The. 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. Of 2,900 men in the crews, about 650 did not return, although some survived as prisoners of war. Given German Balkenkreuz national markings on their wings and fuselage sides, and "Hakenkreuz" swastika tail fin-flashes, the captured B-17s were used to determine the B-17's vulnerabilities and to train German interceptor pilots in attack tactics. Before the advent of long-range fighter escorts, B-17s had only their .50 caliber M2 Browning machine guns to rely on for defense during the bombing runs over Europe. The prototype B-17 Bomber was built at the company's own expense and was a fusion of the features of Boeing XB-15 and Boeing 247 Transport Aircraft. [180], Many B-17 crew members received military honors and 17 received the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration awarded by the United States:[197], Data from The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft[38], Hollywood featured the B-17 in its period films, such as director Howard Hawks' Air Force starring John Garfield and Twelve O'Clock High starring Gregory Peck. The B-17's greatest success in the Pacific was in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, in which aircraft of this type were responsible for damaging and sinking several Japanese transport ships. [72], The first four drones were sent to Mimoyecques, the Siracourt V-1 bunker, Watten, and Wizernes on 4 August, causing little damage. How many B-17s were shot down during World War 2? Mayday! Linn joined The National WWII Museum staff in 2014 andservedas a Curator until 2020. [67], By the time the definitive B-17G appeared, the number of guns had been increased from seven to 13, the designs of the gun stations were finalized, and other adjustments were completed. Bomber wrecks were fewer but more expensive. What was the life expectancy of a B-17 crewman flying over - Quora The campaign in North Africa began with a daring Anglo-American commando raid code-named Operation RESERVIST. [75] In the campaign against German aircraft forces in preparation for the invasion of France, B-17 and B-24 raids were directed against German aircraft production while their presence drew the Luftwaffe fighters into battle with Allied fighters.[7]. The aircraft went through several alterations in each of its design stages and variants. But because the bombers could not maneuver when attacked by fighters and needed to be flown straight and level during their final bomb run, individual aircraft struggled to fend off a direct attack. 0. They also believed they had an aircraft which could fight its way in and out of the target area, unescorted, and return home safely. Borth 1945, pp. No traces of the 3 captured Flying Fortresses were ever found in Japan by Allied occupation forces. the B-17 was a fourengine heavy bomber aircraft used by the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. [112], On 7 December 1941, a group of 12 B-17s of the 38th (four B-17C) and 88th (eight B-17E) Reconnaissance Squadrons, en route to reinforce the Philippines, was flown into Pearl Harbor from Hamilton Field, California, arriving while the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor was going on. Ramsey, Winston G. "The V-Weapons". Blast damage was caused over a radius of 5 miles (8.0km). Noted Japanese ace Sabur Sakai is credited with this kill, and in the process, came to respect the ability of the Fortress to absorb punishment.[119]. [9] Requirements were for it to carry a "useful bombload" at an altitude of 10,000ft (3,000m) for 10 hours with a top speed of at least 200mph (320km/h).[10]. Nonetheless, this deed made him a celebrated war hero. An early model YB-17 also appeared in the 1938 film Test Pilot with Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy, and later with Clark Gable in Command Decision in 1948, in Tora! The Eighth Air Force vs. The Luftwaffe - The National WWII Museum Frisbee, John L. "Valor: Rabaul on a Wing and a Prayer". The Allied victory against the Axis was a long journeyone that actually took much longer than the war itself. Of the 291 B-17s in the attack force, 60 were lost, 17 were heavily damaged and most of the others incurred some damage, but were repairable. Gift of Peggy Wallace, 2010.308.034, B-17 Flying Fortress bomber dropping bombs on targets in Europe, 1944-45. B-17 Is Shot Down (1943) - YouTube How many B 52 bombers were shot down in Vietnam? - 2023 Serial number 44-85784 is the last airworthy B-17 in the United Kingdom and is based at the Imperial War Museum Duxford. [103] However, due to the slow 715mph velocity and characteristic ballistic drop of the fired rocket (despite the usual mounting of the launcher at about 15 upward orientation), and the small number of fighters fitted with the weapons, the Wfr. Frisbee, John L. "Valor: 'Valor at its Highest'". [118] By 1944, a further upgrade to Rheinmetall-Borsig's 30mm (1.2in) MK 108 cannons mounted either in the wing, or in underwing, conformal mount gun pods, was made for the Sturmbock Focke-Wulfs as either the /R2 or /R8 field modification kits, enabling aircraft to bring a bomber down with just a few hits.