Well, my teacher didn’t like the first one I submitted ("too long, and too much of a report and not an essay; I scored a 25 out of 35[V]), so I rewrote it, and got a 108% (a bonus for turning it in a day early that the teacher awarded to everyone who did so[:D][8D]) I personally don’t like it as much, but apparently he did! Here it is:
The History of the Boeing B-17
By Josh Kaiser
May-June 2006
The Boeing B-17 is one of the most well-known and liked aircraft types of all time. There have been several movies, over 20 different model kits, and countless toys made of the aircraft. In this report, I will attempt to tell you (the reader) about the aircraft’s many uses and the effect it had on the largest conflict of all time: World War Two.
The B-17 was arguably the most important allied aircraft in the European theater, and definitely the most important bomber. Without the B-17, it would have taken over a year (unless the U.S. used the British bomber types) for another bomber aircraft to enter service (the Consolidated B-24). If this had happened, strategic targets would not have been destroyed, the enemy’s war machine would have become more powerful, and the Axis powers could have quite possibly won the war.
The B-17 was superior to all other bomber types in some respects. It was tougher than its leading rival, the B-24, though the B-24 could carry a heavier bomb load over a greater distance at a higher speed. However, the B-17 could take major damage almost anywhere and still limp home, while the B-24 could go down after taking only a few hits to the wings or tail. The B-17 was also better defended, with up to 13 .50 caliber machine guns, compared to 11 for the B-24. It was also easier to fly. Many pilots of the B-24s were envious of B-17 pilots, and when some B-24 pilots were transferred between types, they were much happier in B-17s.
Compared to the British bombers, the B-17 was much stronger than its counterparts, since some of the British types were fabric-skinned, and many of them had only .303 caliber guns, which were better than nothing, but even with more of them, the B-17 still had heavier firepower. It could also carry a heavier bombload (besides the Avro Lancaster and a couple of other designs), and had equal if not greater range.
German and Japanese types didn’t stand a chance. Most of them were twin-engined short-ranged medium bombers, which were not used in the strategic role.
The area where the B-17 saw the largest use was in the European theater, with aircraft being used by the Eighth AF in England and the Fifteenth AF in Italy/North Africa.
In combat, the B-17 served with exceptional reliability and regularity. Raids were being sent to mainland Europe and beyond almost every day for three years. At the beginning, raids were small, consisting of 10-20 planes (which was a maximum-strength effort) sent to close targets in France and Belgium , but exactly one year after the 8th AF’s first raid, they were sending forces of over 150 or more aircraft deep into Germany to bomb targets like Schweinfurt, Regensburg, and Berlin. By the time the war ended, the forces had increased to 250-300 aircraft per mission.
Despite its many successes, the B-17 wasn’t immortal. In the early days of the 8th AF, combat losses were relatively light (in fact, no aircraft were lost in the first several raids), but as the war went on and the bombers were penetrating ever deeper into Germany, the losses became heavier and heavier. By 1944, it was normal to lose 15-30 aircraft per mission.
The worst losses ever sustained came in 1944 during the first raid on the ball-bearing plants (ball-bearings were used in all military vehicles) at Schweinfurt. The city was defended by hundreds of antiaircraft guns, as well as several fighter interceptor squadrons. Overall, the USAAF lost over 60 planes during the mission, due to AAA (Anti-Aircraft Artillery), fighters, and mechanical problems. This meant over 600 aircrew (not counting those killed or wounded on planes that made it back to base) lost their lives. This was unacceptable. The 8th AF stepped up its fighter escorts, and this helped.
By late 1944, however, the bombing raids were beginning to show their effects. Fighter and AAA opposition was becoming lighter and lighter, and soon the escort fighters were almost no longer needed. By 1945, there was hardly ever any opposition whatsoever, and the escorts were forced to drop down and attack targets of opportunity on the ground. Even if there was any fighter opposition, the escorts in superior planes with superior training, and the gunners in the bombers were able to shoot down the attackers wholesale with almost no losses of their own. By the end of the war, the USAAF had complete and uncontested control of the air over the entire European continent.
