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Posts Tagged ‘B-17’

World War II History for March 17

17 Mar

Today in WWII History

World War II History for March 17

*St. Patricks Day*

Audio Clip: CBS World News Today (03.14.1943)

 WWII History - 03.14.1943 CBS World News Today [24:20m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

17 Mar 1940 - Dr. Fritz Todt was appointed Germany’s Minister for Weapons and Munitions.

17 Mar 1941 – The US Senate begins debating the Lend-Lease bill.

17 Mar 1942 – United States assumes strategic defense of the Pacific Ocean.

17 Mar 1942 – MacArthur arrives Australia by B-17 during Japanese attack and became the Supreme Commander of the United Nations forces in the Southwestern Pacific.

17 Mar 1943 – British forces capture Medenine in Tunisia, but US and British forces in other North African fronts begin falling back in the face of heavy German armor attacks. The Mark IV tanks prove effective for the Germans since their introduction.

17 Mar 1944 – US forces bomb Vienna.

 
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Posted in African Theater, Europe Theater, North America, Pacific Theater, Podcast, Today

 

Quote of the Day – B-17 Gunner

19 Jun

Quote of the Day

“Those were great days, though,” he added. “We lived only one day at a time, of course. We didn’t know whether you were going to live tomorrow or not. We flew constantly. I had 500 hours in that ball, right there.” — Glenn Simms B-17 Gunner

B-17 Veteran
Plano resident Glenn Simms, 89, flew 500 hours in 38 missions in the ball turret – suicide seat – of a B-17 bomber while an 8th Air Force staff sergeant and gunner in World War II.

‘Belle’ and the ball, Friday, June 19, 2009 – By Jo Ann Hustis – jhustis@morrisdailyherald.com

 
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Posted in Air, Country - USA, Media, News, Other

 

World War II History for June 2

02 Jun

Today in WWII History

World War II History for June 2

2 JUN 1944 - The United States began “shuttle bombing” in Operation Frantic. The operation was created soley to destroy Germany’s war economy.

Operation Frantic was a series of seven shuttle bombing operations conducted by American aircraft based in Britain or the Mediterranean which then landed at three American bases (including Poltava and Mirgorod) in the Soviet Union. This shuttle bombing technique complicated the defense of German targets.

 
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Posted in Country - USA, Europe Theater, Media, Pacific Theater, Podcast, Today

 

World War II History for July 19

19 Jul

Today in WW II History

World War II History for July 19

1942 - German U-boats were withdrawn from positions off the U.S. Atlantic coast due to effective American anti-submarine countermeasures.

1943 - During World War II, more than 150 B-17 and 112 B-24 bombers attacked Rome for the first time.

 
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Posted in Atlantic Theater, Europe Theater, Today

 

South Pacific B-17 Pilot – Bob Perry

01 Jul

‘Bob’ Perry, 85, WW II pilot, teacher
Tuesday, July 01, 2008 – The Hillsboro Argus

Robert D. “Bob” Perry, 85, Hillsboro, died June 22, 2008.

A life celebration will be 10 a.m. July 25 at Bethel Congregational United Church of Christ, 5150 SW Watson Ave., Beaverton, OR.

Mr. Perry was born in St. Helens Oregon Oct. 23, 1922. He graduated from Willamette University where he played on the varsity basketball and baseball teams.

He married Beverly in 1943 and served as a B-17 pilot in the South Pacific during World War II.

He taught school in Klamath Falls in 1949. He was a teacher, coach and counselor at Beaverton High School from 1951 until his retirement in 1983.

He and his brothers started and operated Perry’s Basketball Camp in Vernonia from 1964 to 1980. Thousands of young people went through the week-long program.

He enjoyed golf and was a volunteer at the Beaverton Library and at Play It Again, a clothing store for the needy. He also volunteered for the Food Bank, Meals on Wheels and Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District.

He was preceded in death by daughters Diane and Robin.

Survivors include his wife, Beverly; a daughter and son-in-law, Linda and Cris McMann; a son and daughter-in-law, Matthew and Debbie Perry; and three grandchildren, Nick, Natalie and Drew Perry.

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Posted in Air, News, Pacific Theater

 

WW II Bomber Brings Out Memories

11 Jun

WW II Bomber Brings Out Memories
6/10/2008 – 04:02:32 pm – KOTA TV

This week’s visit in Scottsbluff by a B-17 is more than just a history lesson for many, but for one man it’s also a chance to connect with the experiences of his father.

Patrick Vann of Torrington never heard a lot about his father’s experience as a bombardier and tail gunner in a World War II B-17, but there were a few times George Vann Jr. did open up about it.

