Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
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"B-17" redirects here. For other uses, see B17 (disambiguation).
| Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress | |
|---|---|
 |
|
 |
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| Role | Heavy bomber Strategic bomber |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Boeing |
| First flight | 28 July 1935[1] |
| Introduction | April 1938 |
| Retired | 1968 (Brazilian Air Force) |
| Primary users | United States Army Air Forces (USAAC before June 1941) Royal Air Force |
| Produced | 1936–1945 |
| Number built | 12,731[2] |
| Unit cost | US$238,329[3] |
| Variants | XB-38 Flying Fortress YB-40 Flying Fortress C-108 Flying Fortress |
| Developed into | Boeing 307 |
The B-17 was primarily employed by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in the daylight precision strategic bombing campaign of World War II against German industrial and military targets. The United States Eighth Air Force, based at many airfields in southern England, and the Fifteenth Air Force, based in Italy, complemented the RAF Bomber Command's nighttime area bombing in the Combined Bomber Offensive to help secure air superiority over the cities, factories and battlefields of Western Europe in preparation for the invasion of France in 1944.[4] The B-17 also participated to a lesser extent in the War in the Pacific, early in World War II, where it conducted raids against Japanese shipping and airfields.
From its pre-war inception, the USAAC (later USAAF) touted the aircraft as a strategic weapon; it was a potent, high-flying, long-range bomber that was able to defend itself, and to return home despite extensive battle damage. It quickly took on mythic proportions,[5][N 1][8] and widely circulated stories and photos of B-17s surviving battle damage increased its iconic status.[9] With a service ceiling greater than any of its Allied contemporaries, the B-17 established itself as an effective weapons system, dropping more bombs than any other U.S. aircraft in World War II. Of the 1.5 million metric tons of bombs dropped on Germany and its occupied territories by U.S. aircraft, 640,000 tons were dropped from B-17s.[10]
As of September 2011, 13 aircraft remain airworthy, with dozens more in storage or on static display.
Contents
- 1 Development
- 1.1 Origins
- 1.2 Initial orders
- 2 Design and variants
- 3 Operational history
- 3.1 The RAF
- 3.2 Initial USAAF operations over Europe
- 3.3 Combined offensive
- 3.4 Pacific Theater
- 3.5 Bomber defense
- 3.6 The Luftwaffe
- 3.7 Luftwaffe captured B-17s
- 3.8 Soviet B-17s
- 3.9 Japanese captured B-17s
- 3.10 Postwar history
- 3.10.1 U.S. Air Force
- 3.10.2 U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard
- 3.11 Special operations
- 4 Operators
- 5 Survivors
- 6 Fortresses as a symbol
- 7 Notable B-17s
- 8 Noted B-17 pilots and crew members
- 8.1 Medal of Honor awards
- 8.2 Other military achievements or events
- 8.3 B-17 in the Movies
- 8.4 Civilian achievements or events
- 9 Specifications (B-17G)
- 10 See also
- 11 References
- 11.1 Notes
- 11.2 Citations
- 11.3 Bibliography
- 12 Further reading
- 13 External links
Development
Origins
Model 299 NX13372
Nose turret with gun fitted to the prototype
Crashed Model 299
Boeing Y1B-17 in flight
They also desired, but did not require, a range of 2,000 miles (3,200 km) and a speed of 250 miles per hour (400 km/h). The competition for the Air Corps contract would be decided by a "fly-off" between Boeing's design, the Douglas DB-1, and the Martin Model 146 at Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio.
The prototype B-17, designated 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.[13] It combined features of the experimental Boeing XB-15 bomber with the Boeing 247 transport aircraft.[12] The B-17's armament consisted of up to 4,800 pounds (2,200 kg) of bombs on two racks in the bomb bay behind the cockpit, and initially possessed five 0.30 inches (7.62 mm) machine guns. It was powered by four Pratt & Whitney R-1690 "Hornet" radial engines each producing 750 horsepower (600 kW) at 7,000 feet (2,100 m).[14]
The first flight of the Model 299 was on 28 July 1935 with Boeing chief test-pilot Leslie Tower at the controls.[1][15] Richard Williams, a reporter for the Seattle Times, coined the name "Flying Fortress" when the Model 299 was rolled out bristling with multiple machine gun installations.[16] The most unique gun emplacement was the nose installation (see note for description and drawing), which allowed the single machine gun to be fired toward almost any frontal angle that an approaching enemy fighter would take to attack the B-17.[17]
Boeing was quick to see the value of the name and had it trademarked for use. Boeing also claimed in some of the early press releases that Model 299 was the first combat aircraft that could continue its mission if one of its four engines, for whatever reason, failed.[18] On 20 August 1935, the prototype flew from Seattle to Wright Field in nine hours and three minutes at an average cruising speed of 252 miles per hour (406 km/h), much faster than the competition.[19]
At the fly-off, the four-engine Boeing's performance was superior to those of the twin-engine DB-1 and Model 146. Then-Major General Frank Maxwell Andrews of the GHQ Air Force believed that the long-range capabilities of four-engine large aircraft were more effective than shorter-ranged, twin-engined aircraft, and that the B-17 was better suited to their doctrine.[20] His opinions were shared by the Air Corps procurement officers, and even before the competition had finished they suggested buying 65 B-17s.[21][22]
