P. S. Hes here to tell the stories. So on July 5, 1945 the 8th AF landed on Guam . Martin Baltimore. The NASM B-26B-25-MA nicknamed "Flak-Bait" (AAF serial number 41-31773) survived 206 operational missions over Europe, more than any other American aircraft during World War II (A de Havilland Mosquito B. Mk. Now an academic from EmbryRiddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona, Florida has revealed that it was the B-24 named Hot Stuff that was the first bomber to make 25 missions and return home, not the Memphis Belle. Therefore, a total of 75,446 airmen (60 percent of operational airmen) were killed, wounded or taken prisoner. Why won't my daughter let me see my granddaughter? 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.. 15' - 8.3mils. Cinematic masterpieces "The Best Years of Our Lives" (1946), "Roman Holiday" (1953) and "Ben-Hur" (1959 . The former Royal Australian Air Force fighter will take part in []. The reason for this misinformation seems to have been to obscure the fact that the Supreme Commander was absent the theater. Of the 15 aboard, 14 died. But flying it proved deadly. 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. Restoration: The Memphis Belle. At the end of their tour, the crew of Hells Angels signed on for a second tour and continued to fly, going on to fly 48 missions, without ever turning back from their assigned target. sorry what we call pussy, they call lunch.. Or even 16 aircraft, which would be 28 percent of the Air Force's current fleet of 58 B-52Hs. Your email address will not be published. The first refueling stop before heading out over the Atlantic was scheduled for Prestwick, Scotland, but the crew decided to fly directly to their second refueling stop at Reykjavik, Iceland. He was 85. How often did bomber crews fly in ww2? It was the B-17 going toe to toe without fighter escort with the GAF that is at the heart of the story of the 8th AF. Following the loss of Hot Stuff it wasnt a good idea for the Axis to be aware of the demise of the Supreme Commander. Have you ever been punished with corporal punishme budisuryanto001, see what's new and featured for June. B-24s served in every WWII theater of war, including the Mid-Atlantic Anti-submarine campaign. How many B17 crews actually managed to complete 25 missions during WW2? Overcoming the odds, the B-17F Memphis Belle became the first U.S. Army Air Forces heavy bomber to return to the United States after completing 25 missions in Europe, and was selected by the Army Air Forces to be the symbol of the heavy bomber crews and support personnel who helped win the war against Nazi Germany. Both crews are GODS! World War II - Bombers; World War II - Pursuit . What movie plot hole bothers you the most? His name was B.Z. how many ww2 bomber crews completed 25 missions. This email was sent by Quora (650 Castro Street #450, Mountain View, CA 94041). Which 3 Of These 7 Top WWII Fighter Planes Would You Put On Your Team? With the American entry into World War II, production of the B-24 increased. The U.S. produced an amazing 276,000 aircraft . Is producer and executive producer the same thing? The Germans really dialed in shooting bombers out of the sky with their sophisticated FLAK systems and method. How accurate was the movie Memphis Belle? It flew about half of its approximately 30 combat missions over Europe, with the remainder being strikes in Africa and patrol missions over the Mediterranean. On 23 Dec 1943, the Memphis Belle, having completed its combat assignment with the Eighth Air Force (8 AF), 91st Bombardment Group (91 BG) in Europe, and its subsequent stateside war bond drive, was assigned to MacDill Field, Florida. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. How many missions would it take to complete a WWII bomber mission? My dad was a waste gunner on a B 24 in ww2. how many ww2 bomber crews completed 25 missions. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Your chances of completing all 25 missions, at least unscathed, were slim to none. chin turret > dia. Which b17 bomber completed the most combat missions? How many B-17 bombers were shot down in ww2? The 314th BW needed replacement crews and the 8th AF crews were to absorb experience, which they could later pass on to their fellow crews. post. To promote selling the War Bonds, rallies were held throughout the country with famous celebrities, usually Hollywood film stars, sports personalities, and war heroes such as John Basilone and Audie Murphy. As the son of one of the Hot Stuff crewmen bumped from the ill fated final flight, I was unaware of the fate of Gen Andrews, his entourage, and remaining crew. How many missions did B-17 crews fly? Thank you. Belle crew was not intact through out the 25 missions. The Hot Stuff and her crew were soon forgotten. Hawker Hind. I miss old shakey, but I enjoyed flying Pan Ams B-727 even more (a career with PAA followed, 1967-91). Grant Rondeau only told us that he wasnt aboard the final flight. Special interest is the year of 1943. After flying 48 combat missions, it returned to the US for a war bond tour, but not until 1944. It was a gradual adjustment over about two weeks. 1 What was the first b17 to complete 25 missions? 