Thank you. Hot Stuff and crew were in the 9th from the begining of Dec 1942 on, flying missions from bases in Africa. The plane flew into zero visibility and it has been reported that the bombers radio was broken. a question about WW2 bomber crews.. - U.S. Militaria Forum He was lost on his 25th mission, the low-level raid on Ploesti, August 1, 1943. A great resource for some of the 8th AF B-24 groups is TEDS TRAVELLING CIRCUS available at Amazon and elsewhere. Of the 3,885 crewmen aboard B-17 Flying Fortresses that went down, 2,114 (54.4 \%) did not survive; 866 of the 1,228 on B-24 Liberators (71.3\%) died; 190 of the 236 (80.0\%) fighter pilots who went down perished. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Why? The Belle is also known as the first (and one of only three) a/c that completed its tour without losing a single crewman. 1-5 of 281. Many thanks for the message Monty That sounds like a fascinating artifact. My father was in a B-24 stationed in Italy and flying up over the Balkans and Germany. The 'lucky' Lancaster bomber, called EE136, was taken on 109 missions, including 14 raids to Berlin, Germany. How many B17 crews actually managed to complete 25 What happened to the German Waffen SS soldiers aft My adult daughter disowned me. 41-31173, the twin-engine medium bomber then took its place . Martin Caidin wrote the definitive book on the plight of the bomber crews in Black Thursday, which chronicled in great detail the 2nd Schweinfurt bombing raid of October 14, 1943, where 60 bombers and their crews were lost. Poem About Jesus Death And Resurrection, Those who flew the Memphis Belle did seem to have particularly good luck though as none of her crew died or was significantly injured on her missions, despite being routinely riddled with bullets and damaged by flak, reportedly going through 9 engines, both wings, two tails, and both main landing gear assemblies over the course of her seven month combat career. It is our intention to play a role in safeguarding the heritage of these beautiful machines by providing increased awareness and education through the use of internet based digital media. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. It completed four more missions to Vegesack, Wilhelmshaven (2) and Rotterdam before being retired from combat on March 31, 1943. I think, though, that the best answer is the one difficult to accept. More than 50,000 Airmen lost their lives in the four years of WWII and the majority of those losses were on bomber missions over Nazi Germany in B-17s and B-24s. The B-17 Flying Fortress "The Memphis Belle" on its way back to the US after completing 25 missions from an airbase in England, June 9, 1943. . How many B17 crews actually managed to complete 25 missions during WW2? #12: The co-pilot is tasked with contacting other crew members every 15 minutes once they enter enemy territory. Attacking German cities In 1942 in an attempt to break German morale the RAF began attacking German towns and cities in earnest. Flak-Bait 's crew poses with the bomber after its 200th mission on April 17, 1945. Now an academic from EmbryRiddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona, Florida has revealed that it was the B-24 named Hot Stuff that was the first bomber to make 25 missions and return home, not the Memphis Belle. On a recent post here at Warbirds News, we reported on the anniversary of milestones in the history of what is perhaps one of the most famous bombers of all time, the Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress, Memphis Belle. They arrived to find the weather at their destination quite dicey with snow squalls, low clouds and rain. Posted on June 8, 2022 ; in pete davidson first snl episode; by Andrews and his entourage hitched a ride on Hot Stuff, and in doing so bumped five crew members from the flight. Will there Do narcissists sense a loss when they realize they Mike, check out the latest from publishers you love. I, too flew the C-124, first from Travis, 1956-58, then Hickam 1958-9; and later (college break) Dover, 1963-5, and McChord, 1965-7. They took over the aircraft from the original crew of Jerk's Natural, which had completed its 25 missions. Nine-O-Nine was a Boeing B-17G-30-BO Flying Fortress heavy bomber, of the 323rd Bomb Squadron, 91st Bomb Group, that completed 140 combat missions during World War II, believed to be the Eighth Air Force record for most missions, without loss to the crews that flew her. What can I do? His ob states he flew 125 combat mission over Europe in his P-47 bomber and received 3 Distinguished Flying Crosses and 24 Silver Stars. It flew most missions unescorted and saw plenty of flack and enemy aircraft. However, after WWII and the lessons of the early years filtered in, the need for well trained aerial gunners became apparent, so the first specialized aerial gunnery school was opened in Las Vegas in mid 1941. It was the B-17 going toe to toe without fighter escort with the GAF that is at the heart of the story of the 8th AF. chin turret > dia. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. He was 85. , Retired university lecturer in German. Just to add some fog to the issue, the my fathers certificate of mission completions had only 30 places to list missions. As a 24 yr old Capt and pilot,he said when you dropped all your bombs,you headed back or did splash missions with the P-51s. After 25 missions, the crew and the Belle went on a . . ANATOMY OF A BOMBING MISSION - 392nd BGMA The plane's service ceiling of 25,000 to 35,000 feet (7,500 to 10,500 metres), depending on the bomb load, put it above the worst of the German antiaircraft artillery, but, firepower notwithstanding, formations of B-17s proved unable to fight their way unescorted to targets deep inside Germany in the face of determined fighter opposition without It was powered by two 450 hp Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior engines, but conditions were changing rapidly in 1937, due to events in the Chinese and Spanish wars. Probably because the P47 was a fighter, not a bomber. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. (more) The crews were men from the United Kingdom, other Commonwealth countries, and occupied Europe, especially Poland, France, Czechoslovakia and Norway, as well as other foreign volunteers. IX bomber completed 213 missions but this aircraft was destroyed in a crash at Calgary Airport in Canada, two days after V-E Day, see . how many ww2 bomber crews completed 25 missions. Almost one in five Australian airmen to serve in Britain did not survive the war. The "Belle," named for Col. Morgan's sweetheart went on to complete 25 missions, the last ones were filmed by William Wyler's movie crew. B-17F Hells Angels Apple says hackers may have exploited security flaws on iPhone, iPad, and Macs - BBC News BBC News 143K views 2. My hero. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Enola Gay, Regular Crew (Crew B-9) Crew B-9 flew five combat missions, including the Hiroshima bombing mission. B-24 Liberator Bomber Aircraft. 1 What was the first b17 to complete 25 missions? Eyewitnesses and early documents tell a different story: Hot Stuff was the first B-24 crew and the first heavy bomber to complete 25 combat missions on February 7, 1943. Masters of the Air - National Museum of the Mighty 8th Air Force The 328th. Carlo Quintiliani Updated Mon To put this into sobering perspective - the 8th Air Force in Europe lost more men than the entire US Marine Corps did in World War Two - both horrible thoughts to consider.. Read More What is the song 'Norwegian Wood' really about? 2LT Richard McNamara. The unit used B-17s, according to what I read. Your chances of completing all 25 missions, at least unscathed, were slim to none. It was tough out there. The 93rd BG dispatched aircraft on 9 of the first 34 raids by 8th BC. This one is easy! Consider for example the Operation Tidal Wave strike by American B-24 bombers against oil reserves in Ploesti Romania in 1943: of 178 bombers and 1,726 men on the mission, 54 aircraft, and nearly 500 men failed to return (310 killed and 186 captured). Second Lieutenant Charlie Brown flying a B-17F Flying Fortress was crippled and badly injured but Luftwaffe fighter pilot Lt. Franz Stigler spared him. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Top Stories For You. How many missions did ww2 bomber crews fly? How many B17 crews actually managed to complete 25 missions during WW2? Approximately 120,000 were air crew members and only one crew in five completed their tour of duty. We have nothing but respect for the brave men who have endured all the sufferings just to help us attain freedom. Who flew the most combat missions in ww2? #14: The tradition of wearing the silk scarf started from pilots in World War I but its more than just for fashion purposes. The first refueling stop before heading out over the Atlantic was scheduled for Prestwick, Scotland, but the crew decided to fly directly to their second refueling stop at Reykjavik, Iceland. Andrews, an experienced, instrument-rated pilot, bumped the normal co-pilot off the plane and flew in his place. Unlike the 8th, the 9th didnt had a set limit of 25 