[103]. The first two ex-USAAF B-17s, a B-17F (later modified to B-17G standard) and a B-17G were obtained by the Navy for various development programs. The prototype B-17, with the Boeing factory designation of Model 299, was designed by a team of engineers led by E. Gifford Emery and Edward Curtis Wells, and was built at Boeing's own expense. ", "B-17 Flying Fortress to join CF - the Collings Foundation", "414th Squadron Planes and Crews circa 1943", "Memphis Belle bomber newly restored and unveiled at US Air Force museum", "Going from lucky in love to lucky to be alive in 1943", "The Swoose comes home to roost at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force", "A Higher Call: autographed by JG 27 Bf-109 ace Franz Stigler and Charlie Brown of the B-17 "Ye Olde Pub", "Airpower Classics: B-17 Flying Fortress. Its main use was in Europe, where its shorter range and smaller bombload relative to other aircraft did not hamper it as much as in the Pacific Theater. How many B-17s were shot down? - Wise-Answer The 8th Air Force then targeted the ball-bearing factories in Schweinfurt, hoping to cripple the war effort there. For the film, see, "B-17 Flying Fortress" redirects here. Still, the Air Corps ordered 13 more B-17s for further evaluation, then introduced it into service in 1938. Between 1 March and 4 August 1937, 12 of the 13 Y1B-17s were delivered to the 2nd Bombardment Group at Langley Field in Virginia for operational development and flight tests. [74] In July 1942, the first USAAF B-17s were sent to England to join the Eighth Air Force. The German fighters found that when attacking from the front, where fewer defensive guns were mounted (and where the pilot was exposed and not protected by armor as he was from the rear), it took only four or five hits to bring a bomber down. This. The B-17, for all its armor and firepower, was simply unable to continue to fly unescorted against swarms of German fighter aircraft and their sophisticated air defense system. Shores, Christopher, Brian Cull and Yasuho Izawa. Life and Death Aboard a B-17, 1944. 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. Gift of Peggy Wallace, 2010.308.044, Group of B-17 bombers over Europe with vapor trail flowing behind them, 1944-45. As the war intensified, Boeing used feedback from aircrews to improve each new variant with increased armament and armor. They were brave. [citation needed], Another early World War II Pacific engagement, on 10 December 1941, involved Colin Kelly, who reportedly crashed his B-17 into the Japanese battleship Haruna, which was later acknowledged as a near bomb miss on the heavy cruiser Ashigara. "Operation Pointblank: Evolution of Allied Air Doctrine During World WarII". The authors of a photo book about the planes and . [7] Attacks began in April 1943 on heavily fortified key industrial plants in Bremen and Recklinghausen. Forty-five planes survive in complete form [1] [a], including 38 in the United States. Water spouts just offshore . Japanese fighter pilots machine-gunned some of the B-17 crew members as they descended and attacked others in the water after they landed. How many Cobras were shot down in Vietnam? - 2023 B-17, also called Flying Fortress, U.S. heavy bomber used during World War II. In October 1943 the Swiss interned Boeing B-17F-25-VE, tail number 25841, and its U.S. flight crew after the Flying Fortress developed engine trouble after a raid over Germany and was forced to land. Many B-17s survive today in museums, and there are some that still fly. In 1964, the latter film was made into a television show of the same name and ran for three years on ABC TV. Operational History. [130], B-17s were still used in the Pacific later in the war, however, mainly in the combat search and rescue role. [105] German fighters needed to respond, and the North American P-51 Mustang and Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighters (equipped with improved drop tanks to extend their range) accompanying the American heavies all the way to and from the targets engaged them. The adoption of the 21 cm Nebelwerfer-derived Werfer-Granate 21 (Wfr. Designating the aircraft Fortress Mk I, the aircraft performed poorly during high-altitude raids in the summer of 1941. 