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This Day in 1943: Memphis Belle Completes 25th & Final Combat Mission
Posted on 5/17/16 at 10:37 am
Posted on 5/17/16 at 10:37 am
This Day in History - May 17th, 1943
quote:
On this day in 1943, the crew of the Memphis Belle, one of a group of American bombers based in Britain, becomes the first B-17 crew to complete 25 missions over Europe.
quote:
The Memphis Belle performed its 25th and last mission, in a bombing raid against Lorient, a German submarine base.
quote:Pretty cool little fact for the WWII buffs of the OT. 25 completed combat missions in the skies over Europe & Japan was an enormous feat...25 missions completed with the full crew coming home was almost unheard of, seeing as though an estimated 23,000 bombers were lost in the skies of Europe alone.
If we are going to count “Entire Crews”, then recorded evidence only shows that three Aircraft, two (2) B-17’s, and one (1) B-29 Completed 25 Missions, where all the crew survived. Out of the three, only two "complete crews" came home with their airplane.
4
Posted on 5/17/16 at 10:40 am to TexasTiger90
Posted on 5/17/16 at 10:42 am to TexasTiger90
Just think how lucky Harry Connick Jr was to make it back and then get famous.
Posted on 5/17/16 at 10:42 am to TexasTiger90
When we think of hard fighting and high losses in WWII we always think of places like Normandy, Iwo Jima, or Anzio. But it was the 8th Air Force that suffered the highest casualty rate of any American unit in the entire war.
Posted on 5/17/16 at 10:43 am to Captain Lafitte
Do you happen to know what the stars above each mission bomb represent? I see some are filled in with red while others are solid gold. I'd be interested in hearing about that. I got to fly in a B-17 back in Junior High all around the Galveston area for around 2 hours...such an incredible war machine. Full access to walk around and explore while in flight...even got to sit in the ball turret. Total rattle trap on the runway, but the second we got in the air, smooth as any commercial flight. Really great experience (mainly because no one was shooting at us 
)
)
Posted on 5/17/16 at 10:47 am to Captain Lafitte
2 bombing missions and eight fighter kills, great record.
Amazing how staggering our air losses were in that war, but we just had so many planes, that everyone that would be shot down, two more where on their way from the states.
Amazing how staggering our air losses were in that war, but we just had so many planes, that everyone that would be shot down, two more where on their way from the states.
Posted on 5/17/16 at 10:48 am to slacker130
Billy Zane must have had the luck of the Irish - Survived the Titanic sinking to fly in WWII. Then, Matthew Modine survived his tour of duty and was so patriotic, he decided to enlist in the USMC and go to Vietnam! And just think how lucky Sean Astin was to make it back and play for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. What great success stories
Posted on 5/17/16 at 10:49 am to TexasTiger90
Here's an explanation: LINK
Posted on 5/17/16 at 10:49 am to TexasTiger90
quote:
Do you happen to know what the stars above each mission bomb represent?
quote:
Q# What do the red and yellow stars painted above the bombs on the side of the plane signify?
A# The red and yellow stars, painted above the bombs for each mission flown, represent the missions where the "Belle" lead her bomb group, yellow stars, and when she lead the whole bomb wing, red stars#
LINK
Posted on 5/17/16 at 10:54 am to Napoleon
I can't imagine the terror and helpless feelings these kids must have experienced. Not only do you have the incredible fighter pilots of the Luftwaffe against you (formidable on their own), but you had chunks of hot metal exploding all around you so thick, some say you could walk on it. Unbelievable
Posted on 5/17/16 at 10:54 am to TexasTiger90
That's awesome you got to fly in one. I only got to see one up close but that's about it.
Posted on 5/17/16 at 10:57 am to Napoleon
Memphis Belle is tGOAT of aircraft noseart as well.
Love the B-17
Love the B-17
Posted on 5/17/16 at 10:58 am to Tigeralum2008
quote:
Memphis Belle is tGOAT of aircraft noseart as well.
Inspired Jessica Rabbit, too.
Posted on 5/17/16 at 11:11 am to TexasTiger90
Posted on 5/17/16 at 11:16 am to hawgfaninc
HBO needs to make a "Band of Brothers" style miniseries for the aircrews of WWII
Posted on 5/17/16 at 11:21 am to Tigeralum2008
quote:The Mighty Eighth Official Teaser #1 (2014) - War Movie HD
HBO needs to make a "Band of Brothers" style miniseries for the aircrews of WWII
Not sure if this is real or not, but would be really cool to see something like this in a mini-series for sure
Posted on 5/17/16 at 11:24 am to TexasTiger90
quote:
I can't imagine the terror and helpless feelings these kids must have experienced. Not only do you have the incredible fighter pilots of the Luftwaffe against you (formidable on their own), but you had chunks of hot metal exploding all around you so thick, some say you could walk on it. Unbelievable
For 25 missions. I'll never understand how the had the fortitude to make it. I suppose you had to have a very fatalistic outlook on life.
Posted on 5/17/16 at 11:26 am to RogerTheShrubber
quote:My grandfather got his only tattoo on the ship heading to Iwo Jima because he figured he wouldn't make it out and wanted an easy way to ID his body...That's pretty damn fatalistic
I suppose you had to have a very fatalistic outlook on life.
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