Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Versatile Bomber of World War 2
May 13, 2009 Matthew Pizzolato
The first models of the B-17 were mostly ineffective. The B-17C, twenty of which were delivered to the RAF at the beginning of the war was armed with only seven .50 caliber machine guns and at high altitudes of 30,000 feet and above, the guns froze up. High altitude bombing proved inaccurate as well.
After a complete redesign, the B-17E included drastic improvements. The airframe was lengthened, more .50 calibers were added and the crew was increased from 9 men to 10.
The largest production variation, the B-17G, introduced new fire power in the effective “chin turret” located under the nose. This version carried thirteen .50 caliber machine guns along with a maximum bomb load of 17,600 lbs, although the normal bomb load for a mission was 6,000 lbs.
The B-17G was powered by four 1,200 hp Wright R-1820-97 Cyclones engines and reached a top speed of 287 mph, with an operational ceiling of 35,800 feet. It had a normal range of 2,000 miles at 220 mph with a 6,000 lb bomb load.
Flying Fortress over Europe
In August 1942, the first B-17 mission against Germany took place. Based in Britain, the US 8th Air Force flew the B-17 limited success at first. The early versions of the plane were venerable from frontal assaults and many were lost.
In January of 1942, the Casablanca Directive was issued by Churchill and Roosevelt that would increase bombing attacks on Germany in order to destroy the country's industrial base.
On August 17, 1943, a flight of B-17s attacked a ball-bearing plant in Germany. Of the 211 B-17s that took off, 60 planes were lost.
By 1944, the B-17 had the fighter protection of the P-51 Mustang. With the Mustang’s extra fuel tanks, they could provide fighter cover deep into Germany so that the B-17 crews could concentrate more on their bombing missions instead of defending themselves from the fighter planes of the Luftwaffe.
Concentrating on strategic targets for the remainder of the war, the 8th Air Force and the B-17 Flying Fortress decimated Germany. After eliminating Luftwaffe factories, the 8th Air Force focused next on Berlin, destroying 70% of the city by the end of the war. After Berlin, the next target became Germany’s synthetic oil factories and by the end of the war, Germany had lost 75% of its fuel production, effectively crippling the military’s ability to move troops and equipment to the front lines.
B-17s in the Pacific
It was a flight of B-17s headed for Hawaii on the morning of December 7th, 1941 that was mistaken for the incoming Japanese invasion that was tracked on the radar. This flight arrived later that day and became the first B-17’s to see action in the Pacific.
The B-17 earned a deadly reputation among the Japanese because of its ability to absorb incredible amounts of punishment and remain in the air. The Japanese called the B-17 a “four engine fighter.”
Famous B-17 Flying Fortresses
Several individual B-17 attained quite impressive histories. The “Memphis Belle” became on of the first B-17s to successfully complete 25 combat missions. It was based at Bassingbourn, England with the 91st Bomb Group, 324th Bomb Squadron. The aircraft is still in existence today and is on display in Memphis, Tennessee. A movie was made based on its missions.
The “Hell’s Angels,” a B-17F became one of the first aircraft to participate in a war bonds tour stateside. This aircraft successfully completed 48 missions.
Sources:
History Learning Site Retrieved on 5/12/09.
Air Force History Retrieved on 5/12/09.
Aviation History Retrieved on 5/12/09.
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