The B-17 was used by the U.S. and Great Britain, flying out of bases in England, Italy, North Africa, Russia, and all over in the Pacific theater, and some captured examples were even repaired by the Germans and used for transporting agents, dropping supplies, reconnaissance, and training of fighter pilots in its weaknesses! The B-17G also saw combat after WWII, being used in Korea for rescue and reconnaissance, by Israel in some of their wars, and to drop U.S. special agents in Vietnam.
Overall, over 27,000 men from the Eighth Air Force (this includes not only B-17s but also B-24s, and all other bomber and fighter aircraft operated by the 8th AF) died over Europe. At some points, raids were losing up to 12% of their aircraft, and it was statistically impossible for a crewman to survive his 25-mission tour of duty. 17 Congressional Medals of Honor were given to 8th AF personnel, as well as 220 distinguished service crosses, 442,000 air medals, and thousands of other medals, not counting those awarded to veterans after the war. During the war, B-17s flew 294,875 sorties (a mission counted for a single aircraft), dropped 640,000 tons (1,280,000,000 pounds!) of bombs, fired over 100 million rounds of ammunition, and lost 4,483 aircraft in action plus 861 lost to other various causes such as mechanical failure. In the Pacific theater these number were much smaller, because the B-17 wasn’t used all that often because of the need for tactical bombing more.
In conclusion, the B-17 was a very historically significant aircraft that served with several countries over a period of over 20 years, being used in many roles to impact the course of the war Many people have said that the bombing of Germany and Europe was not necessary, but if it hadn’t been for aircraft like the B-17 hitting the enemy where it really hurt, the factories, rail yards, etc, the war in Europe could have been dragged out for several more years, and who knows? If it hadn’t been for the B-17, I might be typing this report in German…
B-17G Statistics-
Wingspan- 103’ 9 3/8”
Length- 74’ 3.9” (with Cheyenne tail)
Height- 19’ 2.44”
Powerplant- Wright R-1820-97 Cyclone with 1,000 HP @ 2300 RPM @ 25,000 feet
Empty weight- 36,136 lb.
Gross weight- 40,260 lb.
Cruising Speed- 160 mph.
Top speed- 302 mph.
Service ceiling- 36,400 feet
Range- 3,750 miles
Crew- 10: Pilot, copilot, bombardier, navigator, top turret gunner/flight engineer, radio operator, ball turret gunner, left and right waist gunners, tail gunner
Bomb load- 8,000 lb.
Armament- 11-13 (depending on production block and field modification).50 caliber Browning machine guns
Number built- 8680 (all manufacturers)
Several other B-17 variants were produced in smaller numbers, and they are:
B-17H- a B-17 modified to serve as an air-sea rescue aircraft. These aircraft carried a 27 foot, 3,500 pound lifeboat under the fuselage that could be dropped to downed aircrews.
PB-1W (AEW)- This was a U.S. Navy B-17 modified with a large search radar bubble mounted under the nose or fuselage, or on top or the fuselage for use in the AEW, or airborne early warning role, or in the antisubmarine role.
QB-17- The QB-17 was an unmanned “drone” aircraft, controlled by DB-17 controller aircraft. These were used in the Bikini Atoll atomic bomb tests, as well as targets for USAAF/USAF (the Army was dropped in 1950 when the U.S. Air Force became its own military branch) gunnery meets, and in missile testing.
RB-17- this was actually two different types. In early WWII, the “R” stood for Restricted Flight, which was any aircraft not fit to fly. However, the “R” was later changed to Reconnaissance, meaning any B-17 modified to carry reconnaissance cameras.
VB-17G- was used as a VIP (mostly generals and other military officers) transport, specially modified to have a very plush interior.
TB-17- any B-17 used to train pilots and aircrew.
Well, that’s my report/essay, I hope you liked it!
-Josh
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Internet-
All the helpful folks on the www.finescale.com forums Books-
www.381st.org Squadron/signal publications B-17 In Action
Google image search Squadron/signal Walk Around: B-17
Southwater Bombers of World Wars I and II
Other-
Personal knowledge
Ubisoft’s Pacific Fighters flight simulator
Thanks for looking!
as always, any questions, comments, or corrections are welcomed!