Flak-Bait 's crew poses with the bomber after its 200th mission on April 17, 1945. Please let us know. After all the adversity, damage and close calls, no one was ever seriously injured, and her entire crew made it home. John Comer kept a journal of the 25 missions he flew in 1943 when the casualty rate on his base was close to 80%. Bomber crews needed to complete 25 missions before they were allowed to go home but that number was almost statistically impossible in Europe. 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. What a tragedy. The pilot, co-pilot, bombardier and navigator, as commissioned officers, were seated at the front of the plane, with the navigator positioned at a desk below the cockpit. The B-17 and B-24 were both great airplanes. Pilots need to take flash photographs after dropping the bombs otherwise, it might not be included in the required number of missions for a single tour. The reason for this misinformation seems to have been to obscure the fact that the Supreme Commander was absent the theater. My father was in a B-24 stationed in Italy and flying up over the Balkans and Germany. Bombing operations during the Second World War were one of the most hazardous undertakings Americans had to endure throughout the conflict. post. Sept. 1, 1998. 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. My brother and I were having a disagreement over how many missions bomber crews had to fly (was this figured by individual? Poem About Jesus Death And Resurrection, Told you he was a wild man. Many surviving examples are painted to represent actual planes that flew in combat. 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 . 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. Pilot. I bookmarked it. Your chances of completing all 25 missions, at least unscathed, were slim to none. Almost one in five Australian airmen to serve in Britain did not survive the war. 2LT Richard McNamara. Apple says hackers may have exploited security flaws on iPhone, iPad, and Macs - BBC News BBC News 143K views 2. Short Bier is housed here. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. But the B-17s stayed on unwaivering courses to their targets . 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. Nearly half of all the bombs dropped in World War II came from B-17 airplanes. He flew 28 missions over Italy and Germany before his 20th birthday, and flew 48 missions by the time the war was over. 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. 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. The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is one of America's most prolific heavy bombers of WWII and the backbone of allied strategic bombing missions before the introduction of B-17 and B-29 WW2 bombers. Now just imagine 60 B-52 bombers shot down in one day. This email was sent by Quora (650 Castro Street #450, Mountain View, CA 94041). Last month, through his fundraising efforts, Lux returned to Iceland for a 70th anniversary memorial service attended by some of the descendants of the crew of Hot Stuff and a plaque was installed telling the story of Andrews, Hot Stuff and her last, ill-fated flight with a granite monument planned to be installed at a future date. The Eighth Air Force lost more men in the war than the U.S. Marine Corps. Grant Rondeau only told us that he wasnt aboard the final flight. 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 . Juni 2022. Vulcan to the Sky Trust Works to Keep Last Flying Avro Vulcan Aloft, Dornier Do 17 Retrieved From Goodwin Sands Arrives at RAF Museum Cosford. Since 1943 Word War II aviation history considered the "Memphis Belle" as the first heavy bomber to reach the 25-mission mark. Years later, they became very close friends. 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. I only know he was somewhat of a wild man with numerous shrapnel scars. How many Lancaster bombers lost in ww2? . How many B17 crews actually managed to complete 25 missions during WW2? B-17E Suzy-Q The Suzy-Q, a 19th BG B-17E, was the first USAAF heavy bomber to complete 25 missions and return to the US. Of the 15 aboard, 14 died. He was 85. So why did the U.S. Army Air Force promote the Memphis Belle as the first heavy bomber to fly 25 combat missions? I'm a 'scientist'. 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. How many missions would it take to complete a WWII bomber mission? , studied Self-Teaching & Curiosity at Lake Howell High (2016). Eyewitnesses and early documents tell a different story: "Hot Stuff" was the first B-24 crew and the first heavy bomber to complete 25 combat missions on February 7, 1943. In fact, it is believed that Memphis Belle was the third to complete 25 successful missions. Constituted as 306th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942. 