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Air Force Museum: The Memphis Belle (photo diary) [1]
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Date: 2022-07-01
About the Memphis Belle:
The Memphis Belle was a B-17F heavy bomber assigned to the 324 th Bomb Squadron, 91 st Bomb Group, at Bassingbourn, England, during the early part of the USAAF strategic bombing campaign. Between November 1942 and May 1943, the Memphis Belle and its crew flew 25 bombing missions, including strikes against targets in Germany, France, and Belgium. At the time, the odds of completing a 25-mission tour and going home were small. During the Memphis Belle’s tour, the Eighth Air Force averaged one bomber lost every 18 sorties (one sortie equals one aircraft flying one combat mission). Although the Memphis Belle was damaged on several combat missions, the crew beat the odds and completed their 25 th mission on May 17, 1943. The crew then returned home for a war bond tour across America.
The Memphis Belle and its crew became timeless symbols of the service and sacrifice of the heavy bomber crews and support personnel who helped defeat Nazi Germany. This famed aircraft was the first US Army Air Forces heavy bomber to return to the United States after completing 25 missions over Europe.
About the Boeing B-17:
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress flew in every combat zone during World War II, but its most significant service was over Europe. Along with the B-24 Liberator, the B-17 formed the backbone of the USAAF strategic bombing force, and it helped win the war by crippling Germany’s war industry.
The B-17’s design emphasized high altitude flight, speed, and heavy defensive armament in order to survive enemy defenses. Advanced turbosupercharged engines allowed it to fly up to about 30,000 feet with a combat load, while powered turrets and flexible guns covered all areas around the aircraft.
Although the B-17 prototype flew in 1935, only a relatively small number of B-17s were in service when the US entered the war in 1941. Production quickly increased, and three companies—Boeing, Lockheed-Vega, and Douglas—mass-produced Flying Fortresses by the thousands.
The B-17F was the fastest model and the primary heavy bomber early in the strategic bombing campaign. The later B-17G had a nose turret for better frontal defense, and it was also the most numerous, representing about two thirds of all B-17s made. By the end of production in May 1945, more than 12,700 B-17s had been built.
The aircraft on display, the famed B-17F Memphis Belle, became the first heavy bomber to return to the US after flying 25 missions over Europe.
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