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. Typically, the bombers had to fly right through the multiple volleys of gunfire, but it was the "waist-gunners" who absorbed the majority of the shrapnel, as they were positioned near an open window in the rear of the plane. One the return journey Lieutenant General Frank Andrews took over the flying and when the plane hit severe weather conditions. I live by HAFB museum and visit every Memorial Day. The crews were men from the United Kingdom, other Commonwealth countries, and occupied Europe, especially Poland, France, Czechoslovakia and Norway, as well as other foreign volunteers. This may may account for individuals citing very high mission counts as they may have counted flights that did not include successful strikes on primaries. Do modern Germans regret having lost their eastern territories at the end of World War II? Any help or direction would be greatly appreciated. Constituted as 306th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942. Martin Caidin wrote the definitive book on the plight of the bomber crews in Black Thursday, which chronicled in great detail the 2nd Schweinfurt bombing raid of October 14, 1943, where 60 bombers and their crews were lost. Bomber Command aircrews suffered a high casualty rate: of a total of 125,000 aircrew, 57,205 were killed (a 46 percent death rate), a further 8,403 were wounded in action and 9,838 became prisoners of war. For those members of the RAAF serving in RAF Bomber Command, more than one in three were killed; amounting to 20 per cent of all Australians combat losses in the Second World War. how many ww2 bomber crews completed 25 missions 10. See object record. Does that sound like a truthful story? 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. Hot Stuff was in the 8th Air Force 2nd Air Division, 93rd Bombardment Group, 330th Bomb Squadron. , former Teacher by Profession, Teacher by Soul. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Suzy-Q nose artthe circled areas highlight combat damage repair. Exercises To Dunk A Basketball, During a Memphis Belle mission, the 91st Bomb Group unknowingly blew up an entire cellar of cognac. Over 100,000 Allied airmen died during the war. (USAF photo) According to the memoirs of Robert Morgan, the pilot of the Memphis Belle, Wyler had picked a different bomber for the feature film, a B-17 known as "Invasion 2nd.". Famous American artists, including Norman Rockwell, created a series of illustrations that became the centerpiece of war bond advertising. Carlo Quintiliani Updated Mon To put this into sobering perspective - the 8th Air Force in Europe lost more men than the entire US Marine Corps did in World War Two - both horrible thoughts to consider.. Read More What is the song 'Norwegian Wood' really about? The most vulnerable body part that a flak can hit include the lower extremities (legs) followed by the upper extremities (arms) and the head. Why? Dad flew 37 missions for RAF. 25 missions On May 17, 1943, the crew of the Memphis Belle, one of a group of American bombers based in Britain, becomes the first B-17 crew to complete 25 missions over Europe and return to the United States. Hot Stuff completed its 31st mission on March 31, 1943. 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. IX bomber completed 213 missions but this aircraft was destroyed in a crash at Calgary Airport in Canada, two days after V-E Day, see . Doolittle Raid, (April 18, 1942), during World War II, U.S. Army Air Forces bombing raid on Tokyo and other Japanese cities. What Was Found At The Top Of The Grand Canyon. Hollywood feature Film Entitled the "Memphis Belle" The Memphis Belle is a Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress used during the Second World War that inspired the making of two motion pictures: a 1944 documentary film, Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress and the 1990 Hollywood feature film, Memphis Belle.It was one of the first United States Army Air Forces B-17 heavy bombers to complete 25 combat missions, after which the aircrew returned with . We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The most authoritative source would seem to be the combat mission reports of the 322nd Bombardment Group (BG), Flak-Bait 's parent organization during its 21 months of combat operations. I, too flew the C-124, first from Travis, 1956-58, then Hickam 1958-9; and later (college break) Dover, 1963-5, and McChord, 1965-7. Although crew members were required to fly a minimum of 25 combat missions before returning to the United States, some were called back to duty for another 25. I have some 7500 hours at the controls, never for an instant not valuing the knowledge and expertise in that sideways sitting position, behind me. Enola Gay, Regular Crew (Crew B-9) Crew B-9 flew five combat missions, including the Hiroshima bombing mission. 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. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. 