Bernie Vincenzo1
== Thursday, March 27, 2008The Second Chance Part One by Joseph Gilbert Thompson and Carl Edward Thomson==
Thursday, March 27, 2008The Second Chance Part One by Joseph Gilbert Thompson and Carl Edward Thomson
Based character featured in the Short Story ''The Last Fare ''by Joseph Gilbert Thompson and Carl Edward Thompson
Secret Origins of Maveric Comics.
The Second Chance.
The Original Story. by Joseph Gilbert Thompson and Carl Edward Thompson.
Sarkhon/Toreus Properties,Inc.1985.tm©
=Bernie Vinchenzo was inspired by many things.
1]Archie Bunker.Archibald "Archie" Bunker is a fictional character in the long-running and top-rated American television sitcom All in the Family and its spin-off Archie Bunker's Place. He is a reactionary, bigoted, conservative blue-collar worker and family man, played to acclaim by Carroll O'Connor. The Bunker character was first seen by the American public when All in the Family premiered in January 1971. In 1979, the show was retooled and re-named Archie Bunker’s Place, finally going off the air in 1983. Bunker lived in the borough of Queens in New York City. TV Guide named Archie the greatest television character of all time.I wanted a character like this,having a pretty bad night on his job,when the unexpected happens-a sorcerer steps into his yellow cab and asked to taken to the United Nations Building.And like dynamic tension between Archie and his liberal son-in-law, Michael "Meathead" Stivic (Rob Reiner), provided an ongoing political and social sounding board for a variety of topics,the dynamic tension,is for sorcerer to convince his story is true-he is really an ancient sorcerer from the lost continent of Atlantis,come out of retirement to save the world it's destruction.
2)Ben Grimm.
3)Sgt.Nick Fury.Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury is a fictional World War II army hero and present-day super-spy in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, Fury first appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 (May 1963), a World War II combat series that portrayed the cigar-chomping Fury as leader of an elite U.S. Army unit.The cabbie,at first Archie,then later Ernie,would a cold hardassed World War Ii era vet.
4)Earnest Bornine's character Cabbie,in the movie Escape from New York.Later,I added bits from Harry Canyon.
==Plot==
Captain Harrison Maxwell,is a Commander of an American B-17 Flying Fortresses, 918th Bomb Group stationed at Archbury, England during World War II. While bombing the Rule Valley in Germany,the B17 bomber the Second Chance is shot up by two Luftwaffe's fighters attacking the bomber at once.Maxwell luckily survives,but the rest his crew,including his co-pilot,Anthony is shot up.Seeing his whole crew barely making it,Maxwell bails out and leaves his men to die.
Some thirty years later,we see an elderly Colonel Harrison Maxwell,haunted by the deaths of his crew.His wife left him and kids don’t talk to because all thr crazy talk the ghost of his crew haunting him.Maxwell,while New York City encounters Sgt.Bernie Venchenzo,a vet of the Viet Nam War.He tell his story and Venchonzo believe him,knowing a guy ,who might help him.In my previous story,the Last Fare,
1. Sgt.Bernie Venchenzo,met an Atlantean Sorcerer named Lasar Sarkhon.Knowing where he lives at Sarkhon Mansion,the New York City cabbie takes the WWII B17 vet to him to see if he can help him.Maxwell,tell the Atlantean Sorcerer his story,how left his crew to die,bailed of his plane and lived,while crew died.For years,Maxwell was haunted,not by just their memories,but their actual ghost,bullet ridden,bloody and shot up.
Colonel Harrison Maxwell.wants the sorcerer,to help him-send him back in time,to prevent the crash of the Second Chance and fly the B17 Bomber to safety. named Lasar Sarkhon. refuses, knowing to alter the events in time, would cause series events to be changed. Their actions might alter things-create new consequences for his actions. Captain Maxwell might save his crew and everyone might survive. He himself and crew might die this time or far worst events might take place. Maxwell would listen and pleads for Sarkhon to send him back. Lasar Sarkhon reluctantly agrees and sends his spirit or astral being back in time. It merges just before Captain Harrison Maxwell panics and he decides to the B17 to safety.
Years later, several men, stand over a grave of a man. They are the surviving members of the B17 Second Chance.Upon a tombstone; we see a name- Captain Harrison Maxwell-died while trying to land his plane saving his crew. Lasar Sarkhon. Off to the side, warns how time and space, are a link in a series of a chain-remove one link and the chain is altered. It takes a new path-a different one and these results of those chances. Captain Maxwell, whom only he remembers as his before, he sent him back in time, gave his life to save his friends, and paid a dear price indeed. A lesson, to be learned-live your life as it is and do not regret the past-wishing chance it or things may not work as you think.
The End.
=Notes==
Editors Notes-I was trying for a Twilight Zone like story.Lasar Sarkhon,standing for Rod Serling.I wanted since the Last Fare to turn Lasar Sarkhon into a series,but not making into another Doctor Strange.I wanted him and Bernie to adventures around the world-maybe into time.Originally,this story was going to be a story about a guy surviving a air line crash,whom Sarkhon helps,but brother knowing I loved stuff the Sole Survivor,in 1971-a tv movies starring William Shatner and Richard Baseheart-about a group of ghost,trapped near a bomber crash in WWII, Twelve O’Clock High movie and tv series-two stories set around B-17 Bomber groups,placed the story in World War II.The name Maxwell,come from FBI agent Bill Maxwell (Robert Culp) and Harrison Ford-you known Han Solo/Indianna Jones,who also played a movie Hanover Street.Back,1985,all that was fresh my head,so I just cobbeded it all one guy.A sort tribute to some of the roles,Ford played about then.I wanted Harrison Maxwell,to heroic,not stupid,so I drew Harrison Ford,into the comic,I was drawing and re-writing for my Second go around an adventure of . Lasar Sarkhon.This way before,I thought of him,as a member of the Legion of Time-Sorcerers or anything.Here,he was just an ancient Atlantean,from King Kull’s Atlantis,who survived into the present world.Since was no referenced to Robert E.Howard material,this time,since my short story,the Last Fare,done for a High School assignment and the comic strip drawn for an Art Class Assignment,all those Kull reference were gone.Still,the Thurean Age world was still in the back of my mind.And that’s how ,I saw it.
It would be years, later, that I would re-created Lasar Sarkhon, as Prince Lasar Sarkhon- a member of the Legion of Time-Sorcerers, nor do I attempt re-invent Captain Harrison Maxwell, and the members of the B17 Second Chance.as something else-Alpha-Omega Wariors flying a SR-B17 Super Bomber crew.
More on this ater.
Your Editor.
Doc Thompson.
Article I. Twelve O'Clock High
(a) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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This article is about the film and novel. For the television series see Twelve o'Clock High (series).
==Twelve O'Clock High==
original film poster
Directed by
Henry King
Produced by
Darryl F. Zanuck
Written by
Sy Bartlett
Henry King
Beirne Lay, Jr.
Starring
Gregory Peck
Hugh Marlowe
Gary Merrill
Dean Jagger
Millard Mitchell
Music by
Alfred Newman
Cinematography
Leon Shamroy
Editing by
Barbara McLean
Distributed by
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Release date(s)
21 December 1949 (LA - premiere)
26 January 1950 (NYC)
Running time
132 min.
Country
United States
Language
English
Gross revenue
$3,225,000 (U.S.)
IMDb profile
Twelve O'Clock High is a 1949 war film about crews of the United States Army's Eighth Air Force who flew daylight bombing missions against Germany and occupied France during the early days of American involvement in World War II. The film was adapted by Sy Bartlett, Henry King (uncredited) and Beirne Lay Jr. from the 1948 novel by Bartlett and Lay. It was directed by King and stars Gregory Peck as Brigadier General Frank Savage, Gary Merrill as Colonel Keith Davenport, Millard Mitchell as General Patrick Pritchard, Dean Jagger as Major (later Lieutenant Colonel) Harvey Stovall, Hugh Marlowe as Lieutenant Colonel Ben Gately, and [[Robert Arthur (radio announcer)|Robert Arthur] as Sergeant McIllhenny.
The film was nominated for four Academy Awards and won two: Dean Jagger for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, and Best Sound, Recording. It has been deemed "culturally significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
Section 1.02 Contents
[hide]
1 Plot
2 Production
3 Cast
3.1 Historical counterparts of characters
3.1.1 Colonel Frank A. Armstrong, Jr. (1902–1969)
3.1.2 Major General Ira C. Eaker (1896–1987)
3.1.3 Colonel Charles B. Overacker
3.1.4 Lieutenant John C. Morgan (1914–1991)
3.1.5 Sergeant Donald Bevan
3.1.6 Major Paul Tibbets (1915–2007)
4 Reception
5 Awards
6 Radio and television
7 References
7.1 Notes
7.2 Bibliography
8 External links
Section 1.03 [edit] Plot
The film begins in 1949, as American attorney Harvey Stovall (Dean Jagger) spies a familiar toby jug in an English antique shop. He buys it, boards a train and then bicycles to the abandoned airbase at Archbury where he served in World War II. The film then flashes back to 1942.
Colonel Keith Davenport (Gary Merrill) is the commanding officer of the 918th Bomb Group, a hard-luck unit suffering from poor morale. He has become too close to his men and is troubled by the losses sustained. General Patrick Pritchard (Millard Mitchell), commanding general of the VIII Bomber Command, Eighth Air Force, recognizes that Davenport himself is the problem and after a disastrous mission in which half the Group's bombers were shot down, relieves him of command, but places him in an important staff position at headquarters.
Brigadier General Frank Savage (Gregory Peck), General Pritchard's A-3 (Operations Officer) who commanded the first B-17 group to fight over Europe, is his replacement.
Savage finds his new command in disarray and begins to address the discipline problems, dealing with everyone so harshly that the men begin to detest him. Savage is particularly hard on Colonel Ben Gately (Hugh Marlowe), the Group Air Executive Officer, placing him under arrest for being Absent Without Leave in the time between Davenport being relieved and Savage arriving. Gately tries to challenge Savage, but the general demotes him to command of a B-17 Flying Fortress named "Leper Colony", manned by the least competent airmen in the group. Whenever any man in the 918th fails to measure up, Savage transfers him to Gately's plane. Major Joe Cobb (John Kellogg), one of Savage's squadron commanders, takes Gately's place as Air Exec.
Upset by Savage's stern brand of leadership, all of the 918th's pilots apply for transfers. Savage asks the Group Adjutant, Major Stovall, to delay processing their applications, to get himself more time to turn the Group around. Stovall, skating on the edge of regulations, does so.
The 918th resumes combat operations, and Savage continues to earn everyone's enmity with his harsh post-mission critiques. However, the airmen and pilots begin to change their minds about him after he leads them on a mission in which the 918th is the only group to bomb the target and all of the aircraft make it back safely.
Publicity shot of Gregory Peck in Twelve O'Clock High (1949)
Savage tries to enlist a young pilot, Medal of Honor-nominee Lieutenant Jesse Bishop (Robert Patten) to help him change the attitude of the other pilots. Bishop eventually comes to believe in the general, and when the Inspector General arrives to check out the unrest, Bishop convinces the other pilots to withdraw their requests for transfer.
Later, Savage learns that Gately has been hospitalized, having flown two missions with a chipped vertebrae that caused him acute pain. Gately's stoicism in flying without complaint despite his injury brings about a rapprochement between him and Savage. The Leper Colony was lost in the crash which had injured Gately, but there is no longer a need for a special "disciplinary" aircraft as Gately moves back to a position of importance.
As the air war advances deeper into Germany, missions become longer and riskier, with enemy resistance increasingly intense. Many of Savage's best men are shot down or killed. General Pritchard tries to get Savage to return to a staff job with him, but Savage refuses because he feels that the 918th Group isn't quite ready to stand up without him yet. Pritchard reluctantly leaves Savage in command because he needs a proven leader for a series of important raids (known in Air Force history as Big Week).
The first of these missions, aimed at destroying Germany's ball bearing industry, has the Luftwaffe throwing everything available at the bomber force. Although the target is hit, the 918th takes a beating, losing six of twenty-one B-17s. Savage watches Cobb's airplane blow up from a direct flak hit after he has to turn the bomber stream to pass directly over a known antiaircraft battery, and is shaken by the loss of one of his best combat commanders. On returning to base, Savage concludes that a second strike on the same target is necessary. A follow-up mission is scheduled for the next day.
However, as the Flying Fortresses are warming up for takeoff, Savage is unable to haul himself up into his B-17. He suffers a nervous breakdown, finally becoming temporarily catatonic. As with Keith Davenport before him, Savage allowed himself to care too much for "his boys" and has paid the price. Gately takes over the air command and the mission lead, eventually bringing most of the group back safely, after destroying the target. Savage's fate is unclear. (In the novel, he returns to the United States to take command of the Second Air Force.)
The flashback ends; Harvey Stovall rides away from the airbase on his bicycle.
Section 1.04 [edit] Production
According to their files, Twentieth-Century Fox paid "$100,000 outright for the [rights to the book] plus up to $100,000 more in escalator and book club clauses." Darryl Zanuck was apparently convinced to pay this high price when he heard that William Wyler was interesting in purchasing it for Paramount. Even then, Zanuck only went through with the deal in October 1947 when he was certain that the United States Air Force would support the production.[1]
Twelve O'Clock High was indeed produced with the full cooperation of the Air Force and made use of actual combat footage during the battle scenes, including some shot by the Luftwaffe.[1] A good deal of the production was filmed at a working air base, Eglin Air Force Base[2] Screenwriters Bartlett and Lay drew on their own wartime experiences with Eighth Air Force bomber units. Veterans of the heavy bomber campaign frequently cite Twelve O'Clock High as the only Hollywood film that accurately captured their combat experiences.
Along with the 1948 film Command Decision, it marked a turning away from the optimistic, morale-boosting style of wartime films and toward a grittier realism that deals more directly with the human costs of war. Both films deal with the realities of "daylight precision bombing" without fighter escort, the basic Army Air Force doctrine at the start of the Second World War. In retrospect, this was a strategic mistake. Daylight precision bombing became a viable technique only after long-range fighters were developed (notably the P-51 Mustang) capable of escorting bombers all the way to the target and back.
Savage is modeled on Colonel Frank A. Armstrong, Pritchard on General Ira Eaker, the fictional 918th Bomb Group on the actual 306th Bomb Group. The film's most significant deviation from history comes in its climax: Savage's psychological breakdown was not based on any real-life event but was intended to portray the effects of intense stress experienced by many airmen.
Paul Mantz, Hollywood's leading stunt pilot, was paid the then-unprecedented sum of $4500 to crash-land a B-17 bomber for one early scene in the film.[3] Frank Tallman, Mantz' partner in Tallmantz Aviation, wrote in his autobiography that, while many B-17s had been landed by one pilot, as far as he knew this flight was the only time that a B-17 ever took off with only one pilot and no other crew; nobody was sure that it could be done. [4] (see image below)
Locations for recreating the bomber base at Archbury were scouted by director Henry King, flying his own airplane some 16,000 miles in February and March 1949. King visited Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, on 8 March 1949, and found an ideal location for principal photography at its Auxiliary Field No. 3, better known as Duke Field, where the mock installation was constructed. [5]The film's technical advisor, Col. John deRussy, was stationed at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, and suggested Ozark Army Air Field (now part of Fort Rucker's U.S. Army Aviation Warfighting Center.[5] King chose Ozark as location for the spectacular belly-landing sequence, for filming B-17 takeoffs and landings, and as "ideal for shots of Harvey Stovall reminiscing about his World War II service."[6]
Additional background photography was shot at RAF Barford St John, a satellite station of RAF Chelveston (Oxfordshire, England, UK). Today, other than a small U.S. Air Force military housing section nothing remains of the base. Fort Walton Beach, Florida also was a secondary location for filming.[7]
Twelve O'Clock High was in production from late April to early July 1949.[8] Although originally planned to be shot in Technicolor, it was instead shot in black and white.[1]
Section 1.05 [edit] Cast
Gary Merrill, Gregory Peck and Dean Jagger in
Twelve O'Clock High (1949)
Gary Merrill, Gregory Peck and Dean Jagger in
Twelve O'Clock High (1949)
Gregory Peck as General Savage
Hugh Marlowe as Lt. Col. Ben Gately
Gary Merrill as Col. Davenport
Millard Mitchell as General Pritchard
Dean Jagger as Major Stovall
Robert Arthur as Sgt. McIllhenny
Paul Stewart as Major "Doc" Kaiser
John Kellogg as Major Cobb
Robert Patten as Lt. Bishop
Lee MacGregor as Lt. Zimmerman
Sam Edwards as Birdwell
Roger Anderson as Interrogation Officer
Lawrence Dobkin as Capt. Twombley, group chaplain (uncredited)
Article II. Twelve O'Clock High (TV series)
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Twelve O'Clock High or 12 O'Clock High was an ABC television series that ran for three seasons from September 18, 1964 to January 13, 1967. It was based in the 1949 motion picture of the same name.