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. Before anything, consult the FEO! He has shared a diary of the 50 missions that will be made public upon his passing.. Many thanks for the message Monty That sounds like a fascinating artifact. So that would be 17,280 airmen on such a mission, and they never managed any 1700 plane raids. That's almost 50 percent more than the 12,741 B-17s . For nearly four months, he flew out of Foggia, Italy, on 50 missions that usually took between 5 and 8 hours each. In the Doolittle Tokyo Raid, 15 co-pilots from the 16 B-25B Mitchell medium bomberswere in flight school for less than a year. Imagine trying to move around? So much so that the odds of a B-17 crewman surviving the 25 missions required to complete a tour were only one in four.. Until the 1944 introduction of the P-51 . (LOL). Unlike the 8th, the 9th didnt had a set limit of 25 missions. 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. During World War II, workers in factories signed milestone aircraft, such as 1,000th aircraft built, before they were delivered. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Which 3 Of These 7 Top WWII Fighter Planes Would You Put On Your Team? #11: Missions would often last for 8-10 hours. 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. What are some poorly designed weapons that have be What is the most inappropriate video game you know? The 'lucky' Lancaster bomber, called EE136, was taken on 109 missions, including 14 raids to Berlin, Germany. How do I know this for sure? Five bomber groups of the US 5th Air Force operated B-17 bombers in the Pacific Theater, with a peak of 168 bombers in Sep 1942. He completed his initial training when he was 17, and was called up to active duty before he graduated from high school. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Lieutenant General Andrews is remembered however, Joint Base Andrews in Maryland is named in his honor. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Your email address will not be published. B-17F Hell's Angels, tail number 41-24577 and crew. Was A German Invasion Of Great Britain Actually Possible? The unit used B-17s, according to what I read. Restoration: The Memphis Belle. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. I told her I didn't mean I would call CPS. Why? I know he flew at least 32 missions because I have his hand written log where he documented each mission and what he did. Those who flew the Memphis Belle did seem to have particularly good luck though as none of her crew died or was significantly injured on her missions, despite being routinely riddled with bullets and damaged by flak, reportedly going through 9 engines, both wings, two tails, and both main landing gear assemblies over the course of her seven month combat career. The B-17 dropped more bombs than any other U.S. aircraft in World War II. Any help or direction would be greatly appreciated. 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. Read the complete story. Billy Burke Evangelist Wife, According to my dad (deceased January 1, 1991 in an automobile accident), they would occasionally fly to Cuba, sell or trade whatever equipment they could, buy as much alcohol as they could and fly that back to Italy. The Memphis Belle was supposed to be the first B-17 bomber to fly 25 bombing missions and return back to base safely each time. Belle crew was not intact through out the 25 missions. I was completely unaware that Hot Stuff had beaten Hells Angels and Memphis Belle to the 25 mission mark. Hot Stuff and her crew went on to fly five additional missions before she and her crew were recalled to the United States, where they were scheduled to go on a War Bonds Tour. He said it was all politics. (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.". Is producer and executive producer the same thing? In 1943, having flown over France, Belgium, and Germany, the Memphis Belle crew became one of the first to reach that goal. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. For nearly four months, he flew out of Foggia, Italy, on 50 missions that usually took between 5 and 8 hours each. Martin Baltimore. 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. Your chances of completing all 25 missions, at least unscathed, were slim to none. The "Belle," named for Col. Morgan's sweetheart went on to complete 25 missions, the last ones were filmed by William Wyler's movie crew. I recently found his combat flight records and most interestingly a certificate stipulating the 33 completed combat missions he flew. Waldock says that because Hot Stuff crashed and never made it home it never became as well-known as Memphis Belle. 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. The Memphis Belle was not the first B17 to complete 25 missions. 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? In 1942-43 it was statistically impossible for bomber crews to complete a 25-mission tour in Europe . The 'lucky' Lancaster bomber, called EE136, was taken on 109 missions, including 14 raids to Berlin, Germany. Of the 3,885 crewmen aboard B-17 Flying Fortresses that went down, 2,114 (54.4 \%) did not survive; 866 of the 1,228 on B-24 Liberators (71.3\%) died; 190 of the 236 (80.0\%) fighter pilots who went down perished. 6 How many missions would it take to complete a WWII bomber mission? `MEMPHIS BELLE never quite rings true. It completed its 25th mission on February 7, 1943, three and a half months before the B-17 Memphis Belle ." The Memphis Belle was supposedto be the first B-17 bomber to fly 25 bombing missions and return back to base safely each time. What had to be done, had to be done quickly, swiftly, and efficiently. My cousin, a radioman and gunner, had 50 missions, flying the last day of the war, in a B-25. Miraculously the injured tail-gunner, Sgt. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Exercises To Dunk A Basketball, The Memphis Belle is a World War II-era bomber that completed 24 combat missions on 15 May 1943. What bad movie deserves a remake and why? This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. THE GREATEST GENERATION OF AMERICANS!!! Tags: "Hell's Angels", Audie Murphy, B-17F, John Basilone, Liberty Bonds, Memphis Belle, Norman Rockwell, Pearl Harbor, U.S. Army Air Force, United States, USAAF, War Bonds, War Bonds Tour, World War I, World War II. Vintage Aviation News is a company founded by a group of passionate aviation enthusiasts who love the history and technology Aviation and Flying Museums preserve for the public. It has since been renamed Joint Base Andrews. Did the Battle of Britain cripple the Luftwaffe? Perhaps our paths crossed, as I was in the front seats of that magnificent noise-maker. Upon impact, the aircraft disintegrated except for the tail gunners turret which remained relatively intact and 14 of the 15 aboard died except the tail-gunner who, though injured, survived the crash.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'warbirdsnews_com-box-4','ezslot_1',112,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-warbirdsnews_com-box-4-0'); Hot Stuff and her crew were soon forgotten. Employees of the Glenn L. Martin Company rolled the B-26B Marauder that would soon be dubbed Flak-Bait off the Baltimore production line on April 26, 1943. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Very cool story. 1917, and 1918, the United States government issued Liberty Bonds to raise money for our involvement in World War I. This in mind, the US Army Air Force decided that 25 missions while serving in a heavy bomber of the 8th Army Air Force would constitute a completed tour of duty because of the physical and mental strain on the crew. While the 25 Mission edict was a tall order when it was made, it was a number crews could believe in, and provided some hope of a light at the end of the tunnel, particularly necessary with the grim statistics bomber crews faced early-on, before long-range fighter escorts significantly improved mission survivability when they arrived later on in the course of the conflict. The second bomber to have completed 25 missions is said to have been the Hells Angels, but it wasnt widely promoted since its name wasnt aesthetically pleasing to the War Department. The B-25 first flew on August 19, 1940, and the U.S. Army Air Corps accepted the first five B-25s in February of 1941. He had to get a waiver to receive his diploma in absence. He got a certificate for The Lucky Bastards Club for flying at least 30 missions and includes a list of all his missions. sorry what we call pussy, they call lunch.. Im hoping you can help. Will there Do narcissists sense a loss when they realize they Mike, check out the latest from publishers you love. Object Number - FRE 5112 - Official insignia of the 306th Bomb Group, approved 6 January 1943, and updated 2 October 1951. What was the first bomber to complete 25 missions? For the USAAF it was heavy bombers crews that successfully reached 25 combat mission in defiance of actuarial norms. ARZBtc.com > > > how many ww2 bomber crews completed 25 missions. . Dick is a long time dead now, but I would like other confirmation. B-24D Hot Stuff She was originally B-17G-105-VE 44-85718 and is now painted to . The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". A bomber crew of the 392nd Bomb Group with their B-24 Liberator. The raid prompted the Japanese to retain four army fighter groups in Japan during 1942 and . How long does it take to form a habit of waking up early? 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. 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. Cinematic masterpieces "The Best Years of Our Lives" (1946), "Roman Holiday" (1953) and "Ben-Hur" (1959 . Following the loss of Hot Stuff it wasnt a good idea for the Axis to be aware of the demise of the Supreme Commander. They arrived to find the weather at their destination quite dicey with snow squalls, low clouds and rain. (Photo is a jubilant Memphis Belle crew following their 25-mission). Over the years he has been studying the history behind bomber aircraft activity during the war. Why? Perhaps you would be interested in submitting an article yourself? The demonstration aircraft was completed on May 8, 1945 at the end of hostilities in the European theater of World War II. Thank you. It was a gradual adjustment over about two weeks. 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 bumped crewmembers were told that they were to remain in England to train new crews. A raid on 14 February is listed as the 34th 8th Bomber Command mission. Second Lieutenant Charlie Brown flying a B-17F Flying Fortress was crippled and badly injured but Luftwaffe fighter pilot Lt. Franz Stigler spared him. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. There is some report that 25 missions was a full tour with that group, which would indicate more than three tours. Since 1943 Word War II aviation history considered the Memphis Belle as the first heavy bomber to reach the 25-mission mark. Andrews, an experienced, instrument-rated pilot, bumped the normal co-pilot off the plane and flew in his place. Interestingly, this raid was the Belles 24th combat mission as the original crew occasionally flew missions on other planes and other crews took the Belle on missions as well. By 1945, the British had more than 1,500 aircraft and 108 different squadrons. 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. Its just a lot of booze gone to waste. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Your chances of completing all 25 missions, at least unscathed, were slim to none. 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Does that sound like a truthful story? Are any of the crew of the Memphis Belle still alive? #12: The co-pilot is tasked with contacting other crew members every 15 minutes once they enter enemy territory. The swastika marks a German aircraft destroyed, while the parachuter indicates Parker had to jump. God bless all of our heroes in WW2. I hope my information is correct. Answer (1 of 14): The twenty-five mission mark was more honored in the breach than the observance, as the saying goes. Both crews are GODS! Bomber crews needed to complete 25 missions before they were allowed to go home but that number was almost statistically impossible in Europe. #13: Bomber crewmen werent trained to jump out of airplanes with parachute. My fathers had an additional 3 missions typed into the margin. Because it was World War II, and the bombing campaign over Europe was a bloody affair. After each raid Comer gathered the crew together and pieced together the air battle from a 360-degree perspective. VIII Bomber Command 25. The most famous aerial gunner was probably Clark Gable - MGM's biggest earner when WWII began. That the Memphis Belle story, though abetted by a government anxious to report uplifting and inspiring stories of the war to its people at home, captured the publics imagination, doesnt make the story any less inspiring and does not and should not be perceived as taking something away from the countless others who made sacrifices for their country, just as the recognizing the achievements of the crews of Hot Stuff and Hells Angels dont diminish the sacrifices made by those unfortunate souls who went down in flames whether on their first, fourth or 24th mission in service to their country. The Belle is also known as the first (and one of only three) a/c that completed its tour without losing a single crewman. AFTER THAT I WAS SENT TO KB-29 AIR REFUELING SQ IN LOUISIANA. It made its first mission on Oct. 21, 1942 over Lorient, France. 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. How do software engineers solve problems? 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. What will happen to my Steam games when I die? This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Brittany Williams Lite Brite Height, Aero Trader performed. Waldock is an air accident investigator and has undertaken many archaeological digs related to aviation. All Rights Reserved. I was told that 25 missions was the max and they never told you when your next mission was for worry that word would leak out. I guess flying a P-47 doesnt count, only B-17 & B-24 when it comes when it comes to keeping records. #15: The flak vest developed in 1943 weighs 32 pounds! Memphis Belle is a well-known World War Two bomber, which was made famous by the Hollywood movie of the same name back in 1990. 31. By . The B-17 Hell's Angels became the first to complete the feat one week before the Memphis Belle. A total of 26,000. Source: www.b17alliance.com How many B-17 survived 25 missions? 23' - 12.6 mils. In the end the significance of specific mission counts are completely arbitrary. 25 by Richard Mallory Allnutt (Chief Editor) Kermit Weeks Douglas A-26B Invader (41-39401) made its first successful post-restoration flight on February 20th, 2023, making a thirty-minute hop from Chino Airport in Chino, California. 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. Identified as B-26B-25 MA Bureau No. http://www.yorkshireairmuseum.org/air-museum-news/recalling-how-halifax-friday-the-13th-got-its-name. The group leader sometimes flew in one, sometimes the other. 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. , So proud to be Deaf, I have a Ph.D. in it. 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. His name was B.Z. Bomber crews needed to complete 25 missions before they were allowed to go home but that number was almost statistically impossible in Europe. Damage to the "waist-gunner" area of the bomber accounted 21.6 percent of all the hits the plane took. TogetherWeServed.com Inc. All Rights Reserved | Not a U.S. Government Website. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. 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 What happened to the German Waffen SS soldiers aft My adult daughter disowned me. Although the risk for hypoxia, altitude and decompression sickness, and barotrauma was high; bombers were only given oxygen masks. 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. This one is easy! 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.