945 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70130 [178] During the war, the largest offensive bombing force, the Eighth Air Force, had an open preference for the B-17. [28], A total of 155 B-17s of all variants were delivered between 11 January 1937 and 30 November 1941, but production quickly accelerated, with the B-17 once holding the record for the highest production rate for any large aircraft. However, B-17s were operating at heights too great for most A6M Zero fighters to reach. 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. A large radome for an S-band AN/APS-20 search radar was fitted underneath the fuselage and additional internal fuel tanks were added for longer range, with the provision for additional underwing fuel tanks. Footage from Twelve O' Clock High was also used, along with three restored B-17s, in the 1962 film The War Lover. A number of B-17Gs, redesignated B-17Hs and later SB-17Gs, were used in the Pacific during the final year of the war to carry and drop lifeboats to stranded bomber crews who had been shot down or crashed at sea. Browne, Robert W. "The Rugged Fortress: Life-Saving B-17 Remembered.". 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. [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. how many b17s were shot down during ww2 - bagtical.com The first Eighth Air Force units arrived in High Wycombe, England, on 12 May 1942, to form the 97th Bomb Group. B-17 Flying Fortresses The B-17 Flying Fortress became a symbol of the power of the United States and its air force. The AAF's worst accident rate was recorded by the A-36 Invader version of the P-51: a staggering 274 accidents per 100,000 flying hours. The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is an American four-engine heavy bomber used by the United States Army Air Forces and other Allied air forces during World War II. It was also employed as a transport, antisubmarine aircraft, drone controller, and search-and-rescue aircraft. Gift of Peggy Wallace, 2010.308.022, B-17 Flying Fortresses in formation over Europe, 1944-45. 7071, 83, 92, 256, 26869. [166] Perhaps the most famous B-17, the Memphis Belle, has been restored with the B-17D The Swoose under way to her World War II wartime appearance by the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. How many B-17s were shot down during the Second World War? The ammunition load was over 11,000 rounds. [12] The operation did not work as expected, with 90 Squadron's Fortresses being unopposed. This was operated by German-speaking radio operators who were to identify and jam German ground controllers' broadcasts to their nightfighters. British authorities were anxious that no similar accidents should again occur, and the Aphrodite project was scrapped in early 1945. Originally, the B-17 was also chosen because of its heavy defensive armament, but this was later removed. The Americans, on the other hand, were proponents of daylight, precision bombing using their state-of-the-art and top-secret Norden bomb-sight. And of those 276,000 planes, 68,000 were lost. The "D" model, later deemed an obsolescent design, was used in Japanese training and propaganda films. 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. [155], Official Swiss records identify 6,501 airspace violations during the course of the war, with 198 foreign aircraft landing on Swiss territory and 56 aircraft crashing there. [clarification needed] Stories circulated of B-17s returning to base with tails shredded, engines destroyed and large portions of their wings destroyed by flak. They also desired, but did not require, a range of 2,000mi (3,200km) and a speed of 250mph (400km/h). The most famous B-17, the Memphis Belle, toured the U. S. with her crew to reinforce national morale (and to sell war bonds). [127] On the morning of 4 March 1943, a B-17 sank the destroyer Asashio with a 500lb (230kg) bomb while she was picking up survivors from Arashio. See answer . how many b17s were shot down during ww2. Over 5,000 B-17 bombers were lost in combat missions in world war II. [90] The device was able to determine, from variables put in by the bombardier, the point at which the aircraft's bombs should be released to hit the target. ", "German wonder weapons: degraded production and effectiveness. [37] Scheduled to fly in 1937, it encountered problems with the turbochargers, and its first flight was delayed until 29 April 1938. It was code-named "Tachikawa 105" after the mystery aircraft's