Section 2.02 [edit] Overview
The series follows the missions of the 918th Bomb Group stationed at Archbury, England during World War II. For the first season many of the characters from the movie were retained, including Brigadier General Frank Savage, Major Harvey Stovall, Major Cobb, Doc Kaiser and General Pritchard, albeit played by different actors than in the movie. In addition to these characters several other infrequently reappearing characters were introduced, including Captain (later Major) Joe Gallagher who appeared twice.
At the end of the first season studio executives decided a younger looking lead actor was needed. In the first episode of the second season General Savage was killed in action and replaced by Joe Gallagher, now a full Colonel. Ironically, the younger looking Burke was two years older than Lansing.
For the second season most of the supporting cast from the first season was replaced with the exception of Major Stovall, Doc Kaiser and an occasional appearance by General Pritchard. Other actors who did reappear after the first season played other characters. This trend continued throughout the other seasons. Edward Mulhare appeared twice, as two different German officers. Bruce Dern appeared four times in three different roles. Tom Skerritt appeared five times, each time in a different role.
The first two seasons were filmed in black and white. This was done mostly to allow the inclusion of actual WWII combat footage, negating the need for special effects. The inclusion of combat footage in the series was often obvious as it was often quite degraded. Limited usable combat footage often resulted in the same shot being reused in multiple episodes. For the third season the series was filmed in color but only ran 17 episodes, being cancelled in mid-season. Some of the combat footage used for the third season seemed to be black and white footage tinted blue.
In later episodes, Gallagher flew as a "pathfinder" in a P-51 Mustang. This plot element was added to cut production costs. The single-engine, Mustang cost less to fly than the four-engine B-17, and required only a single pilot rather than two pilots and several extras needed for bomber scenes.
As with most television programs Twelve O'Clock High was created in episodic form. There is no particular order the episodes have to be watched in. A trio of episodes produced about a shuttle raid to North Africa were in fact never aired in story order. The stories themselves were often based more on character drama than action usually involving individuals who felt the need to redeem themselves in the eyes of others. Other story lines focussed on actual war events such as the development of bombing through cloud cover using radar and the complexities of operating a large fleet of (often malfunctioning) B-17 Flying Fortress bombers.
Dell Comics produced a comic book based on the series that ran 2 issues in 1965. Both had photocovers and artwork by Joe Sinnott.
Section 2.03 [edit] Cast
Robert Lansing .... Brigadier General Frank Savage (season 1, Savage was also in episode 1 of season 2 but Lansing was not)
Frank Overton .... Major Harvey Stovall
Paul Burke .... Colonel Joe Gallagher (seasons 2 & 3, recurring season 1)
Chris Robinson .... TSgt. Alexander "Sandy" Komansky (seasons 2 & 3)
John Larkin .... General Wiley Crowe (season 1)
Barney Phillips .... Major "Doc" Kaiser
Andrew Duggan .... General Ed Britt (seasons 2 & 3)
Paul Newlan .... General Pritchard
Lew Gallo .... Major Joe Cobb (season 1)
Robert Dornan .... Lt./Capt. Fowler (seasons 2 & 3)
Section 2.04 [edit] External links
· Twelve O'Clock High at the Internet Movie Database
· Twelve O'Clock High at EpGuides.com
[hide]
v • d • e
Television series produced or created by Quinn Martin
The Untouchables ·The New Breed · Twelve O'Clock High · The Fugitive · Premiere · The Invaders · Dan August · Cannon · Banyon · Barnaby Jones · The F.B.I. · The Manhunter · The Streets of San Francisco · Caribe · Bert D'Angelo/Superstar · Most Wanted · Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected · The Runaways · A Man Called Sloane
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_O%27Clock_High_%28TV_series%29"
Categories: American Broadcasting Company network shows | 1960s American television series | Military television series | Television programs based on films | Dell Comics titles | Television series by Fox Television Studios
A number of the important characters were named after airfields at which USAAF bomber crews trained, including Harvey Stovall, named after Stoval field near Yuma, AZ.
The character of "Doc" Kaiser is listed on the film's credits as "Captain", but he is referred to as "Major" throughout the film.[1]
(a) [edit] Historical counterparts of character
Frank A. Armstrong
(i) [edit] Colonel Frank A. Armstrong, Jr. (1902–1969)
General Savage, played by Gregory Peck, was created as a composite of several group commanders whom the authors knew well, including Colonel (later General) Curtis LeMay, Colonel (later brigadier general) Frederick W. Castle, and Colonel John K. Gerhart. The latter two officers had also been sent down by General Eaker from his staff to relieve the commanders of two B-17 groups whose first month in combat had resulted in higher than normal losses. However the primary inspiration for Savage was Frank A. Armstrong, who commanded the 306th Bomb Group on which the 918th was modeled. The name "Savage" was inspired by Armstrong's Cherokee heritage. Armstrong, Castle, and screen-writer Beirne Lay had been three of the six officers accompanying General Eaker to England in February, 1942 to set up the headquarters for the 8th Air Force's Bomber Command, and Armstrong had worked closely with Sy Bartlett at 8th Air Force headquarters. In addition to his work with the 306th, which lasted only six weeks and consisted primarily of rebuilding the chain of command within the group, Armstrong had earlier performed a similar task with the 97th Bomb Group, and many of the training and disciplinary scenes in Twelve O'Clock High derive from that experience. The 918th was modeled after the 306th BG primarily because that group remained a significant part of the Eighth Air Force throughout the war in Europe, whereas the 97th BG transferred to the Mediterranean shortly after Armstrong relinquished command. Lieutenant General Frank A. Armstrong, Jr. retired from the U.S. Air Force, 31 July 1962. He died on 1 September 1969.
Ira C. Eaker
Ira C. Eaker
(ii) [edit] Major General Ira C. Eaker (1896–1987)
The character of Major General Pat Pritchard (played by Millard Mitchell) was modeled on that of the VIII Bomber Command's first commander, Maj. Gen. Ira C. Eaker. He had been picked by the commander of the Army Air Forces, General Henry Arnold, to build from scratch a strategic bombing force in England. He took Armstrong from a headquarters job in Washington D.C. to be the senior member of his neophyte staff and eventually made him one of his top combat leaders. Lieutenant General Eaker retired, 31 August 1947. More than 30 years after his retirement, by Act of Congress — 26 April 1985 — President Ronald Reagan presented him with his fourth star as a full general. General Ira C. Eaker died, 6 August 1987.
(iii) [edit]
John C. Morgan
Colonel Charles B. Overacker
The character of Colonel Keith Davenport (played by Gary Merrill) was based on the first commander of the 306th Bomb Group, Col. Charles B. Overacker, nicknamed "Chip." Of all the personalities portrayed in Twelve O'Clock High, that of Colonel Davenport most closely parallels his true-life counterpart. The early scene in which Davenport confronts Savage about a mission order was a close recreation of an actual event, as was his relief. Overacker's sins, however, were more severe than those attributed to Davenport, sufficiently so that they were not detailed in either book or film but only suggested; and occurred over an eight-week period, not the brief interval depicted. He was relieved after his entire group turned back from a mission for other than mechanical reasons. After moving up to Eaker's staff, Overacker imprudently criticized Eaker in an official analysis and was sent back to the United States, where he spent the remainder of the war as commander of the Proving Ground Command's electronic test center at Eglin Field, Florida.
John C. Morgan
(iv) [edit] Lieutenant John C. Morgan (1914–1991)
Lt. Jesse Bishop, who belly lands in the B-17 next to the runway at the beginning of the film and was nominated for the Medal of Honor, has his true-life counterpart in Second Lieutenant John C. Morgan. The description of Bishop's fight to control the bomber after his pilot was hit in the head by a 20mm cannon shell is taken almost verbatim from Morgan's Medal of Honor citation. Details may be found in The 12 O'Clock High Logbook.
(v) [edit] Sergeant Donald Bevan
The character of Sgt. McIllhenny was drawn from a member of the 306th Bomb Group, Sgt. Donald Bevan, a qualified gunner who was assigned ground jobs including part-time driver for the commander of his squadron. Bevan had received publicity as a "stowaway gunner" (similar to McIllhenny in the film), even though in reality he had been invited to fly missions. Like McIllhenny he proved to be a "born gunner." Bevan, who flew 17 missions, was shot down on 17 April 1943, over Bremen, Germany, and spent the remainder of the war as a prisoner of war in Stalag 17B, a German POW camp in Austria. There, along with fellow POW Edmund Trzcinski, Bevan outlined the script for a hit Broadway play that was later made into a Hollywood film, Stalag 17.
Paul Tibbets
(vi) [edit]
Paul Tibbets
Major Paul Tibbets (1915–2007)
During pre-production for Twelve O'Clock High, author Sy Bartlett petitioned the Air Force to have Colonel Paul Tibbets assigned as technical advisor for the film.[9] Not only had Tibbets and Armstrong flown B-17s together in England, but Bartlett also revealed that Tibbets, by then renowned as the pilot of the B-29 "Enola Gay" which dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, had inspired the novel's "tough-guy" character, Major Joe Cobb. Tibbets was initially approved for technical advisor but the job was eventually given to Colonel John Derussy. The part of Cobb was played by character actor John Kellogg, who won it over a dozen more well-known Hollywood actors.
Section 2.05 [edit] Reception
Twelve O'Clock High premiered in Los Angeles on 21 December 1949, opened in New York on 26 January 1950.[10] It went into general release in February 1950.[11]
An influential review by Bosley Crowther of the New York Times was indicative of many contemporary reviews. He noted that the film focused more on the human element than the aircraft or machinery of war. "How much can a man give? When the U.S. 8th Army Air Force 918th Bombardment group is ordered on their fourth harrowing mission in four hard days, Brigadier General Frank Savage (Gregory Peck) demands 'maximum effort.'"[12] The Times picked Twelve O'Clock High as one of the 10 Best Films of 1949, and, in later years, it rated the film as one of the "Best 1000" of all time.[13]
After attending the premier, General Curtis LeMay told the authors that he "couldn't find anything wrong with it." The film is now widely used in both the military and civilian worlds to teach the principles of leadership. It is required viewing at all the American service academies, and at the U.S. Air Force's Squadron Officer School for junior officers, where it is used as a teaching example for the Situational Leadership Model.
In its initial release, the film took in $3,225,000 in rentals in the U.S. alone.[14]
Section 2.06 [edit] Awards
Twelve O'Clock High won Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Dean Jagger and Best Sound, Recording. It was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Gregory Peck and Best Picture.
In addition, Peck received a New York Film Critics Circle Awards for Best Actor, and the film was nominated for Best Picture by the National Board of Review[13]
In 1998, the film was deemed "culturally significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.[15]
Section 2.07 [edit] Radio and television
Series Description:
The 12 O'Clock High TV show was an action series on ABC about the lives Of the men with the 8th Air Force stationed in England during World War II.
12 O'Clock High Cast Members:
Frank Overton ............ Major Harvey Stovall
Robert Lansing ........... Brigadier General Frank Savage
John Larkin .............. Major General Wiley Crowe
Chris Robinson ........... Technical Sergeant Alexander "Sandy" Komansky
Paul Burke ............... Colonel Joseph Anson Gallagher
Andrew Duggan ............ Brigadier General Ed Britt
Chris Robinson ........... Technical Sergeant Alexander "Sandy" Komansky
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Bookmark this page at:
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Episodes List With Original Air Dates
The First Season
1. Golden Boy Had Nine Black Sheep (9/18/1964)
2. Follow The Leader (9/25/1964)
3. The Men And The Boys (10/2/1964)
4. Pressure Point (10/9/1964)
5. Sound Of Distant Thunder (10/16/1964)
6. The Climate Of Doubt (10/23/1964)
7. Decision (11/6/1964)
8. Hours Before Dawn (11/13/1964)
9. Appointment At Leige (11/20/1964)
10. Interlude (11/27/1964)
11. Here's To Corageous Cowards (12/4/1964)
12. Soldiers Sometimes Kill (12/11/1964)
13. The Suspected (12/18/1964)
14. An Act Of War (12/25/1964)
15. Those Who Are About To Die (1/1/1965)
16. In Search Of My Enemy (1/8/1965)
17. The Albatross (1/15/1965)
18. The Lorelei (1/22/1965)
19. Faith Hope And Sergeant Aaronson (1/29/1965)
20. To Heinie-With Love (2/5/1965)
21. The Clash (2/12/1965)
22. The Ticket (2/26/1965)
23. The Trap (3/5/1965)
24. The End Of The Line (3/12/1965)
25. The Threat (3/19/1965)
26. Mutiny At 10,000 Feet (3/26/1965)
27. The Mission (4/2/1965)
28. Cry Of Fallen Birds (4/9/1965)
29. V For Vendetta (4/16/1965)
30. P.O.W. - Part 1 (4/23/1965)
31. P.O.W. - Part 2 (4/30/1965)
32. The Hero (5/7/1965)
The Second Season
33. The Loneliest Place in The World (9/13/1965)
34. R/X For A Sick Bird (9/20/1965)
35. Then Came The Mighty Hunter (9/27/1965)
36. The Idolator (10/4/1965)
37. Big Brother (10/11/1965)
38. The Hot Shot (10/18/1965)
39. Show Me A Hero I'll Show You A Bum (10/25/1965)
40. Runway in The Dark (11/1/1965)
41. I Am The Enemy (11/8/1965)
42. Grant Me No Favor (11/15/1965)
43. Storm At Twilight (11/22/1965)
44. We're Not Coming Back (11/29/1965)
45. The Jones Boys (12/6/1965)
46. Between The Lines (12/13/1965)
47. Target 802 (12/27/1965)
48. Falling Star (1/3/1966)
49. The Slaughter Pen (1/10/1966)
50. Underground (1/17/1966)
51. Which Way The Wind Blows (1/24/1966)
52. The Outsider (1/31/1966)
53. Back To The Drawing Board (2/7/1966)
54. Twenty Fifth Mission (2/14/1966)
55. The Survivor (2/21/1966)
56. Angel Babe (2/28/1966)
57. Decoy (3/7/1966)
58. The Hollow Man (3/14/1966)
59. Cross Hairs On Death (3/21/1966)
60. Day Of Reckoning (3/28/1966)
61. Siren Voices (4/4/1966)
The Third Season
62. Gauntlet Of Fire (9/9/1966)
63. Massacre (9/16/1966)
64. Face Of A Shadow (9/23/1966)
65. Fortress Weisbaden (9/30/1966)
66. A Distant Cry (10/7/1966)
67. Practice To Deceive (10/14/1966)
68. The All American (10/21/1966)
69. The Pariah (10/28/1966)
70. The Duel At Mont Saint Marie (11/4/1966)
71. To Seek And Destroy (11/11/1966)
72. The Fighter Pilot (11/18/1966)
73. Burden Of Guilt (12/2/1966)
74. The Ace (12/9/1966)
75. Six Feet Under (12/16/1966)
76. Graveyard (12/30/1966)
77. Long Time Dead (1/6/1967)
78. The Hunters And The Killers (1/13/1967)
Thank you for visiting our 12 O'Clock High TV show page!
