One of my relatives was in the 330th, Captain Hugh R. Roper, He piloted B-24D Exterminator, 41-23717. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. how many ww2 bomber crews completed 25 missions. Hot Stuff completed its 31st mission on March 31, 1943. 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. How do I know this for sure? Your chances of completing all 25 missions, at least unscathed, were slim to none. The B-25 was designed by North American Aviation, Inc., in response to a prewar requirement and was first flown in 1940. Following his wife's death in an air crash while returning from a war bonds tour, a devastated Gable decided to enlist. John Comer kept a journal of the 25 missions he flew in 1943 when the casualty rate on his base was close to 80%. On May 13, 1943, the 303rd BG B-17F Hell's Angels became the first heavy bomber to complete 25 combat missions over Europe, four days before the Memphis Belle's crew. Discovering the historical discrepancy in 1999 through a friend and fellow Commemorative Air Force member, USAF Major Robert T. Jake Jacobson, who was one of the bumped crew members that fateful night, Jim Lux began seeking to correct what he sees as an injustice perpetrated by history and is working on not only getting Hot Stuff and her crew their place in the history books, but is also working to have a monument erected near the site of the crash, enlisting the US Ambassador to Iceland, Luis E. Arreaga as a liaison to the Republic of Iceland and has gained the support of a growing number of other Air Force retirees who after seeing the documentation, agree that the crew of Hot Stuff is getting short shrift. Setting aside all the caveats for the moment, the research performed and documentation provided by Jim Lux seems to conclusively show that the 93rd Bombardment Group, 330th Bombardment Squadrons B-24 Liberator Hot Stuff and her crew flew their 25th mission on February 7, 1943 dropping bombs on Naples, Italy, and went on to fly five additional missions thereafter, before Hot Stuff and her crew were recalled to the United States, where they were scheduled to go on a War Bonds Tour, a home front publicity junket, where combat aircraft and crews of significant accomplishment were sometimes pulled from frontline service and flown back to the United States to serve as the stirring personification of the heroism of Americas military, helping move the paper and boosting public morale. That's almost 50 percent more than the 12,741 B-17s . Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. My father like most of the true heroes of that war rarely spoke of the action he saw in the war except to say that few of his friends came home with him. THE GREATEST GENERATION OF AMERICANS!!! But Mighty Eighth War Diary shows no raid on 2/7/43. And during World War II, theres no shortage of incredible stories and interesting facts involving the aircraft and itscrew members. Before the introduction of the B-29 Superfortress in 1944, the only war birds with pressurized cabins were the experimental ones. 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. If wounded are included in the count, the total casualty rate goes up to 54.3%. It does not store any personal data. A great resource for some of the 8th AF B-24 groups is TEDS TRAVELLING CIRCUS available at Amazon and elsewhere. All Rights Reserved. The unit used B-17s, according to what I read. What is the song 'Norwegian Wood' really about? , Son of a US Military Historian, wargamer and professional strategist; US Army In How does a person bring a narcissist to their knees? 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. 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. I guess flying a P-47 doesnt count, only B-17 & B-24 when it comes when it comes to keeping records. By 1945, the British had more than 1,500 aircraft and 108 different squadrons. THEN TO JAPAN WHERE WE SUPPLIED ALL THE FAR EAST WITH CARGO GOING AS FAR EAST AS BANGKOK THAILAND, IN COUNTRY NAM, PHILLLIPINES, KOREA AND OTHER POINTS THERE IN. The Germans really dialed in shooting bombers out of the sky with their sophisticated FLAK systems and method. He got a certificate for The Lucky Bastards Club for flying at least 30 missions and includes a list of all his missions. Lieutenant General Andrews is remembered however, Joint Base Andrews in Maryland is named in his honor. By 1944 and 1945 the luftwaffe was decimated and losses were much lower. After some time of ineffective high altitude bombing, some of the B-17 bombers adopted skip bombing, a technique usually practiced by medium bombers rather than heavy bombers. During a Memphis Belle mission, the 91st Bomb Group unknowingly blew up an entire cellar of cognac. Second Lieutenant Charlie Brown flying a B-17F Flying Fortress was crippled and badly injured but Luftwaffe fighter pilot Lt. Franz Stigler spared him. Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation CA-18 Mustang A68-104 (VH-BOB) arrived at Avalon Airport in Avalon, Victoria on Friday March, 4th 2023, touching down just before 10am. 