5 How accurate was the movie Memphis Belle? Is there Delhi quota in Lady Hardinge Medical College? I also have an anecdote, but Im not sure which bomber group he was in. Wood Tv 8 Weather Forecast, Brittany Williams Lite Brite Height, We would love to see some images from that log book if you feel comfortable scanning and sending them along! Im trying to work out the losses to compare it with the losses of the Avro Lancaster which peaked around 44% of total. ten Written in pencil on the pouter skin behind the scanners hatch: Pilots are a funny bunch what we call pussy, we call lunch. That wasnt you, was it? It was sent to North Africa to support the 12th Air Force after its 10th mission in the ETO and returned to Hardwick, England in February 1943 after completing its 27th mission. All Rights Reserved. The attrition was so high that the Army capped a crew's tour to 25 missions. At its peak, the Mighty Eighth was the most powerful. He was lost on his 25th mission, the low-level raid on Ploesti, August 1, 1943. It therefore fell to Memphis Belle as the face of bomber aircraft during the war. The wreck, a B-17 "Flying Fortress" bomber, crashed in Lake Bolsena on Jan. 15, 1944. Im just conveying the facts I uncovered while researching information for a friend who was the bombardier on Hot Stuff. The B-17 Hell's Angels became the first to complete the feat one week before the Memphis Belle. The most famous aerial gunner was probably Clark Gable - MGM's biggest earner when WWII began. Why did the U.S. absolve the Japanese of paying war reperations after WWII? He had to get a waiver to receive his diploma in absence. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The problem was, the Memphis Belle was not the first heavy bomber to survive 25 combat missions. In 1945 Camp Springs Air Base in Prince Georges County, Maryland, was renamed Andrews Field in Gen. Andrews honor. There is no definitive answer to this question as it is impossible to know for certain. The Memphis Belle in the sky, June 1943. The current total of surviving B-17 bombers located in the United States stands at 40: Nine (9) B-17 planes are airworthy, such as Texas Raiders, Sentimental Journey and Aluminum Overcast. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Approximately 120,000 were air crew members and only one crew in five completed their tour of duty. My fathers Bomb Group on Guam, hosted three crews from the 8th Air Force, 346th Bomb Group. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. On the night of 13/14 February 1945, 796 Lancasters took part in a. Upon impact, the aircraft disintegrated except for the tail gunners turret, which remained relatively intact. For many years the author has held a . He said they would literally strip the plane, but I dont remember if that was before they left Italy or in Cuba. I have heard some units had diaries. #15: The flak vest developed in 1943 weighs 32 pounds! On May 13, 1943, the 303rd BG B-17F Hells Angels became the first heavy bomber to complete 25 combat missions over Europe, four days before the Memphis Belles crew. And I understand the desire behind it perfectly. The chance of surviving 30 missions in a heavy bomber without being shot down, killed or captured was 29 percent; for a medium bomber flying the required 50 missions the chance of survival unharmed was 52 percent. The man at the back of the trailer is attaching the tail fin, which is secured by a ring collar screwed onto the threads on the bomb itself. A total of 350,000 men served in the Mighty Eighth during World War II. 6 How many missions would it take to complete a WWII bomber mission? He was in the 389th bomb group, 567th squadron. More than 50,000 Airmen lost their lives in the four years of WWII and the majority of those losses were on bomber missions over Nazi Germany in B-17s and B-24s. There were nine crew members on a B-17 bomber. He said he didn't know of very many pilots who q. He was 85. In fact, it is believed that Memphis Belle was the third to complete 25 successful missions. The aircraft in the photograph (42-40128) had two names: Ball of Fire III on the port side, and War Baby on the starboard. Can someone hack my PC through online games? During the interwar years, American bomber crews were taught aerial gunnery in a generalized way at US Army Air Corps schools. By . That's almost 50 percent more than the 12,741 B-17s . http://www.yorkshireairmuseum.org/air-museum-news/recalling-how-halifax-friday-the-13th-got-its-name. When bomber crews completed 25 missions, they got credit for a combat tour and went home, but in late 1943, the odds were against their doing so. Years later, they became very close friends. Byrd. The 'lucky' Lancaster bomber, called EE136, was taken on 109 missions, including 14 raids to Berlin, Germany. There are so many great answers but hands down, the movie that got the worst shake, a movie that got panned by reviews, and even won a razzie. A high-wing monoplane with a twin tail and tricycle landing gear, it was powered by two 1,700-horsepower Wright radial engines, had a wingspan of 67 feet 7 inches (20.6 metres), was 53 feet 6 inches (16 . In early May 1943 as the crew prepared for their flight to the States for their War Bonds publicity tour, they got a call from the office of Lt. General Frank M. Andrews, Commander of the European Theater of Operations, asking if he could hitch a ride back to the States. I guess the RAF must have had it much easier than the 8th Airforce. Told you he was a wild man. So he promptly retrieved his discharge and it stated he had really flown 137 missions. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. If wounded are included in the count, the total casualty rate goes up to 54.3%. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Because it was World War II, and the bombing campaign over Europe was a bloody affair. The 'lucky' Lancaster bomber, called EE136, was taken on 109 missions, including 14 raids to Berlin, Germany. In the article comments, we were contacted by Air Force veteran Jim Lux who stated "The first heavy bomber in the 8th Air Force to complete 25 mission in World War II was the B-24 Liberator Hot Stuff. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Your email address will not be published. Four members of the original crew died in combat as the plane was hit by cannon and machine-gun fire. A great resource for some of the 8th AF B-24 groups is TEDS TRAVELLING CIRCUS available at Amazon and elsewhere. ouisana belle from England. In the Doolittle Tokyo Raid, 15 co-pilots from the 16 B-25B Mitchell medium bomberswere in flight school for less than a year. A radio operator, he was in the crew of one of two bombers that in which the group leader flew, with radar where the belly gunner would normally be. Though they were supposed to refuel at Prestwick, Scotland before heading out over the Atlantic, the crew elected to skip stopping at Prestwick and proceed to their next waypoint, Reykjavik, Iceland. In the end the significance of specific mission counts are completely arbitrary. 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. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Then, the bomb shackle is attached and the dolly moved under the bomb bay. The average age of the crew of a B-17 was less than 25, with four officers and six enlisted Airmen manning the aircraft. According to my brother, it was in the Ploesti raid that their lost all their fuel when anti-aircraft shells went through their wings without exploding. It flew most missions unescorted and saw plenty of flack and enemy aircraft. #13: Bomber crewmen werent trained to jump out of airplanes with parachute. While the article on Memphis Belle had included the qualifier first B-17 United States Army Air Force heavy bomber to complete 25 combat missions with her crew intact, which on a factual basis at least made the article correct insofar as it specified that it was the first to 25 missions with her crew intact, but the truth is, while were reasonably knowledgable about WWII lore here, the name Hot Stuff didnt spark any particular recollection in us or among the several other warbird enthusiasts we asked about it, though one fellow we spoke to did remember it as the plane General Andrews lost his life in, but generally there wasnt much recognition. 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. Norwegian Wood is a song about John Lennon's infidelity, John Lennon wrote that song because he wanted to tell his first wife, Cynthia indirectly that he had affair with ot Why won't my daughter let me see my granddaughter? You had to have gloves on, or else your hands would stick to just about anything metal. In order to complete their missions, the 6th Bomb Group had to run a gauntlet of Air Defenses, ranging from fighter to radar-controlled AA guns and rockets. . I was able to find a B-24 named Red Headed Woman Liberator #645 (44-41645) that was part of that exact group and the time frame is correct, but I cannot find anything definitive. On March 24, 1945, the 332nd Fighter Group of the U.S. Fifteenth Air Force departed from its base in Italy to escort B-17 heavy bombers on a 1,600-mile round trip flight to the German capital. After all the adversity, damage and close calls, no one was ever seriously injured, and her entire crew made it home. 1 How many missions did ww2 bomber crews fly? Between its initial flight on Dec. 29, 1939, and September 1945, nearly 18,500 Liberators rolled off the production line at five plants. Besides Boeing, Douglas and Lockheed (via subsidiary Vega) also contributed to that total. That in mind, wed like to try set the record straight, though the waters in this case are especially muddy. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 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 . Instructing had its dangers, too, as it involved flying with inexperienced recruits in old aircraft. Pilot. 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. All Rights Reserved. There were many B-24s in the 8th Air Force that completed 25 to 30 missions long before the first B-17 Hells Angels or Memphis Belle completed their 25th. ARZBtc.com > > > how many ww2 bomber crews completed 25 missions. I guess flying a P-47 doesnt count, only B-17 & B-24 when it comes when it comes to keeping records. The bumped crewmembers were told that they were to remain in England to train new crews. Their 26th mission was to fly back to the United States for a heroes welcome, Bond Tours, etc.. 578th crew chief T/Sgt Lowell D. Hale paints bombs showing missions completed on #42-7624, Flying 8 Ball. The aircraft was one of the first B-17 United States Army Air Corps heavy bombers to complete 25 combat missions with her crew intact . The Belle is also known as the first (and one of only three) a/c that completed its tour without losing a single crewman. Aero Trader performed. PC even then. They arrived to find the weather at their destination quite dicey with snow squalls, low clouds and rain. Helpful info.
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