Copyright © 1997-2008 CrazyAboutTV.com
All rights reserved
Main article: Twelve O'Clock High (series)
Paul Mantz deliberately crash-lands B17G 44-83592 at Ozark AAF, Alabama, in June 1949 for the filming of Twelve O'Clock High.[17]
Gregory Peck repeated his role as General Savage on a Screen Guild Players radio broadcast on 7 September 1950.[1]
Twelve O'Clock High later became a television series, also called Twelve O'Clock High that premiered on the ABC network in 1964 and ran for three seasons. Robert Lansing played General Savage. Much of the combat footage seen in the film was reused in the television series. The B-17 bomber shown in one such sequence was that of Lieutenant Colonel Robert Webb, who earned one of his eight Distinguished Flying Cross awards in the action depicted.
Many of the television show's ground scenes were filmed at the Chino, California, airport, which had been used for training Army pilots during the war, and where a replica of a control tower, typical of the type seen at an 8th Air Force base in England, was built. The airfield itself was used in the immediate postwar period as a dump for soon-to-be-scrapped fighters and bombers and was used for the penultimate scene in The Best Years of Our Lives when Dana Andrews relives his wartime experiences and goes on to rebuild his life.[16]
Section 2.08 [edit] References
(a) [edit] Notes
Paul Mantz deliberately crash-lands B17G 44-83592 at Ozark AAF, Alabama, in June 1949 for the filming of Twelve O'Clock High.[17]
Article III. ^ a b c d e TCM Notes
Article IV. ^ IMDB Filming locations
Article V. ^ TCM Trivia
Article VI. ^ This allegation is at odds with both 20th Century-Fox press releases made during production and with research done by Duffin and Matheis for The 12 O'Clock High Logbook.
Article VII. ^ a b Orriss 1984, p. 149.
Article VIII. ^ Duffin and Matheis 2005, p. 65–67.
Article IX. ^ IMDb Locations
Article X. ^ TCM Overview
Article XI. ^ Duffin and Matheis 2005, p. 61.
Article XII. ^ IMDB Release dates
Article XIII. ^ TCM Misc. notes
Article XIV. ^ New York Times
Article XV. ^ a b All Movie Guide Awards
Article XVI. ^ IMDB Business data
Article XVII. ^ IMDB Awards
Article XVIII. ^ Orrisss 1984 p. 122.
Article XIX. ^ Aero Vintage "12 O'Clock High"
(a) [edit] Bibliography
Army Air Forces Aid Society. The Official Guide to the Army Air Forces . New York: Simon and Schuster, 1944.
Caidin, Martin. Black Thursday. New York: E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc., 1960. ISBN 0-553-26729-9.
Dolan, Edward F. Jr. Hollywood Goes to War. London: Bison Books, 1985. ISBN 0-86124-229-7.
Duffin, Alan T. and Matheis, Paul. The 12 O'Clock High Logbook. Albany, Georgia: Bearmanor Media, 2005. ISBN 1-59393-033-X.
Hardwick, Jack and Schnepf, Ed. "A Viewer's Guide to Aviation Movies." The Making of the Great Aviation Films. General Aviation Series, Volume 2, 1989.
Kerrigan, Evans E. American War Medals and Decorations. New York: Viking Press, 1964, ISBN 0-67012-101-0.
Lay, Beirne Jr. and Bartlett, Sy. 12 O'Clock High. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1948 (Reprint 1989). ISBN 0-942397-16-9.
Medal of Honor Recipients, World War II (M-S)
Murphy, Edward F. Heroes of WWII. Novato, California: Presidio Press, 1990, ISBN 0-345-37545-9.
Orriss, Bruce. When Hollywood Ruled the Skies: The Aviation Film Classics of World War II. Hawthorn, California: Aero Associates Inc., 1984. ISBN 0-9613088-0-X.
Section 19.02 [edit] External links
Twelve O'Clock High at the Internet Movie Database
Twelve O'Clock High at the TCM Movie Database
Twelve O'Clock High at Allmovie
Twelve O'Clock High at Rotten Tomatoes
Twelve O'Clock High at Aero Vintage
Twelve O'Clock High movie posters at MoviePosterDB.com
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_O%27Clock_High"
Categories: 1949 films | Aviation films | Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winning performance | United States National Film Registry | World War II films | Films directed by Henry King
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Article XX. B-17 Flying Fortress
(a) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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"B-17" redirects here. For other uses, see B17.
B-17 Flying Fortress
USAAF B-17G-30-DL levels off for a bomb run
Type
Strategic bomber
Manufacturer
Boeing
Designed by
Edward C. Wells
E. Gifford Emery
Maiden flight
28 July 1935[1]
Introduction
April 1938
Retired
1968 (Brazilian Air Force)
Primary users
United States Army Air Force
Royal Air Force
Produced
1936–1945
Number built
12,731[2]
Unit cost
US$238,329[3]
Variants
XB-38
YB-40
C-108
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is an American four-engine heavy bomber aircraft developed for the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC). Competing against Douglas and Martin for a contract to build 200 bombers, the Boeing entry outperformed both the other competitors and more than met the Air Corps' expectations. Although Boeing lost the contract due to the prototype's crash, the Air Corps was so impressed with Boeing's design that they ordered 13 B-17s. The B-17 Flying Fortress went on to enter full-scale production and was considered the first truly mass-produced large aircraft, eventually evolving through numerous design advancements, from B-17A to G.
The B-17 was primarily employed in the daylight precision strategic bombing campaign of World War II against German industrial and military targets. The United States Eighth Air Force based in England and the Fifteenth Air Force based in Italy complemented the RAF Bomber Command's nighttime area bombing in Operation Pointblank, to help secure air superiority over the cities, factories and battlefields of Western Europe in preparation for Operation Overlord.[4] The B-17 also participated, to a lesser extent, in the War in the Pacific, where it conducted raids against Japanese shipping.
From its pre-war inception, the USAAC touted the aircraft as a strategic weapon; it was a potent, high-flying, long-ranging bomber capable of unleashing great destruction yet able to defend itself. With the ability to return home despite extensive battle damage, its durability, especially in belly-landings and ditchings, quickly took on mythic proportions.[5][6][7] Stories and photos of B-17s surviving battle damage widely circulated, boosting its iconic status.[8] Despite an inferior range and bombload compared to the more numerous B-24 Liberator,[9] a survey of Eighth Air Force crews showed a much higher rate of satisfaction in the B-17.[10] With a service ceiling greater than any of its Allied contemporaries, the B-17 established itself as a superb weapons system, dropping more bombs than any other U.S. aircraft in World War II. Of the 1.5 million tonnes of bombs dropped on Germany, 500,000 were dropped from B-17s.
Section 20.02 Contents
[hide]
1 Design and development
2 Operational history
2.1 The RAF
2.2 The USAAF
2.3 Combined offensive
2.4 Pacific Theater
2.5 Bomber defense
2.6 The Luftwaffe
2.7 Postwar history
3 Variants/design stages
4 Operators
5 Survivors
6 The Fortress as a symbol
7 Noted B-17s
7.1 Memphis Belle
7.1.1 Popular Culture
7.1.2 Wartime service
7.1.3 Postwar
7.2 The Swoose
7.3 Shoo Shoo Baby
7.4 Nine-O-Nine
7.5 My Gal Sal
7.6 Old 666
7.7 Sally B
7.8 Texas Raiders
8 Noted B-17 pilots and crew members
8.1 Medal of Honor awards
8.2 Other military achievements or events
8.3 Civilian achievements or events
9 Specifications (B-17G)
9.1 General characteristics
9.2 Performance
9.3 Armament
10 See also
10.1 Related development
10.2 Comparable aircraft
10.3 Related lists
11 References
11.1 Notes
11.2 Bibliography
12 External links
Section 20.03 [edit] Design and development
B-17As fly past the Italian ocean liner Rex
On 8 August 1934, the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC) tendered a proposal for a multi-engined bomber to replace the Martin B-10. Requirements were that it would carry a "useful bombload" at an altitude of 10,000 ft (3 km) for ten hours with a top speed of at least 200 mph (320 km/h).[11][12] They also desired, but did not require, a range of 2,000 miles (3200 km) and a speed of 250 mph (400 km/h). The Air Corps were looking for a bomber capable of reinforcing the air forces in Hawaii, Panama, and Alaska.[13] The competition would be decided by a "fly-off" at Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio. Boeing competed with the Douglas DB-1 and Martin Model 146 for the Air Corps contract.
The prototype B-17, designated Model 299, was designed by a team of engineers led by E. Gifford Emery and Edward Curtis Wells and built at Boeing's own expense.[12] It combined features of the experimental Boeing XB-15 bomber with the Boeing 247 transport airplane.[11] The B-17 was armed with bombs (up to 4,800 pounds (2200 kg) on two racks in the bomb bay behind the cockpit) and five 0.30 inch (7.62 mm) caliber machine guns, and was powered by Pratt & Whitney R-1690 radial engines each producing 750 horsepower (600 kW) at 7,000 ft (2100 m).[12]
The first flight of the Model 299 was on 28 July 1935, with Boeing chief test-pilot Les Tower at the controls.[14][1] Richard Williams, a reporter for the Seattle Times coined the name "Flying Fortress" when the Model 299 was rolled out, bristling with multiple machine gun installations.[15] Boeing was quick to see the value of the name and had it trademarked for use. On 20 August, the prototype flew from Seattle to Wright Field in nine hours and three minutes at an average speed of 235 mph (378 km/h), much faster than the competition.[12]
At the fly-off, the four-engine Boeing design displayed superior performance over the twin-engine DB-1 and Model 146, and General Frank Maxwell Andrews of the GHQ Air Force believed that the long-range capabilities of four-engine large aircraft were more efficient than shorter-ranged twin-engined airplanes. His opinions were shared by the Air Corps procurement officers and, even before the competition was finished, they suggested buying 65 B-17s.[16]
Crashed Model 299
Development continued on the Boeing Model 299, and on 30 October 1935, the Army Air Corps test-pilots Ployer, Hill, and Tower, took the Model 299 on a second evaluation flight. The crew forgot to disengage the airplane's "gust lock," a device that held the bomber's movable control surfaces in place while the plane was parked on the ground, and having taken off, the aircraft entered a steep climb, stalled, nosed over and crashed, killing two.[17][18] The crashed Model 299 could not finish the evaluation, and while the Air Corps was still enthusiastic about the aircraft's potential, Army officials were daunted by the much greater expense per aircraft.[19][20] Army Chief of Staff Malin Craig cancelled the order for 67 B-17s, and ordered 133 of the twin-engine Douglas B-18 Bolo instead.[16][12]
Regardless, the USAAC had been impressed by the prototype's performance and, on 17 January 1936, the Air Corps ordered, through a legal loophole,[21] 13 YB-17s for service testing. The YB-17 incorporated a number of significant changes from the Model 299, including more powerful Wright R-1820-39 Cyclone engines replacing the original Pratt & Whitneys.
On 1 March 1937, 12 of the 13 YB-17s were delivered to the 2nd Bombardment Group at Langley Field in Virginia, and used to help develop heavy bomber techniques and work out other bugs.[11] One suggestion was the use of a checklist, to avoid accidents such as the Model 299's.[22][21] In one of their first missions, three B-17s, following lead navigator Lt. Curtis LeMay, were sent by General Andrews to "intercept" the Italian ocean liner Rex 800 statute miles (1300 km) off the Atlantic coast and take photographs. The successful mission was widely publicized.[23]
The 13th YB-17 was delivered to the Material Division at Wright Field, Ohio, to be used for flight testing.[24]
A 14th YB-17 (37-369), originally constructed for ground testing of the airframe's strength, was upgraded and fitted with exhaust-driven turbochargers. Scheduled to fly in 1937, it encountered problems with the turbochargers and its first flight was delayed until 29 April 1938.[25] Modifications cost Boeing US$100,000 and took until spring 1939 to complete, but resulted in an increased service ceiling and maximum speed.[26] The aircraft was delivered to the Army on 31 January 1939 and was redesignated B-17A to signify the first operational variant.[27]
In late 1937, the Air Corps ordered ten more aircraft, designated B-17B and, soon after, another 29.[26] Improved with larger flaps, rudder and Plexiglas nose, the B-17Bs were delivered between July 1939 and March 1940. They equipped two bombardment groups, one on each U.S. coast.[28][29]
Prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, fewer than 200 B-17s were in service with the Army,[21] but production quickly accelerated, and the B-17 became the first truly mass-produced large aircraft.[30][31] The aircraft went on to serve in every World War II combat zone, and by the time production ended in May 1945, 12,731 aircraft had been built by Boeing, Douglas and Vega (a subsidiary of Lockheed).[32]
Section 20.04 [edit] Operational history
B-17 Flying Fortresses over Eastern Europe during World War II
The B-17 began operations in World War II with the RAF in 1941, USAAF Eighth Air Force and Fifteenth Air Force units in 1942, and was primarily involved in the daylight precision strategic bombing campaign against German industrial targets. Operation Pointblank guided attacks in preparation for a ground assault.[33]
During World War II, the B-17 equipped 32 overseas combat groups, inventory peaking in August 1944 at 4,574 USAAF aircraft worldwide,[34] and dropped 640,036 long tons (650,195 tonnes) of bombs on European targets (compared to 452,508 tons (451,691 tonnes) dropped by the Liberator and 463,544 tons (420,520 tonnes) dropped by all other U.S. aircraft). Approximately 4,750, or one third, of B-17s built were lost in combat.[9]
(a) [edit] The RAF
The Royal Air Force (RAF) entered World War II with no heavy bomber of its own and while by 1941, the Short Stirling and Handley Page Halifax had become its primary bombers, in early 1940, the RAF entered into an agreement with the U.S. Army Air Corps to be provided with 20 B-17Cs, redesignated Fortress I. Their first operation was against Wilhelmshaven on 8 July 1941.[35][28][36] At the time, the Air Corps considered high-altitude flight to be 20,000 ft (6 km) but, to avoid being intercepted by fighter aircraft, the RAF bombed the naval barracks from 30,000 ft (9 km).[37] They were unable to hit their targets and temperatures were so low that the machine guns froze up.[38] On 24 July, they tried another target, Brest in France, but again missed completely.
By September, after the RAF had lost eight B-17Cs in combat or to accidents, Bomber Command had abandoned daylight bombing raids due to the Fortress I's poor performance. The remaining aircraft were transferred to different commands for deployment to various duties including coastal defence.[38] The experience had showed both the RAF and USAAF that the B-17C was not ready for combat, and that improved defenses, larger bomb loads and more accurate bombing methods were required, which would be incorporated in later versions. Moreover, even with these improvements, it was the USAAF and not the RAF that was willing to remain faithful to using the B-17 as a "day" bomber.[37]
Bomber Command transferred its remaining Fortress I aircraft to Coastal Command for use as very long range patrol aircraft. These were later augmented in August 1942 by 19 Fortress Mk II and 45 Fortress Mk IIA (B-17F and B-17E, respectively — the USAAF offered the B-17F before offering the B-17E, thus the apparently reversed designations).[39] A Fortress from No. 206 Squadron RAF sank U-627 on 27 October 1942: the first of 11 U-boat kills credited to RAF Fortress bombers during the war.[40]
(b) [edit] The USAAF
Four women pilots leaving their ship at the four-engine school at Lockbourne during WASP training to ferry B-17 Flying Fortresses.
The Air Corps (renamed United States Army Air Force or USAAF in 1941), utilizing the B-17 and other bombers, bombed from high altitudes using the then-secret Norden Bombsight, which was an optical electro-mechanical gyro-stabilized computer. During daylight bombing missions and sorties, the device was able to determine, from variables input by the bombardier, the point in space at which the bomber's ordnance type should be released to hit the target. The bombardier essentially took over flight control of the aircraft during the bomb run, maintaining a level attitude during the final moments.[41]
The USAAF began building up its air forces in Europe using B-17Es soon after entering the war. The first Eighth Air Force units arrived in High Wycombe, England on 12 May 1942, to form the 97th Bomb Group.[11] On 17 August 1942, 18 B-17Es of the 97th, including Yankee Doodle, flown by Major Paul Tibbets and Brigadier General Ira Eaker, were escorted by RAF Spitfires on the first USAAF raid over Europe, against railroad marshalling yards at Rouen-Sotteville in France.[42][11] The operation was a success, with only minor damage to two aircraft.