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. What had to be done, had to be done quickly, swiftly, and efficiently. He said he didn't know of very many pilots who q. A highly modern aircraft for its day, it first saw combat operations with the Royal Air Force. B-17F Hells Angels Whistle Stop Rail Trail, Parker's jacket, was the name of a B-17G bomber of the 568th Bomb Squadron. Forrest Vosler, who had grown up in a small New York state town, was assigned to the 358th Bomb Squadron of the 303d Bomb Group, stationed at RAF Molesworth in the UK. I have more rights to her daughter than her husband anyways. He was also involved in one of the Ploesti fields mission. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 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? In fact, the mythic Memphis Belle effect was such that there wasnt a death among those who had served on her for nearly 40 years after her last combat flight, in defiance of actuarial norms, and Americans, for better or worse are conditioned to respond to a happy ending, especially when it goes against all probability. 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. So you see, whether youre the pilot or tail gunner, surviving never meant being comfortable while at it. Your chances of completing all 25 missions, at least unscathed, were slim to none. The average age of the crew of a B-17 was less than 25, with four officers and six enlisted Airmen manning the aircraft. After all the adversity, damage and close calls, no one was ever seriously injured, and her entire crew made it home. It has since been renamed Joint Base Andrews. 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. 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. I have his diary which chronicles some of the activities of the 330th in 1943. Memphis Belle was the first B-17 to complete 25 missions and return to the United States. Example: Ploest was single credit. It was powered by two 450 hp Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior engines, but conditions were changing rapidly in 1937, due to events in the Chinese and Spanish wars. 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. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. So that would be 17,280 airmen on such a mission, and they never managed any 1700 plane raids. ARZBtc.com > > > how many ww2 bomber crews completed 25 missions. After completing 25 missions, Hell's Angels remained in theater until 1944 and flew a total of 48 missions without any injured crewmen or abort. Because his leg got tangled up in heavy wreckage, he couldnt move. 31. What was the first bomber to complete 25 missions? 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. 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? Behind every successful air mission are two things: powerful war birds and skilled crewmen. If I recall correctly (at least in the 330th) the 25 mission count only included completed primary target missions. B-24 Liberator Bomber Aircraft. After several landing attempts, the B-24 crashed into the side of 1,600-foot-tall Mount Fagradalsfjall, near Grindavik, Iceland. The first to complete 25 combat missions was the crew of B-24 Liberator named Hot Stuff dropping bombs on Naples, Italy on February 7, 1943 three-and-a-half months before Memphis Belle flew her 25th mission. How many missions did ww2 bomber crews fly? These records show that Flak-Bait was assigned to fly on 216 missions. One the return journey Lieutenant General Frank Andrews took over the flying and when the plane hit severe weather conditions. What does the B stand for in B-17 and B-24 and the P in P-38 stand for? 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 raid on 14 February is listed as the 34th 8th Bomber Command mission. 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. She refused to pay for the oil change of the car I bought. Army Air Force planners decided that a tour of duty for bombers was to be 25 missions. A bomber crew of the 392nd Bomb Group with their B-24 Liberator. He was 85. How many missions would it take to complete a WWII bomber mission? 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. The successes of Bomber Command were purchased at terrible cost. The former Royal Australian Air Force fighter will take part in []. More information on Hellss Angels is available HERE. MG Carl "Tooey" Spatz assumed command in May 1942 and established a headquarters at Bushy Park about 15 miles west of London on June 25, 1942. My father Thomas Jack Showers served in the 330th of the 93rd from December 1943 to some time after July 25, 1944, when he completed his last combat mission. After the war the famous Andrews Air Force Base was named in his honor. What will happen to my Steam games when I die? The reason for this misinformation seems to have been to obscure the fact that the Supreme Commander was absent the theater. So on July 5, 1945 the 8th AF landed on Guam . George Eisel survived the crash. 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 many ww2 bomber crews completed 25 missions. What was the first b17 to complete 25 missions? So, the answer is YES, if anyone ever asks you if the might 8th AF ever bombed Japan. Bomber crews needed to complete 25 missions before they were allowed to go home but that number was almost statistically impossible in Europe. Suzy-Q nose artthe circled areas highlight combat damage repair. 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. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Does anyone know if the 330th Squadron of the 93rd Bomb Group has such a diary? I told him he was telling lies. Therefore, a total of 75,446 airmen (60 percent of operational airmen) were killed, wounded or taken prisoner. Besides Boeing, Douglas and Lockheed (via subsidiary Vega) also contributed to that total. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Divers from the Research Center of the Scuba School of Lake Bolsena and the Fire Department of Viterbo . The first heavy bomber to complete 25 combat missions in the European Theater, May 13th, 1942. After returning to the States in June 1943, the bomber and many of its . 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Instructing had its dangers, too, as it involved flying with inexperienced recruits in old aircraft. Brittany Williams Lite Brite Height, The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". His name was B.Z. So dangerous was flying heavy bomber combat missions, the USAAF had a policy that when an aircrew wrapped up 25 missions, it was deemed to have completed their tour of duty. The War Department would then bring the bomber and its crew home to conduct nationwide promotional tours to sell war bonds to help fund the war effort. The Memphis Belle in the sky, June 1943. It is mentioned that the units flying out of Africa and Italy had no such standard mission tour cap . At its peak, the Mighty Eighth was the most powerful. Memorial Day in United States is observed on 25 May. 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. The 303rd Bombardment Group 358th Bombardment Squadron, B-17F Flying Fortress Hells Angels, after which the Group later named itself, completed its 25th mission on May 13, 1943. It therefore fell to Memphis Belle as the face of bomber aircraft during the war. 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. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Restoration: The Memphis Belle. Activated on 1 Mar 1942. Big and slow, the B-17 delivered twice the payload of its predecessor. 329th and 330th squadrons were under Ted Timberlake. Which 3 Of These 7 Top WWII Fighter Planes Would You Put On Your Team? Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. 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. Im just conveying the facts I uncovered while researching information for a friend who was the bombardier on Hot Stuff. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The 25-mission milestone becomes harder to pin down when considering changing crew members due to rotation, death, injury, illness, leave and equipment failures leading to spare planes pressed into service, errant wartime record-keeping, etc. IN 1959..FROM THERE BACK TO LOUISIANA WHERE I CHECKED OUT AS ENGINEER IN THE KB-50 AIRCRAFTABOUT 2000 HOURS THERE, THEN TO HUNTER AFB GEORGIA TO FLY THE GREAT C-124. 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. My hero. The plane's service ceiling of 25,000 to 35,000 feet (7,500 to 10,500 metres), depending on the bomb load, put it above the worst of the German antiaircraft artillery, but, firepower notwithstanding, formations of B-17s proved unable to fight their way unescorted to targets deep inside Germany in the face of determined fighter opposition without See object record. It became the first 8th Air Force B-17 to complete 25 combat missions and at the end of their tour, the crew of Hells Angels signed on for a second and continued to fly, going on to fly 48 missions, without ever turning back from their assigned target no less, before the aircraft was returned to the states on January 20, 1944 for its own publicity tour. No Built - 18,188. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Sept. 1, 1998. After five such sorties, he moved to the left seat and commanded his own crew aboard a Liberator dubbed Dakota Queen in honor of his . This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. My father was in a B-24 stationed in Italy and flying up over the Balkans and Germany. Many considered the occupation to be a death sentence. ouisana belle from England. Those interested in Hot Stuff and/or are looking to support the erection of the Icelandic monument to the brave men who served on her can connect with the organization HERE or the groups Facebook page. I live by HAFB museum and visit every Memorial Day. In fact, it is believed that Memphis Belle was the third to complete 25 successful missions. 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. Uber From Kissimmee To Disney, William Waldock is a professor at ERAU and he says that Hot Stuff flew her final and 25 th mission in February of 1943, which was over three months earlier than the Memphis Belle completed her 25 missions. Now just imagine 60 B-52 bombers shot down in one day. Byrd. upper turret > dia. Waldock is an air accident investigator and has undertaken many archaeological digs related to aviation. BTW, 9th AF mission credit was 300 combat hours meaning you had to complete the raid. 1 How many missions did ww2 bomber crews fly? I say it was their 24th. The bumped crewmembers were told that they were to remain in England to train new crews. Dad flew 37 missions for RAF. WAS TOO YOUNG FOR THE BIG ONE, HOWEVER I MADE IT TO KOREA AND VIET NAM BEFORE RETIRING IN 1969. Damage to the "waist-gunner" area of the bomber accounted 21.6 