2 What happened to the real crew of the Memphis Belle? Lux has also been in contact with the National Museum of the United States Air Force, turning over to them debris he recently retrieved from the site of the crash and is negotiating with the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum for a Hot Stuff display. I guess the RAF must have had it much easier than the 8th Airforce. At its peak, the Mighty Eighth was the most powerful. P. S. Hes here to tell the stories. Based on a true story, the film concerns the famous B-17 bomber Memphis Belle, which delivered 25 successful missions before the plane and its sterling crew retired from the skies. Important factors in that decision were: The physical stress of high altitude flight in poorly heated, unpressurized aircraft . Crew overcomes odds to complete 25 missions - Xenia Gazette How do you identify neurotypical disorders? 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. FROM TACHIKAWA TO ROBBINS GA. FOR FINAL PROCESSING OUT TO A GREAT RETIREMENT. Very cool story. In 1943, an American bomber crewman stood only a one-in-five chance of surviving his tour of duty, twenty-five missions. Robert Hanson, 85; Last Living Crewman of the Memphis Belle Which 3 Of These 7 Top WWII Fighter Planes Would You Put On Your Team? Your email address will not be published. Beautiful Swiss German Words, So that would be 17,280 airmen on such a mission, and they never managed any 1700 plane raids. Setting aside all the caveats for the moment, the research performed and documentation provided by Jim Lux seems to conclusively show that the 93rd Bombardment Group, 330th Bombardment Squadrons B-24 Liberator Hot Stuff and her crew flew their 25th mission on February 7, 1943 dropping bombs on Naples, Italy, and went on to fly five additional missions thereafter, before Hot Stuff and her crew were recalled to the United States, where they were scheduled to go on a War Bonds Tour, a home front publicity junket, where combat aircraft and crews of significant accomplishment were sometimes pulled from frontline service and flown back to the United States to serve as the stirring personification of the heroism of Americas military, helping move the paper and boosting public morale. "Hi. Col. James H. Doolittle led 16 B-25 bombers from the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier Hornet in a spectacular surprise attack that caused little damage but boosted Allied morale. B-24D Hot Stuff She was originally B-17G-105-VE 44-85718 and is now painted to . The four men by the waist window are using grappling hooks on two rods to lift the bomb onto the dolly, a three-wheeled cart. A highly modern aircraft for its day, it first saw combat operations with the Royal Air Force. He completed his initial training when he was 17, and was called up to active duty before he graduated from high school. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Your email address will not be published. After completing 25 missions, Hell's Angels remained in theater until 1944 and flew a total of 48 missions without any injured crewmen or abort. Its just a lot of booze gone to waste. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. The average age of the crew of a B-17 was less than 25, with four officers and six enlisted Airmen manning the aircraft. Many considered the occupation to be a death sentence. Did the Battle of Britain cripple the Luftwaffe? 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. In fact, its main practical use is for protecting your neck against the wool material of theuniform which will likely cause blisters. Besides Boeing, Douglas and Lockheed (via subsidiary Vega) also contributed to that total. The story of Hot Stuff, heading home at last after at least 30 missions completed, ends in tragedy. On May 13, 1943, the 303rd BG B-17F Hell's Angels became the first heavy bomber to complete 25 combat missions over Europe, four days before the Memphis Belle's crew. Battling flak and enemy fighters over the skies of Europe during World War II, the US Army Air Force Martin B-26 Marauder bomber named Flak-Bait? Restoration: The Memphis Belle. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Martin Maryland. MISSIONS - B-29'S Pacific War WWII - 6TH Bomb Group An amusing sidelight was that he was highly indignant that every third mission they got liberty and that at 50 missions , they were one short and did NOT get liberty, even though the war in Europe was over. Between its initial flight on Dec. 29, 1939, and September 1945, nearly 18,500 Liberators rolled off the production line at five plants. Following his wife's death in an air crash while returning from a war bonds tour, a devastated Gable decided to enlist. 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 . We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. By . Im have no dog in this hunt. But Mighty Eighth War Diary shows no raid on 2/7/43. 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. My dad was a waste gunner on a B 24 in ww2. Damage to the "waist-gunner" area of the bomber accounted 21.6 percent of all the hits the plane took. Why won't my daughter let me see my granddaughter? Based on a true story, the film concerns the famous B-17 bomber Memphis Belle, which delivered 25 successful missions before the plane and its sterling crew retired from the skies. How many missions did ww2 bomber crews fly? - yourfasttip.com The second bomber to have completed 25 missions is said to have been the Hell's Angels, but it wasn't widely promoted since its name wasn't aesthetically pleasing to the War Department. To be the first to complete 25 missions was significant because once completed the bomber and its crew could return home. THE GREATEST GENERATION OF AMERICANS!!! So, the answer is YES, if anyone ever asks you if the might 8th AF ever bombed Japan. (Photo is a jubilant Memphis Belle crew following their 25-mission). Many surviving examples are painted to represent actual planes that flew in combat. The successes of Bomber Command were purchased at terrible cost. Bomber crews needed to complete 25 missions before they were allowed to go home but that number was almost statistically impossible in Europe. From Arthur Hayes' collection. Further, this isnt really obvious if you take a cursory look at 8th AF operations, but the B-24 groups didnt start large scale operations until after the P-51B was available. Alphabetical List Of Names On The Vietnam Wall, 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. 