(c) [edit] Combined offensive
B-17F-5-BO, 41-24406, All American, of the 414th BS, 97 BG after collision with a Fw 190 on 1 February 1943 during mission to Bizerte. Pilot Lt. Kendrick R. Bragg brought the aircraft safely back to the base, where it was repaired and flew missions until it was salvaged 6 March 1945. Photo was taken by a crewman on companion Fortress 41-24412.
The two different strategies of the American and British Bomber commands were organized at the Casablanca Conference in January 1943. The resulting Operation Pointblank described a "Combined Bomber Offensive" that would weaken the Wehrmacht and establish air superiority in preparation of a ground offensive.[4]
Operation Pointblank opened with attacks on targets in Western Europe. General Ira C. Eaker and the Eighth Air Force placed highest priority on attacks on the German aircraft industry, especially fighter assembly plants, engine factories and ball-bearing manufacturers.[4]
On 17 April 1943, an attack on the Focke-Wulf plant at Bremen by 115 Fortresses met with little success. Sixteen aircraft were shot down, and 48 others were damaged.[43] The attacks did succeed, however, in diverting about half the Luftwaffe's fighter force to anti-bomber operations.
Since the airfield bombings were not appreciably reducing German fighter strength, as additional B-17 groups were formed, Eaker ordered major missions deeper into Germany against important industrial targets. The 8th Air Force then targeted the ball-bearing factories in Schweinfurt, hoping to cripple the war effort there. The first raid on 17 August 1943 did not result in critical damage to the factories, with the 230 attacking B-17s being intercepted by an estimated 300 Luftwaffe fighters. Thirty-six aircraft were shot down with the loss of 200 men, and coupled with a raid earlier in the day against Regensburg, a total of 60 B-17s were lost that day.
A second attempt on 14 October 1943 would later come to be known as "Black Thursday".[44] Of the 291 attacking Fortresses, 59 were shot down over Germany, one ditched in the English Channel, five crashed in England, and 12 more were scrapped due to battle damage or crash-landings (more by AA guns than the Luftwaffe), a total loss of 77 B-17s. One hundred and twenty-two bombers were damaged to some degree and needed repairs before their next flight. Out of 2,900 men in the crews, about 650 men did not return, although some survived as POWs. Five were killed and 43 wounded in the damaged aircraft that made it home, and 594 were listed as Missing in Action. Only 33 bombers landed without damage. These losses of air crews could not be sustained, and the USAAF, recognizing the vulnerability of heavy bombers against interceptors, suspended daylight bomber raids deep into Germany until the development of an escort fighter that could protect the bombers all the way from the United Kingdom to Germany and back. The Eighth Air Force alone lost 176 bombers in October 1943.[45] The Eighth Air Force was to suffer similar casualties on 11 January 1944 on missions to Oschersleben, Halberstadt and Brunswick. Doolittle had ordered the mission to be cancelled as the weather deteriorated, but the lead units had already entered hostile air space and continued with the mission. Most of the escorts turned back or missed the rendezvous, as a result 60 B-17 were destroyed[46][47] A third raid on Schweinfurt on 24 February 1944 highlighted what came to be known as "Big Week". With P-51 Mustang and P-47 Thunderbolt fighters (equipped with improved drop tanks to extend their range) escorting the American heavies all the way to and from the targets, only 11 of 231 B-17s were lost.[48] The escort fighters reduced the loss rate to below seven percent, with only 247 B-17s lost in 3500 sorties while taking part in the Big Week raids.[49]
By September 1944, 27 of the 40 bomb groups of the Eighth Air Force and six of the 21 groups of the Fifteenth Air Force utilized B-17s. Losses to flak continued to take a high toll of heavy bombers through 1944, but by 27 April 1945, (two days after the last heavy bombing mission in Europe) the rate of aircraft loss was so low that replacement aircraft were no longer arriving and the number of bombers per bomb group was reduced. The Combined Bomber Offensive was effectively complete.[50]
(d) [edit] Pacific Theater
Only five B-17 groups operated in the Southwest Pacific theater, and all converted to other types in 1943.
On 7 December 1941, A group of B-17's were flown into Pearl Harbor from California for delivery and arrived during the Japanese attack. One of the surviving pilots, Leonard "Smitty" Smith Humiston reported that he thought the U.S. Navy was giving the flight a 21 gun salute to celebrate the arrival of the bombers, after which he realized that Pearl Harbor was under attack. He came under fire from Japanese fighter aircraft, suffering more than 200 bullet holes in his aircraft. His crew was unharmed with the exception of 1 crewman who suffered an abrasion on his hand. Enemy activity near his destination forced an abort to an adjacent pineapple field where he landed safely.[citation needed]
Another early WWII Pacific engagement on 10 December 1941 involved Colin Kelly who reportedly crashed his B-17 into the Japanese battleship Haruna, which was later acknowledged as a near bomb miss on the light cruiser Ashigara; nonetheless that deed made him a celebrated war hero. Actually, his B-17C 40-2045 crashed about six miles (10 km) from Clark Field after Kelly held the burning Fortress steady long enough for the surviving crew to bail out. Kelly was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.[51] Noted Japanese ace Saburo Sakai is credited with this kill, and in the process, gained respect for the ability of the Fortress to absorb punishment.[52] B-17s were used in early battles of the Pacific with little success, notably the Battle of Coral Sea and Battle of Midway. While there, the Fifth Air Force B-17s were tasked with disrupting the Japanese sea lanes. Air Corps doctrine dictated bombing runs from high altitude, but it was soon discovered that only one percent of their bombs hit targets. However, B-17s were operating at heights too great for most A6M Zero fighters to reach, and the B-17's heavy gun armament was easily more than a match for lightly protected Japanese fighters.
On March 2, 1943, six B-17s of the 64th Squadron bombed a major Japanese convoy from 10,000 ft (3 km) during the early stages of the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, off New Guinea. Folllowing this, the convoy was softened up with low level strafing runs by Royal Australian Air Force Beaufighters, after which USAAF B-25 Mitchells came in at 100 ft (30 m) to skip bomb the sides of Japanese ships.[53]
A peak of 168 B-17 bombers were in theater in September 1942, with all groups converting to other types by mid-1943.
(e) [edit] Bomber defense
Part of a USAAF stream of over 1,000 B-17s
Formation flying through dense flak over Merseburg, Germany
Before the advent of long-range fighter escorts, B-17s had only their .50 in (12.7 mm) caliber M2 Browning machine guns to rely on for defense during the bombing runs over Europe. As the war intensified, Boeing used feedback from aircrews to improve each new variant with increased armament and armor.[54] The number of defensive guns increased from four 0.50 (12.7 mm) inch machine guns and one 0.30 inch (7.62 mm) nose machine gun in the B-17C, to 13 0.50 inch (12.7 mm) machine guns in the B-17G. But because the bombers could not maneuver when attacked by fighters, and during their final bomb run they needed to be flown straight and level, individual aircraft struggled to fend off a direct attack.
A 1943 survey by the Air Corps found that over half the bombers shot down by the Germans, had left the protection of the main formation.[55] To address this problem, the United States developed the bomb-group formation, which evolved into the staggered combat box formation where all the B-17s could safely cover any others in their formation with their machine guns, making a formation of the bombers a dangerous target to engage by enemy fighters.[56][43] However, the use of this rigid formation meant that individual aircraft could not engage in evasive manoeuvres: they had to always fly in a straight line, which made them vulnerable to the German 88 mm anti-aircraft gun. Additionally, German fighter aircraft later used the tactic of high-speed strafing passes rather than engaging with individual aircraft to inflict maximum damage with minimum risk.
As a result, the B-17s' loss rate was up to 25% on some early missions (60 of 291 B-17s were lost in combat on the second Raid on Schweinfurt[57]), and it was not until the advent of effective long-range fighter escorts (particularly the P-51 Mustang)— resulting in the degradation of the Luftwaffe as an effective interceptor force between February and June 1944 — that the B-17 became strategically potent.
The B-17 was noted for its ability to absorb battle damage, still reach its target and bring its crew home safely. Wally Hoffman, a B-17 pilot with the Eighth Air Force during World War II, said, "The plane can be cut and slashed almost to pieces by enemy fire and bring its crew home."[58] Martin Caidin reported one instance in which a B-17 suffered a midair collision with a Focke-Wulf 190, losing an engine and suffering serious damage to both the starboard horizontal stabilizer and the vertical stabilizer, and being knocked out of formation by the impact. The airplane was reported as shot down by observers, but it survived and brought its crew home without injury.[59] Its toughness more than compensated for its shorter range and lighter bomb load when compared to the Consolidated B-24 Liberator or the British Avro Lancaster heavy bombers. Stories abound of B-17s returning to base with tails having been destroyed, with only a single engine functioning or even with large portions of wings having been damaged by flak.[60] This durability, together with the large operational numbers in the Eighth Air Force and the fame achieved by the "Memphis Belle", made the B-17 a significant bomber aircraft of the war.
The B-17 design went through eight major changes over the course of its production, culminating in the B-17G, differing from its immediate predecessor by the addition of a chin turret with two .50 inch (12.7 mm) caliber M2 Browning machine guns under the nose. This eliminated the B-17's main defensive weakness in head-on attacks.
(f) [edit] The Luftwaffe
Captured B-17F-27-BO in Luftwaffe colors, the USAAF-named "Wulf Hound", 41-24585, of the 360th BS/303rd BG, missing in action 16 October 1942.Operation by Kampfgeschwader 200. This was the first Block 27 airframe, with strengthened landing gear
After examining wrecked B-17s and B-24s, Luftwaffe officers discovered that at least 20 hits with 20 mm shells fired from the rear could bring them down. Pilots of average ability hit the bombers with only about two percent of the rounds they fired, so to obtain 20 hits, the average pilot had to aim one thousand 20 mm rounds at the bomber. Early versions of the Fw 190, one of the best German interceptor fighters, were equipped with two 20 mm cannons and carried only 500 rounds. The fighter's firing range, 400 meters, was also shorter than the B-17's 1,000 meters, and so was vulnerable while closing in through that distance. The German fighters found that when attacking from the front, where fewer defensive guns were pointed, it only took four or five hits to bring a bomber down.[61] To address the Fw 190's shortcomings, the number of cannons fitted was doubled to four with a corresponding increase in the amount of ammunition carried, and in 1944, a further upgrade to 30 mm MK 108 cannons was made, which could bring a bomber down in just a few hits. The Me 262 had moderate success against the B-17 late in the war. Equipped with the R4M rocket, it could fire from outside the range of the bombers' .50 caliber defensive guns and bring an aircraft down with one hit.[62]
During World War II, after crash-landing or being forced down, approximately 40 B-17s were captured and refurbished by the Luftwaffe with about a dozen put back into the air. Given German markings and codenamed "Dornier Do 200",[63] the captured B-17s were used for clandestine spy and reconnaissance missions by the Luftwaffe — most often used by the Luftwaffe unit known as Kampfgeschwader 200.[63] One of the B-17s of KG200, bearing Luftwaffe markings A3+FB, was interned by Spain when it landed at Valencia airport, 27 June 1944, and remained there for the rest of the war. Some B-17s kept their Allied markings and were used in attempts to infiltrate B-17 formations and report on their position and altitude. The practice was initially successful, but the Army Air Force combat aircrews quickly developed and established standard procedures to first warn off, and then fire upon any "stranger" trying to join a group's formation.[11] Still other B-17s were used to determine the airplane's vulnerabilities and to train German interceptor pilots in tactics.[64] Few surviving aircraft were found by the Allies following the war.
(g) [edit] Postwar history
Following World War II, the B-17 was declared obsolete and the Army Air Force retired most of its fleet. Flight crews ferried the bombers back across the Atlantic to the United States, where the majority were sold for scrap and melted down. The USAF Strategic Air Command had B-17 Flying Fortresses (called F-9s: for Fotorecon, at first, later RB-17s) in service from 1946 through 1951. About a dozen B-17s are still operable of some 50 airframes known to survive. Many of these surviving examples are surplus or training aircraft, which stayed in the U.S. during World War II. However, there are a few exceptions.
Several B-17s along with other World War II bombers were converted into airliners. Other B-17s saw extended and valiant service as converted aerial tankers used for fighting forest fires in the western United States.[65]
Blister turret of Model 299, not adopted for production
Section 20.05 [edit] Variants/design stages
Main article: B-17 Flying Fortress variants
Production numbers
Variant
Produced
First flight
Model 299
1
28 July 1935[1]
YB-17
13
2 December 1936[66]
YB-17A
1
29 April 1938.[25]
B-17B
39
27 June 1939[41]
B-17C
38
21 July 1940[67]
B-17D
42
3 February 1941[68]
B-17E
512
5 September 1941[69]
B-17F
3,405
30 May 1942[70]
B-17F-BO
2,300
B-17F-DL
605
B-17F-VE
500
B-17G
8,680
B-17G-BO
4,035
B-17G-DL
2,395
B-17G-VE
2,250
Grand total
12,731
The B-17 went through several alterations in each of its design stages and variants. Of the 13 YB-17s ordered for service testing, 12 were used by the 2nd Bomb Group of Langley Field, Virginia to develop heavy bombing techniques, and the 13th was used for flight testing at the Material Division at Wright Field, Ohio.[24] Experiments on this aircraft led to the use of a turbo-supercharger, which would become standard on the B-17 line. A 14th plane, the Y1B-17A, originally destined for ground testing only, was upgraded with the turbocharger. When this aircraft had finished testing, it was re-designated the B-17A, and in April 1938 was the first aircraft to enter service under the B-17 designation.[24][26]
As the production line developed, Boeing engineers continued to improve upon the basic design. To enhance performance at slower speeds, the B-17B was altered to include larger rudder and flaps.[41] The B-17C changed from gun blisters to flush, oval-shaped windows.[67] Most significantly, with the B-17E version, the fuselage was extended by 10 ft (3.0 m), a much larger vertical fin and rudder were incorporated into the original design, a gunner's position in the tail and an improved nose were added. The engines were upgraded to more powerful versions several times, and similarly, the gun stations were altered on numerous occasions to enhance their effectiveness.[69]
By the time the definitive B-17G appeared, the number of guns had been increased from seven to 13, the designs of the gun stations were finalized, and other adjustments were complete. The B-17G was the final version of the B-17, incorporating all changes made to its predecessor, the B-17F, and in total 8,680 were built, the last one on 9 April 1945.[71] Many B-17Gs were converted for other missions such as cargo hauling, engine testing and reconnaissance.[72] Initially designated SB-17G, a number of B-17Gs were also converted for search-and-rescue duties, later to be redesignated B-17H.[73]
Two versions of the B-17 were flown under different designations. These were the XB-38 and the YB-40. The XB-38 was an engine test-bed for Allison V-1710 liquid-cooled engines, should the Wright engines normally used on the B-17 become unavailable. The YB-40 was a heavily armed modification of the standard B-17 used before the P-51 Mustang, an effective long-range fighter, became available to act as escort. Additional armament included a power turret in the radio room, a chin turret (which went on to become standard with the B-17G) and twin .50 caliber (12.7 mm) guns in the waist positions. The ammunition load was over 11,000 rounds, making the YB-40 well over 10,000 lb (4,500 kg) heavier than a fully loaded B-17F. Unfortunately, the YB-40s with their numerous heavy modifications had trouble keeping up with empty bombers, and so, together with the advent of the P-51 Mustang, the project was abandoned and finally phased out in July 1943.[74][75]
SB-17G Flying Fortress, 44-83722, also designated B-17H, used as a Search and Rescue aircraft.