percent of all the hits the plane took. Hells Angels completed its 25th mission on May 13, 1943 and the Memphis Belle on May 19, 1943. It flew most missions unescorted and saw plenty of flack and enemy aircraft. The Idiotic WWI Aerial Formation The Allies Used In The Second World War, And How It Dealt Them Huge Fighter Losses, Heres The Latest Video Update Of That Bf 109 Restoration Were All Waiting For. Nor was she the second. Because the Memphis Belle hit that momentous milestone without a crewmans death made her the likely candidate to be first to return home for a War Bond tour. Have you ever been punished with corporal punishme budisuryanto001, see what's new and featured for June. The plane crashed into the side of a mountain near the airfield in Iceland. Robert Hanson, the last surviving crew member of the famed Memphis Belle B-17 bomber of World War Two, has died of congestive heart failure. My dad, Charles R. Toner, was a B-17 pilot who completed his 35 missions in 1944. With the American entry into World War II, production of the B-24 increased. Hot Stuff was being flown home to the US since Captain Shannon had completed his tour of service. Consider for example the Operation Tidal Wave strike by American B-24 bombers against oil reserves in Ploesti Romania in 1943: of 178 bombers and 1,726 men on the mission, 54 aircraft, and nearly 500 men failed to return (310 killed and 186 captured). How often did bomber crews fly in ww2? 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 . 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. Does that sound like a truthful story? Of every 100 airmen who joined Bomber Command, 45 were killed, 6 were seriously wounded, 8 became Prisoners of War, and only 41 escaped unscathed (at least physically). Trained for combat with B-17's. Moved to England, Aug-Sep 1942, and assigned to Eighth AF Eighth Air Force in September 1942 Station . great information you have got right here on this Waldock says that because Hot Stuff crashed and never made it home it never became as well-known as Memphis Belle. 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. That seems awfully high for a pilot, which is what they say he was. I ate 4 eggs and 4 bananas for dinner. Top Stories For You. Special interest is the year of 1943. Wood Tv 8 Weather Forecast, My dad was a waste gunner on a B 24 in ww2. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. There was no time to waste. And, although air and ground crews rarely mingled, there was a special bond between crew chief and pilot. I asked my 16 year old son what music he was liste Did the British ever fight Japanese soldiers durin What does Professor Oak do with the third Pokemon? Twenty-four hours later, he was rescued and the bodies recovered. My Dad flew 25 missions in a B-24 and B-29 with the 8th AF /466th bomb group. The B-17 Flying Fortress was flown extensively by men from the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Copyright 2003-2021. The demonstration aircraft was completed on May 8, 1945 at the end of hostilities in the European theater of World War II. When Hollywood director William Wyler was doing a documentary for the U.S. government on the first Allied bomber crew to complete a 25-mission "tour" over Europe, he took some liberties. Its just a lot of booze gone to waste. It was April 17, 1945, and World War II in Europe was . Andrews, an experienced, instrument-rated pilot, bumped the normal co-pilot off the plane and flew in his place. 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. Alphabetical List Of Names On The Vietnam Wall, Retired - 1968. 12 December 1942 This mission is composed of two elements. 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. Years later, they became very close friends. I know he flew at least 32 missions because I have his hand written log where he documented each mission and what he did. It completed its 25th mission on February 7, 1943, three and a half months before the B-17 Memphis Belle.. 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. 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 . Crew Configuration The B-17 could hold a crew of ten. They were simply given instructions. 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 1942, during the first three months of Americas combat flights over Europe the average bomber crew was expected to complete 8-12 missions before being shot down or disabled. Thunderbird is the name given to a Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress. A dear friend of mine was the navigator/turret gunner of the lead plane on the 2nd successful Pelosti mission and I saw the commendation for that and for the 50 missions that B24 crew made.. The most famous aerial gunner was probably Clark Gable - MGM's biggest earner when WWII began. The B-17, dubbed the Flying Fortress as a result of her defensive fire power, saw action in every theater of operation during World War II. Perhaps our paths crossed, as I was in the front seats of that magnificent noise-maker. Martin Maryland. Did the Battle of Britain cripple the Luftwaffe? The B-17 and B-24 were both great airplanes. Therefore, a total of 75,446 airmen (60 percent of operational airmen) were killed, wounded or taken prisoner.
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