wingspan was measured (104-ft.) but never identified. [142] Its toughness was compensation for its shorter range and lighter bomb load compared to the B-24 and British Avro Lancaster heavy bombers. Kelly's B-17C AAF S/N 40-2045 (19th BG / 30th BS) crashed about 6mi (10km) from Clark Field after he held the burning Fortress steady long enough for the surviving crew to bail out. Crashed Model 299. [33] The mission was successful and widely publicized. This type replaced the vulnerable twin-engine Zerstrer heavy fighters which could not survive interception by P-51 Mustangs flying well ahead of the combat boxes in an air supremacy role starting very early in 1944 to clear any Luftwaffe defensive fighters from the skies. B-17 Flying Fortress in World War II - ThoughtCo Gift of Austin Loree, 2011.160.029, Flying Fortresses dropping bombs and smoke markers over Goppingen, Germany in 1945. Posted on . World War 2 . Gift of Peggy Wallace, 2010.308.082. [ Via] B17f-42-30336 landed in a field at Norholm Estate near Varde Denmark on 9.10.1943 after developing engine trouble, the crew baled out and the pilot landed the plane . Of the surviving aircraft, 17 were so badly damaged that they were scrapped. M/SGT Michael Arooth shot down 17 enemy aircraft to reach triple "Ace" status. How many b17 bombers were lost in ww2? - Answers More than 250 aircraft crashed or made emergency landings in Switzerland during the Second World War. Losses were so heavy on the mission it became known as Black Thursday." In contrast, of the nearly 1,100 Cobras delivered to the Army, 300 were lost. Lacking a true heavy bomber at the start of World War II, the RAF purchased 20 B-17Cs. Next worst were the P-39 at 245, the P-40 at 188, and the P-38 at 139. ", Last edited on 24 February 2023, at 16:26, "intercept" and photograph the Italian ocean liner, List of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress variants, a gunner's position was added in the new tail, the campaign against German aircraft forces, raid on the German capital ship Gneisenau, National Museum of the United States Air Force, List of surviving Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses, Accidents and incidents involving the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, Aircraft in fiction B-17 Flying Fortress, Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress, B-17 Flying Fortress units of the United States Army Air Forces, Accidents and incidents involving the B-17 Flying Fortress, List of military aircraft of the United States, "Army's Biggest Bomber Has Rotating Nose. The B-17s were primarily involved in the daylight precision strategic bombing campaign against German targets ranging from U-boat pens, docks, warehouses, and airfields to industrial targets such as aircraft factories. The B-17F also carried light gray flash letters "RD" and "I" on either side of the fuselage's Swiss national insignia. [21] Doyle notes, "The loss of Hill and Tower, and the Model 299, was directly responsible for the creation of the modern written checklist used by pilots to this day. [102] Of the 291 attacking Fortresses, 60 were shot down over Germany, five crashed on approach to Britain, and 12 more were scrapped due to damage a loss of 77 B-17s. Log in. Also on board were Wright Field test observer John Cutting, and mechanic Mark Koegler. [160][168] PB-1Ws continued in USN service until 1955, gradually being phased out in favor of the Lockheed WV-2 (known in the USAF as the EC-121, a designation adopted by the USN in 1962), a military version of the Lockheed 1049 Constellation commercial airliner. The Allison V-1710 was allocated to fighter aircraft. They were chosen specifically for these missions as being more suitable for this role than other available German aircraft; they never attempted to deceive the Allies and always wore full Luftwaffe markings. By the end of the war, the B-17 was an obsolete aircraft which had been surpassed by another Boeing bomber, the B-29 Superfortress. The loss was not total but Boeing's hopes for a substantial bomber contract were dashed. Post accident interviews with Tower and Putt determined the control surface gust lock had not been released. [163] They were used primarily in the "Dumbo" air-sea rescue role, but were also used for iceberg patrol duties and for photo mapping. On 2 March 1943, six B-17s of the 64th Squadron flying at 10,000ft (3,000m) attacked a major Japanese troop convoy off New Guinea, using skip bombing to sink Kyokusei Maru, which carried 1,200 army troops, and damage two other transports, Teiyo Maru and Nojima. [158][159] Strategic Air Command (SAC), established in 