Late in World War II, at least 25 B-17s were fitted with radio controls, loaded with 20,000 pounds (9,000 kg) of high-explosives, dubbed "BQ-7 Aphrodite missiles". "Attacks on the V-site bunkers were also initiated by the Americans using radio controlled bombers packed with 25,000 lb (11,000 kg). of Torpex and TNT. Called Aphrodite drones, operation 'CASTOR' was begun on June 23, 1944, using the 388th Bombardment Group at Knettishall. An airfield in a sparsely populated area of Norfolk was chosen at Fersfield. The drone was usually a B-17 Fortress with a B-34 Ventura being used to control the aircraft and crash it onto its target."[76] "The first four drones were sent to Mimoyecques, Siracourt, Watten and Wizernes on August 4, causing little damage. On the 6th two more B-17s were crashed on the Watten site with little success. The project came to a sudden end with the unexplained mid-air explosion over the Blyth estuary of a Liberator en route for Heligoland piloted by Lieutenant" Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., future U.S. president John F. Kennedy's eldest brother. Blast damage was caused over a radius of five miles (8 km). British authorities were anxious that no similar accidents should again occur.[76] Because few (if any) BQ-7s hit their target, the Aphrodite project was scrapped in early 1945.[77][78] During and after World War II, a number of weapons were tested and used operationally on B-17s. Some of these weapons included "razons" (radio-guided) glide bombs, and Ford-Republic JB-2 Loons, also nicknamed Thunderbugs — American reverse-engineered models of the German V-1 Buzz Bomb. A much-used travelling airborne shot of a V-1/JB-2 launch in World War II documentaries was filmed from a USAF A-26 of the Air Proving Grounds, Eglin Air Force Base, launched from Santa Rosa Island, Florida. In the late 1950s, the last B-17s in United States Air Force service were QB-17 drones and DB-17P drone controllers, plus a few polished VB-17 squadron "hacks" (a 1953 request by the Wright Air Development Center to redesignate the QB-17s to Q-7 was turned down by Air Research & Development Command). The last operational mission flown by a USAF Fortress was conducted on 6 August 1959, when DB-17P 44-83684 directed QB-17G 44-83717 out of Holloman Air Force Base as a target for a Falcon air-to-air missile fired from an F-101 Voodoo fighter. A retirement ceremony was held several days later at Holloman, after which 44-83684 was retired to the Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center (MASDC) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.
Section 20.06 [edit] Operators
Military operators of the B-17
Civil operators of the B-17
Main article: List of B-17 Flying Fortress operators
The B-17 was a versatile aircraft, serving in dozens of USAAF units in theaters of combat throughout World War II, and in non-bomber roles for the RAF. Its main use was in Europe, where its shorter range and smaller bombload relative to other aircraft available did not hamper it as much as in the Pacific Theater. Peak USAAF inventory (in August 1944) was 4,574 worldwide.[34]
Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Canada
Colombia
Denmark
Dominican Republic
France
Germany
Iran
Israel
Japan
Mexico
Nicaragua
Peru
Portugal
South Africa
Soviet Union
Sweden
United Kingdom
United States
Section 20.07 [edit] Survivors
Main article: Boeing B-17 Survivors
There are some 42 surviving intact Fortresses, with about twelve operational (depending on maintenance requirements).
Section 20.08 [edit] The Fortress as a symbol
Over Germany, B-17 Flying Fortresses from the 398th Bombardment Group fly a bombing run to Neumunster, Germany, on 13 April 1945.
The B-17 Flying Fortress has become, for many reasons, an icon of American power and a symbol of its Air Force. It achieved a lasting fame in the general public, which has eluded most other bomber aircraft.[8]
During the 1930s, the USAAC, under Gen. Frank Maxwell Andrews and the Air Corps Tactical School, touted the bomber as a strategic weapon.[79] Gen Henry H. Arnold, Chief of the Air Corps, recommended the development of bigger aircraft with better performance and the Tactical school agreed completely.[80] The B-17 was exactly what the Air Corps was looking for; it was a high-flying, long-ranging potent bomber capable of defending itself.
When the Model 299 was rolled out on 28 July 1935, bristling with multiple machine gun installations, Richard Williams, a reporter for the Seattle Times coined the name "Flying Fortress" with his comment "Why, it's a flying fortress!".[9] Boeing was quick to see the value of the name and had it trademarked for use.
After the initial B-17s were delivered to the Air Corps 2nd Bombardment Group, they began sending them on promotional flights emphasizing its great range and navigational precision. In early 1938, Group commander Colonel Robert C. Olds flew a Y1B-17 from the east to west coast, setting a transcontinental record of 12 hours 50 minutes. He also broke the west-to-east coast record on the return trip, averaging 245 mph (394 km/h) in ten hours 46 minutes. Six bombers of the 2nd Bombardment group took off from Langley AFB on 15 February 1938 as part of a good will flight to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Covering 12,000 miles (19,000 km) they returned on 27 February.[66] In a well publicized mission, three B-17s, "intercepted" and took photographs of the Italian ocean liner Rex 800 miles (1,300 km) off the Atlantic coast.[23]
B-17G 43-38172 of the 398th BG damaged on bombing mission over Cologne, Germany on 15 October 1944. Pilot 1st Lt. Lawrence De Lancey brought the wounded Fortress back to Nuthampstead, UK, where photo was taken. Notice the upwards effect of the anti-aircraft shell; the bombardier was killed.
The Flying Fortress found a place in the public psyche as well. In 1943, Consolidated Aircraft commissioned a poll to see “to what degree the public is familiar with the names of the Liberator and the Flying Fortress.” Of 2,500 men in cities where Consolidated ads had been run in newspapers, only 73 percent had heard of the Liberator, while 90 percent knew of the B-17.[8]
Hollywood featured the airplane in its movies, such as Twelve O'Clock High, with Gregory Peck.[81] This film was made with the full cooperation of the United States Air Force and made use of actual combat footage. In 1964 the movie was made into a television show of the same name, and ran for three years. The B-17 also appeared in the 1938 movie Test Pilot with Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy.
During the war, the largest offensive bombing force, the Eighth Air Force, was run by officers who openly preferred the B-17. Lt. Gen. Jimmy Doolittle wrote about his preference for equipping the Eighth with B-17s. Citing the logistical advantage in keeping fielded forces down to a minimum number of aircraft types with their unique servicing and spares, he wanted B-17 bombers and P-51 fighters for the Eighth. His views were supported by Eighth Air Force statisticians, whose studies purportedly showed that Fortresses had utility and survivability much greater than that of the B-24.[8]
Loved by its crews for bringing them home despite extensive battle damage, its durability, especially in belly-landings and ditchings, quickly took on mythical proportions.[82][83][7] Stories and photos of B-17s surviving battle damage widely circulated, boosting its iconic status.[8] Despite an inferior performance and bombload compared to the more numerous B-24 Liberator,[9] a survey of Eighth Air Force crews showed a much higher rate of satisfaction in the B-17.[10]
The most famous B-17, the Memphis Belle, toured the U.S. with its crew to reinforce national morale (and to sell War Bonds), and starred in a USAAF documentary, Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress.[84]
After the war ended, most B-17s were scrapped, but the U.S. Air Force did keep some B-17s for VIP transports and drone directors. The U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard obtained thirty B-17s beginning in 1945 for over-water patrols as PB-1Gs, an air rescue aircraft similar to USAF B-17Hs, and PB-1Ws, a patrol aircraft with early warning radar installations aboard. The war ended before any PB-1Ws were operational and defensive armament was subsequently deleted. The Coast Guard retired the last PB-1G, BuNo 77254, in October 1959, making it the last U.S. military Flying Fortress in operation.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the surviving Fortresses had to earn their keep, as operation of a four-engine aircraft was costly, and the Warbirds preservation movement had not yet begun. The preservation of the remaining Fortresses gained steam when firebomber B-17s began to come on the market in the 1970s.
Section 20.09 [edit] Noted B-17s
(a) [edit] Memphis Belle
(i) [edit] Popular Culture
The crew of the B-17 Flying Fortress "Memphis Belle" is shown at an air base in England after completing 25 missions over enemy territory on June 7, 1943.
The Memphis Belle is possibly the most culturally ubiquitous of the Flying Fortresses. Best known for the movie produced in 1990, the crew of the famed Memphis Belle incorrectly entered the annals of American pop-culture as the first crew in the Eighth Air Force to complete all twenty-five combat missions in their tour of duty.[85]
(ii) [edit] Wartime service
The "Memphis Belle", a Boeing-built B-17F-10-BO, serial 41-24485, was added to the USAAF inventory on 15 July 1942, and delivered in September 1942 to the 91st Bomb Group at Dow Field, Bangor, Maine. It deployed to Prestwick, Scotland, on 30 September 1942, and then to its permanent base at Bassingbourn, England, on 14 October. Captain Robert Morgan's crew flew 25 combat missions with the 324th Bomb Squadron, all but four in the Memphis Belle. "Memphis Belle" tailgunner John P. Quinlan claimed two German fighters shot down. The Memphis Belle flew its 25th and last mission with a different crew on 19 May 1943, to Kiel, Germany. It was then flown back to the United States on 8 June 1943 by Morgan's crew for war bond tours. The aircraft was named for pilot Robert K. Morgan's sweetheart, Margaret Polk. The famous Petty girl nose art was painted by the 91st's group artist Tony Starcer. A representative crew was selected, not all of which flew 25 missions with the Belle or with each other.[86]
(iii) [edit] Postwar
After the war the Flying Fortress was saved from reclamation at Altus, Oklahoma, where it had been consigned since 1 August 1945, by the efforts of the mayor of Memphis, Walter Chandler, and the city bought the aircraft for $350. It was flown to Memphis in July 1946 and stored until the summer of 1949 when it was placed on display at the National Guard armory. It was later relocated near the Memphis Air National Guard Base at Memphis International Airport, sat out-of-doors into the 1980s, slowly deteriorating due to weather and occasional vandalism.
In the early 1970s, another mayor had donated the historic aircraft back to the U.S. Air Force, but they allowed it to remain in Memphis contingent on it being maintained. Efforts by the locally-organized Memphis Belle Memorial Association, Inc. (MBMA) saw the aircraft moved to Mud Island in the Mississippi River in 1987 for display in a new pavilion with roof cover. It was still open to the elements, however, and prone to weathering. Dissatisfaction with the site led to efforts to create a new museum facility in nearby Shelby County. In the summer of 2003 the Belle was disassembled and moved to a restoration facility in Millington, Tennessee for work. In September 2004, however, the National Museum of the United States Air Force, apparently tiring of the ups and downs of the city's attempts to preserve the aircraft, indicated that they wanted it back for restoration and eventual display at the USAF museum at Wright-Patterson AFB near Dayton, Ohio. The aircraft is currently undergoing thorough restoration efforts by NMUSAF Staff at Wright-Patterson AFB.
(b) [edit] The Swoose
B-17D-BO The Swoose is the oldest B-17 known to exist, but it has been in parts for over 30 years. It is in storage at the Paul E. Garber facility of the National Air and Space Museum. Note the B-17F plexiglas nosepiece applied to the airframe.
The Swoose, B-17D-BO, 40-3097, the only surviving intact example of the shark fin B-17s of the A, B, C and D series, flew combat missions in the Pacific Theater before being converted to an unarmed transport/flying command-post used in Australia by Lt. Gen. George Brett, commander of Allied air forces in the South West Pacific Area. It returned to the United States with Brett in 1943, and is the oldest surviving B-17 in the world. The Swoose is presently in storage at the Smithsonian Institution's Silver Hill location, ("Paul E. Garber" Preservation, Restoration and Storage Facility) in Suitland, Maryland, south of Andrews Air Force Base, where, as of 2000, no plans had yet been made to restore her.[87] Col. Frank Kurtz, commanding officer of the 463rd Bombardment Group at the Celone Airbase near Foggia, Italy, and the father of actress Swoosie Kurtz (b. 1944), carried the Swoose name forward from the original Swoose (which he flew in the Pacific prior to being named CO of the 463rd), naming the B-17G he flew with the 463rd "Swoose II".[88] The 463rd BG was thereafter known as the "The Swoose Group". The name "Swoosie" was a derivative of Kurtz's Pacific aircraft, so-named by 19th Bomb Group pilot Captain Weldon Smith, after the tail of 40-3091 was grafted onto 40-3097, resulting in an aircraft that was "half-swan, half-goose", from bandleader Kay Kyser's song, Alexander the Swoose.[89] The aircraft had originally been named "Ole Betsy". The Washington Post reported on Saturday, 3 November 2007, that the Air and Space Museum's collections committee, an advisory group on the acquisition and transfer of aircraft, vote 5-4 on 28 September 2007 for deaccessioning The Swoose, and transfer the aircraft to the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.
The panel forwarded its decision to Gen. John R. "Jack" Dailey, the museum director, and Donald S. Lopez Sr., the deputy director, who subsequently decided to stand by the committee's recommendation. "There were good arguments on both sides," said Dailey, who had requested a collections review to alleviate a storage crunch at the Silver Hill, Maryland facility where The Swoose has been stored since 1961. The Swoose has never been in a plan to be displayed, Dailey said. The decision now must be approved by the Smithsonian's National Collections Program office. The Air Force Museum is not commenting on the exchange until the internal process at the Smithsonian has been completed.[90]
(c) [edit] Shoo Shoo Baby
Shoo Shoo Baby at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.
Shoo Shoo Baby (a third Shoo was added to the name just before its loss), B-17G-35-BO, 42-32076, 401st BS, 91st Bomb Group, marked LL-E, flew 24 combat missions from England with the 91st Bomb Group from March 1944 until being forced to crash land at Malmö Airport, Sweden. Being neutral, Sweden interned the crew, and about the same time a deal was made between the Swedish and U.S. governments to allow around 300 American crewmen to return in exchange for nine B-17Fs and B-17Gs that had landed intact in Sweden. Seven of these were converted by Saab Aircraft into airliners that could carry 14 passengers.[91] Eventually sold first to Denmark and then to France, it was recovered in 1972, dismantled, and flown in a C-5 Galaxy to Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, for restoration. It flew to the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio and was turned over on 13 October 1988, where it is now on display. Due to the amount of sheet metal work required to restore its wartime configuration, it is finished in olive drab and grey, instead of bare metal as it was during its USAAF service.
(d) [edit] Nine-O-Nine
The Collings Foundation's Nine-0-Nine
The Nine-O-Nine, a B-17G-30-BO, 42-31909, of the 91st Bomb Group, 323rd Bomb Squadron, completed 140 missions without an abort or loss of a crewman, an 8th Air Force record. Assigned to combat on 25 February 1944 she made 18 trips to Berlin, dropped 562,000 pounds of bombs, and flew 1,129 hours. She had 21 engine changes, four wing panel changes, 15 main fuel tank changes, and 18 "Tokyo" tank changes (long-range fuel tanks). M/Sgt. Rollin L. Davis, a maintenance line chief in charge of this plane, received the Bronze Star for his part in this.[92] She wound up at the RFC facility at Kingman, Arizona on 7 December 1945, and was scrapped. The Collings Foundation,[93] Stow, Massachusetts, have B-17G-85-DL, 44-83575, civil register N93012, which currently appears at airshows marked as the historic Nine-O-Nine.
(e) [edit] My Gal Sal
On 27 June 1942 B-17E 41-9032, My Gal Sal, of the 342nd Bomb Squadron of the 97th Bomb Group was one of 13 B-17s flying the Labrador-to-Greenland leg of a ferry flight to the United Kingdom as part of Operation Bolero, the military build-up in Europe. Bad weather broke up the flight, with five B-17s returning to Labrador and another five continuing on to Greenland, but three were forced down, including My Gal Sal.[94] All of the crew were soon rescued, but the aircraft was abandoned. My Gal Sal was eventually recovered from the glacier in 1995, by which time she had been flipped upside down and damaged by high winds. She is being restored to a static configuration in Cincinnati.[95]
(f) [edit] Old 666
Old 666, B-17E 41-2666, gained a reputation as "cursed" by the airmen who flew it, because it often came back from missions heavily damaged. It was stripped for parts until Captain Jay Zeamer, unable to find a mount for his flight crew, repaired it and upgraded it. On 16 June 1943, Old 666 was sent on a mapping mission to a Japanese airfield. Old 666 was intercepted by at least 17 Japanese fighters during the mission. Several members of the crew were wounded, including Jay Zeamer and Joseph Sarnoski, who was mortally wounded. Old 666's upgraded guns surprised the Japanese fighters, and four were shot down by Zeamer and his crew. Old 666 managed to survive, and only Joe Sarnoski was lost in the mission. Zeamer and Sarnoski received the Medal of Honor, and the rest of the crew received the Distinguished Service Cross.[96][97]
(g) [edit] Sally B
Sally B is the only B-17 flying in the United Kingdom and thus serves as a memorial of the U.S. 8th Air Force which fought from England in WWII and the American airmen who fought and died during that conflict.