Development continued on the Boeing Model 299, and on 30 October 1935, Army Air Corps test-pilot Major Ployer Peter Hill and Boeing employee Les Tower took the Model 299 on a second evaluation flight. Inadvertently, the crew forgot to disengage the "gust locks," a system of devices that held the bomber's movable control surfaces in place while the aircraft was parked on the ground. After take-off, the aircraft entered a steep climb, stalled, nosed over, and crashed, killing Hill and Tower (other observers survived with injuries).[23][24][N 2]
The crashed Model 299 could not finish the evaluation, and while the Air Corps was still enthusiastic about the aircraft's potential, Army officials were daunted by the much greater expense per aircraft[25] (Douglas quoted a unit price of $58,200 based on a production order of 220 aircraft, compared with a price of $99,620 from Boeing[26]), and as the competition could not be completed Boeing was legally disqualified from the consideration for the contract.[22] Army Chief of Staff Malin Craig cancelled the order for 65 YB-17s, and ordered 133 of the twin-engine Douglas B-18 Bolo instead.[21][22]
The loss was not total... but Boeing's hopes for a substantial bomber contract were dashed.—Peter Bowers, 1976[27]
Initial orders
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.[30] One suggestion adopted was the use of a pre-flight checklist to avoid accidents such as that which befell the Model 299.[28][31][N 3] In one of their first missions, three B-17s, directed by lead navigator Lieutenant Curtis LeMay, were sent by General Andrews to "intercept" and photograph the Italian ocean liner Rex 610 miles (980 km) off the Atlantic coast.[33] The mission was successful and widely publicized.[34][35] The 13th Y1B-17 was delivered to the Material Division at Wright Field, Ohio, to be used for flight testing.[36]
Opposition to the Air Corps' ambitions for the acquisition of more B-17s faded, and in late 1937, 10 more aircraft designated B-17B were ordered to equip two bombardment groups, one on each U.S. coast.[40] Improved with larger flaps, rudder and Plexiglas nose, the B-17Bs were delivered in five small batches between July 1939 and March 1940. In July 1940, a significant order for 512 B-17s was issued;[41] however, prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, fewer than 200 B-17s were in service with the Army.[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 eventually setting the record for achieving the highest production rate for large aircraft.[42][N 4] The aircraft went on to serve in every World War II combat zone, and by the time production ended in May 1945, 12,731 aircraft had been built by Boeing, Douglas, and Vega (a subsidiary of Lockheed).[43]
Though the crash of the prototype 299 in 1935 had almost wiped out Boeing, now it was seen as a boon. Instead of building models based on experimental engineering, Boeing had been hard at work developing their bomber and now had versions ready for production far better than would have been possible otherwise. One of the most significant weapons of World War II would be ready, but only by a hair.—Jeff Ethell, 1985[41]
Design and variants
Main article: Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress variants
| Variant | Produced | First flight |
|---|---|---|
| Model 299 | 1 | 28 July 1935[1] |
| YB-17 | 13 | 2 December 1936[44] |
| YB-17A | 1 | 29 April 1938.[37] |
| B-17B | 39 | 27 June 1939[45] |
| B-17C | 38 | 21 July 1940[46] |
| B-17D | 42 | 3 February 1941[47] |
| B-17E | 512 | 5 September 1941[48] |
| B-17F (total) | 3,405 | 30 May 1942[49][50] |
| B-17F-BO | 2,300 | [49] |
| B-17F-DL | 605 | [49] |
| B-17F-VE | 500 | [49] |
| B-17G (total) | 8,680 | |
| B-17G-BO | 4,035 | |
| B-17G-DL | 2,395 | |
| B-17G-VE | 2,250 | |
| Grand total | 12,731 |
The B-17E was an extensive revision of the Model 299 design: The fuselage was extended by 10 ft (3.0 m); a much larger rear fuselage, vertical tail fin, rudder, and horizontal stabilizer were added to the design; a gunner's position was added in the new tail; the nose (especially the bombardier's well-framed nose glazing) remained relatively the same as the earlier -B through -D versions had, but with the addition of a Sperry electrically-powered manned dorsal gun turret just behind the cockpit, and the similarly-powered (also built by Sperry) manned ventral ball turret just aft of the bomb bay - replacing a relatively hard-to-use remotely operated ventral turret on the earliest examples of the -E variant, that had also been used on the earlier marks of the North American B-25 Mitchell - resulted in a 20% increase in aircraft weight.[51] The B-17's turbocharged Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9 engines were upgraded to increasingly more powerful versions of the same powerplants multiple times throughout its production, and similarly, the number of machine gun emplacement locations were increased to enhance their aircraft's combat effectiveness.[52]
The B-17F variants were the primary versions flying for the Eighth Air Force to face the Nazis in 1943, and had standardized the manned Sperry ball turret for ventral defense, along with an enlarged, nearly frameless Plexiglas bombardier's nose enclosure for much improved forward vision.
The YB-40 was a heavily armed modification of the standard B-17 used before the P-51 Mustang, an effective long-range fighter, became available to act as escort. Additional armament included an additional dorsal turret in the radio room, a remotely-operated and fired Bendix-built "chin turret" and twin .50 in (13 mm) guns in each of the waist positions. The ammunition load was over 11,000 rounds, making the YB-40 well over 10,000 lb (4,500 kg) heavier than a fully loaded B-17F. The YB-40s with their numerous heavy modifications had trouble keeping up with the lighter bombers once they had dropped their bombs, and so the project was abandoned and finally phased out in July 1943,[55][56][57] but not before the final production blocks of the B-17F adopted the YB-40's remotely operated and fired Bendix "chin turret" for a much-improved forward defensive weapons installation.
