aircraft.

The crew desperately attempted to put out the flames using fire extinguishers aimed through a hole in the fuselage, but the fire continued growing, threatening to swallow the entire aircraft.

With few options left, Pilot Reuben Widdowson ordered the crew to bail out.

But the plane and the men inside were not ready to give up. With its unique geodetic airframe, the sturdy plane miraculously continued to fly, enduring the fiery punishment. This gave pilot James Allen Ward an idea.

Ward volunteered to clamber out of the flying behemoth and navigate to the burning wing, smothering the fire from the exterior. Donning his parachute and climbing out of the bomber, he was immediately nearly blown away by the extreme winds.

With white-knuckled resolve, he clung firmly to the airframe. As long as the aircraft continued to fly, he would continue holding and doing everything in his power to reach the growing inferno.

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