"Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress: Queen of the Skies". In 1942, when Eighth Air Force heavy bombers based in Britain first went operational in Europe, they mostly flew what were termed "milk runs" over France, accompanied by fighter escorts. B-17 Is Shot Down (1943) - YouTube However, B-17s were operating at heights too great for most A6M Zero fighters to reach. Gift of Peggy Wallace, 2010.308.022, B-17 Flying Fortresses in formation over Europe, 1944-45. Top Image:Close-up of a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber in flight, 1944-45. On 8 August 1934, the USAAC tendered a proposal for a multiengine bomber to replace the Martin B-10. It was a four engine, heavy bomber which first flew on July 28, 1935. A Fortress IIA from No. About 130 B-17s were converted to the air-sea rescue role, at first designated B-17H and later SB-17G. The Soviets restored 23 to flying condition and concentrated them in the 890th bomber regiment of the 45th Bomber Aviation Division,[153] but they never saw combat. [160][170], B-17s were used by the CIA front companies Civil Air Transport, Air America and Intermountain Aviation for special missions. As he maneuvered his unarmed B-17 bomber over the island of Oahu, U.S. Army Lt. Robert Thacker was puzzled. How many B 52 bombers were shot down in Vietnam? - 2023 [clarification needed] Stories circulated of B-17s returning to base with tails shredded, engines destroyed and large portions of their wings destroyed by flak. B-17 Flying Fortress - Top Facts About the WWII American Bomber Over 5,000 B-17 bombers were lost in combat missions in world war II. [50] The B-17C changed from three bulged, oval-shaped gun blisters to two flush, oval-shaped gun window openings, and on the lower fuselage, a single "bathtub" gun gondola housing,[51] which resembled the similarly configured and located Bodenlafette/"Bola" ventral defensive emplacement on the German Heinkel He 111P-series medium bomber. Did the gunners aboard B-17 bombers in WWII manage to shoot down enemy Four are airworthy. On landing, the aircraft overran the runway and ran into a ditch, where it was then strafed. [11] It combined features of the company's experimental XB-15 bomber and 247 transport. [140] Despite an inferior performance and smaller bombload than the more numerous B-24 Liberators,[179] a survey of Eighth Air Force crews showed a much higher rate of satisfaction with the B-17. These included B-17G 44-85531, registered as N809Z. O'Bannon was the US Navy's most decorated destroyer during World War II, earning 17 battle stars and a Presidential Unit Citation. [57] The B-17's turbocharged Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9 engines were upgraded to increasingly more powerful versions of the same powerplants throughout its production, and similarly, the number of machine gun emplacement locations was increased.[61]. How many b-17 bombers were shot down during World War 2? [citation needed] After the defeat in Java, the 19th withdrew to Australia, where it continued in combat until it was sent home by General George C. Kenney when he arrived in Australia in mid-1942. ", "German wonder weapons: degraded production and effectiveness. Wagner, Ray, "American Combat Planes of the 20th Century", Reno, Nevada, 2004, Jack Bacon & Company, This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 16:26. It was not until the advent of long-range fighter escorts (particularly the North American P-51 Mustang) and the resulting degradation of the Luftwaffe as an effective interceptor force between February and June 1944, that the B-17 became strategically potent. ", "Second-Generation Norden Bombsight Vault", "Aviation Photography: B-17 Flying Fortress. Those who survived the initial onslaught and did not manage to flee, had to eke out a living on a battleground ravaged by incessant bombardment and street fighting. 2. As the raids of the American bombing campaign grew in numbers and frequency, German interception efforts grew in strength (such as during the attempted bombing of Kiel on 13 June 1943[96]), such that unescorted bombing missions came to be discouraged. Special airdrop B-17s supported Australian commandos operating near the Japanese stronghold at Rabaul, which had been the primary B-17 target in 1942 and early 1943. [10] The B-17's armament consisted of five .30 caliber (7.62mm) machine guns, with a payload up to 4,800lb (2,200kg) of bombs on two racks in the bomb bay behind the cockpit. [110] The escort fighters reduced the loss rate to below 7%, with a total of 247 B-17s lost in 3,500 sorties while taking part in the Big Week raids. Answer (1 of 12): Yes but the kill ratio generally favored attacking fighters. Frisbee, John L. "Valor: Battle Over Bougainville". [160][161], The USAF Air Rescue Service of the Military Air Transport Service (MATS) operated B-17s as so-called "Dumbo" air-sea rescue aircraft. It was a very effective weapons system, dropping more bombs during the . Frisbee, John L. "Valor: 'Valor at its Highest'". B-17 Flying Fortress in World War II - ThoughtCo Bomber wrecks were fewer but more expensive. They were also used to provide search and rescue support for B-29 raids against Japan. The "D" model, later deemed an obsolescent design, was used in Japanese training and propaganda