assigned to the 2nd ERS as a Search and Rescue aircraft
The first four drones were sent to Mimoyecques, the Siracourt V-1 bunker, Watten and Wizernes on 4 August, causing little damage. The project came to a sudden end with the unexplained mid-air explosion over the Blyth estuary of a B-24, part of the United States Navy's contribution as "Project Anvil", en route for Heligoland piloted by Lieutenant Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., future U.S. president John F. Kennedy's elder brother. Blast damage was caused over a radius of 5 miles (8.0 km). British authorities were anxious that no similar accidents should again occur, and the Aphrodite project was scrapped in early 1945.[62]
Operational history
The B-17 began operations in World War II with the RAF in 1941 (but was not successful), and in the Southwest Pacific with the U.S. Army. The 19th Bombardment Group had deployed to Clark Field in the Philippines a few weeks before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor as the first of a planned heavy bomber buildup in the Pacific. Half of the group's B-17s were wiped out on 8 December 1941 when they were caught on the ground during refueling and rearming for a planned attack on Japanese airfields on Formosa. The small force of B-17s operated against the Japanese invasion force until they were withdrawn to Darwin, in Australia's Northern Territory. In early 1942, the 7th Bombardment Group began arriving in Java with a mixed force of B-17s and LB-30/B-24s.[63] After the defeat in Java, the 19th withdrew to Australia where it continued in combat until it was sent back home by Gen. George C. Kenney when he arrived in Australia in mid-1942.[64] In July 1942, the first USAAF B-17s were sent to England to join Eighth Air Force. Later that year two groups moved to Algeria to join Twelfth Air Force for operations in North Africa. 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.[65] 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.[4]Early models proved to be unsuitable for combat use over Europe and it was the B-17E that was first successfully used by the USAAF. The defense expected from bombers operating in close formation alone did not prove effective and the bombers needed fighter escorts to operate successfully.
During World War II, the B-17 equipped 32 overseas combat groups, inventory peaking in August 1944 at 4,574 USAAF aircraft worldwide.[66] B-17s dropped 640,036 short tons (580,631 metric tons) of bombs on European targets (compared to 452,508 short tons (410,508 metric tons) dropped by the Liberator and 463,544 short tons (420,520 metric tons) dropped by all other U.S. aircraft).[clarification needed] The British heavy bombers, the Avro Lancaster and Handley Page Halifax, dropped 608,612 long tons (681,645 short tons) and 224,207 long tons (251,112 short tons) [67] respectively.
The RAF
By September, after the RAF had lost eight B-17Cs in combat or to accidents and many instances of aborts due to mechanical problems, Bomber Command abandoned daylight bombing raids because of the Fortress I's poor performance. The experience showed both the RAF and USAAF that the B-17C was not ready for combat, and that improved defenses, larger bomb loads and more accurate bombing methods were required. However the USAAF continued using the B-17 as a "day" bomber, despite misgivings by the RAF that attempted daylight bombing would be ineffective.[71]
As usage by Bomber Command had been curtailed, the RAF transferred its remaining Fortress I aircraft to Coastal Command for use as a long-range maritime patrol aircraft instead.[72] These were later augmented in August 1942 by 19 Fortress Mk II (B-17F) and 45 Fortress Mk IIA (B-17E). A Fortress from No. 206 Squadron RAF sank U-627 on 27 October 1942, the first of 11 U-boat kills credited to RAF Fortress bombers during the war.[73]
The RAF's No. 223 Squadron, as part of 100 Group, operated a number of Fortresses equipped with an electronic warfare system known as "Airborne Cigar" (ABC). This was operated by German–speaking radio operators who would identify and jam German ground controllers' broadcasts to their nightfighters. They could also pose as ground controllers themselves with the intention of steering nightfighters away from the bomber streams.[74]
Initial USAAF operations over Europe
The Air Corps (renamed United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) on 20 June 1941), using the B-17 and other bombers, bombed from high altitudes using the then-secret Norden bombsight, known as the "Blue Ox",[75][76] which was an optical electro-mechanical gyro-stabilized analog computer.[77] The device was able to determine, from variables input by the bombardier, the point at which the aircraft's bombs should be released to hit the target. The bombardier essentially took over flight control of the aircraft during the bomb run, maintaining a level altitude during the final moments before release.[78]The USAAF began building up its air forces in Europe using B-17Es soon after entering the war. The first Eighth Air Force units arrived in High Wycombe, England, on 12 May 1942, to form the 97th Bomb Group.[79] On 17 August 1942, 12 B-17Es of the 97th, with the lead aircraft piloted by Major Paul Tibbets and carrying Brigadier General Ira Eaker as an observer, were escorted by four squadrons of RAF Spitfires (and a further five squadrons to cover the withdrawal) on the first USAAF heavy bomber raid over Europe, against railroad marshalling yards at Rouen-Sotteville in France, while a further six aircraft flew a diversionary raid along the French coast.[80][81] The operation was a success, with only minor damage to two aircraft and half the bombs landing in the target area. The raid helped assuage British doubts about the capabilities of American heavy bombers in operations over Europe.[82]
As the raids of the American bombing campaign grew in numbers and frequency, German interception efforts arose to respond to the bombers (such as during the attempted bombing of Kiel on 13 June 1943[83]) to the level where unescorted bombing missions became discouraged.[84]
Combined offensive
The two different strategies of the American and British bomber commands were organized at the Casablanca Conference in January 1943. The resulting "Combined Bomber Offensive" would weaken the Wehrmacht, destroy German morale and establish air superiority through Operation Pointblank's destruction of German fighter strength in preparation of a ground offensive.[4] The USAAF bombers would attack by day, with British operations – chiefly against industrial cities – by night.
