Posted on Jan 28, 2023

The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Flew Deep into Enemy Territory

MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D.

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The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Flew Deep into Enemy Territory

Posted from warfarehistorynetwork.com

Posted in these groups: 8th AF

WWII World War Two F3af5240

Military History

Edited >1 y ago

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MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D.

Edited >1 y ago

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ILLUSTRATIONS: (1) 91st BG B-17G "Lucky Gal" after bellying in at RAF Bassingbourne. (2) A badly damaged 100th BG B-17G drops its bombs on a coastal target. (3) 97th BG B-17F "All American" is nearly sliced in half by an Me-109F over North Africa who's pilot was killed by the B-17's gunners. It held together long enough to get them back to their base in Tunisia. (4) 303d BG tail gunner SSgt. Joseph Sawicki helps wounded gunners jump after losing his arm to flak. (5) A badly damaged 34th BG B-17G makes a crash landing in early 1945. (6) Me-109Gs wreak havoc on the flight deck of a B-17G high above Germany. (7) JG27 ace Franz Stigler checks out badly damaged 457th BG B-17F "Ye Olde Pub" after expending the last of his ammo trying to bring it down. (8) Badly shaken crewmen walk away from the wreckage of their 91st BG B-17F "Sitting Pretty" after a crash landing at RAF Bassingbourne. (9) The crew of an out-of-control B-17G bails out near their base in England. (10) Ground personnel crowd around a badly damaged 457th BG B-17G shot up by an Me-262's four 30mm cannons.

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SPC Bill Bailey

>1 y

I met the surviving crew of the "All American" during the 50th Anniversary of the B-17 in 1985. The tail gunner didn't know the damage was that bad until he got out of the airplane. BTW, it landed and taxied back to it's parking area and stopped, when it did, the aft fuselage collapsed onto the ground, it never flew again. I also met both Franz Stigler (a few times, he lived in British Columbia) and Charles Brown, (pilot of the B-17F Ye Olde Pub) at The Museum Of Flight, both nice gentlemen. They really were good friends.

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SPC Bill Bailey

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It was and still is an outstanding airplane. I've flown one for almost an hour, initially it felt heavy on the controls (the last airplane I'd flown had been a Bonanza), but after a few minutes that went away and it was a very nice handling airplane (Thanks again Swage [R.I.P.]).

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