Built as a Boeing B-17G-105-VE c/n 8693, the future Sally B was one of the last to be constructed by the Lockheed-Vega plant at Burbank, California. Accepted by the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) as 44-85784 on 19 June 1945 it was too late to see war service, and was flown to Nashville for modifications. Converted for training purposes and re-designated TB-17G it was based at Wright Field (now Wright-Patterson AFB), Ohio from November that year.
Continuing in the care of 2750th Air Base Group (ABG), 44-85784 was selected for use as a research vehicle and in 1949 allocated EB-17G status. As such the B-17 was used in a variety of research roles, one of the most bizarre being the addition of a man-carrying pod on the starboard wingtip. Also fitted at the time was an infra-red tracking device in place of the Perspex nose. These trials continued for some years in a variety of guises and it was not until 1954 that ‘784 was returned to standard configuration, less armaments, at Hill AFB in Utah. No details have emerged of the trials which this aircraft was involved in.
Sally B continues to be flown at displays as a memorial to the 79,000 U.S. airmen who died fighting in the skies over Europe between 1942 and 1945.
(h) [edit] Texas Raiders
The Commemorative Air Force Gulf Coast Wing maintains and flies the B-17G Flying Fortress named "Texas Raiders", based at William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) Houston, Texas. Built in 1944, She was one of the last 20 B-17s built by Douglas Aircraft Corporation at the Long Beach, California plant. she was delivered to the U.S. Army Air Corps as B-17G-95-DL 44-83872, and transferred to the U.S. Navy to serve as PB-1W Patrol Bomber. 44-83872 was assigned the U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics Number 77235.
The Navy used PB-1Ws as the original Airborne Warning and Command System or AWACS aircraft, as well as for electronic countermeasures, anti-submarine warfare and hurricane hunters. The Navy sealed up the bomb bay doors, installed 300 gallon wing-mounted drop tanks and the AN/APS-20 Seasearch Radio Detection and Ranging (RADAR) equipment in a bulbous housing below the former bomb bay. Radio direction finder (RDF), instrument landing system (ILS), and long range navigation (LORAN) were also installed. She was not painted, but waxed to prevent corrosion, and kept her original Browning M2 machine guns.
Texas Raiders tours the North American air show circuit and both commemorates and wears the markings of the U.S. Army Air Corps 8th Air Force, 1st Air Division, 381st Bombardment Group (Heavy), 533rd Bombardment Squadron's plane "hull number" X.
Section 20.10 [edit] Noted B-17 pilots and crew members
Maynard H. Smith receiving Medal of Honor from War Secretary, Henry L. Stimson.
Forrest L. Vosler receiving Medal of Honor from President Roosevelt.
L-R, Nancy Love, pilot and Betty (Huyler) Gillies, co-pilot, the first women to fly the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber.
(a) [edit] Medal of Honor awards
Many B-17 crew members received military honors and 17 received the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration awarded by the United States:[30]
Article XXI. Brig. Gen. Frederick Castle[98]
Article XXII. 2d Lt. Robert Femoyer[99]
Article XXIII. 1st Lt. Donald Gott[100]
Article XXIV. 2d Lt. David Kingsley[101]
Article XXV. 1st Lt. William R. Lawley, Jr.[102]
Article XXVI. Sgt. Archibald Mathies (awarded posthumously)[103]
Article XXVII. Lt. Jack Mathis (the first airman in the European theater to be awarded the Medal of Honor)[104]
Article XXVIII. 2d Lt. William E. Metzger, Jr.[100]
Article XXIX. Lt. Edward Michael[105]
Article XXX. 1st Lt. John C. Morgan[106]
Article XXXI. Capt. Harl Pease[107]
Article XXXII. 2nd Lt. Joseph Sarnoski (awarded posthumously)[108]
Article XXXIII. S/Sgt. Maynard H. Smith (the first enlisted airman ever to be awarded the Medal of Honor)[109]
Article XXXIV. Lt. Walter E. Truemper (awarded posthumously)[103]
Article XXXV. S/Sgt. Forrest L. Vosler[110]
Article XXXVI. Brig. Gen. Kenneth Walker[111]
Article XXXVII. Maj. Jay Zeamer, Jr.[112]
(a) [edit] Other military achievements or events
Article XXXVIII. Lt. Richard Bailey- Piloted "Big Red". Shot up and recovered. Awarded Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart, Presidential Unit Citation, Air Medal. Ret. as Major.
Article XXXIX. Allison C. Brooks (1917–2006) — Was awarded numerous military decorations, and was ultimately promoted to the rank of major general (two stars) and served in active duty until 1971.
Article XL. Capt. Werner G. Goering — American-born nephew of the Nazi Commander of the Luftwaffe in World War II, Hermann Goering.[113]
Article XLI. Immanuel J. Klette (1918–1988) — Second-generation German-American whose 91 combat missions were the most flown by any Eighth Air Force pilot in World War II.[114]
Article XLII. Colin Kelly (1915–1941) — Pilot of the first U.S. B-17 lost in action.[115]
Article XLIII. Col. Frank Kurtz (1911–1996) — The USAAF's most decorated pilot of World War II; Commander of the 463rd Bombardment Group (Heavy), 15th Air Force, Celone Field, Foggia, Italy; Clark Field Philippines attack survivor; Olympic bronze medalist in diving (1932), 1944–1945; father of actress Swoosie Kurtz.
Article XLIV. Gen. Curtis LeMay (1906–1990) — Became head of the Strategic Air Command and head of the USAF.
Article XLV. Lt. Col. Nancy Love (1914–1976) and Betty (Huyler) Gillies (1908–1998) — The first women to be certified to fly the B-17, in 1943.[116]
Article XLVI. Col. Robert K. Morgan (1918–2004) — Pilot of Memphis Belle.
Article XLVII. Lt. Col. Robert Rosenthal (1917-2007) - Commanded the only surviving B-17, "Rosie's Riveters", of a US 8th Air Force raid by the 100th Bomb Group on Münster in 1943, earned sixteen medals for gallantry (including one each from Britain and France), and led the raid on Berlin on February 3, 1945 that is likely to have ended the life of Roland Freisler, the Third Reich's infamous "hanging judge".
Article XLVIII. Paul Tibbets (1915–2007) — Flew with the 97th Bombardment Group (Heavy) with both the 8th Air Force in England and the 12th Air Force in North Africa; later pilot of the B-29 Enola Gay dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan.
Article XLIX. Robert Webb (1922–2002) — One of the youngest bomber pilots in the U.S. Army Air Forces.
(a) [edit] Civilian achievements or events
Article L. Martin Caidin (1927–1997) — Author of Cyborg, the story that formed the basis of The Six Million Dollar Man and the saga of the last transatlantic formation flight of B-17s ever made, Everything But the Flak.
Article LI. Clark Gable (1901–1960) — Academy Award-winning film actor, five missions as waist gunner with several groups from May to September 1943, including the B-17 Eight Ball of the 359th Bomb Squadron (351st Bomb Group).
Article LII. Tom Landry (1924–2000) — American football player and coach, flew 30 missions over Europe in 1944–45 as a B-17 pilot with the 493rd Bomb Group, surviving a crash landing in Czechoslovakia. (His older brother Robert died in a B-17 crash)[117]
Clark Gable with 8th AF B-17F with pre-Cheyenne tail position, in Britain, 1943
Article LIII. Norman Lear — Radio operator, with the 463rd Bombardment Group (Heavy), 15th Air Force, Celone Field, Foggia, Italy; television producer of American sitcoms Sanford and Son, Maude and All in the Family, among others.
Article LIV. Gene Roddenberry (1921–1991) — Creator of Star Trek; flew B-17s for the 394th Bomb Squadron, 5th Bomb Group (H), in the Pacific theater.[118]
Article LV. Robert Rosenthal (1917–2007) — Assistant to the U.S. prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trials, where he interrogated Hermann Goering, pilot with the 100th Bomb Group.
Article LVI. Brigadier General Robert Lee Scott, Jr. (1908–2006) — Best known for his autobiography God is My Co-Pilot, about his exploits in World War II with the Flying Tigers and the United States Army Air Forces in China and Burma.
Article LVII. James Stewart (1908–1997) — Academy Award-winning film actor, instructed in B-17s before flying 20 combat missions in B-24s with the 8th Air Force, England; retired from Air Force Reserve a Brigadier General.[119]
Article LVIII. Bert Stiles (1920–1944) — 91st Bomb Group co-pilot from March to October 1944, short-story author, killed in action flying a P-51 on a second tour.
Article LIX. Smokey Yunick (1923–2001) — Award-winning motorsports car designer and premier NASCAR crew chief flew 50 missions as a B-17 pilot with the 97th Bombardment Group (Heavy) of the 15th Air Force, out of Amendola Airfield, Foggia, Italy.[120]
Section 59.01 [edit] Specifications (B-17G)
3-view projection of a B-17G, with inset detail showing the "Cheyenne tail" and some major differences with other B-17 variants.
B-17G-1-VE, 43-39163, "Happy Warrior" of the 835th Bombardment Squadron 486th Bombardment Group. Lost over Parchim, Germany 7 April 1945 when struck by bombs from overhead. Crew: 4 KIA, 6 POW.
Data from The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft[25]
(a) General characteristics
Article LX. Crew: 10: Pilot, co-pilot, navigator, bombardier/nose gunner, flight engineer-top turret gunner, radio operator, waist gunners (2), ball turret gunner, tail gunner[121]
Article LXI. Length: 74 ft 4 in (22.66 m)
Article LXII. Wingspan: 103 ft 9 in (31.62 m)
Article LXIII. Height: 19 ft 1 in (5.82 m)
Article LXIV. Wing area: 1,420 ft² (131.92 m²)
Article LXV. Airfoil: NACA 0018 / NACA 0010
Article LXVI. Empty weight: 36,135 lb (16,391 kg)
Article LXVII. Loaded weight: 54,000 lb (24,495 kg)
Article LXVIII. Max takeoff weight: 65,500 lb (29710 kg)
Article LXIX. Powerplant: 4× Wright R-1820-97 "Cyclone" turbosupercharged radial engines, 1,200 hp (895 kW) each
(a) Performance
Article LXX. Maximum speed: 287 mph (249 knots, 462 km/h)
Article LXXI. Cruise speed: 182 mph (158 knots, 293 km/h)
Article LXXII. Range: 1,738 nmi (2,000 mi, 3,219 km) with 2,722 kg (6,000 lb) bombload
Article LXXIII. Service ceiling 35,600 ft (10,850 m)
Article LXXIV. Rate of climb: 900 ft/min (4.6 m/s)
Article LXXV. Wing loading: 38.0 lb/ft² (185.7 kg/m²)
Article LXXVI. Power/mass: 0.089 hp/lb (150 W/kg)
(a) Armament
Article LXXVII. Guns: 13× M2 Browning .50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns in twin turrets, plus single dorsal, fore and aft beam positions (with optional extra nose armament fitted in glazed nose).
Article LXXVIII. Bombs: Although it theoretically could carry 17,417 lb (7900 kg) of bombs, the B-17 rarely flew combat missions with more than 5,071 lb (2300 kg).[citation needed]
Section 78.01 Short range missions (<400 mi): 8,000 lb (3,600 kg)
Section 78.02 Long range missions (≈800 mi): 4,500 lb (2,000 kg)
Section 78.03 [edit] See also
Military of the United States Portal
(a) Related development
Article LXXIX. Boeing XB-15
Article LXXX. XB-38 Flying Fortress
Article LXXXI. YB-40 Flying Fortress
(a) Comparable aircraft
Article LXXXII. Avro Lancaster
Article LXXXIII. B-24 Liberator
Article LXXXIV. Focke-Wulf Fw 200
Article LXXXV. Handley-Page Halifax
Article LXXXVI. Heinkel He 177
Article LXXXVII. Junkers Ju 290
Article LXXXVIII. Petlyakov Pe-8
Article LXXXIX. Piaggio P.108B
Article XC. Short Stirling
(a) Related lists
Article XCI. List of B-17 Flying Fortress serial numbers
Article XCII. List of bomber aircraft
Article XCIII. List of military aircraft of the United States
Section 93.01 [edit] References
B-17 tail gun position, Duxford
Overhead view of B-17 Flying Fortress
Nuthampstead, England. Aircraft mechanics with the 398th Bombardment Group change a B-17 Flying Fortress engine. During the group's stay in England from May 1944 to April 1945, the 398th flew 195 missions and lost 292 men and 70 B-17 aircraft in combat.
(a) [edit] Notes
Article XCIV. ^ a b c The Boeing Logbook: 1933 – 1938. Boeing.com. Retrieved on 18 December, 2006.
Article XCV. ^ Yenne, Bill. B-17 at War. St Paul, Minnesota: Zenith Imprint, 2006.ISBN 0-7603-2522-7. p. 8.
Article XCVI. ^ Bowers, Peter M. (1976). Fortress in the Sky. Granada Hills, California: Sentry Books Inc.. ISBN 0-913194-04-2.
Article XCVII. ^ a b c Carey, Brian Todd (1998). "Operation Pointblank: Evolution of Allied Air Doctrine During World War II". World War II (November): p. 4 Retrieved on 15 January 2007.
Article XCVIII. ^ "The Story of the B-17", B-17 Pilot Training Manual. Headquarters, AAF, Office of Flying Safety. Retrieved on 16 January. “The B-17's incredible capacity to take it — to come flying home on three, two, even one engine, sieve-like with flak and bullet holes, with large sections of wing or tail surfaces shot away — has been so widely publicized that U. S. fighting men could afford to joke about it" and "one important fact stands clear-cut now. The Flying Fortress is a rugged airplane”
Article XCIX. ^ Browne, Robert W. (Winter 2001). "The Rugged Fortress: Life-Saving B-17 Remembered". Flight Journal: WW II Bombers (Winter 2001) Retrieved on 18 December 2006.
Article C. ^ a b B-17 Flying Fortress. www.b17fortress.de (2006). Retrieved on 17 January, 2007. “General Ira C. Eaker, commander of the Eighth Air Force during World War II described the aircraft as "the best bomber which was ever built. She could handle extensive damage and still stay in the air."”
Article CI. ^ a b c d e Johnson, Frederick A. (2006). "The Making of an Iconic Bomber". Air Force Magazine 89 (10) Retrieved on 15 January 2007.
Article CII. ^ a b c d Baugher, Joe. Boeing Model 299. Encyclopedia of American Aircraft. Retrieved on 12 January, 2007.
Article CIII. ^ a b B-17:Best Airplane. B-17 Flying Fortress:Queen of the Skies. Retrieved on 9 January, 2007.
Article CIV. ^ a b c d e f Aviation Photography:B-17 Flying Fortress. Northstar Gallery. Retrieved on 16 January, 2007.
Article CV. ^ a b c d e Goebel, Greg (2005). Fortress In Development: Model 299. The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. Retrieved on 9 January, 2007.
Article CVI. ^ Tate, Dr. James P. (June 1998). 1-42891-257-6&id=pZyLTfJFaEgC&dq=The+Army+and+Its+Air+Corps+Army+Policy+toward+Aviation The Army and Its Air Corps: Army Policy toward Aviation 1919–1941. Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: Air University Press, p. 164. ISBN 1428912576. Retrieved on 16 January.
Article CVII. ^ Salecker, Gene, Eric (2001). Fortress Against the Sun: The B-17 Flying Fortress in the Pacific. Conshohocken, Pennsylvania: Combined Publishing, p. 46. ISBN 1-58097-049-4.