Operation Pointblank opened with attacks on targets in Western Europe. General Ira C. Eaker and the Eighth Air Force placed highest priority on attacks on the German aircraft industry, especially fighter assembly plants, engine factories and ball-bearing manufacturers.[4] Attacks began in April 1943 on heavily fortified key industrial plants in Bremen and Recklinghausen.[85]
A second attempt on Schweinfurt on 14 October 1943 would later come to be known as "Black Thursday".[87] 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.[88] 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 total loss of 77 B-17s.[89] A total of 122 bombers were damaged and needed repairs before their next flight. Out of 2,900 men in the crews, about 650 men did not return, although some survived as prisoners of war. Only 33 bombers landed without damage. These losses were a result of concentrated attacks by over 300 German fighters.[90]
By September 1944, 27 of the 40 bomb groups of the Eighth Air Force and six of the 21 groups of the Fifteenth Air Force used B-17s. Losses to flak continued to take a high toll of heavy bombers through 1944, but by 27 April 1945 (two days after the last heavy bombing mission in Europe), the rate of aircraft loss was so low that replacement aircraft were no longer arriving and the number of bombers per bomb group was reduced. The Combined Bomber Offensive was effectively complete.[98]
Pacific Theater
Typhoon McGoon II of the 11th BG / 98th BS, taken in January 1943 in New Caledonia. The antennas mounted upon the nose were used for radar tracking surface vessels.
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. Nonetheless, this deed made him a celebrated war hero. Kelly's B-17C AAF S/N 40-2045 (19th BG / 30th BS) crashed about 6 mi (10 km) from Clark Field after he held the burning Fortress steady long enough for the surviving crew to bail out. Kelly was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.[104] Noted Japanese ace Saburo Sakai is credited with this kill, and in the process, gained respect for the ability of the Fortress to absorb punishment.[105]
B-17s were used in early battles of the Pacific with little success, notably the Battle of Coral Sea[106] and Battle of Midway.[107] While there, the Fifth Air Force B-17s were tasked with disrupting the Japanese sea lanes. Air Corps doctrine dictated bombing runs from high altitude, but it was soon discovered that only one percent of their bombs hit targets. However, B-17s were operating at heights too great for most A6M Zero fighters to reach, and the B-17's heavy gun armament was easily more than a match for lightly protected Japanese aircraft.
On 2 March 1943, six B-17s of the 64th Squadron attacked a major Japanese troop convoy from 10,000 ft (3 km) during the early stages of the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, off New Guinea, using skip bombing to sink three merchant ships including the Kyokusei Maru. A B-17 was shot down by a New Britain-based A6M Zero, whose pilot then machine-gunned some of the B-17 crew members as they descended in parachutes and attacked others in the water after they landed.[108] Later, 13 B-17s bombed the convoy from medium altitude, causing the ships to disperse and prolonging the journey. The convoy was subsequently all but destroyed by a combination of low level strafing runs by Royal Australian Air Force Beaufighters, and skip bombing by USAAF North American B-25 Mitchells at 100 ft (30 m), while B-17s claimed five hits from higher altitudes.[109]
A peak of 168 B-17 bombers were in the Pacific theater in September 1942, with all groups converting to other types by mid-1943. In mid-1942, Gen. Arnold decided that the B-17 was inadequate for the kind of operations required in the Pacific and made plans to replace all of the B-17s in the theater with B-24s as soon as they became available. Although the conversion was not complete until mid-1943, B-17 combat operations in the Pacific theater came to an end after a little over a year.[110] Surviving aircraft were reassigned to the 54th Troop Carrier Wing's special airdrop section, and were used to drop supplies to ground forces operating in close contact with the enemy. Special airdrop B-17s supported Australian commandos operating near the Japanese stronghold at Rabaul, which had been the primary B-17 target in 1942 and early 1943.[111]
Bomber defense
As a result, the B-17s' loss rate was up to 25% on some early missions (60 of 291 B-17s were lost in combat on the second Raid on Schweinfurt[115]), and it was not until the advent of long-range fighter escorts (particularly the North American P-51 Mustang) resulting in the degradation of the Luftwaffe as an effective interceptor force between February and June 1944, that the B-17 became strategically potent.
The B-17 was noted for its ability to absorb battle damage, still reach its target and bring its crew home safely. Wally Hoffman, a B-17 pilot with the Eighth Air Force during World War II, said, "The plane can be cut and slashed almost to pieces by enemy fire and bring its crew home."[116] Martin Caidin reported one instance in which a B-17 suffered a mid-air collision with a Focke-Wulf Fw 190, losing an engine and suffering serious damage to both the starboard horizontal stabilizer and the vertical stabilizer, and being knocked out of formation by the impact. The B-17 was reported as shot down by observers, but it survived and brought its crew home without injury.[117] Its toughness was compensation for its shorter range and lighter bomb load compared to the B-24 and British Avro Lancaster heavy bombers.[clarification needed] Stories abound of B-17s returning to base with tails having been destroyed, with only a single engine functioning or even with large portions of wings having been damaged by flak.[118] This durability, together with the large operational numbers in the Eighth Air Force and the fame achieved by the Memphis Belle, made the B-17 a key bomber aircraft of the war. Other factors such as combat effectiveness and political issues also contributed to the B-17's success.[119]
The B-17 design went through eight major changes over the course of its production, culminating in the B-17G, differing from its immediate predecessor by the addition of a bombardier-operated, remotely controlled chin turret with two .50 in (12.7 mm) caliber M2 Browning machine guns under the nose, also fitted to the final production "blocks" of the B-17F and first tried in May 1943 as part of the increased armament system of the YB-40. This eliminated the B-17's main defensive weakness in head-on attacks.
The Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe captured B-17s
During World War II, after crash-landing or being forced down, approximately 40 B-17s were captured and refurbished, with about a dozen put back into the air. Given German Balkenkreuz national markings on their wings and fuselage sides, and Hakenkreuz 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.[122] Others, with the cover designations Dornier Do 200 and Do 288, were used as long-range transports by the Kampfgeschwader 200 special duties unit, carrying out agent drops and supplying secret airstrips in the Middle East and North Africa. 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.[123][124] One B-17 of KG200, bearing the Luftwaffe's KG 200 Geschwaderkennung (combat wing code) markings A3+FB, was interned by Spain when it landed at Valencia airfield, 27 June 1944, remaining there for the rest of the war.[79] Some B-17s kept their Allied markings and were used by the Luftwaffe in attempts to infiltrate B-17 bombing formations and report on their positions and altitudes. The practice was initially successful, but Army Air Forces combat aircrews quickly developed and established standard procedures to first warn off, and then fire upon any "stranger" trying to join a group's formation.[79][verification needed]Soviet B-17s
The U. S. did not offer B-17s to the Soviet Union as part of its war materiel assistance program, but at least 73 aircraft were acquired by the Soviet Air Force. These were aircraft that landed with mechanical trouble during the shuttle bombing raids over Germany or had been damaged by a Luftwaffe raid in Poltava. The Soviets restored 23 to flying condition and concentrated them in the 890th bomber regiment of the 45th bomber division, but they never saw combat. In 1946 the regiment was assigned to the Kazan factory to aid in the Soviet effort to reproduce the copying of the more advanced Boeing B-29 as the Tupolev Tu-4.[125]Japanese captured B-17s
Postwar history
U.S. Air Force
The USAF Air Rescue Service of the Military Air Transport Service (MATS) operated B-17s as so-called "Dumbo" air-sea rescue aircraft. 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, also being used to provide search and rescue support for B-29 raids against Japan. About 130 B-17s were converted to the air-sea rescue role, at first designated B-17H and later SB-17G. Some SB-17s had their defensive guns removed, while others retained their guns to allow use close to combat areas. The SB-17 served through the Korean War, remaining in service with USAF until the mid-1950s.[61][131][132]
- See also: 3205th Drone Group
Under project Cadillac II, an AN/APS-20 radar was fitted onto the B-17G, making the PB-1W the first AWACS.
The U.S. Coast Guard PB-1G carried a droppable lifeboat.
Thirty-two B-17Gs[137] were used by the Navy under the designation PB-1W, the suffix -W airborne early warning. 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. Originally, the B-17 was also chosen because of its heavy defensive armament, but this was later deleted. These aircraft were painted dark blue, a standard Navy paint scheme which had been adopted in late 1944.[129][136] The PB-1W eventually evolved into an early warning aircraft by virtue of its APS-20 search radar.[137] 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 USN in 1962), a military version of the Lockheed 1049 Constellation commercial airliner.
In July 1945, 16 B-17s were transferred to the Coast Guard via the Navy; these aircraft were initially assigned U.S. Navy Bureau Numbers (BuNo), but were delivered to the Coast Guard designated as PB-1Gs beginning in July 1946.[129][132] Coast Guard PB-1Gs were stationed at a number of bases in the U.S. and Newfoundland, with five at Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina, two at CGAS San Francisco, two at NAS Argentia, Newfoundland, one at CGAS Kodiak, Alaska, and one in Washington state.[132] They were used primarily for air-sea rescue, but were also used for iceberg patrol duties and for photo mapping. Air-sea rescue PB-1Gs usually carried a droppable lifeboat underneath the fuselage and the chin turret was often replaced by a radome.[132][138] The Coast Guard PB-1Gs served throughout the 1950s, the last example not being withdrawn from service until 14 October 1959.[129][138]
Special operations
A number of B-17s were used by the CIA front companies Civil Air Transport, Air America and Intermountain Aviation for special missions. These included B-17G 44-85531, registered as N809Z. These aircraft were primarily used for agent drop missions over the People's Republic of China, flying from Taiwan, with Taiwanese crews. In all, four B-17s were shot down in these operations.[139]In 1957 the surviving B-17s had been stripped of all weapons and painted black. In mid-September, one of these Taiwan-based B-17s was flown to Clark Air Base in the Philippines, assigned for covert missions into Tibet. Two missions into Tibet are known to have been flown by B-17G (44-85531).[citation needed]
On 28 May 1962, N809Z, piloted by Connie Seigrist and Douglas Price, flew Maj. James Smith, USAF and Lt. Leonard A. LeSchack, USNR to the abandoned Soviet arctic ice station NP 8, as Operation Coldfeet. After parachuting from the B-17, Smith and LeSchack searched the station for several days. On 1 June, Seigrist and Price returned and picked up Smith and LeSchack using a Fulton Skyhook system installed on the B-17.[140] In 1965, N809Z was used to perform a Skyhook pick up in the James Bond movie Thunderball. This aircraft, now restored to its original B-17G configuration, is now on display in the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon.