Vann, a tail gunner and bombardier, was shot down over France on his 4th mission. Pinned inside a spinning aircraft, Vann was fortunate to escape along with one other crew member; but that crew member did not make it to the ground alive.

Patrick Vann says his father’s love of the B-17 started during training at a Texas air base and continued once he made it to Europe. “He said, ‘that beast’, he said he would be up there and that plane would be taking a hammering from all the Messerschmidt shooting back and the flak, and he said that thing would just keep on flying.”

Vann was captured by the Nazis and taken to Stalag 17-b, made famous by the movie with William Holden and later by tv’s Hogan’s Heroes. Patrick says his father told him ‘yes, there was a sergeant Shultz’ and the allied prisoners would sometimes get the best of their captors, but it was the Germans who had the upper hand. “One of the things he shared with us is during Christmas time, for 30 days, 24-7, they played White Christmas by Bing Crosby over and over and over on the loudspeakers. And he said it literally drove some of the guys crazy.”

After 14 months in the p-o-w camp, Vann returned home but never to fly on another version of his favorite plane. Patrick Vann says the images from the crash of his father’s plane had a lasting effect. “He said the last thing he did was look over and see the plane explode into flames. So him and another guy were the only ones got out. He said it was such a horrifying thing to see, he never stepped foot in a B-17 again.”

The B-17 “Sentimental Journey” remains at Scottsbluff’s Western Nebraska Regional Airport through Thursday.

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Posted in Air, News

 

EAA B-17 Bomber Visit

19 May
EAA B-17 Bomber Visit to Seattle, WA (May 21, 2008 10am – 5pm)

I saw this B-17 (Aluminum Overcast in 398th B.G colors) flying over Puget Sound out my office window today and took a couple photos. It is being hosted at the Museum of Flight for Memorial Day weekend. It was a treat for a WWII collector to see a little flying history.

See below for the plane details.

The Seattle-born B-17 played an important role in World War II and aviation history. For several days in May, the Museum will be proud host of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s popular B-17, Aluminum Overcast. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Corps in May 1945, Aluminum Overcast was too late to see action in World War II. Sold for $750 as military surplus, the airplane served as a cargo hauler, an aerial mapping platform and in pest control. Now, Aluminum Overcast carries the wartime colors of the 398th Bomb Group, serving as a living tribute to World War II aviation.

Museum visitors can tour or even fly aboard this historic aircraft. For flight reservations or more information please call the EAA at 1-800-359-6217, or visit www.b17.org.

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Posted in News, Today

 

World War II History for March 4

04 Mar

Today in WWarII History

World War II History for March 4

1941 - Britain launched Operation Claymore.

Operation Claymore was a World War II raid on the Lofoten Islands, by the British Armed forces. It was carried out on 4 March 1941, by British Commando and Royal Naval units on the remote islands off the coast of Norway, just inside the Arctic Circle.

The raid was conducted by approximately 1000 men of No. 3 and No. 4 Commando, 52 Norwegians of Norwegian Independent Company 1 and demolition teams from the 55th Field Squadron Royal Engineers. The force made an unopposed landing and generally continued to meet no opposition. They achieved their objective of destroying fish oil factories and some 3,600 tonnes (800,000 gallons) of oil and glycerine (some of the oil being destined for use in munitions).

Through naval gunfire and demolition parties, 18,000 tons of shipping were sunk. Perhaps the most significant outcome of the raid, however, was the capture of a set of rotor wheels for an Enigma cypher machine and its code books from the German armed trawler Krebs. This enabled German naval codes to be read at Bletchley Park, providing the intelligence needed to allow allied convoys to avoid u-boat concentrations.

The British experienced only one accidental injury and returned with some 228 German prisoners, 314 loyal Norwegian volunteers and a number of Quisling collaborators. – Wikipedia

1944 - The U.S. Eighth Air Force launched the first American bombing raid against the Berlin, Germany.

B-17 Flying Fortress over Berlin, GermanyThe P-51 first appeared over Berlin in March 1944, escorting the first B-17 raid on the German capital. This saw a small number of aircraft from the 95th and 100th Bomb Groups reach Berlin on 4 March, dropping 67 tons of bombs. They were followed on 6 March by 730 heavy bombers, escorted by 800 fighters. Despite this massive escort, the Eighth Air Force still lost 69 bombers, but the German fighter units were now beginning to suffer heavy and unsustainable loses themselves. 2,200 German fighter pilots were lost in the first five months of 1944, and by the end of the year the Luftwaffe had lost 21,000 aircrew. By the end of the year the B-17 was able to operate in relative safety over the Reich.

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Posted in Air, Country - Germany, Country - USA, Today

 
 
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