Article CVIII. ^ Yenne, Bill (2006). B-17 at War. St Paul, Minnesota: Zenith Imprint, p. 12. ISBN 0-7603-2522-7.
Article CIX. ^ a b Tate, Dr. James P. (June 1998). The Army and Its Air Corps: Army Policy toward Aviation 1919–1941. Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: Air University Press, p. 165. ISBN 1428912576. Retrieved on 16 January.
Article CX. ^ Model 299 Crash, 15 November 1935. National Museum of the USAF. Retrieved on 16 January, 2007.
Article CXI. ^ Schamel, John. How the Pilot's Checklist Came About. FAA Flight Service Training. Retrieved on 12 January, 2007. “On board the plane were pilots Major Ployer P. Hill (his first time flying the 299) and Lieutenant Donald Putt (the primary Army pilot for the previous evaluation flights), Leslie Tower, Boeing mechanic C.W. Benton, and Pratt and Whitney representative Henry Igo. Putt, Benton and Igo escaped with burns, and Hill and Tower were pulled from the wreckage alive, but later died from their wounds.”
Article CXII. ^ Salecker, Gene Eric (2001). Fortress Against the Sun: The B-17 Flying Fortress in the Pacific. Conshohocken, Pennsylvania: Combined Publishing, p. 48. ISBN 1-58097-049-4.
Article CXIII. ^ Goebel, Greg (2005). Model 299 Flying Fortress. The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. Retrieved on 9 January, 2007. “The Model 299 cost almost $200,000, more than twice as much as either of its two competitors.”
Article CXIV. ^ a b c Meilinger, Phillip S. (October 2004). "When the Fortress Went Down". Air Force Magazine 87 (9). Air Force Association Retrieved on 16 January 2007.
Article CXV. ^ Schamel, John. How the Pilot's Checklist Came About. FAA Flight Service Training. Retrieved on 12 January, 2007. “The idea of a pilot's checklist spread to other crew members, other Air Corps aircraft types, and eventually throughout the aviation world.”
Article CXVI. ^ a b Intercepting The “Rex”. National Museum of the USAF. Retrieved on 9 January, 2007.
Article CXVII. ^ a b c BOEING Y1B-17. National Museum of the USAF. Retrieved on 9 January, 2007.
Article CXVIII. ^ a b c "Boeing Model 299 (B-17 Flying Fortress)". The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft (1). (1997). Ed. David Donald. Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada: Prospero Books. p. 155. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.
Article CXIX. ^ a b c Goebel, Greg (2005). Y1B-17/Y1B-17A. The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. Retrieved on 9 January, 2007.
Article CXX. ^ Baugher, Joe. Boeing Y1B-17A/B-17A. Encyclopedia of American Aircraft. Retrieved on 15 January, 2007.
Article CXXI. ^ a b Goebel, Greg (2005). B-17B/B-17C/B-17D. The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. Retrieved on 9 January, 2007.
Article CXXII. ^ Boeing B-17B. National Museum of the USAF. Retrieved on 9 January, 2007.
Article CXXIII. ^ a b Eylanbekov, Zaur (2006). Airpower Classics:B-17 Flying Fortress. Air Force Magazine. Retrieved on 8 January, 2007.
Article CXXIV. ^ Serling, Robert J. (1992). Legend & Legacy: The Story of Boeing and its People. New York: St. Martin's Press, p. 55. ISBN 0-312-05890-X. “At the peak of production, Boeing was rolling out as many as 363 B-17s a month—averaging between 14 and 16 Forts a day, the most incredible production rate for large aircraft in aviation history…Prior to the B-17, the Boeing Y1B-9 (first flight: 1931) had only seven production aircraft, the Martin B-10 (first flight: 1932) had total production of 213, the Farman F.222 (first flight: 1932) had only 24 constructed and the Handley Page Heyford (first flight: 1933) had a total of 125 built. The B-17 easily eclipsed these numbers.”
Article CXXV. ^ Yenne, Bill (2006). B-17 at War. St Paul, Minnesota: Zenith Imprint, p. 6. ISBN 0-7603-2522-7.
Article CXXVI. ^ Carey, Brian Todd (1998). "Operation Pointblank: Evolution of Allied Air Doctrine During World War II". World War II (November): p. 4 Retrieved on 15 January 2007.
Article CXXVII. ^ a b Baugher, Joe. B-17 Squadron Assignments. Encyclopedia of American Aircraft. Retrieved on 15 January, 2007.
Article CXXVIII. ^ Yenne, Bill (2006). B-17 at War. St Paul, Minnesota: Zenith Imprint, p. 23. ISBN 0-7603-2522-7.
Article CXXIX. ^ Chant, Christopher (1996). Warplanes of the 20th Century. London: Tiger Books International, p. 61–62. ISBN 1-85501-807-1.
Article CXXX. ^ a b Goebel, Greg (2005). RAF Fortress I In Combat. The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. Retrieved on 9 January, 2007.
Article CXXXI. ^ a b Baugher, Joe. Fortress I for RAF. Encyclopedia of American Aircraft. Retrieved on 15 January, 2007.
Article CXXXII. ^ Gustin, Emmanuel. Boeing B-17. uboat.net. Retrieved on 2 April, 2007.
Article CXXXIII. ^ U-627. Uboat.net. Retrieved on 2 April, 2007.
Article CXXXIV. ^ a b c Baugher, Joe. Boeing B-17B Fortress. Encyclopedia of American Aircraft. Retrieved on 15 January, 2007.
Article CXXXV. ^ Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress – USA. The Aviation History Online Museum. Retrieved on 16 January, 2007.
Article CXXXVI. ^ a b Goebel, Greg (2005). Fortress Over Europe. The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. Retrieved on 9 January, 2007.
Article CXXXVII. ^ Walden, Geoff (January 2007). Third Reich in Ruins:Schweinfurt. www.thirdreichruins.com. Retrieved on 16 January, 2007.
Article CXXXVIII. ^ Hess, 1994 p.67.
Article CXXXIX. ^ Hess, 1994 p.69-71
Article CXL. ^ Caldwell and Muller 2007, p. 151-152.
Article CXLI. ^ McKillop, Jack. Combat Chronology of the U.S. Army Air Forces: February 1944. www.usaaf.net. Retrieved on 17 January, 2007.
Article CXLII. ^ Caldwell and Muller 2007, p. 162
Article CXLIII. ^ McKillop, Jack. Combat Chronology of the U.S. Army Air Forces: April 1945. www.usaaf.net. Retrieved on 17 January 2007.
Article CXLIV. ^ Salecker, Gene Eric. Fortress Against the Sun - The B-17 Flying Fortress in the Pacific. Combined Publishing, 64–71.
Article CXLV. ^ Sakai, Saburo, with Martin Caiden and Fred Saito. Samurai!. Naval Institute Press, 68–72.
Article CXLVI. ^ Frisbee, John L. (December 1990). "Valor:Skip-Bombing Pioneer". Air Force Magazine 73 (12) Retrieved on 9 January 2007.
Article CXLVII. ^ History:B-17 Flying Fortress. Boeing.com. Retrieved on 16 January, 2007.
Article CXLVIII. ^ Formation. www.b17flyingfortress.de. Retrieved on 9 January, 2007.
Article CXLIX. ^ "Formation", B-17 Pilot Training Manual. Headquarters, AAF, Office of Flying Safety. Retrieved on 16 January.
Article CL. ^ Caidin, Martin (1960). Black Thursday. New York: E.P. Dutton & Co. Inc.. ISBN 0-553-26729-9.
Article CLI. ^ Hoffman, Wally (2006). We Get Our Feet Wet. Magweb.com. Retrieved on 18 July, 2006.
Article CLII. ^ Caidin, Martin. Black Thursday. New York: E.P. Dutton & Co. Inc., 1960, p. 86. ISBN 0-553-26729-9.
Article CLIII. ^ Battle-damaged B-17s. www.daveswarbirds.com. Retrieved on 16 January, 2007.
Article CLIV. ^ Price, Alfred (September 1993). "Against Regensburg and Schweinfurt". Air Force Magazine 76 (9) Retrieved on 10 January 2007.
Article CLV. ^ Schollars, Todd J. (Fall 2003). German wonder weapons: degraded production and effectiveness. Air Force Journal of Logistics. Retrieved on 16 January, 2007.
Article CLVI. ^ a b Law, Ricky (1997). Dornier Do 200. Arsenal of Dictatorship. Retrieved on 16 January, 2007.
Article CLVII. ^ Goebel, Greg (2005). Fortress Oddballs. The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. Retrieved on 9 January, 2007.
Article CLVIII. ^ Baugher, Joe. B-17 Commercial Transports. Encyclopedia of American Aircraft. Retrieved on 15 January, 2007.
Article CLIX. ^ a b Baugher, Joe. Boeing Y1B-17. Encyclopedia of American Aircraft. Retrieved on 15 January, 2007.
Article CLX. ^ a b Baugher, Joe. Boeing B-17C Fortress. Encyclopedia of American Aircraft. Retrieved on 15 January, 2007.
Article CLXI. ^ Baugher, Joe. Boeing B-17D Fortress. Encyclopedia of American Aircraft. Retrieved on 15 January, 2007.
Article CLXII. ^ a b Baugher, Joe. Boeing B-17E Fortress. Encyclopedia of American Aircraft. Retrieved on 15 January, 2007.
Article CLXIII. ^ Baugher, Joe. Boeing B-17F Fortress. Encyclopedia of American Aircraft. Retrieved on 15 January, 2007.
Article CLXIV. ^ Chronicle. www.b17flyingfortress.de. Retrieved on 16 January, 2007.
Article CLXV. ^ Goebel, Greg (2005). B-17G/Fortress Triumphant. The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. Retrieved on 9 January, 2007.
Article CLXVI. ^ Baugher, Joe. Boeing B-17H. Encyclopedia of American Aircraft. Retrieved on 15 January, 2007.
Article CLXVII. ^ Baugher, Joe. Vega XB-38. Encyclopedia of American Aircraft. Retrieved on 15 January, 2007.
Article CLXVIII. ^ Baugher, Joe. Boeing YB-40. Encyclopedia of American Aircraft. Retrieved on 15 January, 2007.
Article CLXIX. ^ a b Ramsey, Winston G. The V-Weapons. London, United Kingdom: After The Battle, Number 6, 1974, page 20.
Article CLXX. ^ Baugher, Joe. History of the BQ-7. Encyclopedia of American Aircraft. Retrieved on 15 January, 2007.
Article CLXXI. ^ Parsch, Andreas (March 2003). Boeing BQ-7 Aphrodite. Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles. Retrieved on 16 January, 2007.
Article CLXXII. ^ Tate, Dr. James P. (June 1998). 1-42891-257-6&id=pZyLTfJFaEgC&dq=The+Army+and+Its+Air+Corps+Army+Policy+toward+Aviation The Army and Its Air Corps: Army Policy toward Aviation 1919–1941. Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: Air University Press, p. 149–150. ISBN 1-42891-257-6. Retrieved on 16 January. “The Howell Commission's report…stated "…an adequate striking force for use against objectives both near and remote is a necessity for a modern army…”
Article CLXXIII. ^ Tate, Dr. James P. (June 1998). 1-42891-257-6&id=pZyLTfJFaEgC&dq=The+Army+and+Its+Air+Corps+Army+Policy+toward+Aviation The Army and Its Air Corps: Army Policy toward Aviation 1919–1941. Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: Air University Press, p. 161. ISBN 1-42891-257-6. Retrieved on 16 January. “To them it seemed that the bomber was well-nigh invincible. They argued that pursuit was obsolete and attack an expensive luxury, since aviation was more effective when used for interdiction behind enemy lines and strategic bombardment to destroy the enemy's means and will to fight.”
Article CLXXIV. ^ Twelve O'Clock High (1949). Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on 16 January, 2007.
Article CLXXV. ^ "The Story of the B-17", B-17 Pilot Training Manual. Headquarters, AAF, Office of Flying Safety. Retrieved during 2007. “The B-17's incredible capacity to take it — to come flying home on three, two, even one engine, sieve-like with flak and bullet holes, with large sections of wing or tail surfaces shot away — has been so widely publicized that U.S. fighting men could afford to joke about it" and "one important fact stands clear-cut now. The Flying Fortress is a rugged airplane”
Article CLXXVI. ^ Browne, Robert W. (Winter 2001). "The Rugged Fortress: Life-Saving B-17 Remembered". Flight Journal: WW II Bombers (Winter 2001) Retrieved on 18 December 2006.
Article CLXXVII. ^ The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress (1944). Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on 16 January, 2007.
Article CLXXVIII. ^ Freeman, Morgan Mighty Eighth War Diary - the first B-17 to finish 25 operational missions was Hell's Angels of the 303rd Bomb Group.
Article CLXXIX. ^ For example, Verinis had been given his own aircraft to command before his tour of duty was complete. See Morgan's autobiography.
Article CLXXX. ^ B-17s: Where to Find Them. Aero Vintage Books. Retrieved during 2007.
Article CLXXXI. ^ The Swoose. 463rd Bombardment Group Historical Society. Retrieved on 18 December, 2006.
Article CLXXXII. ^ Brennan, Sandra. Biography. All Movie Guide. Retrieved on 25 December, 2006.
Article CLXXXIII. ^ Trescott, Jacqueline (Saturday 3 November 2007). "Smithsonian Panel Backs Transfer of Famed B-17 Bomber". Washington Post 130 (333).
Article CLXXXIV. ^ Boeing B-17G “Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby”. National Museum of the USAF. Retrieved on 9 January, 2007.
Article CLXXXV. ^ History of the B-17 Nine O Nine. www.collingsfoundation.org (2001). Retrieved on 16 January, 2007.
Article CLXXXVI. ^ The Collings foundation
Article CLXXXVII. ^ B-17E “MY GAL SAL”. National Museum of the USAF. Retrieved on 7 February, 2007.
Article CLXXXVIII. ^ History Of The B-17E "My Gal Sal". www.ultimatesacrifice.com. Retrieved on 16 January, 2007.
Article CLXXXIX. ^ Jay Zeamer Jr. Obituary
Article CXC. ^ Wings of Valor II- Jay Zeamer and Joseph Sarnoski
Article CXCI. ^ Frisbee, John L. (March 1998). "Valor:The Quiet Hero". Air Force Magazine 71 (3) Retrieved on 16 January 2007.
Article CXCII. ^ Frisbee, John L. (May 1985). "Valor:'I Am the Captain of My Soul'". Air Force Magazine 68 (5) Retrieved on 9 January 2007.
Article CXCIII. ^ a b Frisbee, John L. (June 1989). "Valor:"Valor at its Highest"". Air Force Magazine 72 (6) Retrieved on 9 January 2007.
Article CXCIV. ^ Frisbee, John L. (August 1990). "Valor:A Rather Special Award". Air Force Magazine 73 (8) Retrieved on 9 January 2007.
Article CXCV. ^ Frisbee, John L. (June 1999). "Valor:One Turning and One Burning". Air Force Magazine 82 (6) Retrieved on 9 January 2007.
Article CXCVI. ^ a b Frisbee, John L. (August 1985). "Valor:A Point of Honor". Air Force Magazine 68 (8) Retrieved on 9 January 2007.
Article CXCVII. ^ Frisbee, John L. (March 1986). "Valor:A Tale of Two Texans". Air Force Magazine 69 (3) Retrieved on 9 January 2007.
Article CXCVIII. ^ Frisbee, John L. (August 1985). "Valor:Gauntlet of Fire". Air Force Magazine 68 (8) Retrieved on 9 January 2007.
Article CXCIX. ^ Frisbee, John L. (January 1984). "Valor:Crisis in the Cockpit". Air Force Magazine 67 (1) Retrieved on 9 January 2007.
Article CC. ^ Frisbee, John L. (July 1990). "Valor:Rabaul on a Wing and a Prayer". Air Force Magazine 73 (7) Retrieved on 9 January 2007.
Article CCI. ^ MOH citation of SARNOSKI, JOSEPH R.. Retrieved on 12 January, 2007.
