Most amazing B-17 ever

[Rusty]

My brother in law sent me this. It looks like someone in this plane must have been caught up on their prayers.

http://www.aikensairplanes.com/B-17%20STORY.htm

[rock-steady]

Wow!

[Pitchy]

cool.

[FWiedner]

I'd say The Boss wanted someone on that crate to make it back.

[wolfdog]

More than one reason to call them flying fortresses.

[Borregos]

Amazing

[Mac in Mo]

That is an an almost unbelievable story. That they continued on the bombing run, and then the tailgunner doing the things he did are almost beyond comprehension. I continue to be amazed at the stories of extraordinary things people were compelled to do during that war, at times just for survival as in this case or to further the cause.

Kevin

[tomtex]

Wonder ,what the tail-gunner had to say?

[gak]

Yep - Wow is right!! Something very special about those birds. My father had great affection for and was his favorite to fly of the big ones, along with the A-20 of the slightly smaller craft. Though he flew many other types, including.C-47s, B-24s, 25s, some 26s and finally a lot in 29s, overall he logged the most hours in the 17--1941 through the summer of '44 according to his flight logs--and had many stories to tell as an instructor pilot throughout he war. I like to think he helped many Lieutenants and crews like this make it home with his training. In the 17s, he mostly flew the E's and F's, though a fair amount of chin turret G's too, but by then he'd also started to move onto B-29s.
Thanks for the story!

PS, about the tailgunner, probably not much except "take me to the PX for some new dungarees!"

[LeverBob]

This is stunning...the tail gunner did his duty & returned to post for which he deserved nothing but an attaboy. For his bravery I hope he was awarded the MOH. Typical American Hero...normal for us.

Gadzooks! What a story!

LB

[Panzercat]

I thought this was the most amazing B-17 ever.
(The short lived TV series "Amazing Stories; The Mission" if anybody remembers.)

[AJMD429]

Astounding.

I like the part where the tailgunner decided to go back into the tail section, because his absence was causing the unstable section to shake even more, and threaten to come off sooner...

THAT guy had courage, whoever he was.

[Ben_Rumson]

The back bone it took to get back in fuel & bomb laden planes and fly off over enemy territory... 29 more times in my unc’s crew’s case...Well, that’s courage...Nothing like the above plane but I know the crew that my uncle was in loved their 17s the same...Because on their very first mission they came back from bombing a V-1 site (which they had to make two passes over!) with engines 1 & 2 shot out, and a flak hole in the port wing big enough that the co pilot told me he could fit through it without snagging on anything...He actually helped the repair crew the next day put another wing on it to get her back in the air...

[kimwcook]

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary people.

[rjohns94]

What an amazing story. I thank God for those who serve, then, now, and in the future.

[Tycer]

I would like to believe that most all of us will rise to challenges that great if and when we are called to defend our Republic. You are all great men.

[RIHMFIRE]

incredible....but i'm not surprised....they're American...

[1894c]

Wow! :shock:

+1

[MrMurphy]

There was a Fortress on a raid over Berlin once.

They took the normal amount of fighter attacks and AAA fire. Somewhere before they were actually over the target, the pilots and top gunner (all sitting pretty much right on/in front of the wing) felt a solid "SLAM" of a round hitting and there was a hole in the left (?) i think wing. Heavy cannon round, probably 88mm or 105mm. Pilot tested his controls, everything kept working, so they continued over target, dropped their load, and got home.

After they rolled out landing....... the wing fell off.


That cannon shell had snapped the main wing spar. The only thing holding the wing on (and losing the wing would be an instant death spin, without ejection seats nobody would make it out from the G forces) was the thin aluminum skin, and air pressure going under the wing providing lift.

[Bill in Oregon]

My late uncle, Milton Pitts, was a tailgunner in a B-17 until he was wounded by German flak. God rest his soul.

[wolfdog]

My father was the ball turret gunner on this one.

[grouse]

B17! That was one tough old bird!

[Rusty]

The most amazing thing about a B-17 to me is how small they are when you see one in person. And the payload wasn't all that much either compared to what our modern fighter/bombers carry.

They truly were the greatest generation.

[tomtex]

I would like to believe that most all of us will rise to challenges that great if and when we are called to defend our Republic. You are all great men.

I have, and did, and I wasn't alone in doing it.

[tomtex]

The most amazing thing about a B-17 to me is how small they are when you see one in person. And the payload wasn't all that much either compared to what our modern fighter/bombers carry.

They truly were the greatest generation.

That's not true. All American generations have been Equal to the task.
From George Washington's generation, to the present.

[Old No7]

"B17! That was one tough old bird!"

True enough!

But I think the men flying them were even tougher!

From the son of a late "ground pounder" in WWII, I tip my hat to the memories of those who flew and died in those grand old birds.

Old No7

[MrMurphy]

The B-17 had ten men, four engines and 10+ guns to carry 2500 lb of bombs (sometimes less, on longer missions because the weight/fuel ratio).


20 years later the F-4 Phantom used 2 guys, 2 engines, to carry four times the load, 2-3 times as fast, and as soon as the load was dropped, it became a fighter.


Now the F16 or F15 can do the same, even better (more maneuverable).


The B-1b has four engines, four crew, can fly most of the way around the world in a hurry, and has a bomb capacity of something like 32 500lb bombs.

Watching four of them load up for a strike on Afghanistan is pretty awesome. Sitting under the end of the runway while they lift on full afterburners right over the top of your Humvee is terrifying the first time.

[gamekeeper]

A truly amazing story of real courage and a well designed aircraft.