1 What was the first b17 to complete 25 missions? The B-29 Missions From 3 Feb 1945 to 14 Aug 1945, the 6th Bomb Group officially flew 75 missions. Fortunate me I discovered your site by chance, and Im stunned why this twist of fate PC even then. One the return journey Lieutenant General Frank Andrews took over the flying and when the plane hit severe weather conditions. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. For nearly four months, he flew out of Foggia, Italy, on 50 missions that usually took between 5 and 8 hours each. The average age of the crew of a B-17 was less than 25, with four officers and six enlisted Airmen manning the aircraft. I say it was their 24th. 23 February 1945 Crews - 8 Crewmen Remaining Waist Gunner removed from crews NOTE: Individual Groups and/or Squadron made exceptions on some missions and some crews used additional Waist Gunners. Those uncertainties aside, on May 19, the Memphis Belle flew its 25th combat mission on a strike against Kiel, Germany, though manned by a different crew. 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. In October 1943, 20-year-old SSgt. After completing 25 missions, Hell's Angels remained in theater until 1944 and flew a total of 48 missions without any injured crewmen or abort. With the American entry into World War II, production of the B-24 increased. WAS ALWAYS INTERESTED IN FLYING AND THE GREAT MACHINES.SO MUCH SO THAT I ENLISTED IN AIRFORCE AT 18 AND 1/2 YEARS OF AGE.FORTUNATELY WAS ABLE TO GO TO 3 TECH SCHOOLS PLUS FLIGHT ENGINEERING SCHOOL.JUST MISSED FLYING STATUS IN KOREA AS I WAS CLEARED FOR FLIGHT IN KOREA JUST AFTER I MADE THE LIST FOR ROTATION BACK TO US IN 3 MONTHSI BELEIVED IN LONGEVITY SO DEEPLY THAT I QUICKLY CHANGED OUR MINDS ABOUT FLYING STATUS IN THE WAR ZONE. After each raid Comer gathered the crew together and pieced together the air battle from a 360-degree perspective. How many missions did ww2 bomber crews fly? One of my relatives was in the 330th, Captain Hugh R. Roper, He piloted B-24D Exterminator, 41-23717. It completed its 25th mission on February 7, 1943, three and a half months before the B-17 Memphis Belle.. Good day! WW2: Could you be part of a Lancaster Bomber crew? - BBC Teach - BBC - Home Robert A. Lewis. How many B-17 fly 25 missions are there? WAS TOO YOUNG FOR THE BIG ONE, HOWEVER I MADE IT TO KOREA AND VIET NAM BEFORE RETIRING IN 1969. 5 How accurate was the movie Memphis Belle? How do people travel around the world with no job? Have you ever been punished with corporal punishme budisuryanto001, see what's new and featured for June. But flying it proved deadly. B-17 bomber missions at the end of World War II - Yahoo! News Being assigned to a bomber crew in WWII was - We Are The Mighty What was the first bomber to complete 25 missions? 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. . According to decades of World War II aviation history, the crew of the Memphis Belle became the first B-17F Flying Fortress crew to complete 25 missions following a strike against Kiel, Germany. Today, 46 planes survive in complete form, 10 of which are airworthy, and 39 of which reside in the United States. Copyright 2003-2021. The old saw goes the first casualty of war is truth, and it is entirely likely that there were other planes and/or crews between Hot Stuff and Memphis Belle that completed the vaunted 25 missions that constituted a completed tour of duty, a bar that was moved at various times to 25, 30, and 35 missions, depending on the overall loss rates, the degree of mission difficulty, as well as the conditions that they were operating in. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". What a tragedy. According to decades of World War II aviation history, the crew of the " Memphis Belle " became the first B-17F Flying Fortress crew to complete 25 missions following a strike against Kiel, Germany. After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the bonds became known at War Bonds. Doolittle Raid, (April 18, 1942), during World War II, U.S. Army Air Forces bombing raid on Tokyo and other Japanese cities. The worst B-29 mission, against Tokyo on May 25, 1945, cost 26 Superfortresses, 5.6 percent of the 464 dispatched from the Marianas.. More than 8,000 men were killed in training accidents or other non-operational flying during the Second . 12 December 1942 This mission is composed of two elements. Your chances of completing all 25 missions, at least unscathed, were slim to none. Your chances of completing all 25 missions, at least unscathed, were slim to none. Bomber crews needed to complete 25 missions before they were allowed to go home but that number was almost statistically impossible in Europe. Its basically like doing regular day-to-day tasks with your hands you need both. Hollywood feature Film Entitled the "Memphis Belle" The aircraft in the photograph (42-40128) had two names: Ball of Fire III on the port side, and War Baby on the starboard. He said they would literally strip the plane, but I dont remember if that was before they left Italy or in Cuba. Big and slow, the B-17 delivered twice the payload of its predecessor. He told me (and has since passed away, so I cant verify it, that 37 missions was the cap and he was on his second round. This one is easy! did not took place in advance! If I recall correctly (at least in the 330th) the 25 mission count only included completed primary target missions. These records show that Flak-Bait was assigned to fly on 216 missions. IT was their 24th, right? When WW2 ended, a total of 12,700 B-17 bombers were built. The B-17 Delta Rebel II of the 91st BG, piloted by Capt.George Birdsong,Jr. Controversy surrounding WWII 25-Mission Yardstick for Heavy Bombers Hi, He, the copilot and two other crewmembers were bumped from the flight back to the U.S. by Lt. Gen. Andrews, his staff and three chaplains. William Waldock is a professor at ERAU and he says that Hot Stuff flew her final and 25th mission in February of 1943, which was over three months earlier than the Memphis Belle completed her 25 missions.
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