Article CCII. ^ Frisbee, John L. (April 1984). "Valor:First of the Few". Air Force Magazine 67 (4) Retrieved on 9 January 2007.
Article CCIII. ^ Frisbee, John L. (September 1998). "Valor:The Right Touch". Air Force Magazine 81 (9) Retrieved on 16 January 2007.
Article CCIV. ^ Frisbee, John L. (October 1990). "Valor:Courage and Conviction". Air Force Magazine 73 (10) Retrieved on 16 January 2007.
Article CCV. ^ Frisbee, John L. (December 1985). "Valor:Battle Over Bougainville". Air Force Magazine 68 (12) Retrieved on 6 January 2007.
Article CCVI. ^ Gobrecht, Harry D. (2006). Werner G. Goering Crew – 358th BS. Hell's Angels: Home of the 303rd Bomb Group (H) Association. Retrieved on 20 December, 2006.
Article CCVII. ^ Freeman, Roger A. (1993). Mighty Eighth War Diary. St. Paul, Minnesota: Motorbook International, p. 497–500. ISBN 0-87938-405-6. Retrieved on 20 December 2006.
Article CCVIII. ^ Frisbee, John L. (June 1994). "Valor: Colin Kelly (He was a Hero in Legend and in Fact)". Air Force Magazine 77 (6) Retrieved on 20 December 2007.
Article CCIX. ^ National Museum of the USAF, Biography of Nancy Harkness Love.
Article CCX. ^ [1]
Article CCXI. ^ Alexander, David (1994). "Star Trek Creator": 57–78. New York, New York: ROC.
Article CCXII. ^ Smith, Starr (2005). Jimmy Stewart: Bomber Pilot. St. Paul, Minnesota: Zenith Press. ISBN 0-76032-199-X.
Article CCXIII. ^ Yunick, Henry (2003). Best Damn Garage in Town: My Life & Adventures. Carbon Press, 650.
Article CCXIV. ^ B-17 Flying Fortress Crew Positions. Arizona Wing CAF Museum. Retrieved on 16 January, 2007. “describes in detail the various positions and their related duties. The Boeing Pilot Manual also describes duties.”
(a) [edit] Bibliography
Article CCXV. Birdsall, Steve. The B-17 Flying Fortress Dallas, Texas: Morgan Aviation Books, 1965.
Article CCXVI. Bowers, Peter M. (1989). Boeing Aircraft Since 1916. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-37000-016-1.
Article CCXVII. Bowman, Martin W. (2000). Castles in the Air: The Story of the B-17 Flying Fortress Crews of the U.S. 8th Air Force. Potomac Books, 216. ISBN 1-57488-320-8.
Article CCXVIII. Caidin, Martin (1960). Black Thursday. New York, New York: E.P. Dutton & Company. ISBN 0-553-26729-9.
Article CCXIX. Caldwell, Donald and Muller, Richard. The Luftwaffe over Germany: Defense of the Reich. London: Greenhill Books Publications, 2007. ISBN 978-1-85367-712-0.
Article CCXX. Davis, Larry (1984). B-17 in Action. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications. ISBN 0-89747-152-0.
Article CCXXI. Freeman, Roger A. (1977). B-17 Fortress at War. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. ISBN 0-684-14872-2.
Article CCXXII. Hess, William N (1994). B-17 Flying Fortress: Combat and Development History of the Flying Fortress. St. Paul, Minnesota: Motorbook International. ISBN 0-87938-881-1.
Article CCXXIII. Hess, William N (2003). B-17 Flying Fortress Units of the MTO. Botley, Oxford: Osprey Publishing Limited. ISBN 1-84176-580-5.
Article CCXXIV. Hess, William N (1998). Big Bombers of WWII. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Lowe & B. Hould. ISBN 0-681-07570-8.
Article CCXXV. Jablonski, Edward (1965). Flying Fortress. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-03855-0.
Article CCXXVI. Johnson, Frederick A (2001). Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. Stillwater, Minnesota: Voyageur Press. ISBN 1-58007-052-3.
Article CCXXVII. Lloyd, Alwyn T (1986). B-17 Flying Fortress in Detail and Scale. Fallbrook, California: Aero Publishers. ISBN 0-8168-5029-1.
Article CCXXVIII. O'Leary, Michael (1999). Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress (Osprey Production Line to Frontline 2). Botley, Oxford, United Kingdom: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-814-3.
Article CCXXIX. Salecker, Gene Eric (2001). Fortress Against The Sun – The B-17 Flying Fortress in the Pacific (Combined Publishing). Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, USA: Combined Publishing. ISBN 1-58097-049-4.
Article CCXXX. Thompson, Scott A (2000). Final Cut: The Post War B-17 Flying Fortress, The Survivors: Revised and Updated Edition. Highland County, Ohio: Pictorial Histories Publishing Company. ISBN 1-57510-077-0.
Article CCXXXI. Willmott, H.P. (1980). B-17 Flying Fortress. London: Bison Books. ISBN 0-85368-444-8.
Section 231.01 [edit] External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
B-17 Flying Fortress
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
B-17 Flying Fortress
"Big Yank", B-17G-45-BO, 44-6405, of the 483rd B.G. served in 1945 and was credited with three Me 262 kills and one probable kill. Salvaged at Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, 28 December 1945.
Article CCXXXII. Bail Out Over the Balkans - True Story by B17 Pilot Richard Munsen after being shot down over Yugoslavia
Article CCXXXIII. Commemorative Air Force Gulf Coast Wing - Home of B-17G "Texas Raiders"
Article CCXXXIV. Nose Art on B-17G wreck parts
Article CCXXXV. Official site of the 303rd "Hell's Angels" Bomb Group
Article CCXXXVI. Official site of the 463rd "The Swoose" Bomb Group
Article CCXXXVII. Information on Sally B
Article CCXXXVIII. World War II 8th Air Force website
Article CCXXXIX. Warbird Alley: B-17 page — Information about B-17s still flying today.
Article CCXL. Sam Hewitt: 15th Air Force WWII POW
Article CCXLI. Lacey Lady — TheBomber.com
Article CCXLII. The Most Unbelieveable Landing of a B-17
Article CCXLIII. The Air War in Retrospect — First-hand accounts of WWII Veterans.
Article CCXLIV. Lt. Bob Swan's Photos of Life as a B-17 Flying Fortress Navigator in England during WWII
Article CCXLV. Second-Lieutenant David Kingsley, the Ultimate Sacrifice
Article CCXLVI. Arizona Wing of the Commemorative Air Force & Their Touring B-17 — Sentimental Journey
Article CCXLVII. The EAA's Touring B-17 — Aluminum Overcast
Article CCXLVIII. Fantasy of Flight's B17 — B-17 Flying Fortress on display at Fantasy of Flight.
Article CCXLIX. Battle-Damaged B-17s — Photographic chronicle of the damage that the "Queen of the Skies" could sustain and still bring her crews home.
Article CCL. Warbirdregistry.org
Article CCLI. Photograph of USAF B-17 and crew that crash landed in neutral Ireland in WWII
Article CCLII. List Of Surviving B-17s
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see also: B-26 (redesignation of A-26)
Light Bomber
LB-1 • LB-2 • XLB-3 • XLB-4 • LB-5 • LB-6 • LB-7 • LB-8 • LB-9 • LB-10 • LB-11 • XLB-12 • LB-13 • LB-14
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Q-1 • Q-2 • Q-3 • Q-4 • Q-5 • XQ-6 • Q-7 • Q-8 • XQ-9 • XQ-10 • XQ-11 • XQ-12 • (Q-13 not assigned) • PQ-14
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Target control aircraft
YCQ-1 • CQ-2 • CQ-3 • CQ-4
Aerial target (subscale)
OQ-1 • OQ-2 • OQ-3 • OQ-4 • OQ-5 • OQ-6 • OQ-7 • OQ-11 • OQ-12 • OQ-13 • OQ-14 • OQ-15 • OQ-16 • OQ-17 • OQ-18 • OQ-19
Aerial target (full-scale)
A-1 • A-2 • A-3 • A-4 • A-5 • A-6 • A-7 • A-8/PQ-8 • PQ-9 • PQ-10 • PQ-11 • PQ-12 • PQ-13 • PQ-14 • XPQ-15
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USN/USMC patrol aircraft designations 1923-1962
Patrol
Boeing: PB • P2B • P3B
Douglas: PD • P2D • P3D
Grumman: PF
Hall: PH • P2H
General Aviation: PJ
Keystone: PK
Martin: PM • P2M • P3M • P4M • P5M • P6M
Naval Aircraft Factory: PN • P2N • P4N
Lockheed: PO
Sikorsky: PS • P2S
Lockheed: PV • P2V • P3V
Consolidated: PY • P2Y • P3Y • P4Y-1 • P4Y-2 • P5Y • P6Y
Patrol Bomber
Boeing: PBB • PB2B
North American: PBJ
Martin: PBM • PB2M
Naval Aircraft Factory: PBN
Lockheed: PBO
Sikorsky: PBS
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Section 252.02 TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH
SUBJECTS --- U.S./1941 - 1945; Aviation;
SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING --- Leadership; Courage in War;
MORAL-ETHICAL EMPHASIS --- Responsibility.
Age: 10+; Not rated; Drama; 1949; 132 minutes; B & W.
A new commander is posted to a World War II American heavy bomber group conducting daylight bombing runs over Germany and occupied Europe. Fighter escorts have not yet arrived from the U.S. Casualties are high, morale is low and the unit is functioning poorly. Can the new commander make the bomber group into an effective fighting unit? Twelve O'Clock High is a study in leadership of an organization under extreme stress. It displays one of the essential ingredients in the Allied victory during World War II, effective operation of complex organizations.
The TeachWithMovies.com Learning Guide to Twelve O'Clock High helps teachers and parents use this film to supplement curriculum about the Second World War and teach leadership skills.
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The controversy over the daylight bombing campaign was one of the major tactical issues of World War II. Twelve O'Clock High shows the stress of that campaign and how bomber squadrons conducting it required expert leadership in order to function.
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To give you a sense of how our Learning Guides can be used by teachers as lesson plans and by parents to supplement school curriculum or for homeschooling, we have set out below a paragraph from the Learning Guide to Twelve O'Clock High.
In 1943 the English and the Americans disagreed about tactics for the air war against Germany. Earlier in the war, the English had suffered unacceptably high losses during daylight bombing. In response, they equipped their heavy bombers, the Lancasters and the Halifaxes, for night bombing. However, night bombing was not precise and could only target general areas. The American B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberators were more heavily armored than the English planes and had bombsights that allowed them to strike specific targets during the day. The U.S. Army Air Corps wanted to conduct long range daylight strategic bombing.
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Plot summary for
Sole Survivor (1970) (TV)
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This story is loosely based on the discovery of the B-24 "Liberator" bomber the "Lady Be Good" that was found in the Libyan desert after the crew got lost on their 1st bombing mission to Italy. The plane was found in the desert & the crews remains in the desert far from the wreckage because they'd gotten lost because they'd picked up a strong tail wind that put them over the desert & not on the ocean as they thought they were, so they took the sea survival gear not the desert gear when they bailed out, just as in the movie. Even the fuselage was broken in two behind the wing just as the real plane's was. In the movie one of the crew found the plane & took shelter under the raised tail section, it fell on him & splatted him so Vince Edwards goes back to find his remains which were not with the rest of the crew in the desert. The Twilight Zone TV series did a similar story staring Robert "Bob" Cummings" who was transported back to the wreck of his B-25 in the present time (he sees a B-47 fly overhead & knows what it is) after he'd read in the newspaper that it was discovered in the desert. It was thought he had a dream until sand poured out of his shoes in the hospital when the nurse knocked them over trying to pick them up. Written by Gilbert DeMichele{KeyMaster552000@yahoo.com
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Article CCLIII. The Greatest American Hero
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The Greatest American Hero
Format
superhero drama-comedy television series
Created by
Stephen J. Cannell
Starring
William Katt as Ralph Hinkley
Robert Culp as Bill Maxwell
Connie Sellecca as Pam Davidson
Michael Paré as Tony Villacona
Faye Grant as Rhonda Harris
Opening theme
"Theme from Greatest American Hero (Believe It or Not)" by Joey Scarbury
Country of origin
United States
No. of seasons
3
No. of episodes
44
Production
Running time
60 minutes (per episode)
Broadcast
Original channel
ABC
Original run
March 18, 1981 – February 3, 1983
External links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary
The Greatest American Hero is an American television series which aired for three seasons from 1981 to 1983 on ABC. It premiered as a two hour movie pilot on March 18, 1981. It starred William Katt as teacher Ralph Hinkley (or Hanley), Robert Culp as FBI Agent Bill Maxwell, and Connie Sellecca as lawyer Pam Davidson.
Section 253.02 Contents
[hide]
1 Premise
2 DVD releases
3 Typical plot lines
4 Trivia
5 Notes
6 References
7 External links
Section 253.03 [edit] Premise
The series is a superhero drama-comedy. Ralph Hinkley is a schoolteacher for "special students", determined to get through to them. Coming back from a field trip late one night, the school bus breaks down, forcing Ralph to walk back through the desert to get help. He encounters a swerving car driven by FBI Special Agent Bill Maxwell (Culp) that stops just in time to avoiding hitting Hinkley. Maxwell insists that he couldn't control the car. Then two bright, purple lights appear in the sky and they both jump in the car and try to get away, but not only won't the car start, the doors lock by themselves trapping them inside.
They're surprised to find that the lights come from an alien spacecraft. The aliens tell Ralph and Bill (by way of the car radio) that they're to work together to save the world and Ralph will be given the power to change it. They are given a black case. Later Ralph opens it and finds a silly-looking red suit (with cape) which endows him with superhuman abilities. Bill runs off from fear but later contacts Ralph, leading to an awkward partnership as the two try to use the powers of the suit (which Bill calls the "red jammies") to fight crime.
The novelty of the show is based on Ralph's inability to properly learn to use the suit, and even learn of its various capabilities, other than by trial and error, because he lost the instruction manual in the desert. A recurring gag involves Ralph clumsily trying to strip off his outer clothes to activate the suit before the enemies can get away.
In practice, Ralph's superhero is more akin to a Buster Keaton-style clown. For example, sequences where he flies through the air under his own power usually show him flailing his arms and legs, instead of adopting the Superman-like "arms extended, legs together" pose. In fact, his first flight results in the terrifying experience of him hurtling out of control until he rams head first into a building wall. The basic powers (outside of flying) included super strength, resistance to injury, invisibility, precognition, telekinesis, remote viewing, super speed, X-ray vision, and psychometry. He also showed signs of being able to control minds when he was exposed to high doses of plutonium radiation.
Pam Davidson is an attorney who often joins Ralph and Bill on their adventures. She is an attorney who handled Ralph's divorce and later becomes his wife.
Also co-starring are Michael Paré and Faye Grant as two of Ralph's students.
The series was created by producer Stephen J. Cannell. The show is typical of his style of character-driven quirky drama where the plot is secondary to the relationships among the characters.
The theme song (and variants of the theme) are used frequently throughout. "Believe It or Not" was composed by Mike Post (music) and Stephen Geyer (lyrics) and sung by Joey Scarbury. The theme song became a popular hit during the show's run (more information below).
In 1986, the original cast reunited for a pilot film for a new NBC series to be called The Greatest American Heroine. The pilot reveals that several years after the final episode, Ralph's secret identity was finally revealed to the public, resulting in his becoming a celebrity. This upsets the aliens who gave him the suit, and they charge him with finding a new hero to wear the costume and use its powers for fighting evil. He finds a young woman (Mary Ellen Stuart) who spends her time looking for lost kittens and teaching young children, and most of the episode deals with her learning how to use the suit under Bill Maxwell's guidance.
The Greatest American Heroine did not result in a new series, and the pilot was never broadcast by NBC. Ultimately, the pilot was reedited as an episode of the original series (complete with original opening credits and theme), and added to syndication packages of the original series, where it airs as the final episode.
In 2004, it was announced that a motion picture based upon the television series was in the planning stages
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