#Boeing B17 Flying Fortress

[floridanative]

[dronescapesvideos]

B-17 bombing of Berlin, Germany. It was part of Doolittle's Eight Air Force. February 1945

➤➤ B-17 VIDEO: https://dronescapes.video/B-17

[scarywardrobe]

Installation of fixtures and assemblies on a tail fuselage section of a B-17 at the Douglas plant in Long Beach, California, October 1942

[b17project]

"Alice From Dallas" - The Short Story

If you have watched Masters of the Air, you've certainly had heard about the B-17F-30-VE "Alice From Dallas" during the infamous Regensburg Mission (Episode 3).

On August 17, 1943, a combined force of some 376 bombers took off from its bases in England to strike Regensburg and Schweinfurt, with the aim of paralyzing German production of combat aircraft and ball bearings. The B-17 “Alice From Dallas” was part of the force of 146 B-17s tasked with bombing the Me-109 factories in Regensburg. Usually flown by 1st LT. William D. Desanders, the plane was named after his wife he married in 1942 Alice Jones. For the Regensburg mission, Desanders was on leave, and the aircraft was flown by The 100th Bomb Group occupied the low squadron at the rear of the formation that day. A very vulnerable place because it offers less defensive firepower than the rest of the combat boxes. "Alice From Dallas" was leading the second low element.

After an attack by German fighters, “Alice From Dallas” was seriously hit on the left wing by sudden and precise fire of German Flak around 10:30 a.m., above Belgian territory. Both wings ignited, and 8 of the 10 crew members had time to abandon the aircraft a few moments before it transformed into a ball of fire and crashed shortly after in Belgium, near the town of Langerloo. Two crew members were killed, while among the survivors who managed to abandon the aircraft, 4 were captured (including one in Bordeaux 8 months later) and 4 managed to escape and return to England.

The Schweinfurt-Regensburg raid marks a turning point in the doctrine of precision daylight bombing that the Americans prided themselves on. The considerable losses that day - almost 25% of the initial fleet, or 60 B-17s which were shot down or rendered unusable and around a hundred damaged - showed even its greatest defenders that the daytime raids over the Germany without fighter escorts are a bloody result. Beyond the successive improvements of the B-17 that came online, it was the introduction of the P-51 Mustang in December 1943 that would constitute a key factor in the Allies achieving air superiority in 1944, and therefore the continuation of major daytime bombing campaigns.

Some sources :

https://100thbg.com/aircraft/?aircraft_id=10055

https://100thbg.com/personnel/?personnel_id=906

https://www.americanairmuseum.com/archive/aircraft/42-5867

https://fr.findagrave.com/memorial/18018572/roy-frank-claytor

https://b17flyingfortress.de/en/b17/42-5867-alice-from-dallas/

[supplyside]

B-17 squadron

[alex99achapterthree]

WWII History...

"Sweet and Lovely", Boeing B-17F-115-BO Flying Fortress. Serial number 42-307215 from the 33rd Bomb Squadron, 381st Bomb Group, 8th Air Force.

This B-17F has had a field modification to add another forward-firing machine gun to the top of the nose bubble.

The early B17 was vulnerable to head-on attacks. Late "F" models and the "G" model addressed this shortcoming with the introduction of the Bendix chin turret.

Controlled by the bombardier with a swing-away hand-grip, the chin turret increased the number of direct-forward-firing weapons to 4... two from the top turret and two from the chin turret. If the target was slightly low and within the envelope of the ball turret on the belly, 6 guns could be brought to bear on attacks from the front.

[usafphantom2]

‘Fortress Friday’

Boeing B17-G Flying Fortress Sally B just prior to shut down after displaying at the Imperial War Museum Duxford Flying Evening in August 2021…#duxford #AvGeek #IWM #iwmduxford #thefightercollection #ofmc #warbirds #warbirdsofinstagram #warbirdpics #SallyB

@ShutterbugWGC via X

[inthescreen]

Just posting this for reference to build a model

[supplyside]

fortress

[dronescapesvideos]

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress "Memphis Belle".

➤➤ VIDEO: https://youtu.be/SOQBl09QGSk

The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress flew in every combat zone during World War II, but its most significant service was over Europe. Along with the B-24 Liberator, the B-17 formed the backbone of the USAAF strategic bombing force, and it helped win the war by crippling Germany’s war industry. The B-17’s design emphasized high-altitude flight, speed, and heavy defensive armament to survive enemy defenses. Advanced turbosupercharged engines allowed it to fly up to about 30,000 feet with a combat load, while powered turrets and flexible guns covered all areas around the aircraft. #Boeing #aviation #aviationdaily #bomber #History #WW2 #aviation #B17 #Fortress

[dertaglichedan]

Armed with two .50 caliber machine guns, ball turret gunner Sgt Benedict Borostowski at his station on Boeing B17 Flying Fortress, circa 1943 [3000 × 2330]

[b17project]

A B-17F is under attack from 6' o'clock by a twin engine German fighter, somewhere above Germany in late 1943. Legend of the original picture states that this aircraft is from the "Bloody Hundredth" 100th Bomb Group. Anyone has additional info on this picture?

[oldtimeracing]

Boeing B17 RIAT 2017 #6 by John Durston Via Flickr: Boeing B-17 'Sally B' during the US ir Force 70th Anniversary dispaly at the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford on Saturday 15th July 2017

[supplyside]

Flying Fortress

[toysaremypoison]

Vintage B-17G Flying Fortress balsa wood model kit

[supplyside]

no longer flying fortress