missions. It has since been renamed Joint Base Andrews. Billy Burke Evangelist Wife, When WW2 ended, a total of 12,700 B-17 bombers were built. completed her 25th mission on May 1,1943. Which b17 bomber completed the most combat missions? For the USAAF it was heavy bombers crews that successfully reached 25 combat mission in defiance of actuarial norms. Im just conveying the facts I uncovered while researching information for a friend who was the bombardier on Hot Stuff. Does anyone know if the 330th Squadron of the 93rd Bomb Group has such a diary? And, although air and ground crews rarely mingled, there was a special bond between crew chief and pilot. According to my dad (deceased January 1, 1991 in an automobile accident), they would occasionally fly to Cuba, sell or trade whatever equipment they could, buy as much alcohol as they could and fly that back to Italy. Now just imagine 60 B-52 bombers shot down in one day. 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Doolittle Raid, (April 18, 1942), during World War II, U.S. Army Air Forces bombing raid on Tokyo and other Japanese cities. Helpful info. B-17 Flying Fortress Heavy Bomber | World War II Database - WW2DB My brother said it was their 49th mission. The 381st lost seven of 18 deployed. Juni 2022. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. The technique of skip bombing scored several sinkings. This email was sent by Quora (650 Castro Street #450, Mountain View, CA 94041). By the summer of 1940 when it appeared the United States would be drawn into World War II, bonds again were being sold as a way to remove money from circulation as well as reduce inflation. There were nine crew members on a B-17 bomber. It was a gradual adjustment over about two weeks. Nor was she the second. B-25, also called Mitchell, U.S. medium bomber used during World War II. Many surviving examples are painted to represent actual planes that flew in combat. I told her that I didn't mean that I would call CPS. Overcoming the odds, the B-17F Memphis Belle became the first U.S. Army Air Forces heavy bomber to return to the United States after completing 25 missions in Europe, and was selected by the Army Air Forces to be the symbol of the heavy bomber crews and support personnel who helped win the war against Nazi Germany. My father like most of the true heroes of that war rarely spoke of the action he saw in the war except to say that few of his friends came home with him. This in no way denigrates the contribution of the B-24 crews. The plane crashed into the side of a mountain near the airfield in Iceland. Very broadly, a typical fighter pilot might rack up 250 - 500 combat missions from 1941 to 1945; a bomber pilot, perhaps 50 - 100 if they survived (considering Bomber Command losses were averaging 5% at times, completing one tour, let alone more, was statistically unlikely). How many missions did B-17 crews fly? We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Very cool story. The crewmen of the B-29 bomber Enola Gay was separated from other military groups and were trained (for the deployment of atomic bombs) in secret. Photographs 3. Hot Stuff and her crew went on to fly five additional missions before she and her crew were recalled to the United States, where they were scheduled to go on a War Bonds Tour. All onboard were killed except the tail gunner when Hot Stuff crashed into mountain in Iceland on May 3, 1943. Hot Stuff later crashed in Iceland under the command of Captain Robert Shannon in May of the same year. Because it was World War II, and the bombing campaign over Europe was a bloody affair. Fortunate me I discovered your site by chance, and Im stunned why this twist of fate how many ww2 bomber crews completed 25 missions 10. Your chances of completing all 25 missions, at least unscathed, were slim to none. What is the song 'Norwegian Wood' really about? Vulcan to the Sky Trust Works to Keep Last Flying Avro Vulcan Aloft, Dornier Do 17 Retrieved From Goodwin Sands Arrives at RAF Museum Cosford. Can someone hack my PC through online games? America's Aerial Gunners in World War II Were Believed to Be an The swastika marks a German aircraft destroyed, while the parachuter indicates Parker had to jump. The 25-mission milestone becomes harder to pin down when considering changing crew members due to rotation, death, injury, illness, leave and equipment failures leading to spare planes pressed into service, errant wartime record-keeping, etc. During the interwar years, American bomber crews were taught aerial gunnery in a generalized way at US Army Air Corps schools. A raid on 14 February is listed as the 34th 8th Bomber Command mission. B-17F Memphis Belle crew overcame long odds to complete 25 missions how many ww2 bomber crews completed 25 missions The raid prompted the Japanese to retain four army fighter groups in Japan during 1942 and . The 300 men shot down were obvious casualties, but when the battered bombers returned to their home bases, they carried another 301 wounded in their fuselages. 