Finally, the plane prepared for landing. I thought about the relief that air crews must have felt when their planes crossed over the English Channel or other Allied-controlled territories, signifying a return to friendly territory. Eventually, they would land in England, resting for a brief time before facing the next threat.
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 However, others stayed behind to complete 30 missions to avoid having to return from the states for a second tour of duty.
As the B landed and was parked, I thought of all of those brave men who sacrificed their lives in Flying Fortresses like the one on which I had just flown, never to return home to their families.
Even those who did return often refused to talk of the horrific things they had seen, done, or experienced in the war. Their mental scars were deep, even if the physical wounds eventually healed. My gratitude goes out to all of the veterans who have made America the land of freedom that it is today, and to the Liberty Foundation for allowing me to experience a brief glimpse of what it was like to take to the skies in a Flying Fortress.
Mike DuBose may be reached by e-mailing [email protected]. For more information about the B, WWII history, and loads of photographs, please visit the non-profit libertyfoundation. Visit his nonprofit website www. View our published articles at www. However, no part of this article may be altered or published in any other manner without the written consent of the authors. The British had been bombing from the air, but heavy losses forced them to switch to nighttime area bombing, greatly reducing its effectiveness.
The Americans, on the other hand, were proponents of daylight, precision bombing using their state-of-the-art and top-secret Norden bomb-sight. They also believed they had an aircraft which could fight its way in and out of the target area, unescorted, and return home safely. It was a four engine, heavy bomber which first flew on July 28, It had a crew of ten and could carry 6, pounds of bombs at miles per hour for a range of 2, miles. Its famous nickname came from the fact it carried The first B raid in Europe took place on August 17, , when 12 planes attacked the railroad marshaling yards in Rouen, France.
American bomber numbers continued to build in Europe and attacks and losses began to build up. Bs flown by the Eighth saw some of the fiercest combat of the war. The B was a low-wing monoplane that combined aerodynamic features of the XB giant bomber , still in the design stage, and the Model transport. The B was the first Boeing military aircraft with a flight deck instead of an open cockpit and was armed with bombs and five.
The first Bs saw combat in , when the British Royal Air Force took delivery of several Bs for high-altitude missions. As World War II intensified, the bombers needed additional armament and armor. After retirement from active service, these aircraft were converted during the s to the late s as bulk cargo transport, aerial sprayer, and water tanker aircraft.
During the late s when the warbird movement began, these survivors were eagerly anticipated and as each came on the civilian market many were restored to original combat configuration.
In the s, as intact, existing airframes became increasingly rare only 46 intact B's are known to exist as of August , restorers began seeking out airframes that were previously considered unrecoverable.
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