Operators
Main article: List of B-17 Flying Fortress operators
The B-17 was a versatile aircraft, serving in dozens of USAAF units
in theaters of combat throughout World War II, and in non-bomber roles
for the RAF. Its main use was in Europe, where its shorter range and smaller bombload relative to other aircraft available did not hamper it as much as in the Pacific Theater. Peak USAAF inventory (in August 1944) was 4,574 worldwide.[66]Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Canada
Colombia
Denmark
Dominican Republic
France
Germany as Beuteflugzeug (captured aircraft)
Iran
Saudi Arabia
Israel
Japan
Mexico
Nicaragua
Peru
Portugal
South Africa
Taiwan
Soviet Union
Sweden
United Kingdom
United States
Survivors
Main article: List of surviving Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses
Fortresses as a symbol
When the Model 299 was rolled out on 28 July 1935, bristling with multiple machine gun installations, Richard Williams, a reporter for the Seattle Times coined the name "Flying Fortress" with his comment "Why, it's a flying fortress!".[144] Boeing was quick to see the value of the name and had it trademarked for use. In 1943, Consolidated Aircraft commissioned a poll to see "to what degree the public is familiar with the names of the Liberator and the Flying Fortress." Of 2,500 men in cities where Consolidated adverts had been run in newspapers, 73% had heard of the B-24, while 90% knew of the B-17.[9]
After the initial B-17s were delivered to the Air Corps 2nd Bombardment Group, they were used on promotional flights emphasizing its great range and navigational precision. In January 1938, group commander Colonel Robert Olds flew a YB-17 from the east to west coast, setting a transcontinental record of 13 hours 27 minutes. He also broke the west-to-east coast record on the return trip, averaging 245 mph (394 km/h) in 11 hours 1 minute.[145] Six bombers of the 2nd Bombardment group took off from Langley Field on 15 February 1938 as part of a goodwill flight to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Covering 12,000 miles (19,000 km) they returned on 27 February, with seven aircraft setting off on a flight to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, three days later.[146] In a well-publicized mission on 12 May of the same year, three B-17s "intercepted" and took photographs of the Italian ocean liner SS Rex 610 miles (980 km) off the Atlantic coast.[147][N 7]
Pilots who flew both preferred the B-17 over the B-24 for its greater stability and ease in formation flying. Its electrical systems were less vulnerable to damage than the B-24's hydraulics, and the B-17 flew better than the B-24 when missing an engine.[148] During the war, the largest offensive bombing force, the Eighth Air Force, had an open preference for the B-17. Lieutenant General Jimmy Doolittle wrote about his preference for equipping the Eighth with B-17s, citing the logistical advantage in keeping fielded forces down to a minimum number of aircraft types with their unique servicing and spares. For this reason, he wanted B-17 bombers and P-51 fighters for the Eighth. His views were supported by Eighth Air Force statisticians, whose studies showed that Fortresses had utility and survivability much greater than that of the B-24.[9] Making it back to base on multiple occasions despite extensive battle damage, its durability took on mythical proportions;[5][8] stories and photos of B-17s surviving battle damage were widely circulated during the war.[9] Despite an inferior performance and bombload compared to the more numerous B-24,[149] a survey of Eighth Air Force crews showed a much higher rate of satisfaction in the B-17.[150]
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.[151] Both films were made with the full cooperation of the United States Army Air Forces and made use of actual aircraft and (for Twelve O'Clock High) actual combat footage. In 1964, the latter film was made into a television show of the same name and ran for three years on ABC TV. Footage from Twelve O' Clock High was also used, along with three restored B-17s, in the 1962 film The War Lover. The B-17 also appeared in the 1938 movie Test Pilot with Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy, with Clark Gable in Command Decision in 1948, in Tora! Tora! Tora! in 1970, and in Memphis Belle with Matthew Modine, Eric Stoltz, Billy Zane, and Harry Connick, Jr. in 1990. The most famous B-17, the Memphis Belle, toured the U. S. with its crew to reinforce national morale (and to sell war bonds), and starred in a USAAF documentary, Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress.[152]
The B-17 has also been featured in artistic works expressing the physical and psychological stress of the combat conditions and the high casualty rates that crews suffered.[153][154] Works such as The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner by Randall Jarrell and Heavy Metal (film)'s section "B-17" depict the nature of these missions. The Ball turret itself has inspired works like Steven Spielberg's The Mission. Artists who served on the bomber units also created paintings and drawings depicting the combat conditions in World War II.[155][156]
Notable B-17s
- All American - B-17F tail# 124406[157] survived being almost cut in half over Tunisia, but made it back to base in Algeria - there are false stories about that claim it made it back to Britain. It flew again, but was later scrapped.[158][159]
- Aluminum Overcast – flying example.
- Chief Seattle – sponsored by the city of Seattle, it disappeared (MIA) on 14 Aug 1942[160] flying a recon mission for the 19th BG, 435th BS [161] and the crew declared dead on 7 Dec 1945.
- Hell's Kitchen - B-17F 41-24392 one of only three early B-17F's in 414th BS to complete more than 100 combat missions.[162]
- I'll Be Around - B-17G in the 390th Bomb Group Museum at the Pima Air and Space Museum adjacent to Davis-Monthan AFB near Tucson, AZ.
- Liberty Belle – former engine testbed restored as flying example, destroyed in a forced landing on 13 June 2011, outside of Chicago, Illinois; no fatalities.
- Mary Ann - a B-17D that was part of a unarmed flight which left San Francisco on December 6, 1941 in route to Hickam Field in Hawaii, arriving during the attack on Pearl Harbor. The plane and its crew were immediately forced into action on Wake Island and in the Philippines during the outbreak of World War II. It became famous when its exploits were featured in Air Force (film), one of the first of the patriotic war films released in 1943. The Mary Ann was lost in the Pacific when it returned to combat duty after the release of the film.[163]
- Memphis Belle – one of the first B-17s to complete a tour of duty of 25 missions in the 8th Air Force, now being restored for display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio.
- Miss Every Morning Fix'n - B 17C. Previously named 'Pamela'. Stationed in Mackay, Queensland, Australia during World War II. On 14 June 1943, crashed shortly after takeoff from Mackay whilst ferrying U.S. forces personnel back to Port Moresby. A total of 40 of the 41 persons on board were killed. It remains the worst air disaster in Australian history. The sole survivor Foye Roberts married an Australian and returned to the States. He passed away in Wichita Falls on 4 February 2004.
- Murder Inc. – A B-17 bombardier wearing the name of the B-17 "Murder Inc." on his jacket was used for propaganda in German newspapers.[164]
- My Gal Sal
- Nine-O-Nine – flying example, Collings Foundation of Stow, Massachusetts.