1917, and 1918, the United States government issued Liberty Bonds to raise money for our involvement in World War I. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation CA-18 Mustang A68-104 (VH-BOB) arrived at Avalon Airport in Avalon, Victoria on Friday March, 4th 2023, touching down just before 10am. Bomber crews needed to complete 25 missions before they were allowed to go home but that number was almost statistically impossible in Europe. Martin B-26B-25-MA Marauder "Flak-Bait" - National Air and Space Museum Read the complete story. Before the introduction of the B-29 Superfortress in 1944, the only war birds with pressurized cabins were the experimental ones. Aero Trader performed. Your chances of completing all 25 missions, at least unscathed, were slim to none. I was able to find a B-24 named Red Headed Woman Liberator #645 (44-41645) that was part of that exact group and the time frame is correct, but I cannot find anything definitive. Byrd. TogetherWeServed.com Inc. All Rights Reserved | Not a U.S. Government Website. Memphis Belle (aircraft) - Wikipedia Their 26th mission was to fly back to the United States for a heroes welcome, Bond Tours, etc.. 578th crew chief T/Sgt Lowell D. Hale paints bombs showing missions completed on #42-7624, Flying 8 Ball. WAS TOO YOUNG FOR THE BIG ONE, HOWEVER I MADE IT TO KOREA AND VIET NAM BEFORE RETIRING IN 1969. The pilot, co-pilot, bombardier and navigator, as commissioned officers, were seated at the front of the plane, with the navigator positioned at a desk below the cockpit. Big and slow, the B-17 delivered twice the payload of its predecessor. The chance of surviving 30 missions in a heavy bomber without being shot down, killed or captured was 29 percent; for a medium bomber flying the required 50 missions the chance of survival unharmed was 52 percent. He completed his initial training when he was 17, and was called up to active duty before he graduated from high school. How do you identify neurotypical disorders? While the article on Memphis Belle had included the qualifier first B-17 United States Army Air Force heavy bomber to complete 25 combat missions with her crew intact, which on a factual basis at least made the article correct insofar as it specified that it was the first to 25 missions with her crew intact, but the truth is, while were reasonably knowledgable about WWII lore here, the name Hot Stuff didnt spark any particular recollection in us or among the several other warbird enthusiasts we asked about it, though one fellow we spoke to did remember it as the plane General Andrews lost his life in, but generally there wasnt much recognition. You had to have gloves on, or else your hands would stick to just about anything metal. Doesnt matter who was first. How long does it take to form a habit of waking up early? Since 1943 Word War II aviation history considered the Memphis Belle as the first heavy bomber to reach the 25-mission mark. Twenty-four hours later, he was rescued and the bodies recovered. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Its a great thing for any crew/plane to have completed 25 missions, but I think the 8th flying to the heart of Germany had a tougher nut to crack than the 9th flying against targets mostly in Africa and Italy (although nobody had a tougher target then Ploesti). So he promptly retrieved his discharge and it stated he had really flown 137 missions. He completed his initial training when he was 17, and was called up to active duty before he graduated from high school. Memphis Belle is the nickname of a Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress during the Second World War that inspired the making of two motion pictures: a 1944 documentary film, Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress, and a 1990 Hollywood feature film, Memphis Belle. ANY WAY I HAD FLIGHT EXPERIENCE ON THE B 26 TOWING TARGETS HERE IN THE GOOD OLD USA. 31. The Memphis Belle is a World War II-era bomber that completed 24 combat missions on 15 May 1943. The NASM B-26B-25-MA nicknamed "Flak-Bait" (AAF serial number 41-31773) survived 206 operational missions over Europe, more than any other American aircraft