1. B-17 Flying Fortress

2.  4 engine heavy bomber  Used primarily in European Theatre against Germany.

3.  Eighth Air Force based in England and Italy.  Dropped more bombs than any other US aircraft during WWII

4.  Carried up to 4,800 lbs of bombs  Norden Bombsight/high altitude bombing  5- 50 caliber machine guns  10 man crew

6.  Began operations in 1941 with the RAF.  1/3 of all B-17’s built lost in combat.  12, 731 built

7. Schweinfurt Missions  August 1943  Goal: Bomb the factories at Schweinfurt industrial complex.  230 aircraft attack  36 shot down (24 shot down in another raid the same day. Total 60)

9.  2 nd attempt: October 14, 1943  291 planes attacked.  59 shot down, 1 ditched in the Channel, 5 crashed in England & 12 scrapped due to damage= 77 lost  8 th Air Force lost 176 bombers in Oct. 1943.

11. Weakness  Luftwaffe figured out that 20 hits from a 20mm gun in the tail section would bring a B-17 down.  To accomplish this, they would fire over 1000 rounds at the bomber.  Or attack from the front

12. Pacific Theatre  5 B17 groups in the Pacific Theatre  Used sparingly because they had so few.

13. Legacy  Crews loved them  Legends grew (Memphis Belle)  Today a handful tour the country keeping history alive.