- Old 666 - the B-17 flown by the highest decorated crew in the Pacific Theater
- Piccadilly Lilly II - 200th from last B-17G to be built, used in the movie Twelve O'Clock High. As of 2011, being restored to Flight status, at the Planes of Fame museum.
- (The) Pink Lady
- Sally B – The last flying example in Europe.
- Sentimental Journey – flying example, Commemorative Air Force.
- Shoo Shoo Baby
- Sir Baboon McGoon (B-17) featured in June 1944 issue of Popular Science magazine and 1945 issue of Flying magazine. Articles talk about mobile recovery crews following Oct 1943 belly landing at Tannington, England. Article omitted return to service in Feb 1944 and 7 additional missions. Final crew called it "a real crate" and successfully ditched into North Sea on 29 Mar 1944, a few months before the first article appeared in print.
- Swamp Ghost B-17E Serial Number 41-2446, rare surviving "E" model recovered from Papua New Guinea swamp, now at Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor.
- The Swoose - A B-17D, the oldest surviving Flying Fortress, built in 1940, collection of the Smithsonian's Air & Space Museum, being restored for display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio, simultaneously with "Memphis Belle". Flown by Frank Kurtz father of the actress Swoosie Kurtz.
- Texas Raiders – flying example, Commemorative Air Force.
- Thunderbird
- Yankee Lady – flying example, Yankee Air Force.
- Ye Olde Pub – the B-17 that Franz Stigler did not shoot down, as memorialized in the painting "A Higher Call" by John D. Shaw.[165]
- 5 Grand - 5,000th B-17 made, emblazoned with Boeing employee signatures, served with the 333rd Bomb Squadron, 96th Bomb Group in Europe. Damaged and repaired after gear-up landing, transferred to 388th Bomb Group. Returned from duty following V-E Day, flown for war bonds tour, then stored at Kingman, Arizona. Following unsuccessful bid for museum preservation, the aircraft was scrapped.[166]
- The So What? I and II - flown by "3 engine Zip" (I shot down over Germany and II decommissioned)
Noted B-17 pilots and crew members
Medal of Honor awards
Many B-17 crew members received military honors and 17 received the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration awarded by the United States:[167]- Brigadier General Frederick Castle (flying as co-pilot) – awarded posthumously for remaining at controls so others could escape damaged aircraft.[168]
- 2nd Lt Robert Femoyer (navigator) – awarded posthumously[169]
- 1st Lt Donald J. Gott (pilot) – awarded posthumously[170]
- 2nd Lt David R. Kingsley (bombardier) – awarded posthumously for tending to injured crew and giving up his parachute to another[171]
- 1st Lt William R. Lawley, Jr. – "heroism and exceptional flying skill" [172]
- Sgt Archibald Mathies (engineer-gunner) – awarded posthumously[173]
- 1st Lt Jack W. Mathis (bombardier) – posthumously, the first airman in the European theater to be awarded the Medal of Honor[174]
- 2nd Lt William E. Metzger, Jr. (Co-pilot) – awarded posthumously[170]
- 1st Lt Edward Michael[175]
- 1st Lt John C. Morgan[176]
- Capt Harl Pease (awarded posthumously)[177]
- 2nd Lt Joseph Sarnoski (awarded posthumously)[178]
- S/Sgt Jesse Karl Landkrohn(Flight Engineer)- "exceptionally heroic action on Oct 5, 1944", "re-entered burning plane despite severe injuries" to rescue Pilot, Plane Commander and crewmen; 6/26/1980
- S/Sgt Maynard H. Smith (gunner) [179]
- 1st Lt Walter E. Truemper (awarded posthumously)[173]
- T/Sgt Forrest L. Vosler (radio operator) [180][181]
- Brig Gen Kenneth Walker (not part of crew at time) – awarded posthumously[182]
- Maj Jay Zeamer, Jr. (pilot) – earned on unescorted reconnaissance mission [183]
Other military achievements or events
- Allison C. Brooks (1917–2006): Was awarded numerous military decorations, and was ultimately promoted to the rank of major general and served in active duty until 1971.
- 1st Lt. Emil "Mickey" Cohen (1924–2008): Nicknamed "The Kid". Flew with the 447th Bombardment Group, 709th squadron, out of Rattlesden, England. Piloted the Barbara Jane and two missions on The Blue Hen Chick. Was the youngest B-17 pilot in the 8th Air Force and may have been the youngest bomber pilot in the U.S. Army Air Forces.
- 1st Lt. Eugene Emond (1921–1998): Lead pilot for Man O War II Horsepower Limited. Received the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters, American Theater Ribbon and Victory Ribbon. Was part of D-Day and witnessed one of the first German jets when a Me 262A-1a flew through his formation over Germany. One of the youngest bomber pilots in the U.S. Army Air Forces.
- Immanuel J. Klette (1918–1988): Second-generation German-American whose 91 combat missions were the most flown by any Eighth Air Force pilot in World War II.[184]
- Colin Kelly (1915–1941): Pilot of the first U.S. B-17 lost in action.[185]
- Col Frank Kurtz (1911–1996): The USAAF's most decorated pilot of World War II. Commander of the 463rd Bombardment Group (Heavy), 15th Air Force, Celone Field, Foggia, Italy. Clark Field Philippines attack survivor. Olympic bronze medalist in diving (1932), 1944–1945. Father of actress Swoosie Kurtz, herself named for the still-surviving B-17D mentioned above.
- Gen. Curtis LeMay (1906–1990): Became head of the Strategic Air Command and of the USAF.
- Lt. Col. Nancy Love (1914–1976) and Betty (Huyler) Gillies (1908–1998): The first women to be certified to fly the B-17, in 1943.[186]
- Col. Robert K. Morgan (1918–2004): Pilot of Memphis Belle.