during World War II (A de Havilland Mosquito B. Mk. The Legacy of a Lost WWII Bomber Crew | Insights By 1945, the British had more than 1,500 aircraft and 108 different squadrons. After five such sorties, he moved to the left seat and commanded his own crew aboard a Liberator dubbed Dakota Queen in honor of his . Besides Boeing, Douglas and Lockheed (via subsidiary Vega) also contributed to that total. The Memphis Belle was supposedto be the first B-17 bomber to fly 25 bombing missions and return back to base safely each time. The aircraft in the photograph (42-40128) had two names: Ball of Fire III on the port side, and War Baby on the starboard. The Memphis Belle is a Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress used during the Second World War that inspired the making of two motion pictures: a 1944 documentary film, Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress and the 1990 Hollywood feature film, Memphis Belle.It was one of the first United States Army Air Forces B-17 heavy bombers to complete 25 combat missions, after which the aircrew returned with . 4 How accurate is the movie Memphis Belle? If I recall correctly (at least in the 330th) the 25 mission count only included completed primary target missions. After some time of ineffective high altitude bombing, some of the B-17 bombers adopted skip bombing, a technique usually practiced by medium bombers rather than heavy bombers. 2 How many crew members did the b17 have? Because the Memphis Belle hit that momentous milestone without a crewmans death made her the likely candidate to be first to return home for a War Bond tour. There are so many great answers but hands down, the movie that got the worst shake, a movie that got panned by reviews, and even won a razzie. Today, 46 planes survive in complete form, 10 of which are airworthy, and 39 of which reside in the United States. Lieutenant General Andrews is remembered however, Joint Base Andrews in Maryland is named in his honor. How many Lancaster bombers lost in ww2? Also aboard were Andrews staff and four clergymen. From Arthur Hayes' collection. my friend Russell Erickson piloted 33 mission in the b24 L A total of 350,000 men served in the Mighty Eighth during World War II. First element: The German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France is the Primary (P) target for a force of 78 B-17s despatched from 91BG . Hot Stuff completed its 31st mission on March 31, 1943. How many missions would it take to complete a WWII bomber mission? Bomber crews needed to complete 25 missions before they were allowed to go home but that number was almost statistically impossible in Europe. That movie "Hearing impairment" is an insult to Deaf people. He finished flight school at the age of 18 in 1944. After flying 48 combat missions, it returned to the US for a war bond tour, but not until 1944. WHAT A GOOD FLYING, FORGIVING AIRCRAFT WITH PLENTY OF POWER WITH 4 R-4360 PRATT WHITNEY ENGINES.PLENTY OF FLYING EUROPE FROM HOT WEATHER IN SOUTHERN ITALY TO THE COLD OF ABOVE THE ARCTIC CIRCLE. Overcoming the odds, the B-17F Memphis Belle became the first U.S. Army Air Forces heavy bomber to return to the United States after completing 25 missions in Europe, and was selected by the Army Air Forces to be the symbol of the heavy bomber crews and support personnel who helped win the war against Nazi Germany. Big and slow, the B-17 delivered twice the payload of its predecessor. Required fields are marked *. Why is this significant? The B-17 Hells Angels (41-24577) of the 303rd Bomb Group completed 25 combat missions on 13 May 1943, becoming the first to complete the feat, one week before the Memphis Belle. (USAF photo) According to the memoirs of Robert Morgan, the pilot of the Memphis Belle, Wyler had picked a different bomber for the feature film, a B-17 known as "Invasion 2nd.". Nearly half of all the bombs dropped in World War II came from B-17 airplanes. RAF Bomber Command aircrew of World War II - Wikipedia The Memphis Belle was supposed to be the first B-17 bomber to fly 25 bombing missions and return back to base safely each time. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. MG Carl "Tooey" Spatz assumed command in May 1942 and established a headquarters at Bushy Park about 15 miles west of London on June 25, 1942. #11: Missions would often last for 8-10 hours. Miraculously the injured tail-gunner, Sgt. 4 Which b17 bomber completed the most combat missions? did not took place in advance! AFA Statement on Loss of Historic B-17: Painful - Air Force Association Jewish Organizations To Donate Furniture,