1946, used reconnaissance B-17s (at first called F-9 [F for Fotorecon], later RB-17) until 1949. B-17s were used in early battles of the Pacific with little success, notably the Battle of Coral Sea[120] and Battle of Midway. Though the crash of the prototype 299 in 1935 had almost wiped out Boeing, now it was seen as a boon. [93][94] The operation, carried out in good visibility, was a success, with only minor damage to one aircraft, unrelated to enemy action, and half the bombs landing in the target area. Copy. Of the 291 attacking Fortresses, 60 were shot down over Germany, five crashed on approach to Britain, and 12 more were scrapped due to damage - a loss of 77 B-17s. [103] Additionally, 122 bombers were damaged and needed repairs before their next flights. 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. Three squadrons undertook Met profiles from airfields in Iceland, Scotland and England, gathering data for vital weather forecasting purposes. [122][124] Actual Japanese fighter losses for the day were seven destroyed and three damaged. [71][162][163], In 1946, surplus B-17s were chosen as drone aircraft for atmospheric sampling during the Operation Crossroads atomic bomb tests, being able to fly close to or even through the mushroom clouds without endangering a crew. [160] At first, these aircraft operated under their original USAAF designations, but on 31 July 1945 they were assigned the naval aircraft designation PB-1, a designation which had originally been used in 1925 for the Boeing Model 50 experimental flying boat. [40] The Y1B-17A had a maximum speed of 311 miles per hour (501km/h), at its best operational altitude, compared to 239 miles per hour (385km/h) for the Y1B-17. "Boeing Model 299 (B-17 Flying Fortress).". Unlike the fighter pilots, individual bomber gunners did not receive official credit for any of their shootdowns. It is part of the USAAC World War II Memorial Flight and makes dozens of appearances across the United Kingdom and Northern Europe. The four-engine plane typically carried a crew of 10, several of whom. 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. As each of these wounded airplanes returned, the legend of the B-17 grew. On 1 June, Seigrist and Price returned and picked up Smith and LeSchack using a Fulton Skyhook system installed on the B-17. In January 1938, group commander Colonel Robert Olds flew a Y1B-17 from the U.S. east coast to the west coast, setting a transcontinental record of 13 hours 27 minutes. These aircraft were painted dark blue, the standard Navy paint scheme which had been adopted in late 1944. [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. Some SB-17s had their defensive guns removed, while others retained their guns to allow use close to combat areas. Work on using B-17s to carry airborne lifeboats had begun in 1943, but they entered service in the European theater only in February 1945. [91], The USAAF began building up its air forces in Europe using B-17Es soon after entering the war. Date: American aircraft struck targets in Schweinfurt and Regensburg on August 17, 1943. . Losses were relatively low - below the 5% threshold that was the. "[22][23], The crashed Model 299 could not finish the evaluation, disqualifying it from the competition. Many had dozens of aerial victories; some had over 100. World War II: Schweinfurt-Regensburg Raid Summary - ThoughtCo 21 never had a major effect on the combat box formations of Fortresses. [101] While the attack was successful at disrupting the entire works, severely curtailing work there for the remainder of the war, it was at an extreme cost. Also, the Y1B-17A's new service ceiling was more than 2 miles (3.2km) higher at 38,000 feet (12,000m), compared to the Y1B-17's 27,800 feet (8,500m). Regardless, the USAAC had been impressed by the prototype's performance, and on 17 January 1936, through a legal loophole,[27][28] the Air Corps ordered 13 YB-17s (designated Y1B-17 after November 1936 to denote its special F-1 funding) for service testing. Frisbee, John L. "Valor: Gauntlet of Fire". Gr. As sufficient Consolidated Liberators finally became available, Coastal Command withdrew the Fortress from the Azores, transferring the type to the meteorological reconnaissance role. [36] Experiments on this aircraft led to the use of a quartet of General Electric turbo-superchargers, which later became standard on the B-17 line. [221] Both films were made with the full cooperation of the United States Army Air Forces and used USAAF aircraft and (for Twelve O'Clock High) combat footage. Gr. It was a four engine, heavy bomber which first flew on July 28, 1935.