- Lt. Col. Robert Rosenthal (1917–2007): Commanded the only surviving B-17, "Rosie's Riveters", of a US 8th Air Force raid by the 100th Bomb Group on Münster on 10 October 1943. Earned sixteen medals for gallantry (including one each from Britain and France), and led the raid on Berlin on 3 February 1945, that is likely to have ended the life of Roland Freisler, the Third Reich's infamous "hanging judge".
- 1st Lt Bruce Sundlun (1920–2011): Pilot of Damn Yankee of the 384th Bomb Group was shot down over Belgium on 1 December 1943 and evaded capture until reaching Switzerland 5 May 1944.[187]
- Brig Gen Paul Tibbets (1915–2007): Flew with the 97th Bombardment Group (Heavy) with both the 8th Air Force in England and the 12th Air Force in North Africa. Later pilot of the B-29 Enola Gay, dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan.
B-17 in the Movies
Some notable movies that featured the Flying Fortress include but are not limited to: "Flying Fortress" (1942), "Air Force" (1943), "Combat America" (1943), "Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress" (1944), "Twelve O'Clock High" (1949), "The War Lover" (1962), "The Thousand Plane Raid" (1969), "Tora! Tora! Tora!" (1970), "Memphis Belle (film)" (1990) and "Fortress (2012 film)" (2012).Civilian achievements or events
- Martin Caidin (1927–1997): Author of Cyborg, the story that formed the basis of The Six Million Dollar Man wrote the saga of the last transatlantic formation flight of B-17s ever made, Everything But the Flak.
- Clark Gable (1901–1960): Academy Award-winning film actor, five missions as waist gunner with several groups from May to September 1943, including the B-17 Eight Ball of the 359th Bomb Squadron (351st Bomb Group).
- Irv Homer (1922–2009). Philadelphia Radio host served as 15th Air Force B-17 co-pilot during WW2.
- Tom Landry (1924–2000): American football player and coach, flew 30 missions over Europe in 1944–45 as a B-17 pilot with the 493rd Bomb Group, surviving a crash landing in Belgium. (His older brother Robert died in a B-17 crash)[188]
- Norman Lear: Radio operator, with the 463rd Bombardment Group (Heavy), 15th Air Force, Celone Field, Foggia, Italy; television producer of American sitcoms Sanford and Son, Maude and All in the Family, among others.
- Gene Roddenberry (1921–1991): Creator of Star Trek; flew B-17s for the 394th Bomb Squadron, 5th Bomb Group (H), in the Pacific theater.[189]
- Robert Rosenthal (1917–2007): Assistant to the U.S. prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trials, where he interrogated Hermann Göring, pilot with the 100th Bomb Group.
- Brigadier General Robert Lee Scott, Jr. (1908–2006): Best known for his autobiography God is My Co-Pilot, about his exploits in World War II with the Flying Tigers and the United States Army Air Forces in China and Burma.
- James Stewart (1908–1997): Academy Award-winning film actor, instructed in B-17s before flying 20 combat missions in B-24s with the 8th Air Force, England; retired from Air Force Reserve as a Brigadier General.[190]
- Bert Stiles (1920–1944): 91st Bomb Group co-pilot from March to October 1944, short-story author, killed in action flying a P-51 on a second tour.
- Bruce Sundlun (1920–2011): 384th Bomb Group Pilot of B-17F Damn Yankee avoided capture after being shot down over Jabbeke, Belgium, 1 December 1943 to become a lawyer, businessman and Governor of Rhode Island 1991–95.
- Smokey Yunick (1923–2001): Award-winning motorsports car designer and premier NASCAR crew chief flew 50 missions as a B-17 pilot with the 97th Bombardment Group (Heavy) of the 15th Air Force, out of Amendola Airfield, Foggia, Italy.[191]
Specifications (B-17G)
Data from The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft[37]
General characteristics- Crew: 10: Pilot, co-pilot, navigator, bombardier/nose gunner,top turret gunner, radio operator, waist gunners (2), ball turret gunner, tail gunner[192]
- Length: 74 ft 4 in (22.66 m)
- Wingspan: 103 ft 9 in (31.62 m)
- Height: 19 ft 1 in (5.82 m)
- Wing area: 1,420 sq ft (131.92 m2)
- Airfoil: NACA 0018 / NACA 0010
- Aspect ratio: 7.57
- Empty weight: 36,135 lb (16,391 kg)
- Loaded weight: 54,000 lb (24,500 kg)
- Max. takeoff weight: 65,500 lb (29,700 kg)
- Powerplant: 4 × Wright R-1820-97 "Cyclone" turbosupercharged radial engines, 1,200 hp (895 kW) each
- Maximum speed: 287 mph (249 kn, 462 km/h)
- Cruise speed: 182 mph (158 kn, 293 km/h)
- Range: 2,000 mi (1,738 nmi, 3,219 km) with 2,700 kg (6,000 lb) bombload
- Service ceiling: 35,600 ft (10,850 m)
- Rate of climb: 900 ft/min (4.6 m/s)
- Wing loading: 38.0 lb/sq ft (185.7 kg/m2)
- Power/mass: 0.089 hp/lb (150 W/kg)
- Guns: 13 × .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns in 8 turrets in dorsal, ventral, nose and tail, 2 in waist positions, 2 in "cheek" positions, and 1 in the post-dorsal position
- Bombs:
- Short range missions (<400 mi): 8,000 lb (3,600 kg)
- Long range missions (≈800 mi): 4,500 lb (2,000 kg)
- Overload: 17,600 lb (7,800 kg)
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