Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Aircraft and Vehicles => Topic started by: Jester on March 09, 2004, 11:33:12 PM

Title: World War 2 Trivia (#19)
Post by: Jester on March 09, 2004, 11:33:12 PM

The B-17F "MEMPHIS BELLE" was the first B-17 of the USAAF's 8th Air Force to complete 25 missions against the enemy.

Which was the second?

GOOD LUCK!  :aok

Title: Re: World War 2 Trivia (#19)
Post by: Guppy35 on March 10, 2004, 12:47:51 AM

Quote

Originally posted by Jester
The B-17F "MEMPHIS BELLE" was the first B-17 of the USAAF's 8th Air Force to complete 25 missions against the enemy.

Which was the second?

GOOD LUCK!  :aok

BZZZT!!!!   The Belle was the second.

Hell's Angels, of the 303rd BG was the first B17 to complete 25 missions on May 13, 1943.  She had no aborts during that time.

The Crew of the Memphis Belle was the first to complete 25 missions. The Memphis Belle was the first B17 in the 91st BG to complete 25 missions on May 19, 1943.

http://www.303rdbga.com/h-ha-mb.html

Dan/Slack

Title: World War 2 Trivia (#19)
Post by: Widewing on March 10, 2004, 01:17:46 AM

Memphis Belle was NOT the first 8th AF B-17 to complete 25 missions. That honor belongs to Hell's Angels. It seems that the 8th's Public Relations Office screwed up. Hell's Angels completed 25 missions on May 13th, 1943, which was six days before the Belle did. Capt. Morgan only flew 17 or 18 of the 25 anyway, missing some due to sickness or flying a different B-17. Capt. Baldwin flew 27 of the 28 missions flown by Hell's Angels.

You can check out the mission schedules for both here. (http://www.303rdbga.com/h-ha-mb.html)  

So, the actual answer to your question is Memphis Belle.  :)

My regards,

Widewing

Title: World War 2 Trivia (#19)
Post by: Jester on March 12, 2004, 02:05:42 AM

CORRECT!

The "Memphis Belle" was "OFFICIALLY" the first to complete 25 missions against enemy targets but the honor actually goes to the B-17 "Hell's Angles".

From what I have read the "Belle" was chosen over the "Hell's Angles" because it was thought that the name might be less "offensive" to the folks back home and show that the war was strictly being fought by Wolesome American Boys who missed just their sweethearts and send the public out to buy war bonds.

The whole thing was put on by the AH PR Dept. Most of the actual 8th AF Command was against it as it recognized one crew over many others.

CONGRATS! :aok