films. The Germans shot down 36 aircraft with the loss of 200 men, and coupled with a raid earlier in the day against Regensburg, a total of 60 B-17s were lost that day. Some of the German pilots had been flying in combat since 1936. But help soon arrived when the North American P-51 Mustang began to reach the beleaguered Eighth Air Force in large enough numbers to make a difference. "Smithsonian Panel Backs Transfer of Famed B-17 Bomber.". Operational History. Study now. John Keema of the 390th Bomb Group said, "No matter the target they were defending, they were balls to the wall. How many b17 are still flying? [38] The aircraft was delivered to the army on 31 January 1939. It had a crew of ten and could carry 6,000 pounds of bombs at 300 miles per hour for a range of 2,000 miles. The B-17 saw early action in the Pacific War, where it conducted raids against Japanese shipping and airfields. The loss was not total but Boeing's hopes for a substantial bomber contract were dashed. The YB-40s with their numerous heavy modifications had trouble keeping up with the lighter bombers once they had dropped their bombs, so the project was abandoned and finally phased out in July 1943. The B-17G was the final version of the Flying Fortress, incorporating all changes made to its predecessor, the B-17F,[57] and in total, 8,680 were built,[68] the last (by Lockheed) on 28 July 1945. The XB-38 was an engine testbed for Allison V-1710 liquid-cooled engines, should the Wright engines normally used on the B-17 become unavailable. [92] On 17 August 1942, 12 B-17Es of the 97th, with the lead aircraft piloted by Major Paul Tibbets and carrying Brigadier General Ira Eaker as an observer, were close escorted by four squadrons of RAF Spitfire IXs (and a further five squadrons of Spitfire Vs to cover the withdrawal) on the first USAAF heavy bomber raid over Europe, against the large railroad marshalling yards at Rouen-Sotteville in France, while a further six aircraft flew a diversionary raid along the French coast. One of these Taiwan-based B-17s was flown to Clark Air Base in the Philippines in mid-September, assigned for covert missions into Tibet. The Combined Bomber Offensive was effectively complete. One of the worst days of the war for the B-17 and its crewmen was the second raid on German ball bearing production in Schweinfurt, Germany on October 14, 1943. [76] The British heavy bombers, the Avro Lancaster and Handley Page Halifax, dropped 608,612 long tons (681,645 short tons) and 224,207 long tons (251,112 short tons)[77] respectively. Brereton planned B-17 raids on Japanese airfields in Formosa, in accordance with Rainbow 5 war plan directives, but this was overruled by General Douglas MacArthur. Create. Meantime 60 B-17's were lost to all causes (including flak). Additional armament included an additional dorsal turret in the radio room, a remotely operated and fired Bendix-built "chin turret" directly below the bombardier's accommodation, and twin .50in (12.7mm) guns in each of the waist positions. Frisbee, John L. "Valor: Crisis in the Cockpit". Their first operation, against Wilhelmshaven on 8 July 1941 was unsuccessful. Footage of a B-17 bombing raid that was attacked by German flak and Bf-109's in which bombers are hit and shot down. It was a relatively fast, high-flying, long-range bomber with heavy defensive armament at the expense of bombload. . The resulting "Combined Bomber Offensive" weakened the Wehrmacht, destroyed German morale, and established air superiority through Operation Pointblank's destruction of German fighter strength in preparation for a ground offensive. They also believed they had an aircraft which could fight its way in and out of the target area, unescorted, and return home safely. Yes, for instance, M/SGT Michael Arooth shot down 17 enemy aircraft to reach triple "Ace" status. Smith and LeSchack parachuted from the B-17 and searched the station for several days. The bombers were assumed either lost by various means or scrapped late in the war for their vital war materials. Sakai, Saburo with Martin Caidin and Fred Saito. Only 33 bombers landed without damage. 'Black Thursday': The bleakest day for U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II Of the 12,731 B-17s built, about 4,735 were lost during the war. All were Allison powered. [164] One hundred and seven B-17s were converted to drones. On 1 June, Seigrist and Price returned and picked up Smith and LeSchack using a Fulton Skyhook system installed on the B-17. Crashed Model 299. [92] It has been alleged that some B-17s kept their Allied markings and were used by the Luftwaffe in attempts to infiltrate B-17 bombing formations and report on their positions and altitudes. Covering 12,000 miles (19,000km) they returned on 27 February, with seven aircraft setting off on a flight to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, three days later. The plane was pulled out of front-line service and used as a transport plane and even drones. The four-engine plane typically carried a crew of 10, several of whom. Its famous nickname came from the fact it carried 13 .50 caliber M2 Browning machine guns for protection, and had a legendary toughness for carrying its crew home on one engine or even with the tail shot away.

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