Volume II - Episode 72 Where: Chazov Mountains, Russia When: 70 years, 11 months and 23 days before E-Day, 10:14 am On the morning of the 14th of August, 1939, two heavily-modified B-17 heavy bombers took off from Bratsk airbase bound for Gorod Drevnih. It was the 21st day of a four-week, international operation known as "Thor's Hammer". The objective: to study - and if possible get a glimpse behind - the Veil of Gorod Drevnih. The United States Air Force had donated a flight of specially-equipped B-17s to the operation. Boasting a slew of enhancements such as powerful short-range radios, radar-assisted navigation, and extensive copper shielding to guard against the Veil's notorious electromagnetic field, the B-17 was the most sophisticated and technologically advanced aircraft of its era. Russia permitted the American aircraft and military personnel to enter its airspace on a number of very strict conditions. The aircraft had to be based out of Bratsk, a well-provisioned airbase in the southern reaches of Siberia. They were to be manned by a blended crew of Russian and American airmen. Ground crew were to be Russian military personnel, with a small number of American consultants permitted in "advisory" roles only. No American spellcasters were allowed entry into Russia's borders under any circumstances. And finally, no American photographers or camera operators were permitted to take part in any of the missions. Any and all photographs had to be scrutinised and approved by Moscow before they could be released. The conditions were strict, and in some cases only barely acceptable, but the American military's hands were tied. If they wanted to get a look behind the Veil, they had to abide by Russia's rules. After almost a year of negotiations, the operation finally commenced in the summer of 1939. Over the next three weeks, 18 flights took off from Bratsk for a lap of Gorod Drevnih; each flight edging slightly closer to the Veil than the one before it to ensure there were no unforeseen malfunctions or complications. And then, finally, on the 14th of August, 1939, the order came through to fly into the Veil itself. The mission was designated Flight 19. The fateful Flight 19. And it was never seen again.